SA Footy

I'll have a crack at this in lieu of the 70's...

1.G Marsh
2.M Taylor
3.D Boon
4.D Jones
5.A Border
6.S Waugh
7.I Healy
8.G Matthews
9.M Hughes
10.C McDermott
11.B Reid

Thoughts?

Tubby probably didn't play enough test cricket to really qualify. Steve Waugh was fairly ordinary in this period - wasn't ready for test cricket but the rebel tours got him an early call-up.

The wicketkeeper is a tough one. Marsh was past his best in the early 80s. Healy was pretty average with his glovework and the bat in the late 80s. And we had Phillips, Zoehrer and Dyer in between, along with a cameo from Roger Woolley.

Greg Matthews and Merv Hughes could consider themselves very lucky as well...

Kepler Wessels
David Boon
Dean Jones
Allan Border
Greg Chappell
Kim Hughes
Rod Marsh
Geoff Lawson
Craig McDermott
Dennis Lillee
Terry Alderman
12th Bruce Yardley

I think picking a team of the 80's is very difficult. You had yor Lillee's, Marsh's, Thompsons etc who did their best work in the 70's. Then, as you pointed out, the other group of players established themselves in the 90's. AB was an 80's star, as was Dean Jones & David Boon. Obviously, the Rebel Tour was very damaging to this time fram of Australian cricket. Anybody remember the squad? I'm thinking...
Kim Hughes
Mike Haysman
that's the extent of my memory, actually!

How about Hookes, but he wasn't selected much. Those stupid selectors seem not to like SA much do they?

MightyEagles wrote:How about Hookes, but he wasn't selected much. Those stupid selectors seem not to like SA much do they?

Hookesy would be flat out making the second XI.

Tubby probably didn't play enough test cricket to really qualify. Steve Waugh was fairly ordinary in this period - wasn't ready for test cricket but the rebel tours got him an early call-up.

The wicketkeeper is a tough one. Marsh was past his best in the early 80s. Healy was pretty average with his glovework and the bat in the late 80s. And we had Phillips, Zoehrer and Dyer in between, along with a cameo from Roger Woolley.

Greg Matthews and Merv Hughes could consider themselves very lucky as well...

Kepler Wessels
David Boon
Dean Jones
Allan Border
Greg Chappell
Kim Hughes
Rod Marsh
Geoff Lawson
Craig McDermott
Dennis Lillee
Terry Alderman
12th Bruce Yardley

Anyone who has been watching late night legends oon ABC2 with Lex "The Swine" Marinos would have seen some great cricket from the early 80's

Having watched tapes in the 70's of R MArsh keeping wickets compared to his early 80's form it is no comparison He was a much better keeper in the 80s post WSC compared to his pre WSC days. You honour I present his catch and leg side stumping of D Haynes in the 1st test against the WI in Melb. A great bit of work.

Kim Hughes 100 in that game and his 1980 centenary test 100, his 137 in Sydney in 83 against the POMS were sensational

Therefore in my humble opinion the team is:

G MArsh
D Boon
D Jones
G Chappell
K Hughes
A Border
R Marsh
B Yardley
G Lawson
D Lillee
T Alderman
B Reid

I know I've probably **** this up in the cutting and pasting....INCOMING

Graham Yallop
Kepler Wessels
Dean Jones
Allan Border
Greg Chappell
David Boon
Rodney Marsh
Craig McDermott
Dennis Lillee
Terry Alderman
Bruce Rude


While you couldn't put him in a team like this, I was interested to hear that the great West Indies pace battery of the late '70's and early '80's apparently rated Bruce Laird as one of the most courageous batsman they ever played against.
Am not quite old enough to remember him but I would be interested to hear the thoughts of others about Laird's batting.

ORDoubleBlues wrote: While you couldn't put him in a team like this, I was interested to hear that the great West Indies pace battery of the late '70's and early '80's apparently rated Bruce Laird as one of the most courageous batsman they ever played against.
Am not quite old enough to remember him but I would be interested to hear the thoughts of others about Laird's batting.

As tough as they come.

Poor bastard never scored a test century.

Kepler friggin Wessells? Yallop as an opener?? Surely it's Boon and Marsh as the openers of any 80's side.

regards,

REB

G.Marsh
D.Boon
D.Jones
G.Chappell
A.Border
K.Hughes
R.Marsh
B.Yardley
C.McDermott
D.Lillee
T.Alderman

regards,

REB

REB didn't think you associated The 1980 champion footballer of Australia from with "sense"

good team there

However I still prefer the Australian test player of the year 1982-83 and 1983-84, three times ASHES tourist, plus wickets and runs (2 x 50s) against WINDIES in 84-85 (G Lawson) over one of Wisden's five cricketers of the year for 1985 (C McDermott) His only good season in Australia was 87-88 when Bruce Rude broke down. granted he had a good cameo in 84-85 when he made his debut.

Sorry Tassie, it's still McDermott over Henry for mine

regards,

REB

I left Wessells out for obvious reasons
1) not an Aussie.
2) didn't really hang around long enough.
3) although I gave Taylor a guernsey, Boon & Marsh are there.

REB respect your opinion so I thought I'd check it out on cricinfo

Lawson Nov 1980 to Dec 1989 46 tests 180 wkts

McDermott Dec 1984 to Nov 1988 24 tests 77 wkts

What speaks volumes about McDermott is since his return to the test side at Adelaide in Jan 1991 against the POMS until his last test in January 1996 five years he took over 214 wickets fair effort that

Therefore my team of the 90s is:

M Slater
M Taylor
D Boon
M Waugh
A Border
S Waugh
I Healy
S Warne
C McDermott
M Hughes
G McGrath
T May 12th

I think Heals gets the nod over the two other test 'keeper of the 90s A Gilchrist 5 tests and P Emery 2 tests !!

When you think about it other batsmen could be Jones (gone by 92, W Phillips (talk me through that) Blewett, Ponting (Both would be in the 90s touring party) Elliot Law. None of those as good as the top six Ponting didn't really settle into the test side until the Sri Lankan tour in 99

Bowlers Reiffell, Rackerman, KAsper, Bichel, Gillespie Sleep - nup don't touch my four in the 90s

Facts shmacts, you can use facts to prove anything that is even remotely true

I didn't realise that Henry was a hundred wickets to the good over Billy during the decade. I'm probably a bit guilty of forgetting just how good Henry was, and that McDermott's deeds are a bit fresher in the memory. Still my 80's side was a lot better than my 70's side. Bill Lawry...what was I thinking??

regards,

REB

Rik E Boy wrote:Facts shmacts, you can use facts to prove anything that is even remotely true

Can even make a case for the corpse with pads.

Rik E Boy wrote:Kepler friggin Wessells?

Have to refer you to the 1984-85 series against the West Indies.