Best Players Who Never Played Test Cricket

[Failed Creation]

I've been thinking (a rarity for me...) about outstanding players at Shield level who, for one reason or another, never wore the baggy green.

Garfield Sobers, Barry Richards, Joel Garner, Imran Khan, Viv Richards, Michael Holding...

Haha, well played. But what about Ian Botham?

[rod_rooster]

Jamie Cox
Reckon he averaged more than 50 at shield level for about 10 consecutive years.
Aussies had some pretty gun openers around that time though so was always going to be hard to break into the test side

Clearly the best bastman I can remember who hasn't played test cricket.

Cox averaged 42 for his first class career. Had one outstanding season where he made about 1300 runs but other than that he was nothing special. Certainly not good enough to oust any of the incumbents at the time. Formed a great opening duo with Dene Hills and those two had a lot of success together but neither on their own were good enough.

[GWW]

I suspect Cox would have been a near certainty to have played Test Cricket if he was born 20 years later.

[whufc]

Any of the pacemen from the SA shield winning side maybe Shane George ???

[Phantom Gossiper]

Any of the pacemen from the SA shield winning side maybe Shane George ???

Shane George hardly a dynamite bowler..

McIntyre & May both played for Australia though didnt they?

Mark Harrity maybe?

[GWW]

I don't think Shane George was ever a realistic chance of playing Test Cricket. When he started out - (was he about 17 when he debuted for SA?) - there were very high hopes for him though.

[Hondo]

Because of the high injury rate of bowlers I think most bowlers with test potential get a trial eventually

I don't think George was ever in the frame though other than his Australia A stint in 1994-95

[Dogboy21]

Any of the pacemen from the SA shield winning side maybe Shane George ???

Shane George hardly a dynamite bowler..

McIntyre & May both played for Australia though didnt they?

Mark Harrity maybe?

Mate did you ever get the chance to face Georgey? He was dynamite enough for me - he was bloody slippery...

[Stumps]

Jamie Cox
Reckon he averaged more than 50 at shield level for about 10 consecutive years.
Aussies had some pretty gun openers around that time though so was always going to be hard to break into the test side

Clearly the best bastman I can remember who hasn't played test cricket.

Cox averaged 42 for his first class career. Had one outstanding season where he made about 1300 runs but other than that he was nothing special. Certainly not good enough to oust any of the incumbents at the time. Formed a great opening duo with Dene Hills and those two had a lot of success together but neither on their own were good enough.

Clearly that is the case. that is why they are mentioned in this thread

[Lightning McQueen]

Any of the pacemen from the SA shield winning side maybe Shane George ???

Shane George hardly a dynamite bowler..

McIntyre & May both played for Australia though didnt they?

Mark Harrity maybe?

Mate did you ever get the chance to face Georgey? He was dynamite enough for me - he was bloody slippery...

We had a intra-work cricket match a few years back, one dude used to give Georgey a hard time at work, he bowled short & at the body to this bloke, he was a pretty novice cricketer, it was hilarious.

He stopped giving him shit after that.

[Phantom Gossiper]

Mate did you ever get the chance to face Georgey? He was dynamite enough for me - he was bloody slippery...

Sorry poor choice of words! Didn't as in how quick he was, meant don't think he really dominated SS cricket.

[Phantom Gossiper]

We had a intra-work cricket match a few years back, one dude used to give Georgey a hard time at work, he bowled short & at the body to this bloke, he was a pretty novice cricketer, it was hilarious.

He stopped giving him shit after that.

GOLD!

[Jim05]

Jamie Cox
Reckon he averaged more than 50 at shield level for about 10 consecutive years.
Aussies had some pretty gun openers around that time though so was always going to be hard to break into the test side

Clearly the best bastman I can remember who hasn't played test cricket.

Cox averaged 42 for his first class career. Had one outstanding season where he made about 1300 runs but other than that he was nothing special. Certainly not good enough to oust any of the incumbents at the time. Formed a great opening duo with Dene Hills and those two had a lot of success together but neither on their own were good enough.

Think you will find his first 4-5 seasons were fairly ordinary, dont think he averaged over 30 in any of those seasons.
He then had a real purple patch where he averaged over 50 for 8 consecutive seasons, thats a pretty decent record considering he was in an ordinary Tassie side at the time and playing on a a Bellerive greentop every second game.
Didnt he end up just behind Boof on the all time runscorers at shield level?
Would have played Tests in a differant era

[daysofourlives]

Have to disagree Jim, Bellrive was a road back then even rivalling Adelaide for flattest track in the country

[Dogwatcher]

Anyone want to have a crack at selecting a Never played a Test v One Test Wonders side?

[Jim05]

Anyone want to have a crack at selecting a Never played a Test v One Test Wonders side?

Not sure of I could come up with a side but Mick Malone would be close to the best 1 test wonder. Made a 40 odd and took a 5 fa in his only test. Joined World Series and never played another test.
Also won a flag and was leading goal kicker in the WAFL, not sure with who though.
Only know this because it was a question at a quiz night, and yes no-one knew the answer

[BoundaryRider84]

Anyone want to have a crack at selecting a Never played a Test v One Test Wonders side?

NEVER PLAYED TEST CRICKET
1. Jamie Cox (TAS)
2. Jimmy Maher (QLD)
3. Michael Divenito (TAS)
4. Dene Hills (TAS)
5. Jamie Siddons (VIC/SA)
6. Ian Harvey (VIC)
7. Darren Berry (VIC)
8. Wayne Holdsworth (NSW)
9. Greg Rowell (NSW)
10. Shane George (SA)
11. Matthew Inness (VIC/WA)
12. Trevor Barsby (QLD)

ONE TEST WONDERS

1. Chris Rogers (VIC)
2. Wayne Phillips (VIC)
3. Stuart Law (QLD)
4. Jeff Moss (VIC)
5. Ashley Woodcock (SA)
6. Ian Callen (VIC)
7. Phil Emery (NSW)
8. Beau Casson (NSW/WA)
9. Shaun Young (TAS)
10. Mick Malone (WA)
11. Paul Wilson (SA/WA)
12. Matthew Nicholson (NSW/WA)

Unlucky to miss: Graham Manou (SA), Simon Davis (NSW), Bryce McGain (VIC), Clint McKay (VIC), Dan Cullen (SA)

[GWW]

I think Malone was mainly a bowler.

Did Victoria's Wayne Phillips only play 1 test? - if so, I'd say he'd be a worthy opener in that side.

[Media Park]

Never Played XI:
1. DF Hills 1991-2002 (112 matches 7894 runs @ 40.07, 21 FC hundreds)
2. J Cox 1987-2005 (265 matches 18614 runs @ 42.69, 51 FC hundreds)
3. MJ Di Venuto 1991-2012 (336 matches 25200 runs @ 45.90, 60 FC hundreds)
4. DJ Hussey* 2002-current (164 matches 12424 runs @ 54.01 runs, 41 FC hundreds)
5. JD Siddons 1985-2000 (146 matches 10643 runs @ 44.71, 30 FC hundreds)
6. IJ Harvey 1993-2007 (165 matches 8409 runs @ 34, 15 FC hundreds & 425 FC wickets @ 27.51)
7. CD Hartley* 2003-current (87 matches 3909 runs @ 31.78, 7 FC hundreds) 385 catches, 12 stumpings)
8. DJ Saker 1994-2003 (72 matches, 247 wickets @ 30.10)
9. ML Lewis 1999-2007 (82 matches, 277 wickets @ 29.09)
10. PC Rofe 2000-2008 (70 FC matches, 218 wickets @ 31.66)
11. E Gilbert 1930-1936 (23 matches 87 FC wickets @ 28.97)

Back ups are Maher for Hussey and Berry for Hartley, if either fluked a Test before they're done.

[Media Park]

One Test XI:

1. CJL Rogers* 1998-current (226 matches 18519 runs @ 49.91, 56 FC hundreds)
2. WN Phillips 1988-1994 (60 matches 3859 runs @ 38.59, 9 FC hundreds)
3. SG Law OAM 1988-2009 (367 matches 27080 runs @ 50.52, 79 FC hundreds & 83 FC wickets)
4. JK Moss 1976-1983 (51 matches 3416 runs @ 43.79, 9 FC hundreds)
5. PA Hibbert 1974-1987 (78 matches 4790 runs @ 38.62, 9 FC hundreds)
6. KH Eastwood 1959-1972 (42 matches 2722 runs @ 41.87, 9 FC hundreds)
7. GA Manou 1998-2011 (103 matches, 4003 runs @ 25.49, 6 FC hundreds & 328 catches and 21 stumpings)
8. MJ Nicholson 1996-2008 (124 matches 3258 runs @ 23.78, 4 FC hundreds & 406 wickets @ 29.91)
9. MF Malone 1974-1982 (73 matches 260 wickets @ 24.77)
10. CJ McKay* 2006-current (35 matches 122 wickets @ 27.27)
11. P Wilson 1995-2004 (51 matches 151 wickets @ 30.77)