The Alphabet Game

[ianp1970]

Do de Villiers and de Silva count as D's?

[Arthur Crabtree]

I was expecting them to. Aravinda didn't count for the As. Two de Villiers of course.

[ianp1970]

Back of an envelope:

Dilshan
Dravid
de Silva
Dexter
de Villers
Dhoni
D'Oliveira
de Villiers
Donald
Daniel
Doshi

[Arthur Crabtree]

Don't think D is easy and there's a lack of openers. I'd suggest Dravid at three though, he's too much of a great to plug a gap at the top of the order.

Forgot about Dilshan and Doshi, but I think otherwise the one I got. I resorted to di Venuto out of lack of options, but I expect there are some.

[ianp1970]

Don't think D is easy and there's a lack of openers. I'd suggest Dravid at three though, he's too much of a great to plug a gap at the top of the order.

Forgot about Dilshan and Doshi, but I think otherwise the one I got. I resorted to di Venuto out of lack of options, but I expect there are some.

Me too I only put him there as I found it easier to think of three middle order players than another opener

[rich1uk]

alan davidson as a bowler

44 tests - 186 wickets at 20.53

[rich1uk]

jade dernbach

[Arthur Crabtree]

Presuming it's a Test team, Dhoni could be left out, and ABDV keep. Alternatively, there's de Kock.

Definites (for me): ABDV, Dravid, Donald
Probables: F de Villiers, Dilshan, Dhoni, Dexter
OK but maybe there's better: D'Oliveira, Daniel
Need better: Doshi.

Davidson is a must, so in for Daniel?

[rich1uk]

and one that AC would want to include, Paul Downton as keeper

[Arthur Crabtree]

X
Dilshan
Dravid
de Silva
Dexter
de Villers
Dhoni/D'Oliveira
de Villiers
Donald
Davidson
Doshi

[Arthur Crabtree]

Downton is in as media liaison chief.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I think our batting options for opener are Shiv Sunder Das, Graham Dowling, John Dyson, or Shikhar Dhawan. Only ones to have scored 1000 runs as openers (apart from Dilshan).

Dyson, 2x100s, average 26.3.
Dowling 3/31.6
Das 2/34.9
Dhawan, 4/38.5

So I'll stick in Dhawan pending disagreement.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Dhawan
Dilshan
Dravid
de Silva
Dexter
de Villers
Dhoni/D'Oliveira
de Villiers
Donald
Davidson
Doshi

[Arthur Crabtree]

Probably need an India poster to judge on Kapil Dev. What side is he available for?

[Arthur Crabtree]

I think his first name is Kapildev. In the old days when he played he had an initial, N. Kapil Dev, like Kapil Dev is all his second name, but that seems to have disappeared. Unless someone suggests otherwise, I'll assume he's a K.