Fantasy Cricket thread

[Matt79]

Following the popularity, in some quarters, of the simmed test series between the Windies greatest and the all-time Aussie teams, I thought I'd organise my own ICL-style rebel tour (although I don't want to detract from that series, which has been great fun, so am happy to wait until its conclusion...)

I've been playing around with Virtual Cricket 4, a fun bit of shareware that sims cricket matches based upon ball-by-ball calculations guided by players career stats. You can sim whatever teams you want, so long as you can be bothered doing the data-entry up front.

Anyways, what I'm suggesting is that I am happy to sim matches between teams requested by people here, and provide some kind of brief match report featuring the score cards VC4 produces and some commentary extrapolating from the score card. I'm happy to do sims around whatever themes people want to suggest, and might suggest some myself. I'd want to do them as a series, and selection of squads and then XIs would be by popular vote here, and I'd try to include cumulative series stats as well to facilitate selections.

A few things to say up-front. I'm happy to do this, and obviously will be delighted if others want to run with it as well. However, I don't have a much time to spend on CW as I would like, so it would be limited to one simmed match per day, at most, and there could well be days when I can't do it at all. The other thing is that compiling and entering in the stats can be a bit of a chore, so initially I'd prefer to work from the players I've already entered in. I'm planning to add more, and will be guided by requests, but might not be able to do heaps all at once.

If people are keen, please let me know and supply any suggestions for an initial series. I've included the players and teams I've already done up - its a simple matter to rearrange players from team to team, so don't feel the teams players are in are binding, but its slightly more work to add more players... Also some teams are just the XI, others have extra squad members - once a players in the system, its easy enough to fool around with squads and who's in the first XI so to speak.

Hope this works and is fun!

Australia
J.Langer
M.Hayden
R.Ponting
M.Hussey
M.Clarke
A.Symonds
A.Gilchrist
S.Warne
B.Lee
S.Clark
G.McGrath
S.Watson
S.Tait
S.MacGill
B.Hodge

All-Time XI
J.Hobbs
L.Hutton
D.Bradman
W.Hammond
V.Richards
G.Sobers
A.Gilchrist
I.Khan
S.Warne
M.Marshall
D.Lillee

2nd Alltime XI
S.Gavaskar
B.Richards
G.Headley
S.Tendulkar
E.Weekes
K.Miller
A.Flower
R.Hadlee
W.Akram
M.Muralitharan
C.Ambrose

All Time Aussie
V.Trumper
B.Ponsford
D.Bradman
G.Chappell
N.Harvey
K.Miller
A.Gilchrist
R.Lindwall
S.Warne
D.Lillee
G.McGrath
B.Simpson
A.Davidson
S.Waugh
A.Border
R.Ponting
A.Morris

All Time Windies
G.Greenidge
R.Fredricks
G.Headley
V.Richards
E.Weekes
G.Sobers
C.Walcott
M.Marshall
J.Garner
C.Ambrose
M.Holding
L.Gibbs
F.Worrell
L.Constantine
B.Lara
C.Hunte

All Time England
J.Hobbs
L.Hutton
W.Hammond
D.Compton
W.G.Grace
L.Ames
I.Botham
H.Larwood
J.Laker
F.Trueman
A.Bedser

 

[The Sean]

Great idea. I probably don't have the time and definitely don't have the software to be helping much, but would love to see how this all plays out, considering I've been following this current All Time Series with a level of interest as though it's actually happening.

I'd be tempted to suggest a 2000s Australia vs 80s West Indies showdown, but after this All Time Series going on now it's probably time to get away from A v WI matches and on to other things. Perhaps something involving England and/or Asia.

Also - where's the best place to buy VC4? If I can get hold of it, it would make it easier for me to offer to help out!

 

[Matt79]

You can download it from the web - its share/freeware, so its distributed for free. Google should be able to point you in the right direction - it takes a little practice to work out the data entry format, but then its very simple to use.

 

[pasag]

Cricket Web even.

Nice thread btw.

 

[The Sean]

Thanks lads.

Is there a database we can import to get us started, or do we have to create our own list of players from zero? If so - Matt, is there any chance you can send me your text files for the players you've already created?

spr_77@hotmail.com

 

[Shaggy Alfresco]

I've had VC4 for quite a while now, and simmed some interesting series. Perhaps the best was an all-time England team touring Australia to contest an all-time ashes, and winning 3-2 after going 2-1 down at Perth. Australia collapsed in a fourth innings chase of 252 at Melbourne thanks to Ian Botham's 5-40 and Spofforth being run out by Sutcliffe with only 10 runs needed for victory. They ended up losing by a run.

 

[adharcric]

All cricketers who participate in the rebel league will be banned from the original contest. BCCI style.

 

[honestbharani]

All cricketers who participate in the rebel league will be banned from the original contest. BCCI style.

exactly......

 

[DCC_legend]

Was messing around with VC4 last night, playing with England mostly. Played a 3 test Ashes series, England lost 2-1.

Putting all the stats into the sheet takes ages, but it's pretty good when it all comes together.

 

[Matt79]

I'll wait until the Aus-Windies series Adharcric is running has concluded before kicking off the matches - in the mean time, I'll endeavour to build up the library of players, maybe Indian and SA squads - happy to be guided by suggestions from people. 19th century types (besides Trumper and Grace who are done) I might defer as the stats are basically measuring different things and will unbalance the sim...

 

[Shaggy Alfresco]

An England vs South Africa all time series would be a good idea to compliment the Aus v WI series currently on. I'm itching to get started.

 

[adharcric]

I'll wait until the Aus-Windies series Adharcric is running has concluded before kicking off the matches - in the mean time, I'll endeavour to build up the library of players, maybe Indian and SA squads - happy to be guided by suggestions from people. 19th century types (besides Trumper and Grace who are done) I might defer as the stats are basically measuring different things and will unbalance the sim...

You may want to go ahead once I finish the Adelaide test. I plan to start the return tour in WI after that.

 

[Matt79]

An England vs South Africa all time series would be a good idea to compliment the Aus v WI series currently on. I'm itching to get started.

You may want to go ahead once I finish the Adelaide test. I plan to start the return tour in WI after that.

Both sound like good suggestions.

I'll try to do up an SA squad tonight - off the top of my head containing:
Barry Richards#
H. Taylor
D. Nourse
G. Pollock
J. Kallis
A. Faulkner
J. Cameron+
S. Pollock
P. Pollock
(first initial escapes me at the moment).Tayfield
A.Donald
plus:
B.Mitchell
M.Proctor
H.Gibbs
M.Ntini
to round out the squad. If I've missed anyone out, let me know.

Suggestions for additions to the English XI listed at the start of the thread? Maybe Tyson, Verity, Boycott, Sutcliffe, and Barrington? SF Barnes and Lohmann are glaring omissions, but as explained previously their 19th century stats would weight the sim too far in England's favour...

# (given his test record is too small to provide an accurate guide, I've made a BIG assumption, and changed his career average to 50.00 - to reflect that his average would almost certainly have come back to more human-but-not-Bradman levels, but also the near-consensus that he would have been right up with the elite openers)

Once the squads are done, we can nominate starting XIs, then get underway...

 

[The Sean]

Both sound like good suggestions.

I'll try to do up an SA squad tonight - off the top of my head containing:
Barry Richards#
H. Taylor
D. Nourse
G. Pollock
J. Kallis
A. Faulkner
J. Cameron+
S. Pollock
P. Pollock
(first initial escapes me at the moment).Tayfield
A.Donald
plus:
B.Mitchell
M.Proctor
H.Gibbs
M.Ntini
to round out the squad. If I've missed anyone out, let me know.

Suggestions for additions to the English XI listed at the start of the thread? Maybe Tyson, Verity, Boycott, Sutcliffe, and Barrington? SF Barnes and Lohmann are glaring omissions, but as explained previously their 19th century stats would weight the sim too far in England's favour...

# (given his test record is too small to provide an accurate guide, I've made a BIG assumption, and changed his career average to 50.00 - to reflect that his average would almost certainly have come back to more human-but-not-Bradman levels, but also the near-consensus that he would have been right up with the elite openers)

Once the squads are done, we can nominate starting XIs, then get underway...

H.Tayfield.
I'd have Adcock ahead of Peter Pollock too, and reckon Gary Kirsten is stiff to miss out for Gibbs.

As for B Richards' stats, you could always add his four Tests to his appearances for RoW in the early 70s and his performances in WSC, which if I'm not mistaken brought his average back to roughly 58.

 

[Matt79]

Good points - I'll ad Adcock and Kirsten (knew I was forgetting a batsman who should be ahead of Gibbs) to the squad. The SA squad is actually frighteningly good - Mitchell would be the only one in the top 5 to average below 50 (48.8), while Faulkner is a brillant allrounder statistically speaking - batting average 40, bowling average 25. Plus Shaun and Peter Pollock's ability with bat and ball, and Donald's strike rate of 47...

 

[The Sean]

Good points - I'll ad Adcock and Kirsten (knew I was forgetting a batsman who should be ahead of Gibbs) to the squad. The SA squad is actually frighteningly good - Mitchell would be the only one in the top 5 to average below 50 (48.8), while Faulkner is a brillant allrounder statistically speaking - batting average 40, bowling average 25. Plus Shaun and Peter Pollock's ability with bat and ball, and Donald's strike rate of 47...

Indeed, it's a superb side.

Incidentally, I've just added Barry Richards' WSC and RoW "Test" performances to his official Tests, and the result is now: 15 Matches, 1330 runs at 57.82. Perhaps more realistic stats to use?

 

[Matt79]

Done.

 

[Shaggy Alfresco]

The England and South African sides I have on my VC4 thingymabob are:

England:

Hobbs
Sutcliffe
Hammond
Barrington
Compton
Botham
Knott
Laker
Trueman
Tyson
Barnes

South Africa:

Mitchell
Richards
Pollock
Nourse
Kallis
Procter
Waite
Pollock
Tayfield
Donald
Adcock

 

[Matt79]

What stats did you use for Proctor - he only played 7 tests, and though he no doubt was a good bowler, you can't help suspect that his bowling average of 15 and strike rate of 36 would have declined if he'd played more, just as his batting average might have improved from 20...

 

[The Sean]

What stats did you use for Proctor - he only played 7 tests, and though he no doubt was a good bowler, you can't help suspect that his bowling average of 15 and strike rate of 36 would have declined if he'd played more, just as his batting average might have improved from 20...

He played nine further "Tests" for RoW and in WSC, so putting those stats in his career is now:

16 Matches
700 runs at 33.33 0x100s, 4x50s
70 wickets at 17.14 S/R 46.79, E/R 2.2