I am changing my mind here. EAP's line up will definitely collapse as soon Dravid, Root barrier is breached and I don't rate Root on that calibre yet where he can be a lynchpin for a whole team in an all time draft. I am much more comfortable with Oz's middle order with Crowe and Botham at 5 & 6.
Coronavirus Cricket Auction Draft (Test)
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
We thought of 1-2 options yeah near end of last reinforcement round, though not Dravid. Currently our top 3 are top quality with combination of technique plus lots of accumulated runs with top averages. Hence didn't want to disturb that.
Yes ideally a more specialist batsman is welcome but other option is F.Engineer in current squad.
I don't get why "whole lineup will definitely collapse." Ames was a top quality batsman. Definitely better batsman that Botham. We have Kapil batting at 7. Akram and Marshall, both handy with bat are at 8 and 9. Root's numbers are already strong and better than Crowe's. I know for some reason there is this tendency to elevate retired great ones to a higher level and discredit current great ones but I don't see Crowe doing better somewhere Root fails.
If pitch is causing our lineup to definitely collapse, opposition will trade worse against our bowling attack
I think the players should be rated in context here. I do agree that my middle order will need upgrades, should I go through, but it certainly won't "collapse" here especially compared to the bowlers they are facing. He may not be the flashiest player around, but he certainly was a trusty middle order player both with bat and ball. When SA re-entered test stage Kepler's comments were "We need Big Mac" which shows his importance to that floundering SA team.
On the flipside, I'd argue that due to my pace attack, 12Oz's middle order will likely to get into pitch earlier than he'd have liked. And with the bowling depth I have, they'd struggle to put up a total they can defend.
To summarize, I may not have extra few runs in my middle order, but I certainly have the bowling depth to restrict them to even less. Plus my top order is really good and will provide a base to take pressure off my middle order.
I don't get why "whole lineup will definitely collapse." Ames was a top quality batsman. Definitely better batsman that Botham. We have Kapil batting at 7. Akram and Marshall, both handy with bat are at 8 and 9. Root's numbers are already strong and better than Crowe's. I know for some reason there is this tendency to elevate retired great ones to a higher level and discredit current great ones but I don't see Crowe doing better somewhere Root fails.
If pitch is causing our lineup to definitely collapse, opposition will trade worse against our bowling attack
That's fine, is he better than Crowe? Is Root better than Kallis? I also prefer Dhoni to Kapil at seven, so I like my middle order's chances even against this fine opening attack.
As for the openers, Hayden is class, no complaints, and with Boycott then The Wall I've got a hell of a job dislodging them even on a greentop. But I'm solid with Lawry and Boon and I have a superb batsman in these conditions in Headley coming in at three. Yes Kallis is my anchor at four but if you think your top three is streets ahead I'm not buying it.
I think it's a false premise to say my middle order will be in to face your bowling early for starters, but even if that were the case on what grounds can you say your bowling unit has it in them to restrict Headley, Kallis, Crowe, Botham and MS while a unit of Garner, Boult, Vaas, Botham and Kallis hasn't the quality nor depth to pressurise your MO?
Yes middle order yours is better but I was pointing out that our batting order after Dravid is not exactly shit. So our argument basically is better top order and better bowling which gives us edge.
Streets ahead is no one but just like middle order yours is better our top order is better and we back our bowling unit to be deciding factor on this pitch.
I see EAP is here, so I will let him continue discussion going forward
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Lawry/Boon is a weaker pair than my own openers and they are facing a far superior bowling attack in Marshall/Akram.
Hayden/Boycott is the stronger pair of openers in this game and they are facing a relatively weaker opening duo.
I'd still wager that the probability of early wicket loss is much higher in your team than mine. So my comments on your middle order being out early.
Result:
EAP/TMH 5-3 12Oz
EAP/TMH 5-3 12Oz
@crappycraperson write up
Good game @12OunceEpilogue . Tough luck.
No worries, good game yourselves. Best of luck in the semi.
Need 30- 45 mins
Wtf new match still not started? Crappy worse than EAP.
Sent
It was tough match, one which I thought which could go either way. Gg!
QF3: crappy vs harshad
Please vote for one of the teams that you believe would win on a slow dustbowl minefield.
Discussions encouraged. Write ups to follow.
Team @crappycraperson
Discussions encouraged. Write ups to follow.
Team @crappycraperson
- Sunil Gavaskar
- Sir Leonard Hutton (c)
- Stan McCabe
- Sir Everton Weekes
- Zaheer Abbas
- Doug Walters
- Adam Gilchrist (wk)
- Ray Lindwall
- Michael Holding
- Sir Curtly Ambrose
- Muttiah Muralitharan
- Hanif Mohammad
- Bill Ponsford
- Richie Richardson
- Elias Hendren
- Andy Flower (wk)
- Garfield Sobers (c)
- Keith Miller
- Hugh Trumble
- Dale Steyn
- Allan Donald
- Sydney Barnes
Team @crappycraperson
Batting
All time great openers, rock solid middler order. Even the lower order is exceptionally strong with respectable averages for those positions.
- Gavaskar is IMO definitely the best test opener of all time. Some will root out some other names with better averages etc but when you bring in the context of him facing the best pace attack of all time (Windies one) in his prime as an opener and having this record against them - 13 hundreds, 7 fifties at an average of 65.45, in Windies itself he averages 70 with 7 hundreds and 4 fifties. GOAT Opener NQAT. Leonard Hutton is his partner up top and only other contender for the best opener of all time. His number speaks all you need to know.
- Windies great Weekes anchors the middle order with support from McCabe and Abbas. Abbas dubbed as "Asian bradman" remains one of the finest Pakistani batsmen of all time. McCabe is someone who made Bradman envious with his batting ability. McCabe was a rare name to come out of the bodyline series with 385 runs @ 43, McCabe's greatest innings came when the team needed him the most, often on surfaces where no one else was able to get going and made his presence invaluable as a batsman against the toughest attacks. He did all that with incredible style and grace, making him one of the greatest Australian batsmen of all time Weekes as part of the famous 3Ws remains one of the most celebrated Windies batsmen of all time.
- Doug Walters' record speaks for itself and as an attacking batsmen he suits the position of number 6 to a tee. As wiki puts it - "He famously hit a century in a session at the WACA against England in 1974, where he hit Bob Willis for six from the last ball of the day to bring up his ton. His 250 against New Zealand in 1977 is the highest by any batsman in the number six position." Following him is Gilchrist, the greatest keeper of all time, a true match winner in any time under any conditions. Then there is a very strong lower order led by Lindwall and Holding. Lindwall qualifies as a bowling all rounder given his record while Holding proved himself as a useful batsman on many occasions too.
Bowling
Bowling is spearheaded by best spinner of all time in Murali and two of the best Windies pace of all time in Ambrose and Holding. Lindwall was regarded as the best pace bowler of his era and proved himself against likes of Hutton and Hammond. Of course as part of invincibles he made his mark too leading to Wisden naming him as one of the cricketers of the year in 1949 and number 1 ICC bowler rankings for 1948 and 1949. Holding nicknamed "whispering death" was only bettered by his partner in crime Marshall in her era. Ambrose was one of the best pace bowlers of his time and the fear he inspired in batsman is replicated by few very bowlers in history.
Pitch factor - Spin Friendly wicket
Murali is the first name that comes to my mind as a match winner for this game given the pitch being spinning haven. One of the best two spinners of all time, you have to back him to work his magic here. On flip side, my batting is solid to see out his attack. Abbas would be critical in middle order given his experience with spinning wickets and his average in Asia is 50+. Gilly's average in Asia does see a drop (respectable 37+ nonetheless) but he averages 52.14 at SCG. On the flip side, harshad's team does not have a match winning spinner ala Murali and his batting is definitely weaker than mine. Pace attack also I prefer my pace trio. Sobers is the wild card in his team but I don't thunk that is enough to over come the sheer quality of my lineup. In any case Gavaskar and Hutton would see out his opening attack.
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Team @harshad
Why I will win :
- Great Openers who compliment the playing style of each other.
- Solid middle order batsmen and batting depth with Sir Garry and Keith Miller coming in at no. 6 and 7, who can consolidate and build in case of a top order collapse or build on the foundation laid by the top order.
- A goat bowler leading the attack with, Donald, Miller and Barnes. Steyn and Donald have excellent record on all surfaces throughout their career and Barnes in particular will be quite handy on this surface.
- An excellent spinner in Trumble, who would be quite handy on this wicket plus Sir Garry to bowl wrist spin.
Batting
All time great openers, rock solid middler order. Even the lower order is exceptionally strong with respectable averages for those positions.
- Gavaskar is IMO definitely the best test opener of all time. Some will root out some other names with better averages etc but when you bring in the context of him facing the best pace attack of all time (Windies one) in his prime as an opener and having this record against them - 13 hundreds, 7 fifties at an average of 65.45, in Windies itself he averages 70 with 7 hundreds and 4 fifties. GOAT Opener NQAT. Leonard Hutton is his partner up top and only other contender for the best opener of all time. His number speaks all you need to know.
- Windies great Weekes anchors the middle order with support from McCabe and Abbas. Abbas dubbed as "Asian bradman" remains one of the finest Pakistani batsmen of all time. McCabe is someone who made Bradman envious with his batting ability. McCabe was a rare name to come out of the bodyline series with 385 runs @ 43, McCabe's greatest innings came when the team needed him the most, often on surfaces where no one else was able to get going and made his presence invaluable as a batsman against the toughest attacks. He did all that with incredible style and grace, making him one of the greatest Australian batsmen of all time Weekes as part of the famous 3Ws remains one of the most celebrated Windies batsmen of all time.
- Doug Walters' record speaks for itself and as an attacking batsmen he suits the position of number 6 to a tee. As wiki puts it - "He famously hit a century in a session at the WACA against England in 1974, where he hit Bob Willis for six from the last ball of the day to bring up his ton. His 250 against New Zealand in 1977 is the highest by any batsman in the number six position." Following him is Gilchrist, the greatest keeper of all time, a true match winner in any time under any conditions. Then there is a very strong lower order led by Lindwall and Holding. Lindwall qualifies as a bowling all rounder given his record while Holding proved himself as a useful batsman on many occasions too.
Bowling
Bowling is spearheaded by best spinner of all time in Murali and two of the best Windies pace of all time in Ambrose and Holding. Lindwall was regarded as the best pace bowler of his era and proved himself against likes of Hutton and Hammond. Of course as part of invincibles he made his mark too leading to Wisden naming him as one of the cricketers of the year in 1949 and number 1 ICC bowler rankings for 1948 and 1949. Holding nicknamed "whispering death" was only bettered by his partner in crime Marshall in her era. Ambrose was one of the best pace bowlers of his time and the fear he inspired in batsman is replicated by few very bowlers in history.
Pitch factor - Spin Friendly wicket
Murali is the first name that comes to my mind as a match winner for this game given the pitch being spinning haven. One of the best two spinners of all time, you have to back him to work his magic here. On flip side, my batting is solid to see out his attack. Abbas would be critical in middle order given his experience with spinning wickets and his average in Asia is 50+. Gilly's average in Asia does see a drop (respectable 37+ nonetheless) but he averages 52.14 at SCG. On the flip side, harshad's team does not have a match winning spinner ala Murali and his batting is definitely weaker than mine. Pace attack also I prefer my pace trio. Sobers is the wild card in his team but I don't thunk that is enough to over come the sheer quality of my lineup. In any case Gavaskar and Hutton would see out his opening attack.
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Team @harshad
Why I will win :
- Great Openers who compliment the playing style of each other.
- Solid middle order batsmen and batting depth with Sir Garry and Keith Miller coming in at no. 6 and 7, who can consolidate and build in case of a top order collapse or build on the foundation laid by the top order.
- A goat bowler leading the attack with, Donald, Miller and Barnes. Steyn and Donald have excellent record on all surfaces throughout their career and Barnes in particular will be quite handy on this surface.
- An excellent spinner in Trumble, who would be quite handy on this wicket plus Sir Garry to bowl wrist spin.
I am biased but I got this. And yes, Murali is that good to win this one for me. On top of it my batting line up has Gavaskar, Hutton, Weekes and Gilchrist in top 6. The other three are not too bad either where someone like Abbas would be super handy in this match at pivotal number 5 role. His main strength area in batting is Flowers-Sobers axis but that is not enough. Flowers has a worse record against Murali's Lanka with his average going down to 40 and in SRL (with spinning conditions) in fact being 22.
Not having that. Andy has better players surrounding him here, and the usual Zimbabwean team. Different players will help Andy play better.
My bowling attack is marginally better, with having 2 proper spinners and Barnes on top of that. Plus both Steyn and Donald have excellent records on dust bowls found in India.
You are lying to yourself if you truly believe you will have Trumble with support of Sobers over Murali. Murali is pretty much going to occupy one end of bowling for me throughout two innings after the initial burst by the pacers. Holding, Ambrose and Lindwall will make an impact on any kind of pitch too.
Batting wise there is simply no contest if you measure each top 7 against each other. Sobers is a standout but none of your other batsmen measure up to the quality of Gavaskar, Hutton and Weekes. Flowers may have a tough higher average but everyone would have Gilchrist over him in their side.
You are severly underrating Ponsford, Hanif, Hendren and Miller there.
I'd have Flower over Gilchrist in most teams. Flower better keeper and better batsman, unless you need to score runs quickly.
Immense bowling attacks from both teams, but Crappy has the better batting by some distance.
It is not absolute, it is relative. Whilst it is not about your batting vs mine, the respective quality of line ups do come into play against bowling attacks. Donald and Steyn might be top tier pacers but my opening pair have proven themselves against better attacks so they impact is blunted. On the other hand I would expect Ambrose and Holding to make inroads which will be further exploited by Murali.
Thanks. Agree that Harsh'd bowling line is up is good too and he would have been much more competitive on a green pitch.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I see Gilchrist as more of a match winner. You can see being in Australian side has allowed them to play those kind of innings but in all stars draft he will have similar quality around him.
Result:
Crappy 7-1 Harshad
Crappy 7-1 Harshad
@Interval write up
Somebody voted for me
It was @MobySomebody voted for me
Knew that I didnt stand a chance when I had a look at Flower's record against Murali. Good game Crappy. You need to get the #3 sorted though, McCabe just wont cut it there in the next round. And probably upgrade Lindwall if you can.
Good Luck!
Probably he should look at getting Viv and dropping Holding.
Knew that I didnt stand a chance when I had a look at Flower's record against Murali. Good game Crappy. You need to get the #3 sorted though, McCabe just wont cut it there in the next round. And probably upgrade Lindwall if you can.
Good Luck!
I can only buy one player next round I think so it is not possible. I kinda screwed up the squad building part last round so I don't have any replacements for my existing players.
Last QF coming up
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