Almanac Cricket Competition: Name your First Test team for The Ashes

 

 

Reckon you know your cricket do you? Well, here’s your chance to prove it.

 

This is a competition (and who doesn’t like a competition) to correctly name the eleven Australian players to be chosen for the first Test at Edgbaston next Thursday. You can even split infinitives if you wish.

 

The simplest and most transparent way of entering will be to reply to this post providing eleven names in batting order and nominating a twelfth man.

 

The winner will be the entrant who names the correct eleven or the most correct players in the event nobody gets the whole eleven.

 

If a tie breaker is required, it will be the one with the correct batting order. This includes who takes strike being listed first, so get your openers in order.

 

If a further tie breaker is required, it will be the one who correctly names the twelfth man.

 

If a further tie breaker is required, it will be the contestant who buys me the most grog at a mutually agreed lunch at Percy’s. [Whatever happened to a countback of most boundaries scored? Or, more appropriately, are there any boundaries as to how many beers you can be bought for, Roger? – Ed.]

 

The competition closes the nanosecond the team is announced. The winner will be announced shortly afterwards.

 

The decision of the judge (ah, that would be me) will be final. No correspondence will be entered into – unless I feel like it.

 

So go to it folks. One helpful word of warning though. This might not be quite as easy as it looks.

 

And to kick it off here is my selection:

 

Warner

Harris

Khawaja

Smith

Head

Wade

Paine

Cummins

Starc

Pattinson

Lyon

Labuschange (12th)

 

Good luck!

 

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About Roger Lowrey

Roger Lowrey is a Geelong based writer who lists his special interests as reading, writing, horse racing, Roman history and AEC electoral boundaries. Some of his friends think he is a little eccentric.

Comments

  1. Roger, good one. I reckon this one could go to the third level of tie-break, so name your price!

    I think it will be:
    Bancroft
    Warner
    Khawaja
    Smith
    Head
    Wade
    Paine
    Cummins
    Starc
    Pattinson
    Lyon
    Labuschagne.

    But how stiff are Joe Burns and Kutis Patterson after scoring tons in the last Test we played? On the other side of the coin, how bloody lucky is Mitch Marsh? As a northerner, I’m happy to see Michael Neser get the chance to be in this environment for six weeks.

  2. dan hoban says

    Warner
    Harris
    Bancroft
    Smith
    Head
    Wade
    Paine
    Neser
    Pattinson
    Cummins
    Hazelwood
    Lyon
    12rh Starc
    Lab u Shayne remains an enigma. He scored a mountain of runs in County cricket, albeit Division 2. Also did Ok in the recent intraclub game which seemed to carry a lot of weight.
    I am a huge Bangers fan and I think JL is too He bats long and he gets the nod at three ahead of Usman.
    I am picking Neser on the basis that we need some kind of allrounder. Starc misses out but at least his partner had a good Ashes series. I feel Patto is injury-prone so the door is open for Starcy later on.

  3. dan hoban says

    Sorry too many players so will omit Hazelwood from the 11 and make him 11th instead of Starc

  4. Warner
    Bancroft
    Khawaja
    Smith
    Head
    Wade
    Paine
    Cummins
    Starc
    Lyon
    Hazlewood
    Labuschagne 12th man

  5. citrus bob says

    SHOULD be the team but wont be.
    WARNER
    BANCROFT
    KHAWAJA
    SMITH
    HEAD
    LABUSCHAGNE
    PAINE
    CUMMINS
    SIDDLE
    LYON
    HAZLEWOOD
    HARRIS 12th

  6. Warner
    Harris
    Khawaja
    Smith
    Head
    Labuschagne
    Paine
    Cummins
    Starc
    Hazlewood
    Lyon
    Siddle (12th man)

  7. JTH and CB – See you both have “Labuschange” in your side. Genuine all-rounder? Bring him on to bowl some wrongun’s when you want a change of ends?
    If only John Arlott and Bob Cunis were still alive to see their legacy preserved.

  8. Dave Brown says

    Basically concur with Ian Hauser’s selection. Think you could pick any of Starc, Hazlewood, Neser and Siddle for the third quick. Pattinson must play.

  9. The team will be:

    Warner
    Harris
    Khawaja
    Smith
    Head
    Labuschagne
    Paine
    Cummins
    Pattinson
    Lyon
    Hazlewood
    Starc (12th)

    But Siddle makes a very compelling case to play ahead of Hazlewood.

    High time that the three NSW bath-water drinking quicks were broken up.

  10. Good point PB. Amended.

    Second hardest name to spell in world sport. Behind Collarjazzknee.

  11. Smokie – it’s catching.

    [Amended too – Ed]

  12. citrus bob says

    Oh NO JTH!
    now we will have everyone in sport writing out the hardest names to spell in sport!
    Phil D – you are barred!

  13. Hope Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan will be umpiring.

  14. Then again Mr MXYZPTK (Superman’s imp foe from the 5th dimension) could turn up as one of the umpires.

  15. Think about the confusion this little imp could cause with his interpretations. The only way to get rid of him is to convince him to say his name backwards IE KTPZYXM.

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