The ATG World XI's game

[morgieb]

Chandrasekhar
Asif.

I reckon Prior and Gregory are good enough to bat 6 & 7.

 

[watson]

I also like this game featuring Woolley - Kent V Gloucestshire, 1937.

Gloucestire set Kent 218 runs to win in only 71 remaining minutes. Kent were given no hope.

Woolley, a then sprightly 50 year old, opened the batting and hit 44 runs in less than 2 overs.

Lesley Ames followed with 70 runs in only 38 minutes. Kent won the game with 19 minutes to spare!

Kent v Gloucestershire at Dover, 18-20 Aug 1937

 

[weldone]

1. Mohammad Azharuddin
2. Makhaya Ntini

 

[Dan]

Brian McMillan
Bhajwath Chandrasekhar

 

[Flametree]

I'm persuaded...

Woolley
Philander

 

[Noble One]

Mushtaq Mohammad - Stronger batsman available, however Mohammad gains extra credit as an ATG part-time bowler.

Stuart MacGill - This team needs some edge. Lock keeping things tight at one end with one the most attacking spinners of all time down the other. Strong combination.

 

[Jager]

Mushtaq Mohammad
Subhash Gupte

 

[weldone]

Here are some Warne-destruction and some Murali-destruction from Mohammad Azharuddin, who is easily among the 4 best batsmen against spin bowling that I have witnessed:
HowSTAT! Match Scorecard
HowSTAT! Match Scorecard
HowSTAT! Match Scorecard
HowSTAT! Match Scorecard
HowSTAT! Match Scorecard
HowSTAT! Match Scorecard

Incidentally, Muttiah Muralitharan, after his retirement, named Mohammad Azharuddin the 2nd best batsman he has bowled to (right after Brian Lara, and just ahead of Sachin Tendulkar)!

He was not as good against pace (was better than decent) - but had quite a few remarkable centuries in England, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand too, the 192 scored against Richard Hadlee at Eden Park and the 115 off 110 deliveries in Newlands against Donald and Pollock being the most prominent ones...

 

[Jager]

Here are some Warne-destruction and some Murali-destruction from Mohammad Azharuddin, who is easily among the 4 best batsmen against spin bowling that I have witnessed

Who are the other 3? Lara, Tendulkar and someone else, I am assuming.

 

[NUFAN]

I loved Azhar! Loved his brilliant 50 to 100 conversion rate. I wouldn't have batted an eyelid if he was named in the World J XI. Surprising he's not yet named.

 

[weldone]

Who are the other 3? Lara, Tendulkar and someone else, I am assuming.

Javed Miandad

 

[kyear2]

Azharuddin
Ntini

 

[watson]

I guess Azharuddin's only blemish is his record against the West Indies;

Average = 28.36 (28 Tests, no centuries)

Average in West Indies = 19.55 (8 Tests)

But since most of his career was 80s-90s these figures are not overly surprising.

 

[Jager]

I was just messing around and went through the lists and chose who I thought should captain the sides.

World XI (1) D Bradman
World A XI (2) S Gavaskar
World B XI (3) A Border
World C XI (4) S Waugh
World D XI (5) F Worrell
World E XI (6) J Miandad
World F XI (7) B Simpson
World G XI (8) H Mohammad
World H XI (9) G Smith
World I XI (10) P May
World J XI (11) I Chappell
World K XI (12) B Woodfull
World L XI (13) L Hassett
World M XI (14) S Jackson
World N XI (15) M Clarke
World O XI (16) D Jardine

Should we vote on it? Most of the time there was only one standout option, so I doubt there will be much change, but it's obviously not my call.

 

[weldone]

I guess Azharuddin's only blemish is his record against the West Indies;

Average = 28.36 (28 Tests, no centuries)

Average in West Indies = 19.55 (8 Tests)

But since most of his career was 80s-90s these figures are not overly surprising.

Yes (though that's not 28 tests, but 28 innings).

He was not the best batsman against pace bowling (was more than decent against decent pace bowling though). Playing Ambrose, Marshall, Walsh and Bishop in West Indies isn't something he was best at.

 

[Jacknife]

Frank Woolley

Sylvester Clarke

 

[watson]

Yes (though that's not 28 tests, but 28 innings).

He was not the best batsman against pace bowling (was more than decent against decent pace bowling though). Playing Ambrose, Marshall, Walsh and Bishop in West Indies isn't something he was best at.

Whoops. My bad.

 

[kingkallis]

Azhar
Ntini

 

[NUFAN]

Results are in..

Woolley 4
McKenzie 1
Sylvers Clarke 2
Reid 1
Daniel 1
Chandrasekhar 2
Asif 1
Azharuddin 3
Ntini 3
McMillan 1
Philander 1
Mohammad 2
MacGill 1
Gupte 1

I rate Azhar above Ntini, but for team balance it was a no brainer. Did Woolley mainly bowl medium pace or his spin?


World P XI
1. Glenn Turner
2. Michael Slater
3. Maurice Leyland
4. Herbie Taylor
5. Michael Hussey
6. Frank Woolley
7. Matt Prior
8. Jack Gregory
9. Tony Lock
10. Makhaya Ntini
11. Bruce Reid

rvd, are you keen to do the World Q and R teams?

 

[watson]

Did Woolley mainly bowl medium pace or his spin?

Frank Woolley, born and bred in Tonbridge, also learnt his cricket at the Tonbridge Nursery. He brought grace and colour to Kentish cricket throughout his career from 1906 to 1938. He made 145 hundreds and scored 58,961 runs and bowled very effective slow left-arm. He played 64 times for England. But the quality that endeared him to crowds over the years was the grace and majesty of his left-handed batting. Neville Cardus wrote: ‘No other cricketer served the meadow game as happily and faithfully as Woolley’.

Tonbridge Cricketers

It's difficult to find any definitive descriptions of his bowling; but I would hazard a guess and say he bowled more slow left arm orthodox than medium pace.