FANTASY TEST SERIES

FANTASY TEST SERIES

PRE-WAR WORLD TEST XI (1865 -- 1938)

1. JACK HOBBS 

2. HERBERT SUTCLIFFE 

3. DONALD BRADMAN (C)

4. GEORGE HEADLEY 

5. WALTER HAMMOND (VC)

6. LESLIE AMES (W)

7. JACK GREGORY 

8. SYDNEY FRANCIS BARNES 

9. HAROLD LARWOOD 

10. BILL O'REILLY 

11. CLARRIE GRIMMETT

12TH MAN : LEARIE CONSTANTINE 

POST-WAR WORLD TEST XI (1946 -- 2021)

1. BARRY RICHARDS (VC)

2. SUNIL GAVASKAR 

3. VIVIAN RICHARDS 

4. SACHIN TENDULKAR 

5. GRAEME POLLOCK 

6. GARFIELD SOBERS (C)

7. ADAM GILCHRIST (W)

8. MALCOLM MARSHALL 

9. SHANE WARNE 

10. MUTTIAH MURALITHARAN 

11. DENNIS LILLEE

12TH MAN : JACQUES KALLIS

Day 1 : 

In a dramatic decision at Lord's the Test match series between the Pre-War XI and the Post-War XI was announced with Test matches scheduled to be played round the cricketing world. Sir Neville Cardus, C.L.R. James, Ray Robinson, E.W. Swanton and Gideon Haigh were the selectors for the opposing teams that met for the first Test at Lord's.

On a heavy overcast morning Don Bradman and Garry Sobers went out to toss. Bradman won the toss and elected to bat. It was a gamble that paid off, though, as Hobbs and Sutcliffe weathered the early storm of Marshall and Lillee to put up an opening stand of exactly 100 before both the openers fell in quick succession to Muralitharan to bring Bradman and George Headley in. The two added 32 runs before a Marshall snorter ended the Don's brief stint at the crease as he gloved it to the keeper, and Hammond joined Headley. The Black Bradman thrilled the crowd with his scintillating stroke-play and raced to his 50 before the burly Englishman came into his own and complemented the West Indian stroke for stroke with powerful on-side play, savagely pulling through to the mid-wicket fence while caressing the ball to the boundary with his drives and cuts. Hobbs (36), Sutcliffe (49) and Bradman (12) had failed to pull off the initiative which Headley and Hammond now started doing with consummate ease. At tea the score stood at 199/3 with Headley on 52 and Hammond 32, sundries accounting for the rest. Gilchrist kept well behind the wickets.

After tea Sobers broke the partnership with his chinaman, having Hammond caught at forward short-leg without addition to his score and then Warne bowled Ames round his legs for a duck. Gregory scored a quick-fire 30 in even time before Murali removed him with a doosra that drew boos from the Australian fans of the Bradman Club who had flocked the ground. They were counter-booed by the Barmy Army and the game went on. Meanwhile, Headley held ground and shepherded the tail with a patient century before the Pre-War XI innings finally folded up the following morning for 348 with Lillee and Marshall cleaning up the tail. Headley remained unbeaten on 140. The score-card read as follows :

PRE-WAR WORLD TEST XI FIRST INNINGS

Jack Hobbs c Sobers b Muralitharan 36

Herbert Sutcliffe c I.V.A. Richards b Muralitharan 49

Don Bradman c Gilchrist b Marshall 12

George Headley not out 140

Walter Hammond c I.V.A. Richards b Sobers 32

Leslie Ames b Warne 0

Jack Gregory b Muralitharan 30

Sydney Francis Barnes c Gilchrist b Lillee 2

Harold Larwood b Marshall 0

Bill O'Reilly c Gavaskar b Marshall 11

Clarrie Grimmett lbw b Lillee 7

Extras : 29

Total : 348

Overs : 101.4

Fall of wickets : 1/106 (Hobbs), 2/111 (Sutcliffe), 3/132 (Bradman), 4/199 (Hammond), 5/199 (Ames), 6/249 (Gregory), 7/259 (S.F. Barnes), 8/263 (Larwood), 9/ 314 (O'Reilly), 10/354 (Grimmett)

Bowling Analysis :

Marshall     17 - 3 - 54 - 3

Lillee           19.4 - 4 - 67 - 2

Sobers        11 - 2 - 35 - 1

Warne         22 - 5 - 74 - 1

Murali         32 - 11 - 89 - 3

Day 2 : 

The second day began with the skittling out of the tail of the Pre-War XI. Then the heavens let loose their fury for a brief half hour and play could resume only after tea when the outfield had sufficiently dried. Meanwhile, in the interim period the teams were introduced by the rival captains to Prince Charles who represented the Crown as Queen Elizabeth at 93 years was advised against the needless exertion of a visit to the hallowed home of cricket.

After the morning fury the clouds held guard but the ball was swinging ominously as Barry Richards and Sunil Gavaskar took guard. These two opening batsmen exhibited immaculate batting technique to frustrate Larwood and Gregory before Sydney Francis Barnes came along at first change to have Gavaskar caught at first slip by Hammond for 36 just before stumps. The Post-War XI stood at 108/1 with Barry Richards on 56 and night-watchman Shane Warne yet to score.

Day 3 :

Warne fell in the first over of the day to Larwood, clean bowled by a lethal yorker that went through the gap between his bat and pads. Viv Richards joined Barry Richards and the two delighted the Lord's crowd with a display of delightful batsmanship, scoring all round the park with an array of breathtaking strokes. Viv Richards was particularly punishing on the spinners, O'Reilly and Grimmett, lifting them for three sixes. Barry Richards carted Larwood and Gregory all over the ground with cuts and drives, pulls and hooks and by lunch the pair had added 166 runs for their 4th wicket partnership. Barry reached his century with a straight drive of Sydney Barnes. At lunch the score stood ominously at 274/2, Barry Richards on 125 and Viv Richards on 90.

Play resumed after lunch and the Richards duo entertained like never before for an hour more before Barry Richards cut from Sydney Francis Barnes hard to point where Bradman dived to catch him out inches from the ground. The master batsman received a standing ovation for his 159. The pair had added 80 runs in that post-lunch hour before Sachin Tendulkar joined Viv Richards at 354/3. But Tendulkar's stay was short-lived. Larwood clean bowled him with sheer pace for nought and the momentarily hushed Lord's crowd erupted into congratulating the boy from the Yorkshire mines. Earlier Viv Richards had completed his century and holed out to long on off O'Reilly at 134. Graeme Pollock and Garry Sobers continued the run feast finishing Post-War XI's day at 425/5.

Day 4 :

On the fourth morning Sobers and Graeme Pollock toyed with O'Reilly and Grimmett to take the total to 575/5 when Sobers declared half an hour after lunch. Pollock was undefeated on 100 and Sobers on 103. The crowd erupted as Pollock and Sobers raced to their centuries in a breathtaking blaze of shots. Cuts, drives, pulls, hooks blazed the green and sent the spectators into rapture.

POST-WAR TEST XI FIRST INNINGS 

Barry Richards c Bradman b Sydney Francis Barnes 159

Sunil Gavaskar c Hammond b Sydney Francis Barnes 36

Shane Warne b Larwood 0

Vivian Richards c Gregory b O'Reilly 134

Sachin Tendulkar b Larwood 0

Graeme Pollock not out 100

Garry Sobers not out 103

Extras : 47

Total : 575/5 dec.

Overs : 157

Fall of wickets : 1/108 (Gavaskar), 2/108 (Warne), 3/354 (Barry Richards), 4/355 (Tendulkar), 5/358 (Vivian Richards)

Bowling Analysis :

Larwood      25 - 2 - 97 - 2

Gregory        22- 1 - 87 - 0

Barnes         34 - 7 - 109 - 2

O'Reilly         34 - 9 - 111 - 1

Grimmett     35 - 15 - 96 - 0

Hammond     7 - 0 - 28 - 0

The Pre-War XI second innings began well. No wickets were lost before tea as Hobbs and Sutcliffe steadily steered the Pre-War XI to a decent 55/0 at tea. But after tea Lillee struck the blow trapping Hobbs plumb before the wicket with an off-cutter that kept low. The wicket's uneven bounce soon claimed Bradman who fell for a duck to Marshall, caught at deep square leg while hooking a nasty bouncer. Headley joined Sutcliffe and the two batted till stumps circumspectly adding another 70 to the total to finish day 4 on 135/2.

Day 5 : 

The sky was overcast and rain was expected in the afternoon. Sutcliffe fell early to Marshall, snicking an outswinger to the diving clasp of Gilchrist. Headley held guard but Hammond was clean bowled by Marshall for 4. The Pre-War innings was in disarray when as Ames was bowled by Marshall of the very next delivery making the Pre-War XI reel at 149/5. Gregory went on the offensive and scored a brisk 45 before Murali had him  caught at forward short-leg just before lunch. The score stood at 229/6 with Headley unbeaten on 85.

Rain delayed play by an hour and when play resumed Headley completed his second century of the match while wickets tumbled at the other end. Warne and Murali made short work of the tail and the Post-War XI folded up for 291 an hour after tea with Headley falling last to Warne, caught of his own bowling for 127. Warne picked up three and Murali one of the tail. 

PRE-WAR TEST XI SECOND INNINGS 

Jack Hobbs lbw b Lillee 21

Herbert Sutcliffe c Gilchrist b Marshall 59

Don Bradman c Lillee b Marshall 0

George Headley c & b Warne 127

Walter Hammond b Marshall 4

Leslie Ames b Marshall 0

Jack Gregory c Gavaskar b Muralitharan 45

Sydney Francis Barnes 

Harold Larwood 

Bill O'Reilly 

Clarrie Grimmett 

Extras : 

Total : 291

Overs : 

The Post-War XI had just 50 minutes to score 65 to win the Test match. They would face a minimum of 13 overs to achieve the task.

Written by Sugata Bose