The Best of Each Decade Birthday DRAFT

[watson]

I don't mean getting miffed about the voting thread to be the standout, Watson. I enjoyed the game.

 

[chasingthedon]

Dons vs Fertangs

Ran a sim of a 6-Test series between my team and Fred's, just for sh!ts and giggles, with older players averages adjusted accordingly.

First Test, Nottingham

Fred's Fretangs held on for a thrilling draw in gathering gloom at Nottingham earlier today, rain and sloppy fielding robbing Dave's Dons of what had seemed at lunch to be a certain win. Twice Trumper was put down, going on to a partnership of 119 with Donnelly which rescued Fertangs after the cavalier attitude of their top order had left them teetering on 38/4. Once Trumper finally fell to Verity, two more quick wickets had Fertangs, chasing a notional 360 to win, again in trouble at 159/7.

At that point Donnelly was joined by Wardle, the latter showing some surprising calm as he hit two early boundaries. The partnership had reached 28 when Verity this time sent back Donnelly, bringing out Garner with 45 minutes still to survive. With less than half an hour to go, Statham enticed an edge from the big West Indian, but skipper May put down a very difficult chance. Though Staham and Bedser beat the bat on a number of occasions thereafter, Wardle and Garner were able to see out the remainder of the day, ensuring a draw where all hope had seemed lost.

Dave's Dons 1st Innings 431 all out
(May 142*, Gregory 77, Garner 7-92, Wardle 2-91)
Fred's Fertangs 1st Innings 273 all out
(Trumper 79, Knott 33, Verity 5-79, Statham 3-72)
Dave's Dons 2nd Innings 201 for 5 dec.
(Faulkner 51, Hill 50, Larwood 4-60, McDonald 1-48)
Fred's Fertangs 2nd Innings 220 for 8
(Trumper 75, Donnelly 70, Verity 3-58, Statham 3-65)
Man of the Match: H Verity
Test Match Drawn
Series tied at 0-0.

Second Test, Lord's

This time there was no mistake, as the Don's won in a low-scoring encounter at the home of cricket. Batting again 15 runs behind, Fertangs' top order capitulated for the second consecutive Test, before Dexter and once again Donnelly righted the ship somewhat. Even so, a target of 184 did not look like causing any problems to the Dons' steady run-getters and so it proved.

Man of the match Bedser extracted the most menace from a good pitch, while in the Dons' first innings he added 24 entertaining runs when sent in as nightwatchman at the end of the first day. But it was Gilchrist, following an exhilarating 54 not out from 61 balls in the first innings, who fittingly struck the winning runs.

Fred's Fertangs 1st Innings 250 all out
(Sehwag 66, Lara 44, Bedser 5-73, Statham 2-50)
Dave's Dons 1st Innings 265 all out
(Gilchrist 54*, Gooch 50, Wardle 3-50, Larwood 3-72)
Fred's Fertangs 2nd Innings 199 all out
(Dexter 65, Donnelly 42, Statham 4-65, Gregory 3-40)
Dave's Dons 2nd Innings 185 for 6
(May 41, Gilchrist 37*, Larwood 2-38, McDonald 2-45)
Man of the Match: AV Bedser
Dave's Dons won by 4 wkts.
Dons lead the 6-Test series 1-0

Third Test, Manchester

The Dons took a commanding 2-0 series lead with an emphatic 326-run victory at Old Trafford. Set a massive 501 to win, Fertangs were skittled out for just 174, that total mainly thanks to a fine 78 from Brian Lara. For the third match in a row, the inability of Fertangs' top order to rein in their attacking proclivities proved decisive, as Bedser, Man of the Match for the second time in as many Tests, shone with 4/29. Ahead by 81 on first innings, Gooch and Sehwag poured salt in the wound with a great opening partnership of 208. When May fell just seven runs short of another captain's century, he was able to declare shortly after on 412/5, a lead of 500.

Of Fertangs' bowlers only Larwood had shown any degreee of potency, and of their batsmen only Lara got to grips with the Dons' pace attack. Fertangs now must win two of the three remaining Tests if they are to salvage anything from this series.

Dave's Dons 1st Innings 329 all out
(Faulkner 90, May 76, Larwood 5-100, Wardle 2-96)
Fred's Fertangs 1st Innings 241 all out
(Spooner 45, Trumper 43, Bedser 5-65, Statham 3-77)
Dave's Dons 2nd Innings 412 for 5 dec.
(Smith 114, Gooch 101, Garner 3-74, Larwood 1-89)
Fred's Fertangs 2nd Innings 174 all out
(Lara 78, Sehwag 29, Bedser 4-29, Statham 3-50)
Man of the Match: AV Bedser
Dave's Dons won by 326 runs.
Dons lead the 6-Test series 2-0

Fourth Test, Durham

A third successive match award for Alec Bedser's wasn't enough to prevent Fertangs breathing some life into their chances of sav the series with a vital win at a gloomy Chester-le-Street. After bad light delayed the start and forced an early break for lunch, pacemen Larwood and Garner devastated Dons' top order, sending them reeling to 30/5. Only Greig emerged with any credibility, scoring 39 and taking the total from 60/9 to a scarcely less respectable 92 all out. On a bowler's wicket, Bedser then once again proved dangerous for the Dons with 6/56, though Sehwag's scintillating 91 helped Fertangs to a first innings lead of 175.

When Smith and Hill failed once more the writing was on the wall for the Dons, so that when Garner cleaned up the tail Fertangs required just 66 to win, which they knocked off soon enough, despite losing five wickets in the process. Still, at 2-1 down with two to play it's remains an uphill struggle for Fertangs.

Dave's Dons 1st Innings 92 all out
(Greig 39, Garner 4-21, Larwood 3-30)
Fred's Fertangs 1st Innings 267 all out
(Sehwag 91, Trumper 49, Bedser 6-56, Statham 2-71)
Dave's Dons 2nd Innings 240 all out
(Gooch 58, Greig 40*, Garner 3-49, McDonald 3-49)
Fred's Fertangs 2nd Innings 68 for 5
(Trumper 24, Lara 23*, Bedser 3-27, Statham 2-39)
Man of the Match: AV Bedser
Fred's Fertangs won by 5 wkts.
Dons lead the 6-Test series 2-1

Fifth Test, Leeds

Harold Larwood picked up where he had left off at Durham, his dominating performance highlighting a hugely exciting encounter at Headingley. In another low-scoring match, Larwood's figures of 12/100 meant there could only be one choice for the match award; his seven second-innings wickets just managed to stave off a thrilling run-chase by the Dons as Fertangs ran out winners by 12 runs.

After a low total of 180 in their first innings, 'Tangs then had Larwood and especially Garner to thank for an unexpected 74-run lead, the latter removing Smith, nightwatchman Bedser and Hill with just 13 runs on the board, before a token rearguard from Greig and Verity added 49 runs for the last wicket. Fertangs could manage just 177 in their second innings, though based on the Dons' first innings performance a target of 252 looked beyond them.

And so it seemed as the Dons slumped to 23/4, Larwood ripping through Smith, Hill, May and Faulkner in short order. Gooch finally found a partner in Gilchrist, the pair adding 79 to take the Dons past 100, but when the latter fell, again to Larwood, followed shortly afterwards by Greig, things one more looked bleak. But then Gregory joined Gooch and the match turned; soon another hundered had been added to the score, such that the Dons were now on top at 226/6 with just 25 needed. But when Gooch was outfoxed by Wardle, Gregory could not find anyone to stick around long enough for him to score the winning runs, being left stranded on 63 not out with the Dons just 13 runs short. The series was now mouthwateringly poised at 2-2 with one to play.

Fred's Fertangs 1st Innings 180 all out
(Dexter 66, Trumper 36, Gregory 3-30, Statham 3-50)
Dave's Dons 1st Innings 106 all out
(Greig 33*, Verity 26, Larwood 5-40, Garner 4-28)
Fred's Fertangs 2nd Innings 177 all out
(Spooner 46, Dexter 35, Gregory 3-34, Bedser 3-41)
Dave's Dons 2nd Innings 239 all out
(Gooch 98, Gregory 63*, Larwood 7-60, Wardle 2-64)
Man of the Match: H Larwood
Fred's Fertangs won by 12 runs.
6-Test series tied at 2-2

Sixth Test, The Oval

In 1936-37 Don Bradman led Australia to an unprecedented 3-2 win over England, having come back from 2-0 down; earlier today, that feat was amazingly repeated by Ted Dexter's men at The Oval. Larwood finished as the series' leading wicket-taker with 40 at a shade over 20 apiece, however it was Man of the Match Brian Lara's glorious fist-innings ton which proved the difference in this match. Having labored to just one fifty in ten previous innings, Lara proved once again to be the man for the occasion and it was he who struck the winning boundary.

Having won the toss, May had no hesitation in batting on a glorious sunny day. However, only Hill was able to prosper, scoring 112 of the total of 241 as the last six wickets fell for just 18 runs, Garner once more gobbling up the tail. After Fertangs lost their first two wickets for just one run, it looked as if once again the top order would throw away their wickets unnecessarily. But then Lara took command, matching Hill's score exactly, however where Hill's had been necessarily watchful, Lara's was glorious, coming off only 129 balls. Once he and Trumper had added 187, Fertangs never looked back on their way to a second innings 353.

Larwood once more proved irrestible as the Dons batted again, the deficit not being overcome until six wickets had fallen, four of them to Larwood. Once more Greig proved to be most up to the task, his 62 allowing the Dons to reach 213, but a target of 102 was never going to be enough, Fertangs knocking them off with just two wickets down, in an atmospehere of beaming disbelief among their fans. When Lara struck a four through midwicket to win the match and with it the series, the roar with greeted it could be heard as far away as Durham.

Dave's Dons 1st Innings 241 all out
(Hill 112, Gilchrist 47, Garner 5-48, McDonald 2-47)
Fred's Fertangs 1st Innings 353 all out
(Lara 112, Trumper 73, Bedser 4-103, Gregory 2-46)
Dave's Dons 2nd Innings 213 all out
(Greig 62, Hill 48, Larwood 5-49, McDonald 2-37)
Fred's Fertangs 2nd Innings 102 for 2
(Sehwag 55*, Lara 25*, Bedser 1-37, Statham 1-41)
Man of the Match: BC Lara
Fred's Fertangs won by 8 wkts.
Fertangs won the 6-Test series 3-2

 

[fredfertang]

A mere like somehow seems inadequate for such a splendid body of work and, for its objective support for my case as to the identity of the greatest fast bowler of them all

 

[chasingthedon]

Bedser seemingly not far behind.

 

[watson]

I have a couple of mock history books on my shelf where famous historians take real history and change it. For example, the brilliant James McPherson contemplates what would have happened to the US political landscape had Robert E. Lee won a decisive victory during the Gettysburg campaign in 1862. John Keagan describes a German campaign in 1941 that invades Russia via North Africa, Turkey, and then the soft underbelly of the Caususes. Eastern Europe is merely held in a defensive line.

So I love your counter-factual Test match series CTD. Will have a proper read when I finish work.

 

[chasingthedon]

So I love your counter-factual Test match series CTD.

So you think my team should have won then?

 

[fredfertang]

So you think my team should have won then?

Nah - Watson is nobody's fool

 

[watson]

So you think my team should have won then?

I wasn't really making a judgement on whether the outcome of your Test match series was correct or not, but rather I was referring to a branch of philosophy called 'Counterfactual Thinking' that I find facinating. By creating a fake Test series, you had indulged in a WHAT IF? or WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN? thought experiment, and consequently made a decision on the outcome given the facts you happen to know about the various players. I reckon that's pretty cool no matter who won or lost.

The Functional Theory of Counterfactual Thinking

......Who among us has never wondered about what might have been had some past choice been different? With perhaps a little more effort, you might have been an athlete, a doctor, maybe even a rock star. Who among us has never regretted choices made and actions taken? Maybe you should have studied harder in school, traveled more when you had the chance, or had the salmon for lunch instead of the pasta. And who has never pondered a lost love and imagined how passionate it might have been? Thinking about what might have been, about alternatives to our own pasts, is central to human thinking and emotion. Such thoughts are called counterfactual thoughts.

Counterfactual thoughts are mental representations of alternatives to past events, actions, or states (Byrne, 2005; Roese, 1997). They are epitomized by the phrase “what might have been,” which implicates a juxtaposition of an imagined versus factual state of affairs. The term counterfactual derives from philosophical writings in which the logical status of possibility and probabilistic reasoning were closely scrutinized (e.g., Chisholm, 1946; Evans & Over, 2004; Goodman, 1947; Kvart, 1986; Lewis, 1973; Vaihinger, 1965). For example, to say that a basketball team “almost” won a game is to specify a counterfactual outcome with a particular (although not necessarily exact) level of probability. In everyday life, an individual’s counterfactual musings often take the form of a conditional proposition, in which the antecedent corresponds to an action and the consequent corresponds to an outcome (e.g., “If only I had studied, I would have passed the exam”). Crucially, counterfactual thoughts are often evaluative, specifying alternatives that are in some tangible way better or worse than actuality. Better alternatives are termed upward counterfactuals; worse alternatives are termed downward counterfactuals (Markman, Gavanski, Sherman, & McMullen, 1993; Roese, 1994).

The Functional Theory of Counterfactual Thinking

 

[chasingthedon]

No, I know, I think I have one of the books you mention actually.

And Martin, gutted you chose Durham to launch your comeback.