Martin’s Blog

Roy Fredericks (59 tests, 4334 runs @ 42.49)
Jack Fingleton (18 tests 1189 @ 42.46)
Stephen Fleming (c) (106 tests, 6774 runs @ 39.61)
CB Fry (26 tests, 1223 runs @ 32.18)
‘Tip’ Foster (8 tests, 602 runs @ 46.30)
Andy Flower (wk) (63 tests, 4794 runs @ 51.54, 160 dismissals)
Aubrey Faulkner (25 tests, 1754 runs @ 40.79, 82 wickets @ 26.58)
Andrew Flintoff (67 tests, 3381 runs @ 32.50, 197 wickets @ 32.02)
Frank Foster (11 tests, 330 runs @ 23.57, 45 wickets @ 20.57)
Damien Fleming (20 tests, 305 runs @ 19.06, 75 wickets @ 25.89)
Fazal Mahmood (34 tests, 620 runs @ 14.09, 139 wickets @ 24.70)

Notes:

• Other players to consider include Keith Fletcher, Kenneth Farnes, Dilhara Fernando, James Franklin, Chuck Fleetwood Smith, Alfred Freeman, Angus Fraser.
• Alan Fairfax was unlucky to miss out. He played 10 tests and had a batting average of 51.25 and a bowling average of 30.71. But he couldn’t squeeze out Faulkner, Flintoff and Foster as the all rounders.
• Faulkner was part of the famous South African googly battery. Foster bowled with SF Barnes before his career was cut short by a motorcycle accident in WWI.
• CB Fry’s numbers aren’t that impressive but he could jump backwards from a standing position onto a mantelpiece so that’s gotta be worth something.
• Fleming fights off the captaincy challenge from the aristocratic Englishmen. They might not like it but Fleming’s captaincy against Australia has been occasionally masterful even if the plaudits he gets from commentators are not always deserved.
• I like this team a lot. A very deep batting lineup and good varied bowling.

Matthew Elliott (21 tests, 1172 runs @ 33.48)
John Edrich (c) (77 tests, 5138 runs @ 43.54)
Russell Endean (28 tests, 1630 runs @ 33.95)
Bill Edrich (39 tests, 954 runs @ 42.39)
Ross Edwards (20 tests, 11171 runs @ 40.37)
Sean Ervine (5 tests, 261 runs @ 32.62, 9 wickets @ 43.11)
John Emburey (64 tests, 1713 runs @ 22.53, 147 wickets @ 38.40)
Godfrey Evans (wk) (91 tests, 2439 runs @ 20.49 bat, 219 dismissals)
Phil Edmonds (51 tests, 875 runs @ 17.50, 125 wickets @ 34.18)
Richard Ellison (11 tests, 202 runs @ 13.46, 35 wickets @ 29.94)
Fidel Edwards (27 tests, 136 runs @ 4.12, 72 wickets @ 43.01)

Notes:

• This one was hard to put together. Unusually there are large numbers of opening batsman, finger spinners and wicketkeepers with names starting with ‘E’. There aren’t many fast bowlers or middle order batsman.
• Other players to consider: Farokh Engineer, Bruce Edgar.
• The batting is quite deep though lacking a little quality at the top. The pace bowling is probably going to let the side down and I’m never very excited about English finger spinners.

Back after a slight hiatus is my selection of test cricket teams with players starting with each letter of the alphabet. This time, after a suggestion from Stuart, is the ‘Z’ team.

Zahoor Elahi (2 tests, 30 runs @ 10.00)
John Zulch (16 tests, 985 runs @ 32.83)
Zaheer Abbas (78 tests, 5062 runs @ 44.80)
Zahid Fazal (9 tests, 288 runs @ 18.00)
Zaheer Abbasi (44 first class, 2104 runs @ 33.93)
Zafar Iqbal (72 first class matches, 2514 runs @ 27.03, 176 wickets @ 27.43)
Tim Zoehrer (10 test, 24 runs @ 20.50, 19 dismissals)
Zulfiqar Ahmed (9 tests, 200 runs @ 33.33, 20 wickets @ 18.30)
Monde Zondeki (5 tests, 59 runs @ 20.50, 16 wickets @ 27.38)
Nuywan Zhosa (30 tests, 288 runs @ 8.47, 64 wickets @ 33.70)
Zaheer Khan (50 tests, 608 runs @ 12.16, 160 wickets @ 33.34)

Notes:

• Other players to consider: Andrew Zesers (Australian bowler who was the youngest Australian to take 100 first class wickets – retired at age 23). Lots of Pakistanis named Zaheer and Zahid and Zafar who had mediocre first class careers.

• This is a surprisingly well balanced team for such a small number of candidates. You get a quality keeper, some left arm quicks, an off spin bowler, an all rounder… The batting is a bit weak though.

Stewie Dempster (10 tests, 723 runs @ 65.73)
Rahul Dravid (112 tests, 9492 runs @ 56.50)
Ted Dexter (c) (62 tests, 4502 runs @ 47.89)
Kumar Duleepsinhji (12 tests, 995 runs @ 58.52)
Martin Donnelly (10 tests, 582 runs 52.90)
Aravinda De Silva (93 tests, 6361 runs @ 42.98)
Jeff Dujon (wk) (81 tests, 3322 runs @ 31.95, 272 dismissals)
Kapil Dev (131 tests, 5248 runs @ 31.05, 434 wickets @ 29.64)
Alan Davidson (44 tests, 1328 runs @ 24.59,186 wickets @ 20.53)
Allan Donald (72 tests, 652 runs @ 10.69, 330 wickets @ 22.25)
Dilip Doshi (33 tests, 129 runs @ 4.60, 114 wickets @ 30.71)

Notes:

• Other players to consider include Basil D’Oliveira, Mike Denness, Phil De Freitas ,MS Dhoni, Graham Dilley, Charlie Davis (West Indian who averaged 54 in 15 tests).

• I’d never heard of Duleepsinhji, Dempster or Donnelly before doing some research. Duleep was the Maharajah of Navanagar and played for England circa 1930. His test career was cut short by illness but he averaged 48 in 200 first class games so he was a pretty good bat. Dempster and Donnelly played for New Zealand in the 30s and 40s. They didn’t play many tests but their records in first class (almost exclusively county) crickets backs up the reports that they were very good batsman.

• Once again openers were hard to find. When I found myself deciding between SS Das and some Australian from around 1910 who averaged 35 I knew that Rahul Dravid would have to take one for the team.

• Dujon got the wicket keeping spot in front of Dhoni because his batting isn’t much worse and Dujon was apparently brilliant keeping against pace. There is some question mark over Dujon keeping to spin but I’m sure he could handle it.

• This is a good team. They bat down to Davidson at 9 and have a strong bowling lineup.

The latest update in my ongoing series of picking all-time test match cricket teams with players whose names start with each letter of the alphabet. This time: the letter ‘C’.

Michael Cowdrey (c) (114 tests, 7624 runs @ 44.06)
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (104 tests, 7182 runs @ 46.63)
Greg Chappell (87 tests, 7110 runs @ 53.86)
Denis Compton (78 tests, 5807 runs @ 50.06)
Martin Crowe (77 tests, 5444 runs @ 45.36)
Chris Cairns (62 tests, 3320 runs @ 33.53, 218 wickets @ 29.46)
Sammy Carter (wk) (28 tests, 873 runs @ 22.97, 65 dismissals)
Stuart Clark (9 tests, 116 runs @ 14.50, 47 wickets @ 17.80)
Colin Croft (27 tests, 158 runs @ 10.53, 125 wickets @ 23.30)
Andy Caddick (62 tests, 861 runs @ 10.37, 234 wickets @ 29.91)
Bagwat Chandresakhar (58 tests, 167 runs @ 4.07, 242 wickets @ 24.03)

Notes:

• Other players to consider include Learie Constantine, Dominic Cork, Ian Chappell, Paul Collingwood, Hanse Cronje, Daryll Cullinan, Michael Clarke.

• Sammy Carter was an Australian wicketkeeper in the period 1907-21. He looks to be the only choice.

• Opening batsman were hard to find: Chetan Chauhan (Gavaskar’s opening partner) was the only specialist I could find but he averaged only slightly more than 30. So Cowdrey (who played about 1/6th of his innings as opener) and Chanderpaul (who played slightly more than 0% of his innings as opener) were pressed into service.

• Similarly, fast bowlers were difficult. Clark’s figures will get worse as he plays but he is a pretty good bowler. Caddick on the other hand…

• The team looks reasonable: solid openers, good middle order, tail looks a little long. The bowling is good enough without being great: varied pace attack with a lot of bounce and Chandra will do the job on a wearing pitch.

The next installment in my list of all time test cricket teams with players whose names start with each letter of the alphabet: B.

Geoff Boycott (108 tests, 8114 runs @ 47.72)
Bill Brown (22 tests, 1592 runs @ 46.82)
Don Bradman (52 tests, 6996 runs @ 99.94)
Ken Barrington (82 tests, 6806 runs @ 58.67)
Allan Border (156 tests, 11174 runs @ 50.56)
Ian Botham (102 test, 5200 runs @ 33.54, 383 wickets @ 28.40)
Mark Boucher (wk) (102 test, 3844 runs @ 30.26, 392 dismissals)
Richie Benaud (c) (63 tests, 2201 runs @ 24.45, 248 wickets @ 27.03)
Shane Bond (16 tests, 138 runs @ 13.80, 74 wickets @ 22.10)
Ian Bishop (43 tests, 632 runs @ 12.15, 161 wickets @ 24.27)
Syd Barnes (27 tests, 242 runs @ 8.06, 189 wickets @ 16.43)
Notes:

• Other players to consider: Eddie Barlow, David Boon, Colin Bland, Alec Bedser, Bishen Bedi, John Blackham. Also Billy Bates, Billy Barnes, Johnny Briggs and Colin Blythe all played pre WWI and had bowling averages under 20.
• The middle order is spectacular, the openers are solid and they bat down to Benaud at 8. Expect some big scores.
• Shane Bond has only played 16 tests due to injury and New Zealand not playing much test cricket these days. But his performance in all competitions justifies this selection.
• If SF Barnes is as good as everybody that played with him says then this is a very strong team. If his style doesn’t translate to modern pitches then they may struggle to dismiss some of the stronger batting lineups.

After Dave’s possibly facetious request to list the greatest XI cricketers starting with X I have done this.

Xavier Marshall (2 tests + 11 ODIs for WI, averages less than 10 in both forms but has scored a List A century)
Xavier de Gersigny (6 FC games for Natal, 132 runs @ 14.66, 4 wkts @ 78.50)
Xavier Doherty (27 FC for Tasmania, 441 runs @ 13.36, 60 wkrs @ 56.23)
Xenophon Balaskas (c) (9 tests for SA, 174 runs at 14.5 and 22 wkts at 36.63)
Xavier Winderickk (scored no runs and did not bowl in two games)
L Xakwe (played one game for Kei, scored 5 and did not bowl)
Jacob Xalitre (New Caledonia, 12 runs in 3 innings)
Jonathan Xalitre (New Caledonia, 0 runs in 2 innings)
A Xapile (took 0/37 off 6 and scored 0 for Eastern Cape against Zimbabwe)
Lundi Xongo (Played for Western province, scored 1 run and took 0/30 in a one dayer, did not bat and took 0/11 in a FC match)
E Xulu (Was run out for 0 and took 0/27 off 3 against Bangladesh).

Wicketkeeper to be decided when the players turn up.

NOTES:

• I cheated by allowing player’s whose first name starts with X. It helps but not that much.
• These are some pretty pitiful players. The bottom seven in the 12 games I could find information for scored 18 runs and took no wickets.

On one of the many nights I have spent at trivia with Dave from Pappus’ Plane we whiled away the time before kick-off naming cricket teams with various restrictions.

One idea that we had was to name a team whose players started with each letter of the alphabet. Now that I have my own blog I can just do that kind of stuff here. So here, in the first of many episodes of this feature, is my team of test cricketers whose name (see note 1 for discussion of this criteria) starts with A.

Michael Atherton …………….(115 tests, 7728 runs @ 37.69)
Dennis Amiss …………………..(50 tests, 3612 runs @ 46.30)
Mohinder Armanath ………..(69 tests, 4378 runs @ 42.50)
Mohammad Azharuddin …..(99 tests, 6215 runs @ 45.03)
Jimmy Adams …………………..(54 tests, 3012 runs @ 41.26)
Les Ames (wk) ………………….(47 tests, 2434 runs @ 40.56, 94 dismissals)
Warwick Armstrong (c) …….(50 tests, 2863 runs @ 38.68, 87 wkts @ 33.59)
Abdul Qadir ……………………..(67 tests, 1029 runs @ 15.59, 236 wkts @ 32.80)
Curtly Ambrose ………………..(98 tests, 1439 runs @ 12.40, 405 wkts @ 20.99)
Terry Alderman ………………..(41 tests, 203 runs @ 6.54, 170 wkts @ 27.15)
Neil Adcock ………………………(26 tests, 146 runs @ 5.40, 104 wkts @ 21.10)

NOTES:

1. I have followed howstat.com in defining what it means to start with A. Basically Pakistani ’surnames’ are either religious or the player’s father’s first name so their alphabetical order is based on their first name instead. This mean, for example, we lose Wasim Akram but gain Abdul Qadir.
2. Other players you might consider: marvan atapattu, aamir sohail, abdul razzaq, ajit agarkar, asif iqbal, nathan astle, russel arnold.
3. I’d never heard of Neil Adcock before looking up players for this team but 4 wickets a match at 21 is good enough for me.
4. We’ll have to see how other letters turn out but this isn’t a bad team. Ames is one of the top four or five keeper/batsman ever. Ambrose and Adcock have pace and bounce, Alderman swing, Abdul has guile and Armstrong will keep it tight. The worry I guess is the batting – no superstars and players like Atherton and Adams didn’t perform consistently throughout their career.