Welcome to another edition of the forgotten player smackdown, but this time we’ve got the Ashes bug in our system and have decided to do an Ashes themed one.
Check out some of our previous NRL Smackdowns.
Origin Obscurity
Fullbacks
Manliest Name in League
We’ve selected an eleven for each side, who have either been forgotten, or you totally forgot they played a test. All these players are good, you have to be to play test cricket, but these are the ones who slip quickly out of the spotlight. Almost unfairly.
After the way the first test went, this might be the only match the Aussies win.
AUSTRALIAN FORGOTTEN XI
Given the bowlers look like scoring as many runs as the batsmen, we’ve selected a bowling heavy XI.
The mos that matter open the batting and the only other recognised batsman Martin Love scored a 100 and never played again. Funky Miller had plenty to offer on and off the field. Shaun Young was selected as he was in England at the time and we had no players left. Casson and Cullen were in the long line of replacements in the post Warne/Macgill era.
MIKE VALETTA
| M | Inn | Runs | HS | Avg |
| 8 | 11 | 207 | 39 | 18.81 |
GRAEME WOOD
| M | Inn | Runs | HS | Avg |
| 59 | 112 | 3374 | 172 | 31.83 |
MARTIN LOVE
| M | Inn | Runs | HS | Avg |
| 5 | 8 | 233 | 100* | 46.6 |
COLIN “FUNKY” MILLER
| M | W | BB I | BB M | AVG |
| 18 | 69 | 5-32 | 10-116 | 26.15 |
GRAHAM MANOU
| M | Inn | Runs | HS | Avg | Catch |
| 1 | 2 | 21 | 13* | 21 | 3 |
TONY DODEMAIDE
| M | W | BB I | BB M | AVG |
| 10 | 34 | 6/58 | 7/98 | 28.02 |
SHAUN YOUNG
| M | Inn | Runs | HS | Avg |
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 4* | 4 |
JO ANGEL
| M | W | BB I | BB M | AVG |
| 4 | 10 | 3/58 | 5/146 | 46.3 |
PETER MCINTYRE
| M | W | BB I | BB M | AVG |
| 2 | 5 | 3/103 | 3/107 | 38.8 |
BEAU CASSON
| M | W | BB I | BB M | AVG |
| 1 | 3 | 3/86 | 3/129 | 43 |
DAN CULLEN
| M | W | BB I | BB M | AVG |
| 1 | 1 | 1/25 | 1/54 | 54 |
ENGLAND FORGOTTEN XI
Plenty of names you know but forget.
A lot of these players kicked on post Test career in county cricket. Ronnie Irani is now on sports radio in the UK, Chris Lewis has served time for drugs smuggling, and Ryan Sidebottom was selected on name alone. Jack Russell was a must with memories of his floppy hat and mo. It also includes the King of Spain Ashley Giles.
JOHN CRAWLEY
| M | Inn | Runs | HS | Avg |
| 37 | 61 | 1800 | 156* | 34.61 |
MARK RAMPRAKASH
| M | Inn | Runs | HS | Avg |
| 52 | 92 | 2350 | 154 | 27.32 |
GRAEME HICK
| M | Inn | Runs | HS | Avg |
| 65 | 114 | 3383 | 178 | 31.32 |
USMAN AFZAAL
| M | Inn | Runs | HS | Avg |
| 3 | 6 | 83 | 54 | 16.6 |
ADAM HOLLIOAKE
| M | Inn | Runs | HS | Avg |
| 4 | 6 | 65 | 45 | 10.83 |
RONNIE IRANI
| M | W | BB I | BB M | AVG |
| 3 | 3 | 1/22 | 1/33 | 37.33 |
| M | Inn | Runs | HS | Avg |
| 3 | 5 | 86 | 41 | 17.2 |
JACK RUSSELL
| M | Inn | Runs | HS | Avg | Catch |
| 54 | 86 | 1897 | 128* | 27.1 | 153 |
RYAN SIDEBOTTOM
| M | W | BB I | BB M | AVG |
| 22 | 79 | 7/47 | 10/139 | 28.24 |
DEVON MALCOLM
| M | W | BB I | BB M | AVG |
| 40 | 128 | 9/57 | 10/137 | 37.09 |
CHRIS LEWIS
| M | W | BB I | BB M | AVG |
| 32 | 93 | 6/111 | 7/114 | 37.52 |
ASHLEY GILES
| M | W | BB I | BB M | AVG |
| 54 | 143 | 5/57 | 9/122 | 40.6 |
