A while back I posted an all-time Lancashire League West Indies XI and promised that I would do the same for Australian test players who have played as professionals for Lancashire League amateur clubs.
Well, with the help of Lancastrian reader Paul Woodhouse of the industrial blog Tinbasher, we’ve put together the Aussie side and I reckon it would give a good number of All Time XIs a fair game:
Obviously there is no wicket-keeper and clubs in the Lancs League tend to go for all-rounders as pros and that distorts the batting order. Nonetheless its still a pretty balanced side:
1. Bobby Simpson (Accrington)
2. David Hookes (Ramsbottom)
3. Ian Chappel (Ramsbottom)
4. Allan Border (East Lancs)
5. Steve Waugh (Nelson)
6. Trevor Chappel (East Lancs)
7. Bill Alley (Colne)
8. Neil Hawke (Nelson, East Lancs)
9. Ray Lindwall (Nelson)
10 Dennis Lillee (Haslingden)
11. Shane Warne (Accrington)
Names such as Keith Stackpole, Geoff Lawson and Simon O’Donnel were also under consideration and if we had selected on the basis of performance in the Lancs League (and included non test players) then Joe Scuderi (South Australia and Lancashire currently with Nelson and captain of the Italian national team) would certainly have featured.
The next task will be a Lancashire League Rest of the World XI.
Scuderi – not selected, not for the first time.
