All Time Lost Generation XI

JGK wrote:Maybe we need one by each nation (although not the Kiwis because anyone who can pick up a bat has played for NZ, not to mention a few that couldn't).

Probably the unluckiest New Zealander to have never played a test was Tom Pritchard. He was developing into a magnificent fast bowler around 1940 & after the war he played county cricket very successfully for Warwickshire. Many believe that he would have made an all-time Kiwi XI if he had a decent career through the 40s.

John Hiddleston was probably their best batsman who didn't play tests. His FC career finished the season before their first test.

Jebus, most mentioned in this thread I'd agree with:

Milburn, Collie Smith, Reid, Bishop, Bichel, Reiffel, Fleming, Stephenson, Schultz(a drinker apparently. Earnt more money in insurance too.)

I'd like to add Saqlain and Mushtaq. They played quite a bit, but shit all over most other Pak spinners and were kept out by the usual Pak politics.

Yeah, Saqlain probably gets a go. Not so sure about Mushy.

Saqqy played too much JAMODI rubbish and lost his effectiveness in tests.

How about Ajay Sharma-

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/india/content/player/33943.html

Look at that first class record ffs! Yet he only played 1 test.

Brass Monkey wrote:Jebus, most mentioned in this thread I'd agree with:

Milburn, Collie Smith, Reid, Bishop, Bichel, Reiffel, Fleming, Stephenson, Schultz(a drinker apparently. Earnt more money in insurance too.)

I'd like to add Saqlain and Mushtaq. They played quite a bit, but shit all over most other Pak spinners and were kept out by the usual Pak politics.

Thought you would have gone with Freeman

Yeah, so many, I didn't include him. Seems to me a lot of those earlier players didn't get their dues. Could name a decent proportion of Northants players. SG Smith, Thompson, Bakewell, Nobby Clark, Brookes.... the one that stands out for me is George Tribe.

Go on. Say it. Name the fat lad....

Bill Alley is another.

Henry wrote:Go on. Say it. Name the fat lad....

I did. Colin Milburn.

Jock Livingston?

WideWally wrote:Jock Livingston?

I presume.

Colin McCool

Jack Walsh

Amongst Australians, I'd suggest Sid Barnes.

He missed most of the 1938 tour through injury. After the war he had a brief but splendid Test career before prematurely disappearin for varioua reasons, including subsequently a feud with officialdom.

By all accounts Barnes was a magnificent batsman and one of the great short leg fieldsmen.

Then there were those Australians after WWII who disappeared into English county cricket at a time hen this efe tively disqualified them from Test selecction.
Some have already been briefly mentioned.

Several didtinguished wrist spin bowlers, all of whom had more or less solid claims as all rounders are amongst them.

Colin McCool had a aplendid series in 1946-47 but was a supernumerary in the pace dominated 1948 series. He later served Somerset with great distinction, although more a a batsman and slip.

Two very fine left arm wrist spinners were Jack Walsh and George Tribe. Tribe did get a brief, unflattering taste of Test cricket but left for Northhants, where he performed magnificently for many years. Wal;sh was considered perhaps the biggest spinner of the ball ever known. Less accurate than Tribe, he could nonetheless confound the best batsmen on a perfect pitch.

Then there was Bruce Dooland. He also had a brief Test career before a spectacular career with Nottinghamshire. H4's one of the forgotten leg spinners, the man who learned the flipper from Grimmett and passed it on to Benaud. By 1963 he was a magnificent bowler who, it's often been asserted, would have wone that year's series for Australia had he been available.

Others who followed the English route to relative oblivion include Bill Alley and Jock Livingston. The latter must have ben a very good batsman indeed, with an exceptionally high batting average by the standards of the time. Alley was a combative all rounder who made thousands of runs well into his 40's.

Amongst Australians, I'd suggest Sid Barnes.

He missed most of the 1938 tour through injury. After the war he had a brief but splendid Test career before prematurely disappearin for varioua reasons, including subsequently a feud with officialdom.

By all accounts Barnes was a magnificent batsman and one of the great short leg fieldsmen.

Then there were those Australians after WWII who disappeared into English county cricket at a time hen this efe tively disqualified them from Test selecction.
Some have already been briefly mentioned.

Several didtinguished wrist spin bowlers, all of whom had more or less solid claims as all rounders are amongst them.

Colin McCool had a aplendid series in 1946-47 but was a supernumerary in the pace dominated 1948 series. He later served Somerset with great distinction, although more a a batsman and slip.

Two very fine left arm wrist spinners were Jack Walsh and George Tribe. Tribe did get a brief, unflattering taste of Test cricket but left for Northhants, where he performed magnificently for many years. Wal;sh was considered perhaps the biggest spinner of the ball ever known. Less accurate than Tribe, he could nonetheless confound the best batsmen on a perfect pitch.

Then there was Bruce Dooland. He also had a brief Test career before a spectacular career with Nottinghamshire. H4's one of the forgotten leg spinners, the man who learned the flipper from Grimmett and passed it on to Benaud. By 1953 he was a magnificent bowler who, it's often been asserted, would have wone that year's series for Australia had he been available.

Others who followed the English route to relative oblivion include Bill Alley and Jock Livingston. The latter must have ben a very good batsman indeed, with an exceptionally high batting average by the standards of the time. Alley was a combative all rounder who made thousands of runs well into his 40's.

peterg wrote:Amongst Australians, I'd suggest Sid Barnes.

You did.

Twice.

WideWally wrote:Jock Livingston?

peterg wrote:
Others who followed the English route to relative oblivion include Jock Livingston. The latter must have ben a very good batsman indeed, with an exceptionally high batting average by the standards of the time.

Yeah, definitely. Probably Jack Manning too. Though Tribe was better than him anyway.

Also David Larter, from an England perspective. Along obviously with Tyson.

Thinking about the rebel tours by Aust in the 80s - Mike Haysman and Mick Taylor were two young guns who were being talked about with Deano as our next big things.

JGK wrote:Thinking about the rebel tours by Aust in the 80s - Mike Haysman and Mick Taylor were two young guns who were being talked about with Deano as our next big things.

Haysman played FC here. Can't remember him doing anything special.

Carl Rackemann did play tests after the rebel tour but he certainly did miss his best years.

peterg wrote:Amongst Australians, I'd suggest Sid Barnes.

He missed most of the 1938 tour through injury. After the war he had a brief but splendid Test career before prematurely disappearin for varioua reasons, including subsequently a feud with officialdom.

By all accounts Barnes was a magnificent batsman and one of the great short leg fieldsmen.

Then there were those Australians after WWII who disappeared into English county cricket at a time hen this efe tively disqualified them from Test selecction.
Some have already been briefly mentioned.

Several didtinguished wrist spin bowlers, all of whom had more or less solid claims as all rounders are amongst them.

Colin McCool had a aplendid series in 1946-47 but was a supernumerary in the pace dominated 1948 series. He later served Somerset with great distinction, although more a a batsman and slip.

Two very fine left arm wrist spinners were Jack Walsh and George Tribe. Tribe did get a brief, unflattering taste of Test cricket but left for Northhants, where he performed magnificently for many years. Wal;sh was considered perhaps the biggest spinner of the ball ever known. Less accurate than Tribe, he could nonetheless confound the best batsmen on a perfect pitch.

Then there was Bruce Dooland. He also had a brief Test career before a spectacular career with Nottinghamshire. H4's one of the forgotten leg spinners, the man who learned the flipper from Grimmett and passed it on to Benaud. By 1953 he was a magnificent bowler who, it's often been asserted, would have wone that year's series for Australia had he been available.

Others who followed the English route to relative oblivion include Bill Alley and Jock Livingston. The latter must have ben a very good batsman indeed, with an exceptionally high batting average by the standards of the time. Alley was a combative all rounder who made thousands of runs well into his 40's.

Good stuff peterg. Of course the greatest player Australia 'lost' to English cricket was Ted McDonald. It's hard to imagine England would have regained the Ashes in 1926 if he had played.

Some good stuff on this thread.

A few more suggestions of players who were very unlucky not to get Tests, or more Tests

Oz: Ian Brayshaw, Sam Trimble, Dirk Tazelaar, David Hourn, Jamie Cox, Jamie Siddons, Mick Taylor, Charlie Plunkett.

England: Alan Jones, Pat Pocock, and of course David Sales.

West Indies: Desmond Lewis, Charlie Davis, Carlisle Best, Jon Shepherd

Pakistan: Younis Ahmed, Qasim Omar, Haroon Rashid, Shafquat Rana, Taslim Arif

India: Padmakar Shivalkar

Have we got any new recommendations?

lardbucket wrote:Some good stuff on this thread.

A few more suggestions of players who were very unlucky not to get Tests, or more Tests

Oz: Ian Brayshaw, Sam Trimble, Dirk Tazelaar, David Hourn, Jamie Cox, Jamie Siddons, Mick Taylor, Charlie Plunkett.

England: Alan Jones, Pat Pocock, and of course David Sales.

West Indies: Desmond Lewis, Charlie Davis, Carlisle Best, Jon Shepherd

Pakistan: Younis Ahmed, Qasim Omar, Haroon Rashid, Shafquat Rana, Taslim Arif

India: Padmakar Shivalkar

He went to the rebel tour of SA!

Qasim Omar on the other hand was a HUGE loss...its funny because the only series which PAK lost from 1985 to 1993 was the one in AUS and Qasim was suppose to be a mighty fine batsman in Aus conditions....

Imran destroyed his career

The thing is, I wouldn't include Stuart MacGill because he had quite a career in the end, playing 44 tests. For most eras that would represent a full Test career. That's more than Clarrie Grimmett got.

We missed out on some of his best years, of course.