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All Batsmen v All Bowlers

All Batsmen v All Bowlers

  • Batsmen

    Votes: 9 64.3%
  • Bowlers

    Votes: 5 35.7%

  • Total voters
    14

smash84

The Tiger King
The better the pitches are for bowling, the more likely that the batsmen would be able to take 20 wickets imo.

On a flat pitch it'd just be a draw probably.
I find it difficult to imagine that the likes of Matthew Hayden or Sunil Gavaskar would be making bowlers hop around on a green top
 

Hurricane

Hall of Fame Member
As per the ICC Test Rankings

Best XI Bats


D Warner
H Amla
K Sangakkara
Y Khan
AB de Villiers (2)
S Smith (3)
A Mathews (1)
K Williamson (4)
J Root
V Kohli
M-ul-Haq

Best XI Bowlers

M Johnson
R Harris
V Philander
S Broad
T Southee
T Boult
J Anderson
D Steyn
M Morkel
R Herath
S Ajmal

This one is a bit closer but I honestly can't see the bowlers blasting a batting lineup that deep out for less than 350. I don't think the bowlers could make that much, even against that woeful attack.
Those bowlers would score 400+ runs against that attack.
Most of those bowlers have fluked a 50 against test attacks
 

Howe_zat

Audio File
It'd be much closer in Tests as the batsmen don't have the pressure of getting through the overs to assist them in taking wickets. But I still think the bowlers would struggle as they're not getting anything out of having 5 bowlers in the top 5 whereas the team with the neverending top order would get a huge advantage while batting.

Also, while the bowlers may have fluked a few 50s in internationals over the course of their career it's simply not part of their skills to be able to build an innings. The innings where the batsmen bowl and the bowlers bat is effectively a park cricket game, and at a lower standard, hundreds are rare and **** gets wickets.
 
Last edited:

G.I.Joe

International Coach
As pointed out this isn't a very apt comparison.
Okay, in reference to your post that I quoted, please name those all truly inept bowlers who have stuck it out with batsmen? Should be easy to do so since you claim it's so common.
 

Athlai

Not Terrible
It'd be much closer in Tests as the batsmen don't have the pressure of getting through the overs to assist them in taking wickets. But I still think the bowlers would struggle as they're not getting anything out of having 5 bowlers in the top 5 whereas the team with the neverending top order would get a huge advantage while batting.

Also, while the bowlers may have fluked a few 50s in internationals over the course of their career it's simply not part of their skills to be able to build an innings. The innings where the batsmen bowl and the bowlers bat is effectively a park cricket game, and at a lower standard, hundreds are rare and **** gets wickets.
If There were a few more all rounders I'd back the bowlers. Having 3 players you can sort of back to structure an innings just isn't enough. Sure the bowlers could have a good day but they're far less reliable than the bats, who have friggin Misbah at 11.
 

wellAlbidarned

International Coach
You guys are seriously underrating the ability of bowlers to pump sub-standard part timers. There's a reason most number 11s batted 5 for their club.
 

Athlai

Not Terrible
You guys are seriously underrating the ability of bowlers to pump sub-standard part timers. There's a reason most number 11s batted 5 for their club.
By the same logic a fair few of the bats would bowl a hell of a lot more at club level. Mathews is a better opening bowler than Johnson and Harris are opening bats.
 

Hurricane

Hall of Fame Member
You guys are seriously underrating the ability of bowlers to pump sub-standard part timers. There's a reason most number 11s batted 5 for their club.
Trent boult would open the batting for my team and we are an average lower grade side.
I heard stories about tuffey destroying club attacks
 

Hurricane

Hall of Fame Member
Also props to athlai the line ups he posted were the only ones which brought the spirit of the thread to life everyone else's lineups were stacked with all rounders
 

Athlai

Not Terrible
Also props to athlai the line ups he posted were the only ones which brought the spirit of the thread to life everyone else's lineups were stacked with all rounders
TBF I only listed the current ICC rankings in a slightly altered batting order.
 

Hurricane

Hall of Fame Member
By the same logic a fair few of the bats would bowl a hell of a lot more at club level. Mathews is a better opening bowler than Johnson and Harris are opening bats.
The bowlers would be smart though. It would be a case of let Mathews bowl maidens and tuck into ab Kohli and the other trundlers
 

cnerd123

likes this
Trying to think of batsmen who have been legit **** with the ball and bowlers who have been legit **** with the bat.

Matt Hayden (zero international wickets)
David Boon (zero)
Justin Langer (zero)
Richie Richardson (one)
Sunny Gavaskar (two)
Gordon Greenidge (one)
Hashim Amla (zero)


Glenn McGrath (test fifty but really...)
Chris Martin
Courtney Walsh
Phil Tufnell
Devon Malcolm
Makhaya Ntini
Chandresehker
Steve Harmison
This is closer to what we should be looking at tbh. We'd have one innings that was hilariously awful, followed by one which would be brilliant to watch.

Need to find a good bowler/captain or keeper/captain who couldn't score runs. And there should be a lot of class keeper/bats out there who can't bowl (Ian Healy?)
 

cnerd123

likes this
If someone could hit statsguru and compile a list of most international appearances without a wicket or score above 50, we'd be able to make 2 pretty decent sides.
 

Athlai

Not Terrible
The bowlers would be smart though. It would be a case of let Mathews bowl maidens and tuck into ab Kohli and the other trundlers
Na, I still can't see 5 down averaging more than 35 against the batsman attack. Whereas you'd say against an attack this good the batsman would average somewhere closer to 40 almost all the way down.

The Test batting XI is definitely a batsman who can bowl short though. If they had one more I don't think the bowlers would ever take a game off them.
 

Athlai

Not Terrible
If someone could hit statsguru and compile a list of most international appearances without a wicket or score above 50, we'd be able to make 2 pretty decent sides.
Alas things that are too difficult to do on a tablet. This used to be my jam.
 

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