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

[cricketnut14]

You're right actually! Didn't see that coming. Well, I suppose I should sub out Boony for the guy who scored the next highest amount of votes, Swampy Marsh?

i mean we want a real ordinary team don't we

 

[jle101]

i mean we want a real ordinary team don't we

Okay then, let's drum up a side that will give the 1999 England team a run for it's money ;-) Border drops back down to #5 for now.

1980's Australia XI (Batting order subject to change)

01 KC Wessels
02 GR Marsh (DC Boon ineligible)
03
04
05 AR Border*
06
07
08
09
10
11

 

[footyfan1978]

Had a glorious run from 1991 - 1993 including three tons on the trot against the Poms. His form took a bit of a dip after that though.

Yeah, he seems a guy like Holding where he spent about same amount of time in each decade now I look at it year by year.

 

[footyfan1978]

Do we need to do an external review for our collective oversight ?

 

[cricketnut14]

if your rules are : they have had to play most of their career in that decade, then we can't have:

g.chappell, boon, m.taylor, yallop, s.waugh, r.marsh, lillee, mcdermott, m.hughes, thomson as they either played more tests in the 70's or 90's - even though there sample size is bigger than other candidates and even though they had superior records.

gonna have to run with:

wessels
g.marsh
jones
k.hughes
border
g.matthews
phillips
yardley
lawson
alderman
reid

(jones, hughes, border @ 3,4,5 in any order you like)

 

[CliffMcTainshaw]

Border batted at 4, 61 times and at 5 & 6 101 times. Slightly better average at 5 & 6. I guess it will depend on what other players are there for 4, 5 & 6 on where you would put Border.

 

[footyfan1978]

I'm not copping Mo Matthews

 

[jle101]

No Billy either? Damn

 

[cricketnut14]

I'm not copping Mo Matthews

well i wasn't copping fat cat.

 

[footyfan1978]

well i wasn't copping fat cat.

I've looked into the options and sadly came to same conclusion.
* this period is really dark period of Australian cricket.
It is like visiting the black lodge in David Lynch's Fire Walk With Me.
I have to cop Mo Mathews as much as it kills me.
I just looked at list of players available and honestly hard to find anyone to keep, find anyone to bat first drop and so left with real crazy looking line-up of someone batting 3 like Hughes or Border because no one else any good to do it
I feel there I have to pick make shift keeper Wayen Phillips and maybe he should bat at first drop and Mo Mathews plays as allrounder and bats 7 where keeper normally is.

Wessels
Laird (you guys going for Swampy so I accept he will not get into collective team)
W Phillips (keeper)
Hughes
D Jones
Border (captain)
Matthews
Yardley
Lawson
Alderman
Reid

I going for Border at six as we going to need his skill to farm the strike and keep the tailenders off strike
Weird side but best I can come up with given this horrible decade and rules that mean guys mainly from 70's or 90's cannot be included.

 

[BronCrow]

1995 I think? I'm still torn on Boony, played a greater number of Tests in the 90's. Might even be statistically better in the 90's as well.

Last test was vs Sri Lanka here(Adelaide) in Jan 1996. I saw his final ever innings. The hill were all calling for him to be given in the last half hour of the day.

 

[cricketnut14]

I going for Border at six as we going to need his skill to farm the strike and keep the tailenders off strike

border is by far the best player in the side and is a waste at 6.

sadly, he would be shielding the tail batting at 3,4 or 5 as well.

 

[footyfan1978]

border is by far the best player in the side and is a waste at 6.

sadly, he would be shielding the tail batting at 3,4 or 5 as well.

True either way.
But whom we going to bat at 3? there is not anybody that actually outright claims it when you look at what was available and so forced to pick someone that gets into 11 and make them bat there. (Edit: Forgot about Yallop did bat there briefly so he will have to do)
Phillips was useless lower down the order so maybe re-invent him at first drop because he originally was an opener so would not be totally foreign for him to bat near top of the order. None of Hughes, Border or Jones batted much above middle order but Border was very good at six originally and was good with the tail which many were not back in 80's. For balance of team he probably at six fits best.
Border never had a chance as captain when you look through this task.
Poor guy.

 

[Gough]

Boony peaked on the 93 Ashes, iirc his eyesight started giving him trouble towards the end of his career.

 

[footyfan1978]

Actually I found a number 3 in desperation.
Forgot about Graham Yallop

141 and 268 at first drop will have to do for this decade to find someone

18/06/1981​	England​	Trent Bridge​	1st​	b M Hendrick​	13​	47​	439​	39.91​
​	​	​	2nd​	c M W Gatting b I T Botham​	6​	34​	445​	37.08​
02/07/1981​	England​	Lord's​	1st​	b G R Dilley​	1​	7​	446​	34.31​
​	​	​	2nd​	c I T Botham b R G D Willis​	3​	32​	449​	32.07​
22/04/1983​	Sri Lanka​	Asgiriya Stadium​	1st​	lbw b A L F De Mel​	98​	238​	547​	36.47​
11/11/1983​	Pakistan​	WACA Ground​	1st​	b Azeem Hafeez​	141​	274​	688​	43.00​
25/11/1983​	Pakistan​	Brisbane Cricket Ground​	1st​	c †Wasim Bari b Rashid Khan​	33​	71​	721​	42.41​
09/12/1983​	Pakistan​	Adelaide Oval​	1st​	c Qasim Omar b Sarfraz Nawaz​	68​	82​	789​	43.83​
​	​	​	2nd​	c Javed Miandad b Abdul Qadir​	14​	29​	803​	42.26​
26/12/1983​	Pakistan​	Melbourne Cricket Ground​	1st​	c †Wasim Bari b Sarfraz Nawaz​	268​	517​	1071​	53.55​
02/01/1984​	Pakistan​	Sydney Cricket Ground​	1st​	c †Wasim Bari b Mudassar Nazar​	30​	45​	1101​	52.43​

 

[footyfan1978]

Wessels
Phillips
Yallop
Hughes
D Jones
Border
Mathews
Yardley
Lawson
Alderman
Reid

 

[Pippen94]

Wessels
Phillips
Yallop
Hughes
D Jones
Border
Mathews
Yardley
Lawson
Alderman
Reid

How bout moving Border up the order & maximizing time at the crease for the side's best batsman?!

 

[Pippen94]

I've looked into the options and sadly came to same conclusion.
fu** this period is really dark period of Australian cricket.
It is like visiting the black lodge in David Lynch's Fire Walk With Me.
I have to cop Mo Mathews as much as it kills me.
I just looked at list of players available and honestly hard to find anyone to keep, find anyone to bat first drop and so left with real crazy looking line-up of someone batting 3 like Hughes or Border because no one else any good to do it
I feel there I have to pick make shift keeper Wayen Phillips and maybe he should bat at first drop and Mo Mathews plays as allrounder and bats 7 where keeper normally is.

Wessels
Laird (you guys going for Swampy so I accept he will not get into collective team)
W Phillips (keeper)
Hughes
D Jones
Border (captain)
Matthews
Yardley
Lawson
Alderman
Reid

I going for Border at six as we going to need his skill to farm the strike and keep the tailenders off strike
Weird side but best I can come up with given this horrible decade and rules that mean guys mainly from 70's or 90's cannot be included.

Horrible era if for some reason you can't select the best performed players

 

[footyfan1978]

How bout moving Border up the order & maximizing time at the crease for the side's best batsman?!

Border could bat 6 and was good at it.
Not sure Jones suited to it.
Hughes 4 is his spot.

 

[footyfan1978]

Horrible era if for some reason you can't select the best performed players

It was horrible. Mid 80's virtually would give you nightmares if you lived through it.

 

[Pippen94]

It was horrible. Mid 80's virtually would give you nightmares if you lived through it.

Yeah but it's an 80's team not mid 80's

 

[Pippen94]

Border could bat 6 and was good at it.
Not sure Jones suited to it.
Hughes 4 is his spot.

Border was good at 3 too. You want your best players to potentially spend more time at crease

 

[footyfan1978]

Border was good at 3 too. You want your best players to potentially spend more time at crease

He scores at first drop in 1980's are below. He did not normally bat there. Most times it when someone at top of order probably injured.
He scored more runs and averaged better at 6.

30/07/1981​	England​	Edgbaston​	1st​	c †R W Taylor b C M Old​	2​	24​	950​	45.24​
​	​	​	2nd​	c M W Gatting b J E Emburey​	40​	175​	990​	45.00​
30/09/1982​	Pakistan​	Iqbal Stadium​	2nd​	c Haroon Rashid b Abdul Qadir​	31​	106​	1021​	44.39​
12/11/1982​	England​	WACA Ground​	1st​	c †R W Taylor b I T Botham​	8​	20​	1029​	42.88​
​	​	​	2nd​	not out​	32*​	65​	1061​	44.21​
26/11/1982​	England​	Brisbane Cricket Ground​	1st​	c D W Randall b R G D Willis​	0​	7​	1061​	42.44​
​	​	​	2nd​	c I T Botham b E E Hemmings​	15​	29​	1076​	41.38​
07/04/1984​	West Indies​	Antigua Recreation Ground​	1st​	c †P J L Dujon b E A E Baptiste​	98​	202​	1174​	43.48​
​	​	​	2nd​	c C G Greenidge b E A E Baptiste​	19​	67​	1193​	42.61​
28/04/1984​	West Indies​	Sabina Park​	1st​	c †P J L Dujon b M D Marshall​	41​	104​	1234​	42.55​
​	​	​	2nd​	not out​	60*​	191​	1294​	44.62​
07/12/1984​	West Indies​	Adelaide Oval​	2nd​	b M D Marshall​	18​	25​	1312​	43.73​
26/12/1985​	India​	Melbourne Cricket Ground​	2nd​	st S M H Kirmani b N S Yadav​	163​	358​	1475​	47.58​
02/01/1986​	India​	Sydney Cricket Ground​	1st​	c C Sharma b R J Shastri​	71​	172​	1546​	48.31​

 

[footyfan1978]

Yeah but it's an 80's team not mid 80's

You clearly very lucky to not live through it.
Try being up late in night of 1981 and watching Botham slice ball over slips a billion times and cope with losing the match when you put them in for follow on.
The nightmares more frequent in mid 80's bit not just restricted to middle of decade. Sprinkled all over the decade in scary fashion.

 

[Pippen94]

You clearly very lucky to not live through it.
Try being up late in night of 1981 and watching Botham slice ball over slips a billion times and cope with losing the match when you put them in for follow on.
The nightmares more frequent in mid 80's bit not just restricted to middle of decade. Sprinkled all over the decade in scary fashion.

... Or Freddy & Brett Lee after england win by a couplr of runs, or Laxman craving up after the follow on, or Courtney Walsh keeping out a Gillespie yorker so Lara could hit winning runs, or Healy missing stumping for victory in Pakistan, or 1 run loss in Adelaide...

That's just Australia's strongest era.
80's team should encompass entire decade