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'GRAND FINAL': The Best of Each Decade Birthday Draft. VOTING THREAD.

Please select the strongest team

  • POTHAS' XI

    Votes: 9 52.9%

  • WATSON's XI

    Votes: 8 47.1%
  • Total voters
    17
watson

watson

Banned
ATG Test Match Championship: GRAND FINAL

The Scenario

Pothas’ and Watson’s teams have both won their respective Groups after a gruelling 14 months of 12 home and away Test matches.

They now contest the Grand Final which will consist of 6 Test matches. The venues are;

1. The Melbourne Cricket Ground
2. Ranasinghe Premadasa Stadium
3. Eden Gardens
4. Newlands Cricket Ground
5. Kensington Oval, Bridgetown
6. Lords

Which team will raise the inaugral ‘Bradman-Grace Trophy’?


Voting Rules

Please vote for the strongest team. That is, the team which you think is the most likely to win the Test match series.

Voting will be stopped and counted at 9:00 pm Sydney Time, SUNDAY. Votes after that time will be discounted. If there is a tie then voting will continue for a further 24 hours to break the deadlock.


The 2 competing teams are;

POTHAS' XI
01. Roy Fredericks
02. Warren Bardsley
03. Hashim Amla
04. Kumar Ranjitsinjhi
05. Frank Worrell*
06. Keith Miller
07. Ian Botham
08. Jock Cameron+
09. Shane Warne
10. Frank Tyson
11. Muttiah Muralitharan
12th. Arthur Carr


WATSONs XI
01. Matthew Hayden
02. Stewie Dempster
03. Neil Harvey
04. Greg Chappell
05. Lindsay Hassett
06. Warwick Armstrong*
07. Ian Healy+
08. Richard Hadlee
09. Dale Steyn
10. Arthur Mailey
11. Neil Adcock
12th Percy Fender
 
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OverratedSanity

OverratedSanity

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Seem to remember that all those players are assumed to be at the peak of their powers. Pothas' team has Botham which is a massive bonus.

And it's a team which has a beautiful balance of brutality (Fredericks, Botham, Tyson) and elegance ( Amla, Warne, Ranji), a great captain, great keeper, two match winning all rounders and just all round watchability. Plus the small fact that the team has the two greatest spinners ever with matches bring played at Eden gardens and Premadasa, with no Indians in the opposing side means they will be absolutely unstoppable imo.

Spinners are good enough to get two wins on their own with the help of an explosive spell from Tyson.
With the series 2-2 heading into the final game, and Watson's XI threatening to win the series and on top in the final test, Botham produces a ridiculous series clinching performance to snatch a victory from nowhere. Series 3-2 to Pothas
Watson's team is brilliant too, but too many Australians :ph34r:
 
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fredfertang

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I've written about five of Pothas's side, and just one of Watson's, so a straightforward choice for me
 
Red

Red

The normal awards that everyone else has
Voted for Watson. I must say I love Pothas' team, loved the fact that he managed to get Warne and Murali, plus Miller and Botham, to provide his team with great balance. However, I think he missed out on openers, and Watson's batting is stronger in the top 6. Plus the fact that Watson's attack of Steyn, Hadlee, Adcock and Mailey, plus Armstrong would get the job done efficiently.
 
ohnoitsyou

ohnoitsyou

International Regular
Pothas's team is my favourite, but imo he's a quality bat short and i don't thing theres much of a difference between Mailey and Murali and Warne, so i'm going to have to give it to Watson here.
 
watson

watson

Banned
The match reports so far.......

FIRST TEST, MCG: 'The Murali-Warne Juggernaut'

Armstrong's team were supposed to hold the advantage at the MCG which would seem like a home game with seven Australians in the lineup. However, Hashim Amla with a brilliant century in the 1st Innings, and Muttiah Muralitharan with match figures of 9-95 had other ideas. Indeed, at 187/0 shortly after lunch on the 5th Day it seemed as though the packed MCG crowd would see Armstrong's team coast to victory. But then Botham removed Hayden, lbw for a fine 79, before the two spinners went on a demolition job. When Muralitharan removed Healy's middle-stump to be the last man out, Worrell's team had achieved an improbable victory. They would now travel to Columbo full of confidence. After all, it was their champion spinners home turf.

Worrell's XI 1st Innings: 381 all out
(Fredericks 95, Amla 120. Hadlee 5-89, Steyn 3-100)
Armstrong's XI 1st Innings: 310 all out
(Chappell 114, Armstrong 59, Miller 4-75, Muralitharan 4-55)
Worrell's XI 2nd Innings: 275 all out
(Bardsley 101, Botham 72, Hadlee 4-67, Mailey 4-50)
Armstrong's XI 2nd Innings: 278 all out
(Hayden 79, Dempster 99, Muralitharan 5-40, Warne 4-66, )

Man of the Match: Muttiah Muralitharan
Worrell's XI win by 68 runs
Worrell's XI lead the 6 Test series 1-0


SECOND TEST, Ranasinghe Premadasa Stadium: 'Harvey Strikes Back'

At lunch on the 2nd Day it seemed as though all was going to script - Armstrong's team were reeling at 125/7 and Muralitheran had bagged another 5 wicket haul. When Amla reached another century for the series to help set Armstrong's batsman a target of 391 to win the match it seemed as though Worrell's side would go 2-nil up sometime on the last Day. However, the clinical aggression of Harvey, and the emaculate footwork of Hassett in the 4th innings would see a complete reversal of the debacle that occured in Melbourne. Their 210 run partnership left little for Armstrong to do other than to stride to the wicket and smash Worrell for six over long-on to complete the victory.

Worrell's XI 1st Innings: 256 all out
(Bardsley 60, Ranjitsinjhi 90, Hadlee 4-90 Armstrong 4-30)
Armstrong's XI 1st Innings: 165 all out
(Harvey 64, Hadlee 30, Murali 5-66, Miller 3-30)
Worrell's XI 2nd Innings: 300 all out
(Amla 101, Ranjitsinjhi 76, Hadlee 4-88, Mailey 3-40)
Armstrong's XI 2nd Innings: 393/4
(Harvey 174*, Hassett 101, Warne 3-120, Tyson 1-75)

Man of the Match: Neil Harvey
Armstrong's XI won by 6 wickets
Series tied at 1-1
 
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watson

watson

Banned
THIRD TEST, Eden Gardens: 'Mailey Plays the Devil'

For the first time in the series Armstrong won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first. This would prove to be rather fortuitous as by the 4th and 5th Days the pitch was growing nastier by the hour. Day One though saw excellent conditions which must have seemed like paradise to Matthew Hayden who swept both Muralitharan and Warne out of the game on his way to a magnificent double century. Dempster, Harvey, and Hassett used more conventional methods and all posted substantial scores. By the time that Hadlee had finished his lusty hitting against some tired opposition the rout was complete - 608/8 declared, 45 minutes before the close of play.

After losing both their openers late the previous evening Worrell's team set about repairing the damage. Amla and Ranjitsinjhi both played exquisite innings that thrilled their Eden Gardens audience, but once Ranjitsinjhi was dismissed by Hadlee for 165 the rest of batting capitulated after a succession of impetuous shots. Armstrong again declared the innings closed after some entertaining hitting by Chappell, and set the opposition a target of 401 in just over 3 sessions. This was to prove more than enough as Mailey cleverly exploited the dry crumbling wicket on the 5th day to finish with figures of 7-70. Armstrong's team had turned the series on its head and now traveled to South Africa expecting big things from Adcock or Steyn.

Armstrong's XI 1st Innings: 608/8 dec.
(Hayden 205, Hassett 135, Botham 5-158, Warne 3-200)
Worrell's XI 1st Innings: 375 all out
(Ranjitsinjhi 145, Amla 94, Armstrong 3-66, Mailey 3-99)
Armstrong's XI 2nd Innings: 168/7 dec.
(Dempster 49, Chappell 60, Muralitharan 4-40, Worrall 2-20)
Worrell's XI 2nd Innings: 157 all out
(Bardsley 60, Botham 39, Mailey 7-70, Adcock 2-28)

Man of the Match: Arthur Mailey
Armstrong's XI won by 244 runs
Armstrong's XI lead the 6 Test series 2-1


FOURTH TEST, Newlands Cricket Ground: 'The Greatest Eighty'.

As the sun hung low in the sky at 6pm on the 5th Day of the 4th Test the bruised and bleeding HB Cameron had completed one of the most stubborn pieces of resistance not seen on a cricket field for many years. The match had previously been set up beautifully when Worrell had asked Armstrong to bat on a humid and overcast morning on the opening Day. Tyson clearly enjoyed the conditions and had most of Armstrong's batsman back into the pavilion by the tea interval. Only Chappell looked likely to score runs, and indeed his 98 not out would prove invaluable. When Miller performed the coup de grace on the unfortunate tail he unwisely hit Adcock in the ribcage with a short delivery. Seeking revenge, Adcock repeated the same treatment against Fredericks and Bardsley who were both caught at short-leg. At the close of play Adcock had claimed 4 wickets, and Worrell's team were a hapless 45/5.

Shane Warne scored a quick-fire half-century with more than a measure of luck the next morning, but the next two rain effected days belonged to Armstrong's team as they resisted the Tyson led attack. When Hassett was the last batsman out the target on the last day was an unlikely 396 runs. Armstrong's fast bowlers were clearly now in the box seat and intended to seize the advantage on what turned out to be a hot summers day. As the dampened pitch dried it became treacherous, and three batsman were caught off their gloves by close-in fielders. By the time Cameron strode to the wicket shortly after lunch the score sat at a precarious 90/6. When Amla was caught in the gully during the last over before tea it was expected that the last three batsman would fall quickly, but this wasn't to be. Warne and Tyson fought bravely as Cameron expertly farmed the strike. During the last hour of play Cameron was hit twice on the side of his helmet by Hadlee, before Adcock removed two of his back teeth with a bouncer that he never saw. Eventually it was Muralitharan who partnered his keeper during the last critical and exciting overs of the match. When Cameron steared the last ball of the day safely into the covers he gave a punch in the air with triumph. This seesawing series was still very much alive with two Tests still to play.

Armstrong's XI 1st Innings: 236 all out
(Chappell 98*, Healy 42, Tyson 6-62, Miller 3-33)
Worrell's XI 1st Innings: 180 all out
(Bardsley 61, Warne 50, Adcock 6-58, Steyn 2-20)
Armstrong's XI 2nd Innings: 340 all out
(Harvey 74, Hassett 102, Tyson 4-90, Botham 3-86)
Worrell's XI 2nd Innings: 239/9
(Amla 63, Cameron 88*, Adcock 5-78, Steyn 2-30)

Man of the Match: Neil Adcock & HB Cameron
Test Match drawn
Armstrong's XI lead the 6 Test series 2-1
 
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Saint Kopite

Saint Kopite

First Class Debutant
Ok.

1. The Melbourne Cricket Ground - Watson.
2. Ranasinghe Premadasa Stadium - Pothas.
3. Eden Gardens - Pothas.
4. Newlands Cricket Ground - Watson.
5. Kennington Oval - Draw.

6. Lords - ?

Till fifth test, its almost even. So, it comes down to the sixth test. Who would win?

Pothas' bowling line-up is brilliant and like I have said, its the best in the whole draft. But his top order isn't really as good as the rest of the team. Watson's batting line-up is ace but few of his important batsmen don't have that good record in England. It comes to down to the fact who can exploit more weakness in the other's team. Still need to think over this one. Will cast my vote tomorrow. Good luck to both Pothas and Watson.
 
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