Re: All Time Lost Generation XI

by Basil Fri 27 Feb 2009, 21:57

Batman wrote:Have we got any new recommendations?

Alan Ward: fast bowler who played for Derbyshire. Played the odd test in (Ithink) 1969 and maybe one or two against the Windies in 1976 - plagued by injuries.

by lardbucket Mon 14 Feb 2011, 20:31

'Lost but found' XI:

(awful start, dropped and disappeared for a good while and looked unfortunately unlikely ever to return, but did return, to rescue some sort of creditable career)

Graham Gooch
Matt Hayden
Shane Watson
? Majid Khan
?
?
?
?
?
Ryan Sidebottom
Jeff Thomson

by beamer Mon 14 Feb 2011, 20:52

Nasser Hussain?
Graeme Swann? (I know he was only an unused squad member the first time around for England, but it took a long time for him to get another go)

by lardbucket Mon 14 Feb 2011, 21:03

Good calls. Bob Taylor, too - for a long time it appeared he'd only get one or two 'charity' tests while Knott was being rested, but he ended up with a very good career.

by Batman Mon 14 Feb 2011, 21:27

Would Stuart MacGill count? He was always lost because of Warne, still played a lot of tests and still made a decent record out of it.

Sourav Ganguly for India. Played 1 one dayer against WI on debut scoring just 3 runs and looked no further for 4 years till that controversial England tour.

Bhajji too after a promising start and some controversies was seemingly lost till Ganguly drafted him in as his secret weapon out of nowhere in that historic 2000 Aus series after Kumble was ruled out due to injury.

Navjot Sidhu was dropped, considered a strokeless talentless hick till he established himself as an opener on his comeback.

by PeterCS Mon 14 Feb 2011, 21:30

Saeed Anwar started with a pair, came back over three years later and didn't do too badly for himself after that. Mind you, consistent he wasn't.

by Allan D Mon 14 Feb 2011, 21:40

What about Arthur MacIntyre (part of the 7-consecutive-seasons Surrey championship-winning side) or Keith Andrew who were kept out of the England side by Godfrey Evans as Bob Taylor would have been by Alan Knott had it not been for Packer?

On a more serious note - Collie Smith - killed in a car crash with Sobers at the wheel, Ken Farnes killed in a flying accident in WWII, Maurice Turnbull killed at El Alamein?

Lastly, perhaps this melancholy entry in the 1916 edition of Wisden should stand as a testament to the real 'lost generation':

2ND LIEUTENANT JOHN HOWELL (King's Royal Corps), was killed in Flanders on September 25. Among all the young cricketers who have fallen in the War not one of brighter promise than John Howell can be named. Judging from his wonderful record at Repton it is not too much to say that he was potentially an England batsman. But for the War he would have been at Oxford last year and would no doubt have been seen in the Surrey eleven at the Oval. Born on the 5th of July, 1895, he was only twenty when he lost his life. He was in the Repton team for four seasons-- 1911 to 1914--being captain in 1914. From the first he showed-great promise as a batsman, his style having obviously been modelled on that of Tom Hayward. He did well in 1911 and 1912, and in the next two years he was probably the best school bat in England. In 1913 he scored 737 runs for Repton, with an average of 56, and in 1914, 686 runs with an average of 52. He took some little time to find his form in school cricket in 1914, but he scored 202 not out against the Old Reptonians and 202 against Uppingham. In a trial match at the Oval at the beginning of the seasons he played an innings of 109. In 1913 he scored 108 and 114 against the Old Reptonians, and 144 for Young Surrey Amateurs against Young Essex Amateurs. Towards the close of the season in 1913 he journeyed up to Walsall with Surrey's Second Eleven for the express journeyed up to Walsall with Surrey's Second Eleven for the express purpose of playing against Barnes's bowling and had the satisfaction of scoring 45.

by Batman Mon 14 Feb 2011, 21:51

How long was Tugga out when his brother mark replaced him?

Robin Singh's career was largely confined to one dayers. He got an India callup again at nearly his retirement age but did remarkable well in one dayers after his return.

by Allan D Mon 14 Feb 2011, 22:31

If you're looking for an all-rounder may I put in a plea for this man:

Major William Booth

Although the loss of potential Test players in WWI was probably great but unknowable (see above) the loss of those who had actually played for England before 1914 was relatively small - Blythe and Hutchings had virtually finished their careers when war broke out but Booth (no relation to the founder of the Salvation Army and a captain in the war - Major was his given name not a rank) was in his prime as a cricketer. Killed, along with 20,000 other British soldiers, on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, he was born in the town that was later to produce Len Hutton and Ray Illingworth.

His feat of performing the double in 1913 - the last complete season before WWI - and taking the highest aggregate of wickets -181- by any bowler that year was enough to earn him a place in Douglas' side touring South Africa that winter. Although he only played in the first and last Tests of that series - in the last match replacing Barnes, despite his taking 49 wickets in the previous 4 Tests, after he fell out with the tour management over the accommodation provided for his wife (WAGs evidently posed a problem even in those distant days) - it was evident that Booth would win many more Test caps and, as an amateur who was popular on the county circuit, would probably go on to captain both Yorkshire and England. Sadly, it was not to be, however.

by Allan D Mon 14 Feb 2011, 22:49

Anyone mentioned Bruce Dooland, Roy Marshall (whose autobiography was entitled Test Outcast), Ron Headley, George Tribe, Bill Alley (the last player to make 3000 fc runs in an English season), Phil Mead, Percy Holmes (Sutcliffe's opening partner for Yorkshire), Andy Sandham (Hobbs' Surrey partner and first player to score a Test triple-century in his last Test, beating Bradman by 3 months), Les Berry, John Langridge?

Also Younis Ahmed of Pakistan, Worcestershire and Glamorgan who missed 108 Tests after being kicked out of fc cricket for betting against his own side (Worcs) in a Sunday League game. May have been a bit harsh as it didn't do Lillee and Marsh much harm at Headingley '81, as I recall. In fact it gave them a nice little earner.

by beamer Mon 14 Feb 2011, 23:04

Martin Bicknell? Waited 10 years for a second chance and did OK as a "horses for courses" pick in a couple of Tests when everyone else was injured.

by Allan D Mon 14 Feb 2011, 23:49

Also Derek Shackleton, who took more fc wickets post-WWII than any other bowler, who played 7 Tests in 13 years with a 12-year gap between 1950-63.

by taipan Thu 20 Aug 2015, 22:10

Not a bad thread form the days we actually used to discuss cricket

by Basil Thu 20 Aug 2015, 22:30

Les Jackson - one test in 1949 and one in 1961 and squillions of wickets in between. 1,733 wickets at 17.33 apiece

by lardbucket Fri 21 Aug 2015, 07:12

Rogers now qualifies well ...

by taipan Fri 21 Aug 2015, 07:32

Would say 25 tests disqualifies him.

by lardbucket Fri 21 Aug 2015, 07:44

Fair enough, I was remembering the premise of 'played once or twice, then MIA for years before coming back to manufacture a career' which must have come from about page 3 of this thread rather than the premise on page 1, which I have only just re-read.

We may as well just stick with the entire SA squad from 1970-71 then.

by taipan Fri 21 Aug 2015, 07:48

lardbucket wrote:Fair enough, I was remembering the premise of 'played once or twice, then MIA for years before coming back to manufacture a career' which must have come from about page 3 of this thread rather than the premise on page 1, which I have only just re-read.

We may as well just stick with the entire SA squad from 1970-71 then.

Some of them certainly. A few had a number of tests.

Rice and Vab Der Bijl were the most severely affected. Van Der Bijl would arguably have been an ATG

by Basil Fri 21 Aug 2015, 22:58

Frank Hayes - ton on debut against West Indies in 1973, then sod all else after that. He used to be physically sick before going into bat.

by PeterCS Sat 22 Aug 2015, 00:11

Purely from memory, there have been quite a few Englander Test batsmen who've gone tragically missing in action.

by lardbucket Sat 22 Aug 2015, 08:52

Ah, but they couldn't have generated anything even with a zillion volts through them.

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