Roar Guru
Joined April 2020
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Interested in stadium politics, competition programming, sporting administration, cricket history and trivia
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Its best three bowlers, as well as its wicketkeeper, are among the very best of all time.
This month’s side is good, with an impressive middle-order trio. However it could spend some long days in the field chasing leather, and be…
This team is a seriously good one, and ranks among the strongest in the entire series, as it contains seven great batsmen, and four superb bowlers.
January's team is well balanced with the potential to bat deep in the line-up and some swing and spin options for the bowlers.
Many of the world's top cricketers were born in December: Two were born on Christmas Day, and another on New Year’s Eve.
This is the most watchable team in the entire series, and one of the strongest. I’d travel far, and pay a lot, to see…
This team is stronger than the one for September, and arguably one of the best in the entire series. Whether batting or fielding, the…
While this month’s team might lack the batting strength of the August-born team of the month, a superb five-man bowling attack and outstanding captain…
Keen cricket followers will already know what this article is about, simply by its title. Seventy-five years ago, on Saturday 14 August 1948, the…
Following on from last month’s July-born World Cricket XI we move on to August. While arguably not as strong asJuly, it does boast one…
Another month, another team. This one is arguably stronger than the June-born Team of the month. Some all-time greats have again missed out on…
A few years ago I named twelve pairs of Australian and English teams, with each player eligible only for the side representing the month…
"He was relentless, a chill wind of antagonism blew from him on the sunniest day." Neville Cardus Sydney Francis Barnes was born 150 years…
Next week will mark the 50th anniversary of a memorable Ashes series. A soon-to-be-great Australian team was led by one their best ever captains,…
We armchair historians love picking fantasy teams. The best pre-WWI side, the greatest post-2000 eleven, and everything in between. The eras that we nominate…
Each player listed below has earned his place in this composite Australian team, with an outstanding Ashes performance at the Sydney Cricket Ground during…
Australia’s Colosseum has hosted many wonderful games against England. Each player listed below has earned his place in this composite Australian team, with an…
Adelaide Oval has hosted many wonderful Ashes matches - from 'Amazing Adelaide' in the 2006-07 series, all the way back to spinner Chuck Fleetwood-Smith's…
Adelaide Oval has hosted many wonderful Ashes matches - from 'Amazing Adelaide' in the 2006-07 series, all the way back to spinner Chuck Fleetwood-Smith's…
The Gabba has been Australia’s happy hunting ground since 1946, including 12 wins in Ashes contests. It has also been the location for four…
Did Hadlee and also Murali, have it easier or harder often being his side’s only decent bowler ?
Didn’t have to share the spoils, and got the choice of ends and favourable conditions, and the chance to clean up the tail. But also could get over-bowled.
Reliving the Eighties and a great era for fast bowlers
Was Malone also a useful Aussie Rules player ? Like Graeme Watson, Eric Freeman and a few others ?
Reliving the Eighties and a great era for fast bowlers
Hi Rowdy,
There was a time when a cricketer wasn’t contractually prevented from playing other sports. And he had plenty of spare time each winter in which to do so. As well as having the opportunity to play multiple codes for his entire childhood, without being required to specialise in just one at age 10 by a coach or academy.
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Hi TLN,
The way I see it, a champion in one era would have been a champion in any era- the game hasn’t fundamentally changed in 150 years.
However, even the most talented player would still need a transition period. If Trumper landed in 2024 as a teenager, he’d be a star in 5 years’ time. And if Steve Smith was transported to 1905, he’d need 5 years to adjust.
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Thanks Choppy,
I’m glad you asked- https://www.theroar.com.au/2020/06/01/the-calendar-ashes-first-test-april/
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Hi MO,
Out of interest, Lara is yet to appear in this series. He was born in May.
Team of the Month: a February-born World Cricket XI
After the May (12th and last) side, I’ll follow up with a 13th article ranking all of them.
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Agreed Vamsi,
And not only ground conditions. I like to select sides that could handle a game in the 1890s, just as well as a game in the 2020s. So ideally some players used to uncovered pitches, toothpick bats, no helmets etc.
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Yes TLN,
Although in my rankings it still doesn’t make the semi-finals…
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
For just 1 county club, Kent was blessed with great ‘keepers- Huish, Ames, Evans and Knott, for starters.
Which greatly helped the careers of Test spinners such as Blythe, Woolley, Freeman, Marriott, Wright and Underwood.
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Hi DaveJ,
He was either unique, or an early-adopter and complete master of the new deliveries that Hirst and Noble (and no-one else ?) had started using successfully. Maybe just as Bosanquet, Grimmett, Iverson, Gleeson, Imran, Saqlain etc subsequently discovered (and exploited against totally-unprepared batsmen) googlies, flippers, doosras, carrom balls, reverse-swing etc.
Maybe nowadays, slow-mo video would reveal his secrets. However, that wouldn’t necessarily make him any less unplayable, especially as he delivered from the front of the hand.
The question for me is why no-one has, apparently, subsequently tried to master the same grips and techniques. Maybe they’re just too difficult to coach and bowl ? Although apparently Aubrey Faulkner tried, and almost succeeded, with English leg-spinner Ian Peebles.
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Hi TB,
Certainly an improvement on Mar’s quintet of Croft, Adcock, Cowie, Giffen and Al-Hasan.
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Cheers DaveJ,
The amateurs of the Golden Age certainly led far more varied and interesting lives, given they didn’t leave school for a rookie contract at 16 and then work exclusively in the cricket industry (including as coaches and commentators) until retirement.
Fry and the Hon FS Jackson are two I’m especially keen to read up on. But they were still flawed individuals in many ways. Allegedly Fry was extremely arrogant to his professionals, and then 30 years later a secret Nazi sympathiser ?
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Hi Micko,
Then there’s the time BBC commentator Brian Johnston stated “the batsman’s Holding, the bowler’s Willey.”
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Hi Josh,
I think that a strong side is one that is balanced. The strength of say Ponsford and Woodfull is that they batted long, keeping the more dominant Bradman company in huge partnerships. In contrast, Trumper and McCabe were less known for big stands, and tended to get their highest scores when wickets were tumbling at the other end, in often tough batting conditions. And the solidity of Taylor and Ross Edwards freed up Slater and Walters, respectively, to cut loose.
Here’s three articles I previously wrote about partnership batting-
Baggy green lost causes, Part 2: The ten best lone-hand batting performances
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Hi Micko,
This 12-part series features 132 players, so we’re doing well to agree so often. And of course neither of us can ever prove the other wrong !
And for a match in Aus, this side might feature both Gillespie and McDermott, with Knott or Murali left out.
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Hi Micko,
Happy to accept that. And Gillespie had good taste in music too.
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Hi Rowdy,
In seven games in India, Gillespie took 33 wickets at 21.72. Not bad !
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Hi DaveJ,
If the comparison is today’s 30.8 divided by the 1880s’ one of 18.6, wouldn’t you increase an 1880s figure by roughly 60% ? Or by 65.6%, to be precise ?
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Hi Gibbo,
Mankad certainly did field well to his own bowling. 😊
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Hi Mike,
I can’t argue with your logic, but might go horses-for-courses eg-
* in Australia, substitute Mankad for Knott, and perhaps also McDermott for Murali
* on the sub-continent, substitute Mankad for Knott
* in England, no changes to my XI.
But this side, more than any other in the series, can most get away with just 4 specialist bowlers.
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Hi Josh,
Lower-order batting a la Reiffel is very under-rated. Every run scored is as valuable, and psychologically often more valuable, than one scored by the top-order-
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Hi TB,
As at 1 Jan 1900, no Test batsman had achieved both a career aggregate exceeding 970 runs, and a career average exceeding 35.59.
At that point, Ranji had 970 at 53.88, and leading run-scorer Shrewsbury had 1,277 at 35.47. Batting was a lot tougher in those days !
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI
Hi BG,
I also toyed briefly with Charlie Kellaway, to get that extra bowler in without unduly weakening the batting. But ultimately, I went with what I perceived as class, ahead of role. The strength of most sides in this series, means that any mere bits-and-pieces player would quickly be found out.
I was reluctant to drop Knott for Mankad, just to create a fifth genuine bowling option. Doing so would really upset Barnes, if it both reduced his workload, and led to a few chances going down.
Team of the Month: an April-born World Cricket XI