‘Test Cricket Draft’ Voting Round One - Group 1

[Ian Sea]

 

Yes but my point was that when he does get runs they are almost entirely irrelevant. When you come in at 380/5 and hit 80* against defeated bowlers' date=' then declare, and the game meanders on into a tame draw on a road, how have you actually contributed to the side at all?

 

Whenever that side is actually going to need Dhoni to hit runs, he will score fuck all. He'll then compliment that by keeping shoddily.[/quote']

 

More often than not he'd be coming at scores around 380/5 with the top 5 I've got!

 

My middle order as a whole is strong, Flintoff, Dhoni, Warne and Lee can all score runs and as a collective I think they're more than adequete.

[Technique]

You do realise that we get to pick 2 players in about 20 goes so are therefore limited in who we can pick?

Criticising a person who can only pick players who they have to rather than who they want is really petty.

Criticise the teams by all means but dont criticise the people playing the game.

I am considering a big fat neg when i get to my computer.

 

Well quite, which is why I posted this;

 

I'm a pretty experienced drafter so the concept of a draft in general wasn't lost on me, but I usually go in drafts of 10-15 with the whole history of cricket to select from (not just since 1970) so the standards of the teams I'm used to seeing are usually a lot higher. Hard for me to adjust, as such.

 

As we were only given the first six teams over on CricketWeb, I originally thought that each lot of six teams actually had their own separate drafts. I soon figured that couldn't be right though and noticed someone else in that thread thought it was a twelve-man draft, so I was running with that when I made that original post. When I got here I realised it was in fact an 18-man draft though so I've tempered my thoughts somewhat.

 

And since that post all I've done is criticise Dhoni. I quite like criticising Dhoni and this seemed as good as medium as any. :P

[Technique]

More often than not he'd be coming at scores around 380/5 with the top 5 I've got!

 

My middle order as a whole is strong, Flintoff, Dhoni, Warne and Lee can all score runs and as a collective I think they're more than adequete.

 

Yeah; I do think you picked a pretty good team. I have doubts over the lower middle order as I've said, but it was really close between you/Red Banjo for my second vote, and if not for my admittedly biased aversion to voting for anything containing Dhoni you would've got it. If you'd picked Prior I'd have considered yourself for my first vote, tbh.

 

Looks like you're going to win comfortably anyway so I can suck eggs really. ;)

[Jairzinho]

Prior better than Dhoni?

 

Christ.

[Jairzinho]

LFD, is this lad any relation to Code?

[Guest LFD]

LFD, is this lad any relation to Code?

 

He is from that cricket forum I posted this on.

 

Nice to get some neutral opinions.

[Jairzinho]

He is from that cricket forum I posted this on.

 

Nice to get some neutral opinions.

 

How do we know this isn't Monty again?

[Guest LFD]

How do we know this isn't Monty again?

 

Unless Monty has 35,000 posts on that cricket forum, I think it is safe to say it isn't him!

 

He also voted for LF and Red Banjo.

[Technique]

Unless Monty has 35,000 posts on that cricket forum, I think it is safe to say it isn't him!

 

Not even I'm sad enough to actually have 35,000 posts on a cricket forum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I only have 34,000.

[Stu Monty]

I honestly don't get this issue with Hussey and Flower. Both are specialist openers. That I would back Hussey to open at test level, like he has done for most of his first class career, is hardly stretching reality. They both average over 50 and Flower opened for a totally shit Zimbabwe whilst getting those figures.

[Red Banjo]

This technique fella clearly knows his shit.

 

Shame the rest of you don't!

[Technique]

I honestly don't get this issue with Hussey and Flower. Both are specialist openers. That I would back Hussey to open at test level, like he has done for most of his first class career, is hardly stretching reality. They both average over 50 and Flower opened for a totally shit Zimbabwe whilst getting those figures.

 

It's true that Hussey opened the batting in the Sheffield Shield for most of his career before getting the call up to Test cricket.

 

However, it's also true that Hussey only averages 41 in the Sheffield Shield compared to a much healthier Test average over 50.

 

On top of that, it's also true that he has a much healthier average at 5/6 in Test cricket (54) than he does when he bats in the top 4 at that level (47). He opened in Test cricket on less than ten occasions so you've only got his Sheffield Shield stuff to go by really and frankly he wasn't that great as an opener there, which is why it took him so long to debut. His county cricket record is much better and funnily enough he spent a large portion of that in the middle order as well. The move down the order worked wonders for his career and I for one don't really think it's appropriate to suddenly tell him he's going to have to open the batting to face Malcolm Marshall etc in a theoretical competition like this.

 

Frankly though, Hussey is debatable. If you'd named a Hussey/Slater opening combination or something I'd have no huge problem with it because, as you said, he was actually an opener for most of his professional cricketing life. The real weird one is Flower.

 

Andy Flower is regarded as one of the finest players of spin bowling of all time, so to put him of all people up against the new ball seems a tad curious. He NEVER opened the batting for Zimbabwe in a Test match - in fact he rarely ever batted above number 5. In the 13 times he batted 3 or 4 in Test cricket he scored one half century and averaged less than 23. Are you sure you're not confusing him with his brother Grant, who was an opener?

Edited November 13, 2012 by Technique

[Guest LFD]

Ouch!

[Remmie]

Oh Monty, you just got burned!

 

Shitting myself about the hatchet job Technique will do on my team now!

[Guest LFD]

Oh Monty, you just got burned!

 

Shitting myself about the hatchet job Technique will do on my team now!

 

You'll be fine as you don't have Dhoni!

[Yozzer]

I'm not sure I like this Technique guy. He seems to know his shit when it comes to cricket which makes me feel slightly uncomfortable.

 

On the plus side I do have Prior in my team so maybe I can sway him with that.

[Technique]

I'm not sure I like this Technique guy. He seems to know his shit when it comes to cricket which makes me feel slightly uncomfortable.

 

On the plus side I do have Prior in my team so maybe I can sway him with that.

 

I do love me some Dire Matty Prior.

 

(Don't worry; the nickname is affectionate)

[Champ]

Oh, LFD, what have you done?

[Guest LFD]

Oh, LFD, what have you done?

 

Haha!

 

I suspect Red Banjo and LF like this guy.

 

We all raised the same point about Hussey. But the Flower point had gone totally unnoticed by all thus far and it is very valid - he was not an opener.

 

We want the best side to win, neutral posters like Technique should make that happen and not make it biased. I might change that opinion if he rips my team apart!

[Technique]

Oh Monty, you just got burned!

 

Shitting myself about the hatchet job Technique will do on my team now!

 

I've resisted the urge to have a peak at the Group 2 and Group 3 teams so far. I look forward to commenting on what I'm sure will be an expertly selected team from yourself.

[Yozzer]

He's got Bopara opening the batting.

[lifetime fan]

Plenty of time to create few accounts and bump up your votes!

 

 

Now that just wouldn't be cricket.

 

I'm pretty certain of my votes already but wanted to be fair to everyone and read their write ups properly before voting.

[Guest LFD]

I have decided if it is a tie for second place - for all groups, then both (or the amount tied) teams will go through into the next round as runners up.

 

If there is a tie with two teams with clearly more votes than other sides, then I'll do a draw to see who goes in which group (although that is unlikely).

[lifetime fan]

This technique guy knows his onions.

[Red Banjo]

Ooof. Monty got pwned

 

I knew Grant Flower was an opener, however i just assumed Andy was too seeing as Monty was so sure of his position.

 

Not that it matters, the best teams teams aint going thru anyway. Smiley face/winkey thing etc