Century XI of Test Cricket-A tribute. Review on Dream Team - Cricket World Test XI

{Test Century XI is the result of the earlier Cricket team posted by me on MS for which a Dream team was selected to beat a Test XI-1975-2005 ref https://mouthshut.com/review/Cricket_World_XI-82003-1.html and this happens to be the one. The dream teams chosen to play this imaginary Game are

Century XI (1900-2000)

Jack Hobbs

Barry Richards

Don Bradman (Capt)

Graeme Pollock

Gary Sobers

Mike Procter

Ian Botham

Rodney Marsh (WK)

Ray Lindwall

Bill O’Reilly

Syd Barnes

Vs.

Test XI (1975-2005)

Sunli Gavaskar

Geoffrey Boycott

Brain Lara

Sachin Tendulkar

Viv Richrads

Imran Khan (Capt)

Allan Knott (WK)

Richard Hadlee

Shane Warne

Dennis Lillee

Michael Holding}

Now to the Century XI-A team of legends- a tribute

“There is no Great Genius without a mixture of Madness”-Aristotle

These are the men who were mad after Cricket, who were indomitable awesome big ferocious Warriors because they want to demolish you all the time with their Game and power, save the Captain and unassuming Jack.

1. Sir Jack Hobbs:

If I had to pick a Batsman who has scored more than Boycott, it is him with 61000 runs and 197 Centuries in First Class Cricket. He is arguably one of the finest Opening batsmen the game has produced, closely edging out Len Hutton. In his 46th year Jack Hobbs amassed 2542 runs at an Ave. of 82.The only Gentleman in my team,he is the first Batsman to score 5000 runs in Test Cricket.

Factfile : 61 Tests/5410 runs/56.94 Ave/15 Cent/28 Fif/4.06 Cent Rate

834 FC/61760 runs/199 Cent

2. Barry Richards

Many would argue how a player with just 4 matches can make it to this all time Greats team. Barry is one of the most gifted opening Batsman who lost out because of South Africa’s long ban from Cricket. He is known for his spectacular Batting against Lillee.He amassed 325 runs in a day against their fearsome attack. A great match winner, He won South Africa all the four matches that he played against in his only series with 508 runs. He has scored Centuries before lunch 9 times in first class matches. He excelled for Hampshire in glorious company of Gordon Greenidge, whom he edges out from this XI ironically.

Factfile : 4 Tests/508 runs/72.57 Ave/2 Cent/2 Fif/2.00 Cent Rate

339 FC/28358 runs/80 Cent

Openers compared If Sunny and Geoffrey could score 200 for no loss by tea, this pair can easily notch up 400 runs in first day, that is their awesome talent.

3. Don Bradman

Bradmanesque, is what Cricket lovers call a Batsman if he performs astoundingly in a series or year. Bowling against Bradman is like bowling against an entire team. When he scored 309 runs on 1st Day in Headingley Test in 1930, at the age of 21, the game changed to England Vs. Bradman from then. Simply light years ahead of his time, he is the Captain of my Legendary XI. He needed just 4 to reach the Himalayan height of 100.00 Ave which no cricketer can dream of, but fell for zero in his last innings. What an irony?!

Factfile : 52 Tests/6996 runs/99.94 Ave/29 Cent/13 Fif/1.79 Cent Rate

232 FC/28067 runs/117 Cent

4. Graeme Pollock

The plug was pulled after just 23 Tests for another South African great Pollock. He happened to score 274 against Australia in this match. Arguably one of the greatest Left Hand Batsman of all time, he along with Barry Richards was considered the most difficult Batsman to bowl at. Seeing them on Video was an immense treat to watch and the apartheid made Cricket poorer which meant that many missed their glory.

Factfile : 23 Tests/2256 runs/60.97 Ave/7 Cent/11 Fif/2.09 Cent Rate

262 FC/20940 runs/64 Cent

5. Sir Gary Sobers

The Greatest all-rounder ever, the best batsman of his time, Versatile left arm bowler and a brilliant fielder too, that’s Sobers for you. He held the record for highest run getter for nearly 40 years with 365* and became the first player in the history of the game to hit six sixers in an over in First Class cricket.

Factfile :93 Tests/8032 runs/57.78 Ave/26 Cent/30 Fif/3.57 Cent Rate

235 wkts/34.03 Ave/91.91 SR/6 FWI/2.52 WPER TEST

The Middle order; The difference between the two teams is just one and only Don.

6. Keith Miller

Handsome Milly, a fighter pilot, man of sixers, All-round giant, and Child’s hero is a ferocious Fast bowler who bowled in tandem with my Strike Bolwer Lindwall. He once hit the ball out of Lord’s in an stunning 167 ball 182 studded with seven sixers. Truly a great warrior he displayed the same character while playing Cricket.

Factfile :55 Tests/2958 runs/36.97 Ave/7 Cent/13 Fif/7.85 Cent Rate

170 wkts/22.97 Ave/61.53 SR/7 FWI/1 10WKM/3.21 WPER TEST

7. Ian Botham

Having lost his place for Imran in the first team meant that He will have his place in an all time XI. Third in the list of greatest all-rounders in this Dream team is no mean bowler who was incidentally called the Modern Miller. Ian Botham on one occasion after being hit by snorting ball from Fearsome Roberts when the score was 118 for 8 went on to score 45 with 2 sixers and won the match for Somerset in bleeding state. In One season he was to score 2 sixers in the last match for a record of 66 sixers and he went to hit six more sixers.simply outstanding.

Factfile :102 Tests/5200 runs/33.54 Ave/14 Cent/22 Fif/7.28 Cent Rate

383 wkts/28.40 Ave/56.95 SR/27 FWI/4 10WKM/3.75 WPER TEST

8. Rodney Marsh

The nugget Aussie incidentally finds himself in a similar situation after missing on toss out with Allan Knott in previous eleven. He is regarded as a better Wicket Keeper than Gilchrist and had better technique as a Batsman too. Gilly’s flamboyant batting style could pick him only for the One day team. Marsh catching against Lillee and Thomson stands out whilst Knott was a better stumper.

Factfile :96 Tests/3633 runs/26.51 Ave/3 Cent/16 Fif/355 Victims

All Rounders: Three greatest all-rounders & a fine WK Bat in this team scores way ahead of Imran/ Hadlee / Knott combo

1. Ray Lindwall

If a bowler had to be picked equal to or better than Lillee, Lindwall is my choice. He was the precursor of great fast Bowling Tradition of Australia from post war days. An epitome of swing Bowling, he could swing the ball late either ways. He was a great athlete too and has 2 test centuries to his record. He formed the most fearsome Fast Bowling combo with Miller before Lillee-Thomson.

Factfile :61 Tests/1502 runs/21.15 Ave/2 Cent/5 Fif/

228 wkts/23.03 Ave/59.86 SR/12 FWI/3.73 WPER TEST

Please read Comments section for Other Bowlers.

Bowling compared The six prong Bowling attack of Lindwall/Miller & Barnes/Botham and Tiger Reilly/Sobers in tandem will have cutting edge over the 5 prong attack of the other team.

This team with its overall strength and superiority is most likely to beat the other XI 6 times out of 10 and one going for Draw. The dream match comprehends great thoughts on How Bradman would have countered Shane Warne’s spin and How Tendulkar would have tackled Tiger Reilly’s leggies. Run your imaginations galore and you will end up stimulating wonderful thoughts of your own greats. even if they are different from these.