Line and Length
Cricketer Of The Year
honestbharani - Line & Length - Coronis up next.
I don't think so. Mr Mister indicated in his introduction that we could pick from 11 different decades with at least 8 from different decades. I assumed, as did others, that those decades extended from the 1910s to the 2010s.Wait we can pick from the 1800s?
Over the years most of my drafts have been related to either batting averages, countries or years. With quite a lot of batting average related drafts operating at the moment I thought I'd combine 2 old ideas.
Having 11 different test countries and 11 different decades represented I think would be a little too hard so I'll have mercy.
Your XI simply needs to have players represented from at least 8 different test nations and 8 different decades for test debut. For those 3 spare spots you can pick whoever - however you can't have a particular country or decade represented more than twice.
Aiming for 10-12 players
No Bradman
West Indies counts as one country for the sake of this draft
This and I'm surprised people thought otherwise?No mention of the early decades being off limits so pretty sure 1800s are fine.
Likewise, have a few picks late on I am considering in that pre-1900 time period although now it turns out that at least 2, potentially more, players weren't picking them because they didn't think they were eligible I can look forward to them all going one by oneI think because trundlers draft was post WW1 maybe people thought this was but nope you can pick from any decade in this draft. Id just assumed nobody was that interested in pre 1900 players(thats why i hadn't grabbed one yet)
Personally would be willing to go a bit further back but there is a bit of a hmmm I do go through with players from very early cricketing generations. Would still think of Spofforth and Lohmann as good picks if rating a team but despite their records would never personally put them over a more modern player who has excelled to a great degree like a Marshall/Steyn etc. Have a list of 366 players of pretty much I'll only go for those players in drafts like this, only 22 of those in the 1800s - those 2 you mentioned being 2 of those 22. Realistically I'd be surprised if I have more then 2 or 3 players with debuts before the 1940s in my final XI. With the game being so different then both in terms of quality as well as averages seeming bowler friendly think perspectives of players from late 1800s/early 1900s are likely to vary more widely too amongst fellow drafters - not only the typical biases/different priorities in rating players but they have generally performed in only 2/3 countries and to a lower standard although I guess its a bit like Pele in football - some would have him no doubt the greatest ever I've seen others say he was good but vastly overhyped I'm somewhere in between.Late 1890s is about as far as i ever go in drafts. Id definitely want Hall over Lohmann, Lohmann and Spofforths 110kmph 'pace' off 4 steps or whatever has always made me skeptical of them. Have never picked either in probably over 50 drafts I've played