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The Roar

Rustom Deboo

Roar Guru

Joined July 2014

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Indeed, Australia v South Africa will be a series to watch out for, what with two top-class pace attacks expected to face off and the Proteas’ proud recent record down under (three series wins on the trot).

Best of the Tests at Newlands

Engrossing contest, even-steven at the moment. Might just be a second-innings shootout.

Best of the Tests at Newlands

Cheers, AMD.

Best of the Tests at Newlands

Cheers, Jacko.

Ten still-standing T20 World Cup records from 2007

Indeed, beating South Africa would have been massive for the Netherlands and would have thrown the group wide open. Goes to show what even a single opportunity can bring for the emerging teams.

Disappointingly, the top tier teams have barely engaged in T20Is with the Associates. Even Afghanistan, who today are a T20I force in their own right, have not got to face India and England outside the T20 World Cup and have not faced Australia and New Zealand at all. This needs to change, especially since T20 cricket has shown great potential for expanding the game in recent years.

Five memorable Associate victories at the T20 World Cup

Interestingly, cricket at the 1998 Commonwealth Games featured Jamaica, Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda. Barbados, led by Philo Wallace, gave eventual gold medallists South Africa a run for their money in the group stage.

Barbados have also qualified for the 2022 CWG women’s tournament, so looking forward to that.

An all-time Trinidadian Test XI

Thanks for sharing your memories. Indeed, Gomes upped his game against Australia (average 56), and more so in Australia (average 70). Not surprising that six of his nine centuries were against them.

An all-time Trinidadian Test XI

Cheers, Paul. Glad you liked it.

Barbados certainly takes the cake when one considers the population (only about one-fifth of Trinidad’s) and the number of greats it has produced. A Bajan XI would by far be the most star-studded all-time team from the Caribbean, and you could probably have a world-class second XI as well!

As mentioned, Lara is my choice of captain.

An all-time Trinidadian Test XI

Cheers. Yes, both Constantine and Logie were considered. Constantine surely was a legend, but his Test numbers could not warrant him a place in my opinion, especially since Gomez had the clear advantage for the all-rounder’s spot. Leaving out Logie was tougher, but as you said, he can make for an apt 12th man.

An all-time Trinidadian Test XI

No doubt that Constantine was one of the trendsetters of West Indian cricket. But purely going by Test numbers, I thought it would have been unfair to include him (batting average 19, bowling average 30) at the expense of Gomez (30 and 27 respectively).

An all-time Trinidadian Test XI

Cheers, Pope:)

An all-time Trinidadian Test XI

Cheers, Lukestar. Yes, Gomes reserved his best for the Australians more often than not.

An all-time Trinidadian Test XI

Indeed, one of the most surreal passages of play I have ever seen, that last stand. Stokes was in the zone and Leach just about did what was needed of him. What an exhibition from Stokes, first grinding it out and then changing gears in jaw-dropping fashion. Add to that all the drama as the climax approached, with Australia left to rue their wasted review. As was the case in the equally unfathomable World Cup final a month earlier, it was just meant to be for Stokes and England.

What was the best one-wicket win in Test cricket history?

Cheers, Renato.

Indeed, that 1902 Test went down in history as ‘Jessop’s Match’, for he came in at 48/5 and made a stunning 104 in just 77 minutes (80 balls, as per some accounts), which is still the third fastest Test century in terms of time. According to legend, when Rhodes joined his Yorkshire teammate Hirst with 15 still needed, he famously said, “we’ll get ’em in singles”. They got the runs eventually, though not all of them in singles!

What was the best one-wicket win in Test cricket history?

Of course. New Zealand were clearly better with both bat and ball in the first innings, and that made the difference eventually. Hadlee was amazing, as he almost always was.

What was the best one-wicket win in Test cricket history?

I believe that must have been a rage back then. The tour was marred by controversy, and the West Indian players have always maintained that the umpiring was atrocious, which led to their petulant behaviour. It was to be the West Indies’ last series defeat before their all-conquering run began, until Australia broke the streak in 1994-95. For New Zealand, it remains one of their sweetest successes. It is the lowest target on this list, with the West Indies’ latest win against Pakistan being the second lowest.

What was the best one-wicket win in Test cricket history?

Cheers. You are right, Perera pulling it off for Sri Lanka that day was arguably the greatest upset in Test history. To top it, it led to a historic series win. Truly a performance for the ages.

What was the best one-wicket win in Test cricket history?

Nice ones, JGK. One could add Hobart, 2011-12 as well, when Warner and Lyon almost pulled it off against New Zealand.

What was the best one-wicket win in Test cricket history?

Indeed. Pulling off a win against Pakistan on their on soil would have had been immense. Pakistan’s captain Rashid Latif claimed a false catch behind the wicket at a crucial stage in the second innings; it would turn out to be his final Test. But of course, Bangladesh had themselves to blame for squandering the chance, and Inzamam was determined to save his Test career.

Another frustrating miss came three years later at Fatullah, when Australia pulled off a three-wicket win after a similar Bangladeshi meltdown – Australia were 93/6 in the first innings in reply to 427 at one stage.

What was the best one-wicket win in Test cricket history?

Nice one, Targa. That was indeed a remarkable finish, and Coney’s brilliant 111* has to be one of the most underrated performances in a winning chase.

What was the best one-wicket win in Test cricket history?

Well said, and I agree completely. Given the circumstances, the venue and the bowling attack, Perera’s effort has to be right up there. Moreover, Sri Lanka had been completely written off, having been trounced in Australia prior to this series. Winning the second Test at Port Elizabeth with relative ease (again after conceding a first innings lead) was perhaps even more astonishing.

What was the best one-wicket win in Test cricket history?

Cheers, Pope.

Naming the inclusive Caribbean Test XI

Cheers. Yes, almost all of these names crossed my mind. With the greatest of respect to Gooch and Barnes, I found it hard to leave out either of Cook or Anderson. Barnes v Anderson was especially tough.
Rhodes and Verity were two of many unfortunate misses – others being WG Grace, Jim Laker, Len Hutton and Ken Barrington, to name only a few. Not surprisingly, Yorkshire and Surrey both posed a problem of plenty. Foster is a good spot, that is one name that did not strike. 😁

Naming the inclusive Caribbean Test XI

How is this for a start?

Playing XI
Jack Hobbs (Surrey)
Alastair Cook (Essex)
Walter Hammond (Gloucestershire, captain)
Denis Compton (Middlesex)
Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire)
Ben Stokes (Durham)
Ian Botham (Somerset)
Bob Taylor (Derbyshire, wicketkeeper)
Fred Trueman (Yorkshire)
Derek Underwood (Kent)
Bob Willis (Warwickshire)

Reserves
Ranjitsinhji (Sussex)
David Gower (Leicestershire)
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Frank Tyson (Northamptonshire)
Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire)
Simon Jones (Glamorgan)
Basil D’Oliveira (Worcestershire)

Naming the inclusive Caribbean Test XI

Thanks. That is a nice idea, certainly worth a shot.

Naming the inclusive Caribbean Test XI

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