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…
Hi DaveJ,
The 1928/29 combination of flat pitches, dry weather, timeless Tests, a weak opposing pace attack and an average over-rate of 21.4 per hour was lethal.
They made possible the glacial scoring rates of Hammond (905 runs at 35.89 runs/100 balls), as well as Sutcliffe (355 at a rate of 28.69) and Jardine (341 at a rate of 25.75). Hammond’s innings contrasted with his one at Lord’s in 1938 (240 at a rate of 60.91).
No wonder Bradman was so keen to return the favour in spades, at every possible opportunity during the next 20 years.
Team of the Month: a March-born World Cricket XI
Hi mrl,
Inzy can field at first slip all day.
And Giffen can bowl from one end all day. I briefly considered making him captain, just so that I’d get away with picking only 2 other bowlers, and be able to play an extra specialist batsman.
Team of the Month: a March-born World Cricket XI
Thanks DaveJ,
Unfortunately picking the best 5 bowlers (including Herath and Swann) could have meant the tail started with Wasim Bari at number six ?
And a useful non-Test-playing attack might include van der Bijl plus 3 of Bart King, Jack Massie, Franklyn Stephenson, Ted Wass and Charles Kortright ?
Team of the Month: a March-born World Cricket XI
Thanks, TLN. But it would still be favoured to pick up the wooden spoon in this 12-team competition.
Team of the Month: a March-born World Cricket XI
Hi Ray,
I respectfully disagree, while acknowledging that neither of us can prove the other wrong !
Hill was exceptional in his own era, and in my opinion would have been exceptional in any other one. In his era, match conditions meant scoring was about 20% lower than it is nowadays. At the time of his last game in 1912-
* he was the highest Test run-scorer of all time
* only Trumper had scored more Test tons
* only Syd Gregory had played more Tests
* his career average was higher than that of any other batsman to date with more than 20 caps.
If he had been born 100 years later, his 16-year career could have yielded up to 200 Tests and 15,000 runs.
Team of the Month: a March-born World Cricket XI
Hi matth,
What is it about Australia and left-arm pacemen ? Davidson, Reid, Johnson, Starc…
No other nations, except maybe NZ and Pak, have produced them in any numbers.
Team of the Month: a March-born World Cricket XI
Hi matth, agree on the side’s quality.
But the lack of individual quality and overall depth meant strengthening the batting could only be done at the bowling’s expense, and vice-versa.
Having a March-born wicketkeeper-batsman, and a batsman who bowled a la Simpson from the preceding month, would have balanced it beautifully.
Team of the Month: a March-born World Cricket XI
Hi BG,
While I generally agree with you regarding opening and “middle-order” batsmen, I’m comfortable selecting openers at first-drop, and vice-versa.
In Amla’s 215 innings, he batted 174 times at number 3 (averaging 51), and opened twice (scoring 43 and 62).
In Stoddart’s 30 innings, he opened 11 times, and batted in the top-three 20 times (averaging 41 and scoring both of his centuries).
Team of the Month: a March-born World Cricket XI
Hi BG,
I considered Strauss, but was underwhelmed by him-
* he averaged only 40 from his 97 Tests, in the highest-scoring period of all time
* in those same 97 games, many other openers averaged far higher eg Trescothick (48), Cook (45), G Smith (49), Gayle (42), Hayden (43), Langer (43), Watson (48)…
* in the very same period 2004-2012, many other openers averaged far higher eg Sehwag (51), Smith (47), Cook (47), Gayle (48), Hayden (44), Gambhir (46), Katich (50), Trescothick (47), Langer (46), Watson (43), Dilshan (43), McKenzie (47), Petersen (41), Jaques (47), Dravid (58), McCullum (43)…
Team of the Month: a March-born World Cricket XI
From memory, then-selector John Benaud set out in his subsequent biography the panel’s reasons for dropping Jones.
The Dean Jones example that Australian selectors must avoid in regenerating ageing Test squad
The cliche quoted at the time was “form is temporary, class is permanent.”
The Dean Jones example that Australian selectors must avoid in regenerating ageing Test squad
Thanks Tsat,
England 2022-2024 could ultimately prove to be the exception to the rule, with a two-speed economy increasingly separating the “Big 3” from the rest.
Aus, Eng and Ind each has sufficient playing and financial depth to support parallel first-class and T20 formats. They can customise scheduling and pitches, and player contracting and development, for each stream. Both a Marcus Stoinis, and a Chris Rogers, can make a living. And the two formats will regularly clash and overlap, due to the sheer quantity of their games in each format.
In contrast, each other nation will draw on the same player pool for both formats. So it will play no more Tests than the FTP requires, and keep all other periods free, so that its best individual players can play T20 as their main income. As we already see with NZ and RSA.
'Nothing but a horses-for-courses strategy': Why England had to turn to Bazball because of its player pool
Fair enough TB,
If we’re simply talking a week annually of white-ball internationals, especially in preparation for an upcoming World Cup, that would be a great idea. And it would also help NZ out financially.
Australia vs New Zealand Test series deserves greater fanfare than a March through autumn clash with footy codes
Each Nov and Feb we also need to tour 2 or more of SA, Zim, WI, Ind, Pak, SL, Afg and Ban.
Plus participate in 50-over and T20 World Cups, when they’re played anywhere but Eng or Ire.
Australia vs New Zealand Test series deserves greater fanfare than a March through autumn clash with footy codes
Ideally during each 4-year cycle, Aus would host all 11 opponents.
Which of course there’s no room to do, even if Aus takes the financial loss and hosts half of them during the winters in northern Aus.
10 of the 12 Test nations are in the southern hemisphere, and therefore share the same summer. Making it impossible for all 10 to host during Nov-Dec-Jan, every single year.
Australia vs New Zealand Test series deserves greater fanfare than a March through autumn clash with footy codes
Apologies for repeating myself from comments in earlier articles.
T20 cricket needs first-class cricket, to develop the skills in players necessary for them to succeed in the T20 format.
Cricket Australia realised 15 years ago that it was financially risky to rely solely on Ind and Eng touring only every 4 years, thereby generating broadcast revenue only in 2 years out of 4. Especially when Ind threatened to go home after Monkeygate. So it developed the BBL, including without teams representing the six States.
Ideally Eng and Aus will realise that cashing in when hosting each other and Ind, and supplementing it with the BBL/Hundred, still isn’t enough. They need a strong Test program featuring at least 6 opponents, and preferably more, touring each 4-year cycle.
I pray that the ICC, having managed to negotiate a FTP including World Cup/WTC windows, can now be empowered by the BCCI, CA and ECB to impose 7 distinct annual windows- 4 exclusively for domestic T20 tournaments, and 3 exclusively for Test series. For example-
Apr/May – IPL only
Jun – three T20 tournaments only (in Eng/Ire and WI)
Jul/Aug – Test series and ICC tournaments only
Sep – three T20 tournaments only (in Ban, SL and Pak/Afg)
Oct/Nov/Dec – Test series and ICC tournaments only
Jan – three T20 tournaments only (in Aus, NZ and SA/Zim)
Feb/Mar- Test series and ICC tournaments only
What does the ICC want cricket to look like? It can't be what South Africa sent to New Zealand...
Sorry to read we’ve just lost Procter-
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/mike-procter-runaway-dream-1421752
Team of the Month: a September-born world Cricket XI
Sorry to hear Procter’s just passed away, at age 77.
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/mike-procter-runaway-dream-1421752
Team of the Month: a September-born world Cricket XI
Frank Tyson ?
Why Starc should be first to make way if selectors opt to regenerate ageing Test team’s legendary bowling attack
Measured in leagues and chains back then ?
Why Starc should be first to make way if selectors opt to regenerate ageing Test team’s legendary bowling attack
Frank Tyson ?
Why Starc should be first to make way if selectors opt to regenerate ageing Test team’s legendary bowling attack
No question that express bowlers were few and far between many generations ago. But there are always exceptions.
After all, the only batsman ever to hit a six that cleared the roof of the Members’ Pavilion at Lord’s was Albert Trott- in 1899, with a toothpick bat.
Why Starc should be first to make way if selectors opt to regenerate ageing Test team’s legendary bowling attack
Hi TLN,
And explaining to Giffen that a bowling change didn’t mean just a change of ends for him.
Team of the Month: a March-born World Cricket XI