This comes from a request from captain Matth who, as regular readers know, is the skipper of The Barry Team of 2024.
And when a foot soldier gets a command, he complies immediately. Or face court marshalling. Which would still be better than copping a Malcolm Marshalling circa 1983.
Or is it?
Following on from Boycott, Bradman, Lara and Kohli: a Test XI of legends who played in the lowest scoring team totals ever here is the opposite: an XI of greats who bowled in massive opposition scores.
Featuring Malcolm Marshall circa 1983. And can’t thank our wicket keeper enough for contributing by bowling nine deliveries to ensure the team was complete.
Which is part of the criteria: all players must have bowled during the oppositions run feast.
1. Mohammad Hafeez
We cannot NOT start with Mohammad Hafeez from Sharjah in 2014. He opens the batting and scores 197. Then in NZ’s innings of 690 he takes 2-110 off 23 overs. Hafeez then scores 24 in Pakistan’s second innings as they lose by an innings and 80. Oh Mohammad. You should have done more.
2. Virender Sehwag
It was the first of three Tests in 2009. Sri Lanka scored 7-760 in their second innings at Ahmedabad. Virender bowled four overs (0-19) in the draw as India won the series two-nil.
3. Wally Hammond
Hammond bowled 35 overs (1-82), Gubby Allen 34 (0-115) and Maurice Tate a ridiculous 64 overs (1-148) as the Aussies declared at 6-729 at Lords in 1930. Then in the third innings, The Don bowled an over (0-1) before being dismissed for one as Australia won by seven wickets.
4. George Headley
At Kingston in 1930, the “Black Bradman” bowled five overs (0-23) as England were all out for 849. The Windies were 5-408 chasing 836 when the match ended. Funnily enough, ESPN calls this a 0-day match.
5. Steve Waugh (c)
The skipper bowled two overs (0-6), Jason Gillespie 45 (3-135) and Brett Lee 39.3 overs (4-201) as India scored 7-705 at Sydney in 2004. The match was a draw and the series would go onto be tied 1-1.
Steve Waugh (Mandatory Credit: Mike Hewitt/Allsport)
6. Ian Botham
Sir Beefy sent down 52 overs (3-217) in Pakistan’s 708 at The Oval in 1987. It was the fifth Test and guaranteed Pakistan’s away series victory one-nil.
7. Andrew Flintoff
Love this. At Lords (Lord’s!), South Africa plundered the minnows attack of Flintoff (1-115 off 42 overs), Gough (0-127), Harmison (1-103) and Giles (1-142). Finishing at 6-672, the Proteas won the second Test of the series by an innings and 92 runs. In a nice touch, Makhaya Ntini (10 wickets for the match) and Smith (259) were awarded joint Man of the Match as the series was drawn two all.
8. Mark Boucher
Bravo, Bouch. He bowled 1.2 overs in his entire Test career and dismissed century maker Dwayne Bravo at St John’s in 2005. The match was a draw with the Windies scoring 747. It was a match for the keepers as AB de Villiers chimed in with 2-49 off his 22 overs in an attack led by Shaun Pollock, Ntini and Jacques Kallis.
9. Dale Steyn
Sri Lanka won by an innings by scoring 5(dec)-756 in Colombo in 2006. Dale Steyn bowled 26 overs (3-129).
Champagne celebration for Michael Holding in the West Indies’ changing room in 1976. (Photo by PA Images via Getty Images)
9. Michael Holding
Not the biggest score of 7-469. But India started their second innings 199 in arrears and the Windies were playing at Port Of Spain in 1983. Their attack was Holding, Andy Roberts, Marshall and Joel Garner. Holding (1-106 off 31 overs) was the opening bowler in the draw as the Windies won the series two-nil
10. Muttiah Muralitharan
Murali’s 51 overs (4-195) and Rangana Herath’s 53.3 overs (3-240) in India’s 9-726 at Brabourne in 2009. India won the Test by an innings and the series two-nil.
