Cricinfo All Time XI- New Zealand

[courtjester]

After they did Australia and England I'm surprised that they aren't doing the WIs or India next, but NZ it is.

I'm no expert on NZ cricket. Obviously Hadlee will be in there. Unsure about the rest. On limited knowledge, I'd imagine this:


1. Stewie Dempster
2. Glenn Turner
3. Andrew Jones
4. Martin Crowe
5. Stephen Fleming (C)
6. John Reid (or Collinge in lower order if an extra seamer needed)
7. Chris Cairns
8. Brendan McCullum
9. Daniel Vettori
10. Richard Hadlee
11. Shane Bond

NZ have not had a great paceman apart from Hadlee (who is elite and would push for selection in any World XI).

Bond is a great bowler with great stats, but he has only played 17 tests and taken 79 wickets. His strike rate is exceptional.

Cairns is the next best performing paceman, and Collinge is roughly around that standard as well.

Vettori is the spinner based on longevity and all-round consistency.

The batsman are all similar in averages and abilities. They have not had many batsmen able to average a lot over 40, none average 50.

[Caesar]

This is pretty cool. I'm actually looking forward to some of the weaker nations' Alltime XIs most of all, because that's where I'll really learn a fair bit about some players I don't know too much about.

[courtjester]

The one thing about the NZ I picked is that it has a loooong batting tail. McCullum/Vettori/Hadlee at 8/9/10 is impressive

[Belnakor]

Bond is always going to be a "what if" great record but only 17 tests... really makes it hard to judge him.

[courtjester]

Bond is always going to be a "what if" great record but only 17 tests... really makes it hard to judge him.

Will be interesting to see how he goes now that he's back on the test scene.

His average and strike rate are phenomonal over 17 tests (which is a decent period, usually 20 tests is considered 'worthy' in stats to get an overall picture of a player's ability).

[nobbyiscool]

i'm not expert on NZ cricket either... but you'd have a hard time keeping astle out wouldn't you? i know he struggled with consistency, but damn he was a brilliant cricketer on his day.

frightening to see that NZ could just about play crowe, fleming and bond - and then 8 all rounders (including their keeper/batsman)... whereas big brother across the ditch can't buy an allrounder...

[Wallaby]

Bert Sutcliffe is an automatic. Probably NZ'z greatest batsman (yes, ahead of M Crowe).

[SBI]

Really looking forward to the South African one. Toughie with so many awesome players missing out on lengthy test careers - Richards, Pollock, van der Bijl and Proctor just to name a few.

Would be interested if they did a "non-test" team as well comprising of those who played for teams that weren't test nations. Would probably require a lot of research if they wanted to go well back, though, to the likes of Bart King.

[Belnakor]

The SA XI will be very strong, guys like Richards, Pollock up the top, guys like Donald, S.Pollock at the bottom. Kallis as the allrounder etc.

[nobbyiscool]

i don't like keeping this thread off-topic, but a hypothetical question...

IF kepler wessels performances for Australia in his hey day justified inclusion an an all time 11, would they be considered? or would only performances playing for south africa be considered?

i'm certainly not saying that wessels performances do justify an inclusion... it's more a hypothetical.

[courtjester]

Bert Sutcliffe is an automatic. Probably NZ'z greatest batsman (yes, ahead of M Crowe).

Yeh, he came into consideration. Really didn't know enough about those older players to know who to include though. Was he an opener/middle order?

Anyone who knows more about NZ cricket, feel free to post a team.