Best XI of the 1980's (interactive voting thread)

[jle101]

Lots of delicious discussion going on the in the 70's thread, so let's press forward & decide upon the 1980's BF all-star XI. Discussion once again highly encouraged.

To start us off, please nominate your choices for No. 3 BATSMAN to come in at first drop & an OPENING BOWLER to spearhead the attack.

Pippen94 WireHawk PhatBoy CliffMcTainshaw Gough cricketnut14 BronCrow footyfan1978 STFU Donnie Cold Sober Howard Littlejohn

 

[Gough]

Viv Richards and Wasim Akram.

 

[jle101]

Viv Richards and Wasim Akram.

Nice choices but I reckon Wasim belongs in the 90's XI tbh. Debuted in '85, but then went on to play right through the entirety of the 1990's.

 

[Gough]

Nice choices but I reckon Wasim belongs in the 90's XI tbh. Debuted in '85, but then went on to play right through the entirety of the 1990's.

He was lethal from the day dot though.

 

[Pippen94]

Yeah, Viv.
Hadlee.

Interesting how this team will look as a lot of great allrounders for this decade.

 

[jle101]

He was lethal from the day dot though.

Eh, if you think he belongs in an 80's XI before a 90's XI then I'll accept it. Ideally though we're looking for players that played the majority of their careers during the decade in question.

 

[Gough]

Yeah, Viv.
Hadlee.

Interesting how this team will look as a lot of great allrounders for this decade.

I've got an idea in my mind for a bowling line up and those all rounders might get a look in as a fourth bowler with a spinner or a fifth seamer but as pure bowling option there are better ones imo.

 

[Pippen94]

I've got an idea in my mind for a bowling line up and those all rounders might get a look in as a fourth bowler with a spinner or a fifth seamer but as pure bowling option there are better ones imo.

A couple are shoe-ins as pure bowlers but others may not be. Given this format it'd be interesting to see who gets in.

 

[PhatBoy]

Malcolm Marshall
Mohinder Amarnath

 

[jle101]

A couple are shoe-ins as pure bowlers but others may not be. Given this format it'd be interesting to see who gets in.

There's potential for all of the great 80's all-rounders to make it if the cookie crumbles the right way (though I can't see that happening considering the overall bowling depth of the decade). Just like you have done, all-rounders can be nominated for bowler's spots if people think they're the right pick.

 

[cricketnut14]

gonna be some stiff players to miss out in this era.

the allrounder option will spark debate no doubt.

gonna throw some west indies into the mix first up.

king viv and malcolm marshall.

 

[footyfan1978]

Viv Richards
Michael Holding

 

[WireHawk]

Vivian Richards at 3
Malcolm Marshall for opening bowler

 

[PhatBoy]

Not to rain on the parade but the West Indies number 3 for most of the decade was Antiguan and had Richards in his name but it wasn’t viv

 

[Pippen94]

Not to rain on the parade but the West Indies number 3 for most of the decade was Antiguan and had Richards in his name but it wasn’t viv

1980 to 1983 - 4 calendar years in 80's

 

[footyfan1978]

1980 to 1983 - 4 calendar years in 80's

and just for fun of it, he went back to his old position against the poor Poms later in the 80's.
Amusing on drinks break, Botham just grabs a drink from West Indian 12th man that was giving Viv a drink.
He must have had enough of the thrashing he felt he deserved a drink for having to keep bowling to him.

 

[Pippen94]

and just for fun of it, he went back to his old position against the poor Poms later in the 80's.
Amusing on drinks break, Botham just grabs a drink from West Indian 12th man that was giving Viv a drink.
He must have had enough of the thrashing he felt he deserved a drink for having to keep bowling to him.

Somerset teammates

 

[jle101]

Not to rain on the parade but the West Indies number 3 for most of the decade was Antiguan and had Richards in his name but it wasn’t viv

Richie Richardson?

 

[PhatBoy]

Richie Richardson?

played double the amount of matches at #3 and had basically an identical record to Viv

 

[footyfan1978]

Richie Richardson?

Yeah, Richardson come along and Viv eased himself down the order around the time he was captain.

 

[footyfan1978]

We batted John Dyson number 3 at one point when Viv was number 3 for Windies.
It was like chalk and cheese and depressing knowing how much difference there was in class.
We did not have much success at 3 in the 1980's from memory and tended to just play three openers at top or order. Geoff Marsh, Boon, Wessels, Dyson et all probably had a turn from time to time.
Was not until Ponting come along did we find a counter attacking number but that was in 90's.

 

[Pippen94]

We batted John Dyson number 3 at one point when Viv was number 3 for Windies.
It was like chalk and cheese and depressing knowing how much difference there was in class.
We did not have much success at 3 in the 1980's from memory and tended to just play three openers at top or order. Geoff Marsh, Boon, Wessels, Dyson et all probably had a turn from time to time.
Was not until Ponting come along did we find a counter attacking number but that was in 90's.

Border & Boon were excellent no.3's

 

[footyfan1978]

Border & Boon were excellent no.3's

Border barely batted number 3. Was more often batting 6,5 and 4. ODI's he batted a bit higher in order. Sometimes he even opened in some ODI's.

 

[Pippen94]

Border barely batted number 3. Was more often batting 6,5 and 4. ODI's he batted a bit higher in order. Sometimes he even opened in some ODI's.

Yeah, border batted mainly at 4 & 5 but has excellent record at first drop

 

[footyfan1978]

Yeah, border batted mainly at 4 & 5 but has excellent record at first drop

Border averaged over 50 when he batted 4, 5 and 6 but the few times he batted number 3 he averaged about 47 which is still damn good but he was mainly later order for us throughout most of the 1980's. He made one century in the 1980's in the few times he batted first drop. I see he did bat 3 a bit more before the 1980's when look at some scores.
Viv Richards averaged around 61 at first drop.
Best first drop I ever seen.
The famous last ball of day by Lillee to him at MCG he bowls Viv, was when Croft came in as nightwatchman at first drop. Failed to stop the rot though. Think they were 4 for 11 at stumps. Most epic end to a day plays at MCG I can remember.