• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

All-Time New Zealand XIs - A re-run

Zinzan

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Dempster
Taylor
Cowie
Watling (wk)

Could have selected Sutcliffe over Dempster & McCullum over Watling on another day, both razor thin margins for me.
 

Zinzan

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Dempster
Donnelly (sorry Rosco)
Cowie
Watling
Can sympathise with your Donnelly over Taylor pick although I still took the latter's proven Test record ahead of Donnelly potential one, but there is no doubt very few on this forum know just how good he was.

Great Wisden article on him below & this excerpt which reminded me what an incredible all-round sportsman he was;

Donnelly, born on October 17, 1917, began his cricket at a very early age on the home lawn with two elder brothers and his father, who was a good club player. At thirteen he went to the New Plymouth High School. Here he showed almost equal skill at cricket and lawn tennis, and at one time it was doubtful which of these two games would take first place in his ambition. He also captained the Rugby football team, and was later to show such versatility that he played outside-half for Oxford University and centre-threequarter for England. In his last year at school he played for Taranaki against E. R. T. Holmes’s visiting cricketers from England, and helped to save the game with an innings of 49.

https://www.wisden.com/wisden-crick...glitter-martin-donnelly-a-master-of-technique
 
Last edited:

Fuller Pilch

Hall of Fame Member
Can sympathise with your Donnelly over Taylor pick although I still took the latter's proven Test record ahead of Donnelly potential one, but there is no doubt very few on this forum know just how good he was.

Great Wisden article on him below & this excerpt which reminded me what an incredible all-round sportsman he was;

Donnelly, born on October 17, 1917, began his cricket at a very early age on the home lawn with two elder brothers and his father, who was a good club player. At thirteen he went to the New Plymouth High School. Here he showed almost equal skill at cricket and lawn tennis, and at one time it was doubtful which of these two games would take first place in his ambition. He also captained the Rugby football team, and was later to show such versatility that he played outside-half for Oxford University and centre-threequarter for England. In his last year at school he played for Taranaki against E. R. T. Holmes’s visiting cricketers from England, and helped to save the game with an innings of 49.

https://www.wisden.com/wisden-crick...glitter-martin-donnelly-a-master-of-technique
Yeah he was rated by Neville Cardus in 1960 as the greatest visiting lefthander to England since WW2 (so I assume ahead of the likes of Neil Harvey, Arthur Morris and a very young Sobers) and CB Fry said he was as good a lefthander as he'd seen including Clem Hill and Frank Woolley.
 
Last edited:

Bahnz

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Wright
Donnelly
Cowie
Watling

Wright imo is tremendously underrated. A player who just kept getting better and better. His post 85 achievements (3000+ runs at 45) are unmatched by any NZ opener save Turner over an equivalent period. And very strong records v everyone he played (save Pakistan - against whom he only played 2 matches). Richardson runs him close, but he burnt out after 4 years.
 
Last edited:

The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
Is the general consensus on CW - particularly our NZ brothers - that Cowie outranks Bond, Boult, Wagner and anyone else not called Hadlee?
 

Top