Australian side YART- best team from our time at the top

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The Gronk

Bencher
So with our time as the best side in the world over I thought it would be interesting to come up with the best side from our time at the top which was 1992-2008. 

Here's mine:

1. Mark Taylor
2. Matthew Hayden
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Mark Waugh
5. Steve Waugh (vc)
6. Allan Border (c)
7. Adam Gilchrist
8. Shane Warne
9. Jason Gillespie
10. Bruce Reid
11. Glenn McGrath

12. Tim May
coach: Bob Simpson
 
I'd say our time at the top started before that Gronk, and Bruce Reid played his last test in 92 so I'd say its a stretch to have him in there. Top bowler I agree but his best years were before that. I'd like to have seen how he went these days with the injury management skills that are around.

If I had to pick a team from that time (which I hate doing) it would be something along these lines.

1. Matt Hayden
2. Justin Langer
3. Martin Love
4. Ricky Ponting
5. Steve Waugh (c)
6. Darren Lehmann
7. Adam Gilchrist
8. Shane Warne
9. Brett Lee/ Stuart McGill
10. Jason Gillespie
11. Glenn McGrath

I couldnt find room for Border for the same reason as Reid above, 92 was after his best. I left Taylor out as the 2 openers I named fed off each other and lifted each other.

Number 3 I know nobody will agree with, this guy is one of the best number 3 bats I've ever seen, and that includes our Current test captain, and also puts the curent slips cordon to shame.

I hated to include Brett Lee as I personally think hes rubbish at the moment, but he has bowled well at times. Ive bracketed him with McGill if we needed a 2nd Spinner Lee would be on the bench.

Lehmann is the other contentious one I have put in, only played 30 odd tests, but could have been anything in another, less fitness oriented era.

Good thread Gronk, I'm sure it will throw up a few roughies.
 
Most pick themselves

A case could probably be made for Martyn v Waugh, and Reid wouldn't have played much during that period, McDermott probably spent more time in the side, or even Lee who has an average record
 
it is difficult to judge too as the game has changed a lot over those years. Batting and bowling averages have risen by 10 - 20%. Batsman like Taylor who were defensively very strong are far less common in the last 10 years.

Hayden
Langer
Ponting
Boon
S Waugh (VC)
Border (C)
Gilchrist
Warne
Flemming
Gillespie
McGrath

I think our openers speak for themselves - they are one of the top 2 pairs of all time up there with Grenich and Haynes. Tubby Taylor not far behind. Ponting, Waugh and Border all scored 10,000 runs at over 50. Warne, McGrath, Lee and dizzy were a well balanced bowling attack and together for most of the time at the top but Flemming when fit was far superior with the swing compared to Lee, the only thing that cought us out over that period.

I dont know how you can put Love in there Fro - sure he was good at state level but 5 tests at 28/29 isnt really enough to know if he could handle international cricket.

KE Martyn had an excellent 18 months where he scored a dozen centuries, however the rest of the time he was pretty mediocre.
 
not too sure about McDermott

1. He's a ranga
2. He always seemed to bowl down the leg side

Actually Lee has taken 300 wickets, more than all of them.  But I have never really rated him ass one of the greats. 
 
Yeah you have a point about Love Fluff, it was more a personal thing, given the extended run that some of the golden boys get these days I reckon he would have been a superstar.

but yeah as far as stats go you are right.
 
If we started the clock at 1989 when we carved the Poms then Border would be a certainty.  Assuming 1989-2008 my team:

Hayden
Boon
Ponting
Border
S Waugh
S Law
Gilchrist
Warne
Gillespie
Alderman
McGrath
 
Not too sure that I would have Law ahead of M Waugh, D Martyn, J Langer etc, but apart from that a fairly decent side. 

I think we 'officially' became number one when we beat the then best side in the world, the Windies, in 1995 over in the Caribbean.  But 89-08 sounds like the period where we had a good team.
 
well make up your minds does it start in 89, 92 or 95. :)

it makes a hell of a difference, 89 Brings Border and Reid etc into the mix, 95 excludes a lot of players as well.
 
I stipulated 89 for mine.  Stuart Law should have played the number of tests Mark Waugh played and vice versa.
 
Possibly More Matas.

But Gronk started it with 92 so I went by his ground rules was my point.
 
There is some gold in these teams......Love and Law ??? FFS, there was a reason they only played a dozen or so tests between them. And Katich and Bevan, both handy cricketers but hardly greatest Test XI ever material.

3 players pick themselves without any shadow of an argument, Warne, McGrath and Gilchrist. These 3 will go down as "immortals" of Australian cricket. From there it's just personal choice as to who you would like in your side.

Assuming we are going for the tried and true Aussie formula of 4 bowlers and an all-rounder, my side would be (based on 92-present)

DC Boon (has to be in any Aussie XI named, and won't displace Ponting at 3)
MJ Slater (only because I used to love watching him in his prime, could quite easily pick Hayden, Langer or Taylor here)
RT Ponting
ME Waugh (absolute freak and assuming he is in his younger days counts as my all-rounder)
MEK Hussey (they don't call him Mr Cricket for nothing)
SR Waugh (AR Border just didn't play enough tests in this period, otherwise it'd be him)
AC Gilchrist
SK Warne
B Lee*
JN Gillespie
GD McGrath

MJ Clarke - 12th Man

* Lee gets the 3rd bowling spot just from sheer weight of numbers in the wickets column. McDermott was a pea heart and Full Toss MacGill just doesn't do it for me. I have a soft spot for Kaspa, but he didn't play enough games/take enough wickets to warrant selection.
 
Chip & Chase link said:
There is some gold in these teams......Love and Law ??? FFS, there was a reason they only played a dozen or so tests between them.
  Yeah, they didn't play for NSW and have the Herald advocating their case at every opportunity.
 
That didnt stop them from playing great cricket, there are plenty of batsman outside of NSW that managed to play more than 10 tests, Ponting, Martyn, Langer, Hussey, Blewett, Boon, Border, Hayden, Elliott, Lehman etc.
 
Matty Hayden
Justin Langer
Ricky Ponting
Mike Hussey
Steve Waugh
Allan Border
Adam Gilchrist
Brett Lee
Jason Gillespie
Shane Warne
Glenn MacGrath
 
You have to be twice as good to crack the Aussie side if you're not playing in Sydney.  Ask Simon Katich.

The only exception is Gilchrist.
 
Matabele link said:
You have to be twice as good to crack the Aussie side if you're not playing in Sydney.  Ask Simon Katich.

The only exception is Gilchrist.

Katich plays for NSW doesnt he?
 
Team P W L PD Pts
3 3 0 48 6
4 3 1 28 6
3 2 1 10 6
4 2 2 39 4
3 2 1 28 4
3 2 1 15 4
3 2 1 14 4
2 1 1 13 4
2 1 1 6 4
3 2 1 -3 4
3 1 2 0 2
3 1 2 -5 2
3 1 2 -15 2
3 1 2 -22 2
3 1 2 -36 2
2 0 2 -56 2
3 0 3 -64 0
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