Which team's alltime XI is best?

[adharcric]

Man, wtf Windies?!

Now faced with a task only Australia under Bradman has done before, that is coming back to win a 5 test series from being 2-0 down (36/37 iirc).

I kind of agree with your selection Adharcric. Headley needs to be dropped, and maybe the batting needs to be shored up with Walcott over Dujon.

However, more important to me, the bowling seems to have lost some of its teeth.
Marshall should be given another go, unless perhaps the WI selectors think of playing 5 bowlers?
Therefore, moving Sobers up to 5, Walcott at 6, and 5 bowlers (2 of whom, ideally, should be able to wield a willow).
Perhaps room for Gibbs or even Hall?

What does everyone think?

Hmm, playing five bowlers may be too dangerous considering the recent frailty of our middle order. Gibbs will not make an impact and Hall is not in the tour squad. However, I would bring in Garner and Roberts for Holding and Walsh. Thoughts?

 

[honestbharani]

Hmm, playing five bowlers may be too dangerous considering the recent frailty of our middle order. Gibbs will not make an impact and Hall is not in the tour squad. However, I would bring in Garner and Roberts for Holding and Walsh. Thoughts?

where is the next test though? Maybe keep Holding and just get in Garner for Walsh.

 

[JBH001]

Hmm, playing five bowlers may be too dangerous considering the recent frailty of our middle order. Gibbs will not make an impact and Hall is not in the tour squad. However, I would bring in Garner and Roberts for Holding and Walsh. Thoughts?

Hmmm, yes, that is true. But I dont think shoring up the batting will make a victory more likely than improving the bowling so that some quick and cheap wickets are taken. We need to win this!

Even if we go in with a conventional line-up, I do agree that Roberts needs to enter the fray, but I would still keep Walsh in the line-up over Garner.

However, this would be my preferred XI

1. Hunte
2. Greenidge
3. Richards
4. Lara
5. Sobers
6. Walcott
7. Marshall
8. Holding
9. Roberts
10. Ambrose
11. Walsh.

 

[adharcric]

3rd Test - Queen's Park Oval (Trinidad) - uneven bounce

West Indian selectors, we need to settle on a side soon. Hunte, Greenidge, Richards, Lara, Sobers, Walcott, Marshall and Ambrose seem to be certainties. I am slowly starting to like the five-bowler idea but I'm not sure if the bowlers can bat well enough. So, can you (roseboy, jbh, hb and others) tell me the three that you would play out of Weekes, Holding, Garner, Roberts and Walsh? Let's get these in within the next 20 hours.

Aussies ... unchanged side, yes?

 

[JBH001]

Hmmm, I stick by my 5 bowler idea but I defer to roseboy of course, who is the only WI selector, I think. So, if we go with 5 bowlers, then I opt for Roberts, Holding, Walsh. If we dont, then I go for Weekes, Roberts, Holding.

 

[Matt79]

Aussies unchanged for mine.

 

[Raghav]

Predicting aussies to lose this time

 

[Xuhaib]

Are there any highlights on youtube of that 284 run partnership between Lara and Sobers, must be a special watch.

 

[adharcric]

Yeah, I'll put that up at the end of the tour. Telling you, it was great to watch.

Oh yeah, I need some input from the other WI selectors soon!

 

[roseboy64]

Hmmm, yes, that is true. But I dont think shoring up the batting will make a victory more likely than improving the bowling so that some quick and cheap wickets are taken. We need to win this!

Even if we go in with a conventional line-up, I do agree that Roberts needs to enter the fray, but I would still keep Walsh in the line-up over Garner.

However, this would be my preferred XI

1. Hunte
2. Greenidge
3. Richards
4. Lara
5. Sobers
6. Walcott
7. Marshall
8. Holding
9. Roberts
10. Ambrose
11. Walsh.

Agreed.

 

[Slifer]

My Wi Xi:

Hunte
Greenidge
IVAR*
Lara
Sobers
Walcott+
Marshall
Holding
Garner
Ambrose
Roberts

or alternately:

Hunte, Greenidge, Weekes, IVAR*, Lara, Sobers, Walcott+, Marshall, Holding, Ambrose, Garner.

 

[Ikki]

Unchanged Aussies, let's get it underway.

 

[adharcric]

Walcott, Roberts, Garner in. Headley, Dujon, Walsh out. Game on at Trinidad!

 

[JBH001]

You doing this with 5 specialist bowlers or with 4 Adharcric?

Man, I am tense...lol!

 

[adharcric]

Australia in West Indies - 3rd Test - Queen's Park Oval

[CENTER]West Indies 1st Innings[/CENTER]
CC Hunte          lbw              b McGrath        	 19 (30)
CG Greenidge      c Gilchrist      b Lillee         	  5 (23)
IVA Richards                       b Lillee         	 65 (169)
BC Lara           c Lillee         b McGrath        	  1 (21)
GS Sobers         c Hayden         b Lillee         	 64 (98)
CL Walcott        c Ponsford       b Lillee         	  8 (9)
MD Marshall       c Spofforth      b Miller         	 11 (28)
AME Roberts       c Bradman        b Miller         	 15 (49)
MA Holding        c Chappell       b Lillee         	  7 (18)
J Garner          c Gilchrist      b Miller         	  1 (11)
CEL Ambrose                        not out                7 (19)
Extras		  (w4 b5 lb14)		                 23
Total             80 overs                              226 all out

Fall of wickets:
1-16  2-36  3-42  4-149  5-159  6-186  7-194  8-205  9-207  10-226  

Bowling Figures for Australia

                O	M	 R	W
McGrath        12	2	41	2	
Lillee         26	5	68	5	
Spofforth      10	3	32	0	
Miller         19	8	30	3	
Warne          12	2	36	0	

[CENTER]Australia 1st Innings[/CENTER]
ML Hayden         c Walcott        b Ambrose       	 11 (5)
WH Ponsford       c Richards       b Roberts       	 34 (73)
DG Bradman        lbw              b Sobers         	131 (191)
GS Chappell       c Walcott        b Holding        	 28 (47)
RT Ponting                         b Holding        	  0 (4)
KR Miller         c Hunte          b Holding        	 25 (63)
AC Gilchrist      lbw              b Marshall       	 19 (26)
SK Warne          lbw              b Sobers         	  2 (8)
DK Lillee                          not out                7 (20)
FR Spofforth      c Garner         b Marshall       	  3 (6)
GD McGrath        lbw              b Marshall       	  1 (9)
Extras		  (w3 b8 lb17)		                 28
Total             76 overs	                        289 all out

Fall of wickets:
1-11  2-98  3-167  4-177  5-231  6-272  7-274  8-274  9-285  10-289  

Bowling Figures for West Indies

                 O	M	 R	W
Marshall        20	6	71	3	
Ambrose         12	3	49	1	
Roberts         11	1	35	1	
Garner          10	2	37	0	
Holding         13	2	48	3	
Sobers           9	2	24	2	

[CENTER]West Indies 2nd Innings[/CENTER]
CC Hunte          c Gilchrist      b Spofforth      	137 (293)
CG Greenidge      lbw              b McGrath        	 32 (55)
IVA Richards      c Gilchrist      b Miller         	 18 (35)
BC Lara           lbw              b Miller         	 69 (137)
GS Sobers         c Miller         b Lillee         	 65 (105)
CL Walcott        lbw              b Lillee         	 16 (30)
MD Marshall       lbw              b Lillee         	  0 (4)
AME Roberts       c Hayden         b Lillee         	 16 (31)
MA Holding        c Miller         b Lillee         	  2 (9)
J Garner          c Spofforth      b Lillee         	 12 (30)
CEL Ambrose                        not out                8 (20)
Extras		  (w11 nb4 b16 lb10)		         41
Total             125 overs	                        416 all out

Fall of wickets:
1-63  2-97  3-245  4-318  5-364  6-366  7-379  8-386  9-399  10-416  

Bowling Figures for Australia

                O	 M	 R	W
McGrath        32	11	86	1	
Lillee         29	 6	80	6	
Spofforth      20	 4	85	1	
Miller         21	 5	55	2	
Warne          22	 4	84	0	

[CENTER]Australia 2nd Innings[/CENTER]
ML Hayden         lbw              b Marshall       	  8 (23)
WH Ponsford       c Walcott        b Ambrose       	 16 (22)
DG Bradman        c Marshall       b Garner          	 37 (91)
GS Chappell       c Walcott        b Garner          	 26 (48)
RT Ponting                         not out               53 (93)
KR Miller                          b Sobers         	  7 (10)
AC Gilchrist                       b Garner          	  1 (10)
SK Warne          c Hunte          b Garner          	  1 (11)
DK Lillee         lbw              b Sobers              12 (11)
FR Spofforth      c Greenidge      b Marshall       	  1 (7)
GD McGrath        c Lara           b Marshall       	  6 (8)
Extras		  (w1 nb1 b1 lb1)		          4
Total             56 overs	                        172 all out

Fall of wickets:
1-24  2-26  3-68  4-106  5-119  6-122  7-139  8-164  9-166  10-172  

Bowling Figures for West Indies

                 O	M	 R	W
Marshall         9	4	25	3	
Ambrose         11	5	26	1	
Roberts         10	1	37	0	
Garner          15	4	50	4	
Sobers          10	1	32	2	

[B]West Indies won by 181 runs
Australia lead 2-1[/B]
Man of the match: Dennis Lillee

 

[JBH001]

W00T!

Go Windies!!

 

[adharcric]

Tough decision on the cards - drop Warne?

EDIT: I have given Lillee MOTM, just as I gave it to Sobers (rather than Bradman) at the ARG.

 

[JBH001]

Great all-around bowling from the Windies, but poor Lillee, what an effort from the champion bowler. Key innings was another crucial partnership between Sobers and Lara which allowed the bowlers a comfortable margin to bowl the Aussies out. Also, kudos to Slifer and Adharcric for pushing for Garners inclusion, really paid off in the second innings.

Edit/ Thanks again for running this Adharcric. I am really enjoying this!

 

[NUFAN]

I think Lillee should have got MotM.

Hayden has been struggling so far, what was he doing htting 11 off 5 in the first innings!

 

[adharcric]

I think Lillee should have got MotM.

Yeah, I have changed that.

Hayden has been struggling so far, what was he doing htting 11 off 5 in the first innings!

Outside edges tbh.