cricket draft - Red Indian vs Donaldo

Who will win over a 3 match test series

  • Total voters
    11
  • Poll closed .

crappycraperson

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Red-Indian said:
1. Mark Taylor (c)
2. Marvan Atapattu
3. Nasser Hussain
4. Brian Lara
5. Steve Waugh
6. Ravi Shastri
7. Ian Healy
8. Chaminda Vaas
9. Malcolm Marshall
10. Colin Croft
11. Patrick Patterson

Perhaps by sheer co-incidence, I feel like I’ve landed up with the best batsman and bowler in the draft. As a consequence, I think I’ve put together a superb team. Perfectly balanced between batting and bowling. The one weakness is the lack of a top class spinner but I’ve made up for that with probably the best sub-continent quick after Kapil plus Ravi Shastri who has 150 wickets and was probably the torch bearer for Indian spin through the dark days of the eighties. What’s interesting is that each of the top 6 has been captain of their country for a while…all used to the responsibility of standing up for their team.

Batting
35 centuries between my openers. Both captains of their county - solid and tested in all conditions. They’ll provide a clean base for the superstars coming in after them. At 3 is another man who doesn’t sell his wicket cheap - Nasser Hussain. Then comes the deluge…the ultimate matchwinner in Brian Lara – the man who always stands up when the chips are down. Steve Waugh – the one man who most people would trust to bat for their life. If by some chance there’s a collapse, I have the very sticky Shastri and Healy to stop the rot. It doesn’t stop there – both Vaas and Marshall are no mugs with the bat. Vaas has a century and 13 fifties. Marshall’s got 10 fifties and an average of 19 in a difficult era.

Bowling
"Crofty," a West Indian team-mate once said, "would bounce his grandmother if he thought there was a wicket in it. He’ll rattle them and then they’ll come up against who I regard as the greatest bowler of all time – Malcolm fecking Marshall – Average of 20, strike rate of bloody 47 and that over 81 tests. The second line of bowling is high quality – Vaas has 355 wickets and understands the subcontinent like few others. Patrick Patterson (Average of 31, strike rate of 52) whether you remember him or not was aggression personified for a relatively brief career. They’re backed up by Steve Waugh and Shastri – 250 wickets between them.

Tactics

Donado's opening partnership is big name but is heavily suspect against quality pace (and what's more quality than Marshall and Croft charging in together?). Hayden has an average of 34.5 in England and 34.6 in South Africa. SLog sweeping the spinners is how he made his runs and he's not going to get to do that against me. Langer struggled in South Africa as well. It's on Dravid to pile the runs so that's the wicket i've got to get. Quality bowling which i'm not going to criticise too much but I believe I have enough in middle order to handle it.
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Donaldo said:
When I looked at making the team in this draft, I aimed for balance, and a mix of top quality aggressive batsmen and bowlers capable of winning matches and a stability required at the highest level of the sport.

Matthew HAYDEN - One very burly half of probably the greatest opening combo in Test cricket. The sheer number of matches Hayden bludgeoned mercilessly away from the opposition established his credentials as a matchwinner, not just as a slogger at the top of the order. His strength lay in carrying an excellent run of form through the series, scoring at a rapid rate and hitting centuries in succession.
He smashed 30 centuries, hitting 8625 runs overall at 50.73.

Justin LANGER - The biggest mistake any opposition would make was to underestimate Langer as a grafter and blocker and focus their efforts on Hayden. An extremely accomplished strokemaker, Langer hit 23 centuries, with 7697 runs overall at 45 plus.

Rahul Dravid - I was thrilled to get him in this draft because I've wanted him in my team for the past two drafts. To my mind, among the top 3 Test batsmen of our generation, and one of the best No. 3's in this draft. A proven matchwinner, he has 36 centuries across the globe, with an astounding 21 away from home. Average of 52.33 with 13288 runs.

Aravinda de Silva - One of the greatest Sri Lankan batsmen, a batting mainstay in the 80s and 90s for an evolving Lankan team. His attacking prowess is well known, but he possessed a strong defensive mindset, and played some of the greatest fast bowlers of the time with great skill. 20 centuries at what seems to be a relatively low average of 43, but at a time when such averages were the key signs of a world class player.

Allan Lamb - Tough as nails, technically excellent, 14 Test hundreds, and a whopping 89 first class hundreds against some top quality international bowling. The legendary West Indian fast bowlers were a brand he particularly relished, and he scored 6 out of his 14 hundreds against them. A valuable no.5 batsman to have, and one who slots in perfectly in my team.

Hansie Cronje - Captain at 24, Hansie led SA to 27 victories and 11 losses in 53 Tests. A fantastic number 6 to have, with an average of 36, and 6 centuries. A career he threw away as he gave way to avarice, and that would remain the lasting regret for anyone who ever thinks of Hansie Cronje and remembers his battle of wits and technique with the best bowlers of the 90s. A handy bowler, he bowled regularly for SA with an average of 29.

Jeff Dujon - One of the top three keepers in the draft, IMO, and one of the finest of all time. At number 7, he comes in with an average of 32, and 5 Test centuries. And he's not going to drop anything. No chance.

Daniel Vettori - One of the most underrated Test cricketers, I feel.Blessed with a keen cricketing brain, Vettori has a stupendous record given that he plays and has played for a largely mediocre to decent outfit. 360 wickets, with 20 fifers and 3 tenners. On his way to being in the elite few who have 4000 runs and 400 wickets. 6 Test centuries at No. 8. My god.

Richard Hadlee - One of the all time greats and a legend of the sport. He would walk into most all time XI's. 431 wickets at a ridiculous 22.2. 36 fifers, 9 tenners. 2 Test centuries.
Fun fact: Has dismissed Haynes 7 times in 10 Test matches, with 3 ducks, and Greenidge 6 times in 10 matches.

Big Bruce Reid - As tall as Garner, and at his peak, as dangerous. In a career riddled with injuries, big Bruce had a career average of 24 odd, and a strike rate of 55. International class by any standard.

Andy Roberts - One of the greatest fast bowlers ever. I watched and adored him as a kid because my family was obsessed with the Windians. Superb control of the cricket ball, a phenomenal brain. Him and Hadlee with Reid to follow would be a fearsome combo to face. Average of 25, with a strike rate of 55.

This is a team which wouldn't even consider defeat as an option. Some absolute fighters, and a selection of some of the smartest cricketing brains.




All the best.
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Interval Level said:
I voted Donaldo. I think his bowling and top order is better compared to RIs.
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Yup me too. For the same reason.

Donaldo's top 3 is probably the best in the tournament.
 
Voted for Donaldo as well. Was close to be swayed by Lara but his bowling is defo better than RI's who is relying on Croft and Patterson.
 
Not voting in this one.

Me and RI will be level on points after this if things stay the same. Who goes through?
 
Donaldo for me. Just like the previous match, I said he's a favourite to win this overall. Very, very balanced team with strong top order and bowling to boot.
 
Stretch said:
Donaldo for me. Just like the previous match, I said he's a favourite to win this overall. Very, very balanced team with strong top order and bowling to boot.
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Strong bowling? He has 2!! frontline bowlers in Hadlee and Roberts. Reid play 25 odd tests, and Vettorri has been proven to be average.
 
NM said:
Strong bowling? He has 2!! frontline bowlers in Hadlee and Roberts. Reid play 25 odd tests, and Vettorri has been proven to be average.
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Ok yes, I concede that. Strong is an overstatement but it's a solid bowling lineup and a strong batting lineup with grafters. If he wins his group and gets Marshall he will have a class bowling lineup.
 
Stretch said:
Ok yes, I concede that. Strong is an overstatement but it's a solid bowling lineup and a strong batting lineup with grafters. If he wins his group and gets Marshall he will have a class bowling lineup.
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Add in Marshall and the quicks are good, but it is 3 great quicks and 1 average spinner. Reckon his batting is very good though.
 
Although I obviously disagreed during my game, Vettori is a much better bowler than his stats might suggest. Not a great pick in drafts unfortunately
 
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