KO6- SL Boy v no1slfan - (Starts June 17th 10pm Aus time)

**mugatiya** · 06-16-2012, 10:56 PM

Squads

SLBOY -SLedges
1 Bob Simpson (1950s)
2 Matthew Hayden (2000s)
3 Seymour Nurse (1960s)
4 Tom Graveney (1950s)
5 Sir Frank Worrell (1940s) (C)
6 Daniel Vettori (2000s)
7 Alan Knott (1970s) (wk)
8 James Langridge (1930s)
9 Shane Bond - (1990s)
10 Joel Garner (1980s)
11 Makaya Ntini (1990s)
12 Mitchell Johnson (2000s)

no1SLfan - Ratthi Superstars
1 Sir Jack Hobbs (1930)
2 Herbert Sutcliffe (1930)
3 Ian Chappell (1960)
4 Damien Martyn (1990)
5 Steve Waugh (1980) (C)
6 Kapil Dev (1970)
7 Godfrey Evans (1940) (wk)
8 Dale Steyn (2000)
9 Merv Hughes (1990)
10 Lasith Malinga (2000)
11 Subhash Gupte (1950)
12 Andrew Symonds (2000s)

How does the voting work?

Each game will kick off at
10pm Australia Eastern Standard time.
9pm Japan Standard Time
5.30 pm Sri Lanka Time
1pm UK Time
8am NY Time (which I think is the same timezone for CA)
5am California Time.

Each game will run for 24 hours to allow for every player to vote. When the 24 hours expire the votes are tallied regarless of whether everyone has voted or not. (We need to keep the game moving.)

Making your case (Optional)
The manager of the team is given a 1 time opportunity to make the case for his side. This is a chance to highlight your teams strengths and weaknesses and to argue why you should win in that particular battle. Please keep this short. Under 500 words. This is an optional part of the game. But we insist that you post your argument prior to the start of your particular game, ie before voting commences so people can assess your team better. There is no penalty for not posting an argument. It is simply up to you. But we encourage you to do this as it might be another good learning experience for all.

Note: Since you have 12 players, You may post a different combo for each game as your team. However, the final XI posted must meet the decade rule

Voting restrictions
The two contensting managers cannot vote. The rest of the 15 players has to vote + the votes of the 3 judges. The judges will vote last.

The Judges are
rsk19
Jamisbanda
ApoCrypto

Note to voters: Pls try to be as fair as possible in your votes. There were a lot of discussion between the judges about trying to avoid vote rigging and manupilation. In the end we made the call to trust everyone. Everyone has invested a lot of time into this so it would be unfair to all your mates here to rig votes or try to manipulate the game.

When you vote please assess all criteria listed above and you MUST state your reasons for your vote so that we can see why you have voted the way you did. We insist that you do this.

**no1slcricketfan** · 06-16-2012, 11:39 PM

Sorry muga my order has changed a bit

1 Sir Jack Hobbs (1930)
2 Herbert Sutcliffe (1930)
3 Ian Chappell (1960) (VC)
4 Damien Martyn (1990)
5 Steve Waugh (1980) (C)
6 Godfrey Evans (1940) (wk)
7 Kapil Dev (1970)
8 Merv Hughes (1990)
9 Dale Steyn (2000)
10 Lasith Malinga (2000)
11 Subhash Gupte (1950)
12 Andrew Symonds (2000s)

**no1slcricketfan** · 06-16-2012, 11:47 PM

The Ratthi Superstars

Number 1: Sir Jack Hobbs (1930)

87 innings at number 1 with an average of 58

Jack Hobbs was cricket's most prolific batsman. His Test career spanned from January 1908 to August 1930. In addition to the 5410 runs he made for England (102 innings; 15 100s + 28 50s Ave 56.94) he finished with 61,237 first-class runs and 199 centuries most of them stylishly made from the top of the batting order (1325 innings; 199 100s + 273 50s Ave 50.7). Rightfully so Hobbs was known as "The Master", and scored consistently throughout a long career that didn't end till he was past 50. Along with his partner in crime Herbert Sutcliffe the pair formed the best opening partnership in the history of Test cricket. They amassed 3249 runs in only 38 innings with 15 century stands at a whopping average of 87.81.

Number 2: Herbert Sutcliffe (1930)

63 innings at number 2 with an average of 63

Herbert Sutcliffe played 54 Tests for England and amassed 4555 runs at an average of 60.73 (16 100s + 23 50s) - also made over 50000 runs in First-class cricket. On his debut in 1924 he scored 64 and interestingly his overall average never dipped below 60 during his entire 54 Test career (retired from Test cricket in 1935). While Sir Jack Hobbs still remains the most successful opening batsman in Tests (87 innings; ave 58.14), his partner in crime Sutcliffe is the most successful number 2 batsman (63 innings; ave 63.26) - obviously a match made in heaven. The pair formed the best opening partnership in the history of Test cricket. They amassed 3249 runs in only 38 innings with 15 century stands at a whopping average of 87.81. Individually they rank as two of the greatest batsmen in history but together they were near impregnable, especially when the odds seemed stacked against them.

Number 3: Ian Chappell - Vice Captain (1960)

91 innings at number 3 with an average of 51

Ian Michael Chappell made his Test debut in December of 1964. He made a hesitant start to international cricket playing as a right-hand middle-order batsman and spin bowler. He found his niche when promoted to bat at number 3 (91 innings at 3 over 4000 runs at an ave of 51 - 13 100s + 22 50s). Known as "Chappelli" he went on to captain Australia between 1971 and 1975 and earned a reputation as one of the finest thinkers of the game. He was an aggressive, resourceful and a calm leader and others fed off his unhesitating self-belief and conviction and as a result he never lost a series. Basing his game on a sound defence Chappell employed the drive and square cut to full effect but his trademark shot was the hook. He famously once said "three bouncers an over should be worth 12 runs to me". He was also a specialist slip fielder and a driving force behind the professionalisation of Australian cricket in the 1970s.

Number 4: Damien Martyn (1990)

62 innings at number 4 with an average of 46

Damien Martyn made his Test debut in December of 1992 and played 67 Tests for Australia. He amassed over 4400 runs at an average of around 46 and scored 13 Test centuries and 23 50s. Martyn was an attacking batsman and he was successful in all conditions against all types of bowling (averages over 40 in Aus, SA, Eng, NZ, SL and India). He played with a high elbow, a still head, a golfer's deft touch and had all the shots including perhaps the most brutal reverse-sweep in the game. With a 'classical' technique, known in particular for his elegant strokemaking square of the wicket on the off-side and through the covers he made batting look so simple. Damien Martyn was also an occasional medium-pacer and distinguished fieldsman primarily in the covers who was capable of taking blinders and creating spectacular run-outs.

Number 5: Stephen Waugh - Captain (1980)

142 innings at number 5 with an average of 56

Steve Waugh is the embodiment of true grit. He made his Test debut in December of 1985 and retired in January 2004. In that time he accumulated 10,927 Test runs at an average of 51.06 including 32 centuries and took 92 Test wickets with his handy medium-pacers. However above all Steve Waugh will be remembered as arguably the greatest captain in the history of the game, boasting 41 wins in 57 Tests. He captained as he played; unyielding, aggressive, determined and with a never-say-die attitude.

Number 6: Godfrey Evans - Wicket-keeper (1940)

Godfrey Evans played 91 Tests for England during 1946-1959. During that time as the team's wicket-keeper he took 173 catches and made 46 stumpings (which is second most by any wicketkeeper till now). He also scored nearly 2500 runs at an average of 21 (including 2 100s + 8 50s) batting down the order. Evans was mainly a hard-hitting batsman who preferred to keep things moving but he was also capable of stonewalling for hours on end. On one famous occasion playing a game foreign to his normal adventurous style Evans batted for over 2 hours in an unforgettable stand with Denis Compton which helped England to save the match against Australia. In that 1946/47 Australian series Evans also created two world records. He did not concede a bye until 1024 runs had been scored and he took 97 minutes before scoring his first run, a Test record which stood until 1999 when beaten by Geoff Allott. He was described by Wisden as arguably the best wicket-keeper the game has ever seen. Debates about wicket-keepers cannot be stilled by statistics in the way What is beyond question is that Evans was the game's most charismatic keeper: the man who made the game's least obtrusive specialism a spectator sport in itself. His energy and enthusiasm brought the best out of other fielders, whatever the state of the game. But he added to that a technical excellence that has probably never been surpassed.

According to Wisden (he was the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1951): Not only is he safe in catching and lightning in stumping, but he has the additional virtues of inspiring the bowler and worrying the batsman. Evans helps bowlers to take wickets which normally they would not expect and few batsmen can dispel from their minds the nagging feeling that he is after them, tensed to pounce upon the least lapse of concentration or hesitation. In batting Evans prefers the hard-hitting game which comes so naturally to his ebullient character. He loves a battle and has the capacity to rise to the occasion. The more responsibility placed upon him, whether in Test or county cricket, the more is he likely to succeed.

Number 7: Kapil Dev (1970)

98 innings at number 7 with an average of 31

Kapil Dev's Test carrer spanned from 1978 to 1994. He overcame huge odds to become one of the leading fast bowlers of his era and one of the best all-rounders in the history of the game. Kapil was a right-arm fast bowler noted for his potent out-swinger and was India's main strike bowler throughout most of his career. He also developed a fine in-swinging yorker during the 80s which he used very effectively. As a batsman Kapil Dev was a natural striker of the ball and he often helped India in difficult situations by taking the attack to the opposition. He played 131 Tests and took 434 wickets at less than 30 runs a piece and also amassed 5248 runs at an average of 31 while batting mainly at 7 or 8 with the tail-enders (8 100s + 27 50s). Most impressively as a bowler he was at his best against the best teams of his time. He took 89 wickets against WI of the 70s and 80s and 79 Test wickets against Australia from 1979-1992 at an average of around 25 runs each. Kapil Dev is the only player to have taken more than 400 wickets and scored more than 5,000 runs in Tests and in 2002 Wisden aptly named him their Indian Cricketer of the Century ahead of both Gavaskar and Tendulkar.

Number 8: Merv Hughes (1990)

Merv Hughes was a big-hearted right-arm fast bowler who ultimately made a major contribution to Australia's fortunes during the 80s and 90s. Merv played 53 Tests and picked up 212 wickets at around 28 runs a piece. Armed with an imposing run-up and delivery action, a classic fast bowlers' glare down the pitch, a mischievous sense of humour and a moustache of incredible proportions he intimidated and bullied batsmen into giving their wickets away. A crowd favourite, he was a lively character. Once when England's Graeme Hick was struggling to cope with his pace Merv is said to have called down the wicket "Turn the bat over the instructions are on the other side." While his antics sometimes overshadowed his bowling Hughes gave every ounce of effort to his country and helped Australia to re-climb the ranks of Test cricket. By the mid-point of his international career Hughes had improved his accuracy and variation and was using his bouncer, which remained a favourite throughout his career, with greater discretion. Merv was also a handy batsman down the order and averaged 25 batting at 8 (two 70+ scores against England and WI).

Number 9: Dale Steyn (2000)

Dale Willem Steyn was born on the 27th of June 1983 and made his Test debut on December of 2004. He didn't make a great start to his Test career but boy hasn't he come far since then. Steyn is an aggressive out-and-out right-arm fast bowler capable of consistently bowling at speeds in excess of 150 km/h (his fastest on record is 156.2 km/h). He is also capable of generating considerable swing with the new ball and he can reverse swing the older ball to great effect. Steyn is arguably the most destructive Test bowler in the history of the game and his stats back that up. In 54 Tests he has taken 272 wickets with an average of 23.2 and a strike rate of 40.9. His strike rate is particularly exceptional given that it's the best of any Test bowler who has played more than 20 matches. Dale Steyn is also a decent fielder and more than useful with the bat (averages over 25 batting at 9 - highest score of 76 against Australia).

Number 10: Lasith Malinga (2000)

Known to most as "Slinga Malinga" Lasith Malinga made his Test debut on July 2004. He is a genuine strike bowler with both the new ball and the old. Malinga's slingy action, out-and-out pace, swinging toe crushers, well-directed bouncers, off-cutters and deceptive changes in speed troubled many batsmen all around the world. He played 30 Tests for Sri Lanka before prematurely retiring from Test cricket in 2010 due to injury concerns and took 101 wickets at around 33 runs a piece with a healthy strike rate of 52. Malinga is also a useful hard-htting batsman down the order.

Number 11: Subhashchandra Gupte (1950)

- A special thank you to The Don aka IBA for introducing Subash to the Ratthi Superstars' talent scouts

Subash Gupte was a world-class leg break-googly bowler. His Test career spanned from 1951 to 1961 and during that period he played 36 Tests for India and took 149 wickets at an average of 29.6. Of slight build he was a big spinner of the ball but his line and length remained immaculate. He gave the ball plenty of air and his googly was most deceptive. After a slow start his Test career really took off in the West Indies in 1952-53 when he took 50 wickets at an average of 23.64. More impressive was the fact that he took 27 wickets in the Tests on perfect batting wickets. He was again the most successful bowler in Pakistan in 1954-55 with 21 wickets and the following season against New Zealand he was quite unplayable in finishing with 34 wickets. A couple of seasons later he also went on to capture 9 for 102 in an innings against West Indies at Kanpur. He finished the series with 22 wickets and embarked on the tour of England in 1959 with confidence. He captured 95 wickets on that tour but only 17 of them were taken in the five Tests. By then Gupte had married a West Indian girl and had settled in Trinidad but he returned to make five more appearances in the sixties, three against Pakistan in 1960-61 and two against England the following season. In his penultimate Test he showed that he had lost none of his old subtlety when with a spell of 4 for 6 off 18 balls at Kanpur he had England following on for the first time against India. In his book titled "In a League of Their Own: 100 Cricket Legends Select Their World XI" Sir Garry Sobers wrote that he believed Subhash Gupte was a better legspinner than Shane Warne. In the book he went on to say "To me, Shane Warne is a great turner of the ball. I like his aggressive attitude, I love the way he attacks batsmen and I give him 100% for that, but in my estimation Subhash Gupte was a better legspinner." .... who are we to argue with that?

**no1slcricketfan** · 06-17-2012, 12:20 AM

I'm not going to diss other teams because I know everyone here is proud of the teams they have selected but here's a bit more information on my team. Over to you fellow participants and the almighty judges.

The Ratthi Superstars

Sir Jack Hobbs (1930) - 87 innings at number 1 with an average of 58 (15 100s and 28 50s)
The most successful opening batsman in Tests. He was also cricket's most prolific batsman boasting 61,237 first-class runs including 199 100s and 273 50s. He was inducted into The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009 and named as one of the 5 Wisden Cricketers of the Century.

Herbert Sutcliffe (1930) - 63 innings at number 2 with an average of 63 (16 100s and 23 50s)
The most successful number 2 batsman in Tests. His overall average never dipped below 60 during his entire 54 Test career. He was inducted into The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009. Hobbs and Sutcliffe formed the best opening partnership in the history of Test cricket. They amassed 3249 runs in only 38 innings with 15 century stands at a whopping average of 87.81.

Ian Chappell - Vice Captain (1960) - 91 innings at number 3 with an average of 51 (13 100s and 22 50s)
He was also an inspirational leader and a great slip fielder. He was inducted into The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.

Damien Martyn (1990) - 62 innings at number 4 with an average of 46 (13 100s and 23 50s)
He averaged over 40 in Aus, SA, Eng, NZ, SL and India. Martyn was also a brilliant fieldsman. He was the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2002.

Stephen Waugh - Captain (1980) - 142 innings at number 5 with an average of 56 and 92 Test wickets (32 100s and 50 50s)
Arguably the greatest captain in the history of the game, boasting 41 wins in 57 Tests. Steve Waugh was a world-class batsman, one of the all-time great captains, a brilliant fielder and can also share the bowling duties if needed. Basically he can do it all and do them extremely well too. He was inducted into The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.

Godfrey Evans - Wicket-keeper (1940)
He mainly batted at 7 or 8 averaging in the 20s (including 2 100s and 8 50s) but according to most reports he was a much better batsman than his average would suggest so he will bat up the order. He was Described by Wisden as arguably the best wicket-keeper the game has ever seen. He was the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1951.

Kapil Dev (1970) - 98 innings at number 7 with an average of 31 and 434 wickets at 29 runs a piece (8 100s + 27 50s and 17 four-wicket hauls + 23 five-wicket hauls + twice picked up 10 wickets in a match)
The only player to have taken more than 400 wickets and scored more than 5,000 runs in Tests. He was inducted into The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009 and in 2002 Wisden aptly named him their Indian Cricketer of the Century ahead of both Gavaskar and Tendulkar. Kapil Dev will be one of the willing workhorses with the ball along with Merv Hughes.

Merv Hughes (1990) - 53 Tests 212 wickets at an average of 28 and a strike rate of 58 (14 four-wicket hauls + 7 five-wicket hauls + once picked up 10 wickets in a match)
He was also a handy batsman down the order averaging 25 batting at 8. He was the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1994. Merv will be called upon to do what he did best, intimidate and unsettle opposition batsmen.

Dale Steyn (2000) - 54 Tests 272 wickets at an average of 23 and a strike rate of 41 (17 four-wicket hauls + 17 five-wicket hauls + picked up 10 wickets in a match 4 times)
His strike rate is the best of any Test bowler who has played more than 20 matches. He is also more than useful with the bat averaging well over 25 batting at 9. He was awarded ICC Test Player of the Year in 2008 and he was named in the ICC World Test XI in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, and he will most likely be there in 2012 as well. Steyn will spearhead the bowling attack.

Lasith Malinga (2000) - 30 Tests 101 wickets at an average of 33 and a strike rate of 51 (7 four-wicket hauls + 3 five-wicket hauls)
His slingy action and swinging toe crushers will be new to most batsmen in this comp so he will be used sparingly as a surprise strike weapon with both the new and older ball.

Subhashchandra Gupte (1950) - leg break-googly bowler 36 Tests 149 wickets at an average of 29 and a strike rate of 75 (8 four-wicket hauls + 12 five-wicket hauls + once picked up 10 wickets in a match)
In his book titled "In a League of Their Own: 100 Cricket Legends Select Their World XI" Sir Garry Sobers wrote that he believed Subhash Gupte was a better leg-spinner than Shane Warne .... who are we to argue with that?

**sl boy** · 06-17-2012, 01:38 AM

Left hand right hand opening Combo to start with. Bob Simpson+Mathew Hayden will punish oppositions.

Bob Simpson - A key figure in Australian cricket for more than four decades, as cricketer, captain, coach and commentator and magnificent slip fielder. He was one heck of an opening batsman, although it wasn't until his 30th Test, by which time he had succeeded to the captaincy, that he first posted a Test hundred. He made this breakthrough innings at Old Trafford count, by turning it into 311 in almost 13 hours. In all he made 1381 Test runs in 1964, a record at the time. Hard-bitten and immensely dedicated, steadily rationalised his repertoire of strokes, eschewing the hook, but excelling as an acquirer of singles, Australia has had no more productive an opening pairing than Simpson and Bill Lawry. With the advent of World Series Cricket in April 1977, Simmo emerged from retirement at 41 to lead Australia again, against India, where his old powers against spin were evident, and West Indies, whose fast bowlers proved more taxing: his captaincy record, ultimately, was rather modest. When Australia went looking for a fulltime coach in the mid-1980s, he was again the Board's choice, and gave Allan Border's team a taste of the discipline to which he had always submitted himself as a player. A martinet where fitness, fielding and batting technique were concerned, he held the job for a controversial but successful decade, during which time the team won the World Cup and regained both the Ashes and the Frank Worrell Trophy.

Mathew Hayden (2000s) - Matthew Hayden's strength - both mental and physical. It enabled him to shrug off years of carping that he was technically too limited for Test cricket because of the way he played around his front pad, and it enabled him to touch rarefied heights of batsman ship. Doesn’t matter who are the bowlers when he gets going take them to cleaners. Perfect partner to Bob Simpson. Can make any time centuries with no issues any time most probably anywhere in the world. Prime example before his maiden first-class innings, he asked if anyone had made 200 on debut, then went out and hit 149. The runs rarely abated over the next 17 years. Tall, powerful and equipped with concentration befitting the fisherman and surfer that he is, he battered the ball at and through the off side for days at a time. He has also made himself a fine catcher in the slips and gully. Also scored the second highest score of test cricket of all time which was 380 broke by Lara recently.

Seymour Nurse (1960s) - One of the greatest number 3 batsmen of the history. A powerfully built right-hand batsman an aggressive, if somewhat impetuous, shotmaker, Nurse preferred to bat in the middle order was often asked to open the batting. Average of 47.60 and his last innings his scored 258 v NZ was a marvellous knock to watch.

Tom Graveney (1950s) - Classical an elegant batsman, Graveney was among the leading players of his generation. Toured , Australia three times during 1954/55,58/59,62-63 seasons and topped the England batting averages of 44.00 against mighty world class pace bowlers around that time. And hif final test finished with a majestic 111 in two and a half hours and few captains have been more gracefully rebuffed.

Sir Frank Warrel (1940s) (C) – You don’t need to speak about this player. Legends of legend. Spectacular team man/tactician or can called as the team problem solver. If there are inside issues in my team will sort it out brilliantly and play as a team to beat any team around the globe. He’s the first black captain in WI team. 49.94 average and highest score of 261 with 9 centuries. Impressive left arm fast medium + Left arm slow bowler can get vital breaks when it needed + a brilliant fielder.

Dan vettori (2000s) – No matter what happened this legend is a worrier. Either bat or ball or ball or bat, He will deliver when it needed. Strong middle order player, Effective left arm spinner. Nothing much to talk about this modern generation legendary all rounder + he used to be NZ’s captain.

Alan Knott (+) (1970s) – Known as the best wickeder keeper of all time in test cricket. Useful lower order batsman too. He will not gonna miss any given chance and all half chances gonna rapped up just like that. Test average of 32 is a great achievement who bats lower order during that decade. Keepingw GIANT he was.

James Langridge (1930s) – Quality all-rounder in the truest sense of the world compre for both left hand batting + left hand bowling and best in either place in the field. Bowling average of 21.73 and batting average of 26.88. This proves what a GEM of a player he was
“In his first class career he scored 31,716 runs, average 35.20, and took 1,530 wickets at 22.56 runs each, achieving the double feat of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets six times. He hit over 1,000 runs in twenty seasons, a total exceeded by only nine batsmen, and compiled forty-two centuries”.

Shane Bond (1990s) , Goel Garner (1980s) , Makaya Ntini (1990s) Mitchell Johnson (2000s)
My next 3 are pace bowlers who can handle the bat in difficult situations.

Shane Bond (1990s) - Fast, fearsome and frustratingly fragile, Shane Bond will be remembered as one of the best in the business when it comes rap up opposition. Wonderful bowelr with 87 wickets of average only 22 of modern era cricket is utter brilliance and he was the best NZ pace bowler in NZ after Hadlee’s era.

I Chose Mitchell Johnson over Ntini for the playing xi.

Mitchell Johnson (2000s) – When he delivered inswining Yorker it’s all over for many batsmen around the world. In-swinging Yorkers of pace 155kph with a mixed bag of bouncers generate serious issues for world class batsmen around the world. Remains a once in a generation strike bowler, also he adding value to his power hitting when needed useful runs.

Goel Garner (1980s) – In test cricket one of the most formidable PACE attackers of all time known as mighty Almighty BIG BIRD. 6’8 inches height seems like ball delivered from clouds with a lively pace that when the mood took could be cranked up to the brisk side of rapid, the ball would rear alarmingly from barely short of a length. Allied to that was the most devastating toe crunching Yorker (Unhittable), the game had seen since that of Charlie Griffith. After all said he was a PRICELESS cricketer to any format of game. Will destroy any batting order single handed.

With my batting combination and pace bowling attack no one can stand easily against me. Opening pair will deliver. Number 3,4,5 with allround ability players later with legendary pace bowling and effective intelligent part time+regular spinner will do it. Expereince wise loads can get. Almost 6 of the players are used to be captains. So yeah can handle any situation given any time.

There are WARRIORS to keep easy win or Draw with my team. No losers. Go for the kill my underdog team.

**no1slcricketfan** · 06-17-2012, 03:42 AM

Great team there SL Boy but what's your final 11 macho you will have to play Ntini I think because MJ can only come in for haydos or vettori

**no1slcricketfan** · 06-17-2012, 03:45 AM

BTW muga I think including the 12th man in the line-up just confuses ppl .... maybe there should be a space between when you post the line-ups so ppl can clearly see the final playing 11

**sl boy** · 06-17-2012, 07:25 AM

Cheers No1 SLC. my final xi as above. MJ for Ntini. If it wasn't possible Ntini for MJ. Nothing much makes a difference when it comes to controlled pace of him. Makaya's brilliant late inswingers were venom for the opposition batsmen. 390 test wickets for a calibre of him is kind an underrated performance.

**mugatiya** · 06-17-2012, 07:27 AM

Originally Posted by no1slcricketfan

BTW muga I think including the 12th man in the line-up just confuses ppl .... maybe there should be a space between when you post the line-ups so ppl can clearly see the final playing 11

Hmm ok, I wont post the squads then. Will leave it up to the managers from now !

**The One** · 06-17-2012, 08:54 AM

Let me kick this one off then.

Batting
No1 certainly got the edge here. He has two of the greatest openers the game has ever seen and any bowling lineup to go through them will take a lot of effort. While Hayden was undoubtedly good, I dont rate Simpson very high. So No1 wins that contest. But after that, Chappel, Martyn Waugh (

) and Kapil is much better a batting lineup compared to Odas Nurse, Graveney, Worrell (though he was great) and Vettori.

Keeping
Oda has without doubt the best keeper.

Bowling
Again No1 leads here imo though not by much. Only slightly but Dale Steyn is a little better than Garner imo. Dale bowled in a bastmens era, also Garner played for the best team in the history probably while Dale bowled agsint one such team. Gupte was one of hte best in his trade and Slinga can knock a few blows in Tests, and then there is the small mater of Kapil Dev who was freaking good. Ntini Bond and Lanngridge arent as good. Vettory, I never rated him as a Test bowler.

So, Sorry Oda you have a great team but No1 just heads the battle.