The Myth wrote:Agree Zartan it's not what it once was but I reckon you are drawing a hell of a long bow if you think players in A2 and 3 could make it at grade level. Some of those blokes facing a Winter, Benton or Neate wouldn't make for good watching.
Out of interest who would be the better players in A1? Hanson, Bailey and Dent?
Yeah, its always an interesting debate.
Can make cases both ways.
Mark Cosgrove played a T20 for Pooraka against Pembroke (A1 side who got relegated finishing outright bottom with 0 wins, 10 losses and an outright loss). Chasing 120 odd, Cosgrove batted through the innings for 41* falling short of the target.
That alone would suggest there isn't a huge gap between Premier Grade and ATCA.
Sure, its an extremely isolated example, but you get what I mean.
Probably a better example would be guys who have gone the other way.
Justin Ifold was always a solid turf cricketer, but never destroyed the comp - 294 runs in 2012/13, 265 in 13/14 and 258 in 14/15.
Moved back to Southern Districts in 15/16 and piled on over 550 runs including a bloody handy 41 batting at number 4 to win the A-grade flag.
English played A1 in 2012/13 and made 308 runs at 19. Two years later he made 408 at an average of 29 playing A-grade for Uni.
I would suggest there is at least a dozen players in A1 that could make an impact at either A or B grade district level:
Hanson, Cox, Knight, Gabb, Hill, Solomon, Bailey, Barnes, Oswald-Jacobs, Dent, Knowles, Amundsen, Muldoon.