Modern Australian XI (dayboo post Border's debut) Border- Clarke

[NUFAN]

Taylor
Hayden
Ponting
Hussey
Waugh S
Martyn
Gilchrist *
Harris
Warne
Gillespie
McGrath

Second xi of Slater, Langer, Boon, Waugh M, Clarke, Smith, Healy, Johnson, McDermott, Clark S, MacGill is still pretty fine...

Third XI is just about where I like to takeover.

1. Warner 2. Katich 3. Wessels 4. Jones 5. Lehmann 6. Symonds 7 Haddin 8. Lee 9. Hughes 10. Lyon 11. Alderman

 

[OverratedSanity]

Martyn in a third XI is blasphemy

 

[NUFAN]

Martyn in a third XI is blasphemy

Yeah WTF. No idea how I didn't see him in the first XI. Moved Boof up a spot and I guess Symonds at 6. The next keeper is very tricky..

 

[harsh.ag]

Lee ahead of Reid?

 

[NUFAN]

Lee ahead of Reid?

I didn't think it was realistic picking Lyon Alderman Reid from 9 to 11.

 

[The Sean]

Leaving Border out of the side (as it’s a post-Border lineup), as far as I’m concerned Hayden, Ponting, Clarke, S Waugh, Gilchrist, Warne and McGrath pick themselves. That leaves four spots – an opener to partner Hayden, the final middle-order position, and the other two bowlers.

It’s tight between Taylor and Langer for the second openers spot – Warner isn’t there yet (and I’m not sure ever will be) and as much as I loved Slats he’s a notch below. Langer had the slightly better Test record and of course formed a magnificent partnership with Haydos, while Taylor scored some very difficult runs against great attacks, was a champion slipper and an outstanding captain. I’ve gone with Tubby, just.

The final middle-order slot came down to Hussey and Mark Waugh. Boon and Martyn came into consideration, Deano might have had things gone a little differently, and I expect Smith to be thereabouts sooner rather than later (if he isn’t already). But I’ve given the nod to Hussey in the end.

Finally, one of the two bowling spots has to go to Harris because I bloody love the bloke. The last place could have gone to McDermott, or Hughes, or Reid, or Gillespie, or Lee. But with the control of McGrath and Harris I reckon we can afford sheer pace and hostility (not to mention some explosive late-order hitting) so Mitchell Johnson makes the team.

Mark Taylor*
Matthew Hayden
Ricky Ponting
Michael Clarke
Steve Waugh
Michael Hussey
Adam Gilchrist+
Mitchell Johnson
Shane Warne
Ryan Harris
Glenn McGrath

 

[Zinzan]

Leaving Border out of the side (as it’s a post-Border lineup), as far as I’m concerned Hayden, Ponting, Clarke, S Waugh, Gilchrist, Warne and McGrath pick themselves. That leaves four spots – an opener to partner Hayden, the final middle-order position, and the other two bowlers.

It’s tight between Taylor and Langer for the second openers spot – Warner isn’t there yet (and I’m not sure ever will be) and as much as I loved Slats he’s a notch below. Langer had the slightly better Test record and of course formed a magnificent partnership with Haydos, while Taylor scored some very difficult runs against great attacks, was a champion slipper and an outstanding captain. I’ve gone with Tubby, just.

The final middle-order slot came down to Hussey and Mark Waugh. Boon and Martyn came into consideration, Deano might have had things gone a little differently, and I expect Smith to be thereabouts sooner rather than later (if he isn’t already). But I’ve given the nod to Hussey in the end.

Finally, one of the two bowling spots has to go to Harris because I bloody love the bloke. The last place could have gone to McDermott, or Hughes, or Reid, or Gillespie, or Lee. But with the control of McGrath and Harris I reckon we can afford sheer pace and hostility (not to mention some explosive late-order hitting) so Mitchell Johnson makes the team.

Mark Taylor*
Matthew Hayden
Ricky Ponting
Michael Clarke
Steve Waugh
Michael Hussey
Adam Gilchrist+
Shane Warne
Mitchell Johnson
Ryan Harris
Glenn McGrath

Fine side. The only position I'd challenge you on would be Gillespie or the almost forgotten about Stuart Clark instead of Johnson.

 

[The Sean]

Fine side. The only position I'd challenge you on would be Gillespie or the almost forgotten about Stuart Clark instead of Johnson.

Fair call. I think Gillespie was probably a better all-round bowler than Johnson and in other teams under other circumstances he would be a better fit for sure. I think this side is good enough to accommodate a Mitch though. I'd overlooked Stu Clark and shouldn't have - he was a bloody fine bowler - though he's still be just short of this team.

 

[Zinzan]

Fair call. I think Gillespie was probably a better all-round bowler than Johnson and in other teams under other circumstances he would be a better fit for sure. I think this side is good enough to accommodate a Mitch though. I'd overlooked Stu Clark and shouldn't have - he was a bloody fine bowler - though he's still be just short of this team.

Fair enough. If we're assuming Steve Waugh was at his best with the ball, he could help get through some overs if Johnson's having a bad day.

 

[The Sean]

Fair enough. If we're assuming Steve Waugh was at his best with the ball, he could help get through some overs if Johnson's having a bad day.

Yeah, Waugh is the nominal fifth bowler in that team. Although if the track is a turner and we need someone to take a lazy 6-for-nothing then Pup can take over.

 

[NUFAN]

The main thing that The Sean should change IMO is switching Warne and Johnson around. Fine XI chosen overall though.

 

[The Sean]

The main thing that The Sean should change IMO is switching Warne and Johnson around. Fine XI chosen overall though.

Why would you want Warne batting ahead of Johnson?

 

[Coronis]

Mark Taylor*
Matthew Hayden
Ricky Ponting
Michael Clarke
Steve Waugh
Michael Hussey
Adam Gilchrist+
Mitchell Johnson
Shane Warne
Ryan Harris
Glenn McGrath

Take my team why don't ya? Except maybe a batting lineup change and Waugh as captain.

 

[a spambot]

Clarke is a terrible number 4. 5/6 or not in the team imo.

 

[Victor Ian]

I like reading these best team threads. I don't participate much as I don't rate my cricket knowledge, but from what I watched....

Boon - Batted at the worst time for Australian cricket and survived. Blossomed into an awesome batsman. I put him ahead of Hayden as Hayden only played in easy years. Hayden failed when the mighty bowlers were still being mighty.
Taylor - Taylor was awesome before he got older. As others have said, his slips fielding and captaincy takes him past Langer, Hayden and Slater. I really liked Slater, but Boonie has taken his spot.
Ponting - I think Ponting is universal #3 post Border. Until he had a kid, he was amazing.
M Waugh. I don't rate Clarke so much, perhaps because of his injury issues. He batted in easy times. I felt Mark was better. If Junior cared, he could have been the best of all. He just didn't need to. What he did do was bat to the conditions and perhaps lose his wicket here and there when it just didn't matter.
Hussey. I'm not sure about Hussey. He was amazing early, but then became not amazing. Almost gave it to Clarke.
S Waugh. Throughout the great period of Australia's team, Waugh was the immovable object that would resurrect the occasional early failures. He seemed to bat amazingly with the tail. I'd pointlessly imagine him batting with Mitch, but Mitch is not in my team.
Gilchrist. He is just in. I did not notice him being any worse than Healy as a keep except at the end of his career. Otherwise, I thought he was as good a keeper coupled with an amazing batsman.
Warne. How not?
McDermott. Most people have left him out, but I grew up watching Australia be unable to bowl anyone out. Then along came McDermot and things started to change. By the end, I thought he was a great bowler. I didn't pick Rhino because he has fitness issues.
Gillespie. I've gotten tired of writing things. Just Gillespie OK.
McGrath. Like Warnie.

I don't have

I just had a thought of a good All time thread, but do not know the actuals to start it by posting the first tentative team. Ahh, stuff it, I'll go post and be ridiculed.

 

[Camo999]

Surprised how prominent Harris and S Clark have been in this thread. For me, they spent much more time as fringe shield players than they did test players. Sure they performed brilliantly and had great records when they did play but they were nowhere near the test team for most of their careers and that has to count against them. In reality they only played the equivalent of a couple of seasons and the likes of Gillespie, McDermott, Hughes, Alderman and even Lee all had great seasons in their careers equal to anything Clark and Harris did in my opinion.

I'd definitely find room for Boon in there somewhere. He was the best batsman for several seasons in a team containing the likes of Border, Waugh, Taylor, Jones etc. not to mention how good he was at short leg.

My team would be something like:

Hayden
Boon
Ponting
M Waugh 6
*Clarke
S Waugh 5
+Gilchrist
Johnson 3
Warne 4
McDermott 2
McGrath 1

 

[TheJediBrah]

Mark Taylor*
Matthew Hayden
Ricky Ponting
Michael Clarke
Steve Waugh
Michael Hussey
Adam Gilchrist+
Mitchell Johnson
Shane Warne
Ryan Harris
Glenn McGrath

This is pretty much the team you'd have to go with. Langer instead of Taylor for mine though.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Billy the Kid could celebrate with a good Merc Hughes Kiss or dry root or a dance down the pitch