All Time Great Test Championship: Through the Decades

[Wilted]

Update
Having a 40-test competition was a great idea, but at this rate, a new CC version will be out before it's completed. The number of games will be halved to 20, giving each team the opportunity to play every other team in their group before the finals begin.

The top two teams from each group will go through to the semi-final while the qualifying finals will be played between 2nd and 3rd from each group, with the winner progressing to the semis. Of course, winners of the semis will play off in the final.

[Wilted]

Game 11: 1930s vs 1990s
1930s XI: B Ponsford, B Mitchell, D Bradman*, P Hendren, G Headley, W Hammond, L Ames+, B Voce, H Verity, B O'Reilly, H Larwood
1990s XI: S Anwar, A Stewart+, S Tendulkar, B Lara, S Waugh*, M Waugh, M Azharuddin, W Akram, S Warne, C Ambrose, A Donald
1990s won the toss and elected to bat.

Day 1
The 1930s will need to show a strong performance against the Group B leaders to keep their finals hopes alive, while the 90s will be looking for a third win on the trot to cement their place at the top of the group. The first session was evenly split with a 50-run opening stand and a wicket to O'Reilly. But with Tendulkar falling to Hammond just before lunch, momentum was with the 30s.

Stewart made a half-century and steadied the innings with Lara but Verity bowled Lara before the 1990s could begin to assert dominance. Waugh got off the mark with a six and continued to be the aggressor until tea.

Stewart celebrated his first 100 of the tournament but was trapped LBW shortly after. The younger Waugh departed soon after. Steve Waugh was able to survive the short-lived collapse and put on a solid innings of 79 not out by the end of the day's play with Azharuddin unbeaten on 19 at the other end.

1990s 5-284

Day 2
Just as Waugh's innings started with a 6, his century was also brought up with a huge flick off the pads, over square leg, for a maximum. The partnership reached 100 too, and Azharuddin also passed 50. Despite a promising start from the 1930s, the 90s were taking this game by the scruff of the neck.

The partnership was broken when both batsmen fell to spin in consecutive overs. Verity and O'Reilly ripped through the tail, with Verity picking up six wickets for the innings. The 90s finished with a first innings total of 440 runs.

Akram made short work of the two openers from the 1930s, dismissing them in a short, fiery spell before tea. Any wobbles were put to rest in the following session. Bradman and Hendren combined to put on 152 runs in a single, wicketless session. The main culprit was, of course, Bradman, who was 91 not out at stumps.

1990s 440, 19302 2-182. 1990s lead by 258 runs.

Day 3
The Bradman/Hendren run party continued for the entirety of the third morning and Donald seemed to be the pinata. The pair piled on more and more runs as their partnership cruised past 200 runs. By lunch, both batsmen had scored centuries.

If you thought Bradman and Hendren could get any better, they surely did their best to prove otherwise. It was yet another session where almost 150 runs were scored without the loss of any wicket. Both batsmen passed their own 150, and still leading the way was Bradman on an unbeaten 191 at tea.

Bradman was first to a double-ton, closely followed by Hendren. Combined, their partnership was now worth 450 runs, and they were in front with eight wickets in hand. Bradman soared past 250 but Hendren couldn't keep up, missing a straight one from Ambrose. The last shot of the day was a cover drive for 4 from Bradman to bring the lead to 100.

1990s 440, 1930s 3-540. 1930s lead by 100 runs.

Day 4
The onslaught from Bradman continued but at least the 90s didn't have to bowl for a whole day between wickets this time, picking up headly in the opening hour of the day. Bradman's triple century came off just 439 balls. That would be Bradman's third test score of 300+, the only person to achieve the feat. A flurry of boundaries and wickets saw the 1930s' lead climb above 200 before Bradman was bowled for 315. The wicket also signalled the declaration on 6-644.

The 1990's second innings started extremely slowly, with just one boundary in 25 overs. The monotony was broken when Anwar fell to O'Reilly and Stewart followed in the same over. O'Reilly continued to affirm his skill was one of the top spin bowlers in the competition, picking up Lara as his third wicket. He trapped both Waugh brothers LBW to make it a third 5-wicket haul and put the 1930s on track for their first win of the tournament. Tendulkar's wicket rounded out one of the best bowling spells of the tournament.

O'Reilly picked up the last few wickets finishing with NINE wickets in the innings! An ATG record. His nine-wicket haul also sealed a much-needed innings victory for the 1930s.

1990s 440
S Waugh 120, A Stewart 104
H Verity 5-110, B O'Reilly 4-130

1930s 6-644 dec
D Bradman 315, P Hendren 235
C Ambrose 2-135, W Akram 2-137

1990s 172
M Azhruddin 38, S Tendulkar 35
B O'Reilly 9-66, H Verity 1-28

1930s won by an innings and 32 runs
D Bradman was awarded Man of the Match.

[Wilted]

Game 12: 1970s vs 2010s
1970s XI: G Boycott, S Gavaskar, A Kallicharan, G Chappell*, C Lloyd, T Greig, R Marsh+, D Lillee, M Holding, J Thomson, D Underwood
2010s XI: A Cook, C Gayle, V Kohli, J Root*, A de Villiers, S Smith, B Watling+, R Ashwin, D Steyn, S Broad, J Anderson
1970s won the toss and elected to bat first.

Day 1
The evergreen Anderson found the early edge of Boycott, to give the 2010s an early breakthrough. Aside from a couple of 6s from Kallicharan, the 2010s quicks kept the 1970s batsmen quiet for most of the session.

The second session seemed to be a repeat of the first session, with Ashwin picking up an early wicket and Kallicharan being the only significant run scorer. He and Chappell were defensive for the most part of the session but decided to go after Gayle when he was brought into the attack for a short spell.

Kallicharan looked confident in the middle until he got into the nervous 90s. In the space of a couple of overs, he survived an LBW shout, a couple of edges and a dropped catch. He was undone in the end on 92 to a full and straight delivery from Steyn. Chappell and Lloyd looked to up the run rate and both finished the day with unbeaten 50s.

1970s 3-250

Day 2
The partnership between Chappell and Lloyd quickly amassed 100 runs. Both batsmen seemed to navigate the 2010s strike bowlers well but reserved their aggression for whenever Gayle came into the attack, which was surprising often for someone going at 5+ runs per over. Chappell reached his 100 and Lloyd was unbeaten in the 90s at lunch.

It didn't take Lloyd long to reach his own century with a lofted drive over Steyn's head for 4. The two greats were cruising before Anderson finally broke the 200+ run partnership with an unassuming delivery that produced a brain fade from Chappell. Lloyd hit a new level of aggression, especially against the English quicks, Broad and Anderson, and passed 150 runs for the innings. He was eventually undone by Ashwin just before the tea break.

Tony Greig and Marsh looked to quickly put on runs as the innings was nearing two whole days of batting. Greig brought up his half-century and the team's 500 with the same shot while Rod Marsh also found the boundary more times than he ran singles. Ashwin picked up Greig for 58 and Steyn had Marsh soon after for a quickfire 40. The 1970s decided having a quick go at the 2010's openers was more important than a few more runs and declared on 555 runs with a little under an hour left in the day.

Day 3
The previous evening's final passage of play went perfectly for the 70s, removing Cook and Kohli. Gayle and Root put on a fantastic fightback, both reaching 50s in the first session and putting on over 100 runs, unbeaten, in the session. Another small win for the 2010s was when Thomson left the ground with an injury after just bowling a six-over spell.

Root and Gayle continued their dominance of the 1970s bowlers. Root celebrated a fast-paced century off 147 balls. Gayle also reached a ton in his tournament debut, albeit at a slower pace than we've come to expect from the West Indian. It was Underwood who got the breakthrough on the cusp of tea, bowling Root for 113.

Gayle almost was undone with Lillee's first ball with the new ball but was dropped in the slips. To rub it in, he then put on a masterful display. De Villiers also got off to a flying start, reaching 50 off just 70 deliveries. By the end of the day's play, the 2010s had reduced the deficit to under 200 runs.

1970s 7-555 dec, 2010s 3-359

Day 4
Lillee finally picked up a second wicket and it was the big one of Gayle for 177. Both de Villiers and Smith were looking to score quickly but Smith played one big shot too many and fell to Underwood. De Villiers scored the fourth century of the match and it was the quickest of them all. Unfortunately, he was bowled by Underwood on the very next ball. It proved to be a successful over for Underwood, who also bowled Ashwin just two balls later.

The tail put on a few more runs before being bowled all out with a 63-run deficit. Underwood finished with five wickets. Gavaskar and Boycott put on a solid opening partnership and didn't look like they were challenged once by the 2010s bowlers. In just one hour of play, they pushed the lead beyond 100.

A leading edge and a great caught and bowled effort from Broad saw the back of Gavaskar. Kallicharan was unable to reproduce his first innings heroics, just making 7 runs before being bowled by Anderson. The day ended with Boycott and Chappell putting on an unbeaten 77-run partnership. Chappell was obviously trying to build a quick lead to give his team enough time to take 10 wickets on the final day as he hit 47 runs off 60 balls.

1970s 7-555 dec and 2-149, 2010s 492. 1970s lead by 212 runs.

Day 5
Day 5 began with Chappell reaching 50 and Boycott scoring a century. If you blinked at all, you may have missed Chappell reaching a blindingly fast 100 off just 120 balls. Boycott was caught on the boundary for 113 and the second declaration was called when the lead got to 300. With a little under five hours remaining in the match, the 1970s needed 10 wickets to win while the 2010s needed 300 runs.

The 1970s got off to a fantastic start, picking up both openers cheaply. It could have been three wickets down when Kohli edged Underwood to first slip but was lucky to have a no-ball save him. Root was out for just four and things were looking bleak for the 2010s who were now scrounging to survive for a draw. De Villiers and Kohli put on a stalwart defence, leaving the 1970s seven wickets to take in the final session.

The first of seven wickets needed fell to Lillee, bowling Kohli but Smith and de Villiers dug their heels in to ensure a draw was the only possible outcome. Smith was dismissed in the final over of the match for a match-saving 22 off 77.

1970s 7-555 dec
C Lloyd 156, G Chappell 128
R Ashwin 3-129, J Anderson 2-95

2010s 492
C Gayle 177, J Root 113
D Underwood 5-128, D Lillee 2-128

1970s 4-237 dec
G Boycott 113, G Chappell 103
J Anderson 2-47, S Broad 1-32

2010s 5-161
A de Villiers 67 no, V Kohli 29
D Lillee 2-41, D Underwood 2-52

Match drawn
G Chappell was awarded Man of the Match.

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Round 3 Results

Round 3

20s drew with 80s

60s lost to 00s

30s defeated 90s

70s drew with 10s

Bye this round: 40s and 50s.

Current Standings:

Group A	Played	Wins	Draw	RPW	Total
1980s	3	2	1	1.30	5
1920s	3	0	3	0.84	3
2000s	2	1	0	0.68	2
1940s	2	0	1	1.10	1
1960s	2		1	0.84	1
Group B	Played	Wins	Draw	RPW	Total
1990s	3	2	0	0.90	4
1970s	2	1	0	1.38	3
1950s	2	1	0	1.11	2
1930s	3	1	0	1.04	2
2010s	2		1	0.61	1

Tournament Stat Leaders

Batsman	Runs	Bowler	Wickets
D Bradman	506	B O'Reilly	27
J Hobbs	496	I Qasim	20
P Hendren	399	M Muralitharan	18
J Miandad	393	S Warne	18
C Macartney	376	I Khan	16

D Bradman has the highest individual score of 315.
T Freeman has the best individual figures of 9-66.

Round 4 Fixture

Round 4

20s vs 00s

40s vs 60s

30s vs 10s

50s vs 70s

Byes this round: 80s and 90s.

[CrazyCaptain101]

How do you keep track of the stats so easily? Really want to do something like this but am not sure of it.

[Wilted]

'Easily' isn't exactly how I'd put it. I manually put in all stats at the end of the match into a spreadsheet. You can see the last spreadsheet I made at the end of the last thread. Simple enough to do, just tedious and takes a bit of time.

I really do wish there was a way to import saved scorecards though. It'd save a bit of time.

[Wilted]

Game 13: 1920s vs 2000s
1920s XI: H Sutcliffe, H Taylor, C Macartney, J Hobbs, F Woolley, J Ryder*, J Gregory, B Oldfield+, M Tate, T Freeman, A Mailey
2000s XI: M Hayden, G Smith*, R Ponting, K Sangakkara, R Dravid, J Kallis, A Gilchrist+, S Pollock, A Kumble, M Muralitharan, G McGrath
1920s won the toss and elected to bat.

Day 1
As typical of the openers from the 20s XI, Taylor and Sutcliffe got off to a slow start, though there was a six in the first hour of p[lay to keep the crowd on their toes. It was almost as if the 2000s team had an inside joke, bringing Hayden on as the first change again, despite having five genuine bowlers at their disposal. What's funnier is that he actually picked up a wicket this time around... Taylor was next to go, falling to the first ball Kumble bowled for the match. Macartney and Hobbs ensured there were no more surprises left before lunch.

Marcarteny reached 50 in 80 balls, setting the tone for the session. At the other end, it took Hobbs 91 balls before hitting his first boundary. The pair's tactic of aggressor and defender pushed the partnership beyond 200 runs before Kumble removed Hobbs, just short of a half-century. It took Macartney just 50 balls to go from 50 to 100, pushing his team's total beyond 200 before tea.

All of the 2000s bowlers were being hit all over the park, until Murali found Macartney's edge, ending his innings on 125. With a straight past Kumble, Woolley raised his bat for a 50. It took McGrath just two deliveries to get the new ball working, removing Woolley for 82. The new, aggressive approach to the 1920s batting clearly paid off as they reached 300 runs on the first day for the first time this tournament. The tail offered no resistance whatsoever as the 1920s lost their final five wickets within the space of six overs. McGrath finished with a five-wicket haul.

1920s 340.

Day 2
Smith fell cheaply and Hayden was gone in the following over, giving the 1920s a perfect start to their defence. An aggressive 100+ run partnership was put on to get the 2000s' innings back on track, thanks to some fantastic shot-making from Ponting and Sangakkara. The Sri Lankan just reached 50 before lunch was called.

It was the Ponting and Sangakkara show for the middle session, putting on 150+ runs between them. No variations of spin or pace seemed to rattle two of the highest-scoring batsmen of all time. Of course, it goes without saying that both batsmen celebrated centuries.

The massive partnership of 239 runs was finally broken when Ryder brought himself on to bowl, having Ponting caught in the deep for 111. The new ball undid both Dravid and Kallis cheaply and stumps was called with the 200s just 14 runs behind. The 1920s would be ruing the tail-end collapse right now.

1920s 340, 2000s 5-326. 1920s lead by 14 runs.

Day 3
Sangakkara finally fell for 181 runs and Gilchrist was able to fill his spot, scoring at a fast rate to grow the first-innings lead. Gilchrist lost a couple of partners but kept scoring steadily, bringing the lead above 100 runs before lunch. Soon after play resumed, the last couple of wickets fell, including Gilchrist, who put on an entertaining 73. Gregory finished with six wickets

Despite the early wicket of Taylor, the 1920s put on a solid batting performance. While neither Sutcliffe nor Macartney set the ground alight, they put on almost 100 runs together to reduce the deficit to under 50. They both left the field at tea unbeaten.

Murali and McGrath picked up two quick wickets to start the session. Thankfully for the 1920s, Sutcliffe managed to keep a cool head and brought up a hard-fought 50. The 1920s passed 150 and were now charged with putting on a defendable lead with six wickets left in hand. They finished the day 25 runs ahead.

1920s 340 and 4-167, 2000s 482. 1920s lead by 25 runs.

Day 4
Sutcliffe swept Murali for 4 to bring up his team's 200th run but the all-time leading wicket-taker had the last laugh, removing Sutcliffe in the 90s. Murali had Ryder in the same over and Kumble bowled Gregory to make it three wickets in two overs. Oldfield was Murali's fifth wicket of the innings. Freeman and Mailey put on a defiant 10th wicket stand to eke the lead over 100 but McGrath put an end to things with a new ball. The 2000s will need 113 runs to win.

Hayden led the charge with most of the runs scored off his bat and despite losing two wickets, the 2000s stormed home for a comfortable victory.

1920s 340
C Macartney 125, F Woolley 82
G McGrath 5-61, A Kumble 2-75

2000s 482
K Sangakkara 182, R Ponting 111
J Gregory 6-110, T Freeman 3-130

1920s 255
H Sutcliffe 91, C Macartney 40
M Muralitharan 5-94, G McGrath 4-44

2000s 2-117
M Hayden 67 no, R Ponting 35
M Tate 1-30, T Freeman 1-33

1920s lost to 2000s by 8 wickets.
G McGrath was awarded Man of the Match.

[Wilted]

Game 14:
1940s XI: C Washbrook, A Morris, V Hazare, D Nourse*, B Sutcliffe, L Hassett, K Miller, G Gomez, D Tallon+, T Mann, B Johnston
1960s XI: B Simpson, B Lawry, K Barrington, G Sobers*, G Pollock, B Cowper, J Parks+, P Pollock, G McKenzie, B Chandrasekhar, L Gibbs
1940s won the toss and elected to bat.

Day 1
It took half an hour for the 1940s to put just 10 runs on the board and one hour to reach 25 runs. The slow start created too much pressure when Sobers picked up the day's first wicket, removing Morris for a slow 25. The rest of the session progressed with little excitement.

Washbrook looked in control and passed 50 runs for the innings. At the other end, Hazare also looked comfortable, helping the partnership grow towards 100 runs. Hazare and Washbrook continued to put on slow and steady runs throughout the session without being troubled at all by the bowlers.

A breakthrough came from Chandrasekhar, who found Hazare's edge for 68 runs. With a drive straight past the bowler, Washbrook brought up his century off 188 balls. Having put on almost 100 runs in less than a session, Nourse and Washbrook led an aggressive attack against the 1960s' bowlers. Pollock finally picked up the wicket of Washbrook for 134 runs and Nourse raised his bat for a half-century just before stumps.

1940s 3-294.

Day 2
While not as explosive as his performance in the last session yesterday, Nourse looked every bit as confident as he punished bowlers around the ground. Sutcliffe was a steady companion at the other end but only put on 16 runs as Nourse made another 50 runs to bring up his century. McKenzie took a consolation wicket, bowling Sutcliffe, before the session's end.

The 1940s brought up their 400 and looked to put on quick runs this session. The aggressive approach saw Nourse play a wild swing against Pollock, ending his innings on 126 runs. Both Hassett and Miller put on quick 50s, pushing their team's total above 500 runs.

Some absolutely ridiculous shots were played in the lead-up to Hassett's century, including a reverse sweep for 6! Miller had some similar shots but fell short of his century, being dismissed by McKenzie in the first over of the third new ball. With a few more quick runs and Pollock finally dismissing Hassett for 129 off 154 balls, the 1940s declared on a total of 603 runs.

1940s 7-603 dec, 1960s 0-32. 1940s lead by 571 runs.

Day 3
After surviving the last hour of play, Simpson and Lawry continued to be thorns in the 1940's side. They put on an agonisingly slow 78 runs partnership before Mann dismissed Lawry for a slow 31 runs. Simpson passed 50 just before lunch and the 1960s had reduced the lead to under 500 for the loss of one wicket.

The middle session of the match was a display of dull dominance from Simpson and Barrington. They put on a few runs at a slow pace, with few boundaries but without the loss of any wickets, and were beginning to put pressure on both teams who were looking o pick up their first wins of the tournament.

With a push into the gap between mid-wicket and square leg for a single, Simpson brought up his century off over 250 deliveries. A top edge brought up Barrington's 50 at a similar place. Once again, it was Mann who provided the breakthrough, bowling Simpson.

1940s 7-603 dec, 1960s 2-255. 1940s lead by 348 runs.

Day 4
Increasing his strike rate into the 30s, Barrington passed 100 in the opening hour of play on Day 4. Unfortunately, he became Mann's third wicket not long after. Sobers brought up his 50 with a reverse sweep for 4, followed by a slog over cow corner. Soon enough, the lead was below 300 runs and the players were walking off for lunch.

Sobers and Graeme Pollock put on a slow and steady partnership that was finally broken by Johnston with the new ball and Miller picked up Pollock in the next over. Cowper then fell for a duck but there was a sigh of relief when Parks cleared the rope for 6 to reduce the deficit to below 200, avoiding a follow-on. Parks and P Pollock fell to Mann, giving him another five-wicket haul for the tournament. By the time the tail collapsed, he had picked up six wickets.

Having a 183-run lead gave the 1940s openers confidence to push the envelope with their batting aggression. In an hour of play before the end of Day 4, Washbrook and Morris had raised the lead to 251 runs, giving the 1940s hope there may be a win on the cards tomorrow.

1940s 7-603 dec, 1960s 2-255. 1940s lead by 348 runs.

Day 5
Both batsmen quickly pushed past 50 runs each and soon the lead was above 300. Washbrook fell for a run-a-ball 91 and soon Morris fell too for 66. With the fall of two wickets, the 1940s declared with a lead of 341 and approximately five hours left in the match to take ten wickets and achieve their first victory.

It was clear from the opening few overs that the 1960s had no intentions of pulling off an incredible chase to record their first win of the tournament. In 10 overs, they had put on just nine runs before Johnston picked up the first required wicket. The next 50 or so overs went for 60 runs but most importantly, there were no wickets.

The final session was exactly the same. Very few runs and no wickets. Only in Test cricket can you find such a dominant display of defence for a draw.

1940s 7-603 dec
C Washbrook 134, L Hassett 129
P Pollock 3-124, G McKenzie 2-80

1960s 420
B Simpson 118, K Barrington 108
T Mann 6-127, K Miller 3-103

1940s 2-158 dec
C Washbrook 91, A Morris 66
B Cowper 1-9, B Chandrasekhar 1-56

1960s 1-127
K Barrington 64 no, B Simpson 55 no
B Johnston 1-23

Match drawn.
C Washbrook was awarded Man of the Match.

[Wilted]

Game 15: 1930s vs 2010s
1930s XI: B Ponsford, B Mitchell, D Bradman*, P Hendren, G Headley, W Hammond, L Ames+, H Verity, H Larwood, B Voce, B O'Reilly
2010s XI: A Cook, C Gayle, K Williamson*, S Smith, J Root, B Stokes, B Watling+, R Ashwin, D Steyn, J Anderson, N Lyon
2010s won the toss and elected to bat.

Day 1
Larwood struck early, knocking over Gayle for just two runs. Hammond would've had Williamson, who had stepped up as captain, but Ames put down a simple take. Bouncing back quickly though, Hammond bowled Cook for a well-fought 37. Despite a couple of wickets in the session, Williamson stood tall and looked to play some aggressive shots, giving the 2010s a bit of confidence going into lunch.

It was a slow start to the session, with neither batsman looking to play shots against the 1930s quicks. Williamson took almost an hour to get the 20 runs he needed for a 50, but when every run needs to be earned, it just makes the more satisfying in the end. Unfortunately, Williamson soon fell to Verity due to a leading edge straight back to the bowler. The next over, Smith lofted an on-drive for 6 to bring up his own half century. The final half hour before tea was dominated by Smith, who hit three 6s and boosted the run rate greatly.

The bowlers struggled to contain Smith and Root in the third session. Both batsmen looked to play aggressive shots. Root brought up his 50 with a flurry of boundaries off spin bowling. Despite his hot run of boundaries against the 1930s bowlers, Smith looked to hit the cover off the ball to bring up hi 100 but only found the edge and walked back to the pavillion on 99. The old addage, one brings two, rang true for Verity. He found the edge of Root in the same over and suddenly the 1930s were back in business, ready for Day 2.

2010s 5-297.

Day 2
It took Larwood just four balls to pick up another wicket, removing Watling. A few overs later, Larwood struck again. This time he removed both Ashwin and Steyn in consecutive balls and then bowled Anderson in his next over. Stokes had been quiet up until now and with nine wickets down, decided to do what he does best: make clutch runs quickly. He put on a 50-run stand with Lyon (Stokes hit 47 of them) before Lyon fell to O'Reilly. Larwood picked up five wickets in the innings.

Mitchell got the 1930s off to the perfect start, scoring eight of the nine boundaries in the opening stand that quickly reached 50. He reached his own 50 before Ponsford had even reached double figures. It was Lyon who found the breakthrough, getting the big wicket of Mitchell. In the last over before tea, Ashwin had Bradman caught at bat pad but it was called for a front-foot no-ball.

Anderson picked up Ponsford early in the session but that was the only success the 2010s had for some time. Without a single chance in the next hour, Bradman brought up 50 and Hendren became a defensive wall. It wasn't until the sun began to set in the final overs of the day when Lyon once again picked up the much needed breakthrough, removing Hendren for 32.

2010s 362, 1930s 3-205. 2010s lead by 157 runs.

Day 3
With the very first ball of the day, Ashwin bowled Bradman for 76 runs. Lyon and Ashwin were all over Headley and Hammond but found no further success. The batting pair rode their luck with edges and missed shots but survived the opening hour of play. It was a different story when the new ball was taken. Headley and Hammond looked at ease against the extreme pace of Steyn and precision of Anderson. Once the quicks came on, Headley raced to 50. Williamson reacted by taking off Anderson and bringing back Ashwin to bowl with a relatively new ball, which ended up being a success when Ashwin bowled Headley just before lunch.

Lyon picked up another early wicket just after a break and also had Verity caught behind in the same over. Larwood fell to Anderson and then struck Voce on the hand, forcing him to retire hurt. Soon after Hammond was trapped LBW by the Englishman for a slow 32 off 112 balls.

With a 63-run lead and the opposition being a bowler down, the 2010s would be looking to strengthen their hold on this match. The lead ballooned to above 100 runs as the opening pair reached a 50-run partnership. Cook was dropped behind the stumps twice on his way to 50. Finally, O'Reilly bowled Gayle for 47 but the lead had already soared to above 150 and there were still nine wickets to take. Larwood came back into the attack in the final few overs and picked up Williamson but most of the damage had already been done.

2010s 362 and 2-164, 1930s 299. 2010s lead by 227 runs.

Day 4
Smith looked to make quick runs once again but was undone by Larwood for 31 runs off 24 balls. While not flashy and not at all chanceless, Cook brought up his century off 199 balls and edged the leader closer to 300. O'Reilly finally drew one final false shot from Cook, removing him for 115 runs. Not long after he also had Root before lunch.

Stokes and Watling didn't look like they were eager to push the lead into unreachable territory any time soon, but rather looked to eat up more time. They spent most of the session ticking over the scorecard and the lead hit 350 midway through the day. Spin once again found the breakthrough with O'Reilly bowling Stokes. Watling brought up 50. Larwood bowled a nasty short ball to Ashwin, who managed to duck out of the way at the last moment but forgot to get the bat down. With the lead at 445, the 2010s declared with four sessions remaining.

It was a solid session that replicated 1930s first innings, Mitchell looked to be the aggressor while Ponsford was happy to slow things down. At the end of the day, 1930s required 402 runs to win while the 2010s had a full day to take 10 wickets.

2010s 362 and 8-382, 1930s 299 and 0-44. 2010s lead by 402 runs.

Day 5
It took an hour for the 1930s to take a wicket but with just 20 runs in that time, they were desperate to take more before time ran out. Mitchell continued to make runs at a decent pace, bringing up his second 50 of the match and Bradman looked as solid as ever going into the lunch break.

Ashwin and Lyon were unplayable in the opening overs of the penultimate session but once again were unable to find success amongst the many stray shots until Ashwin had Mitchell caught at leg slip. Bradman brought up another 50 as the 1930s looked to strangle a draw. A draw would likely see both teams miss finals.

Hendren brought up his 50 with a four. With 90 minutes left of play, the lead had been reduced to 200 runs with eight wickets still in the sheds. The next passage of play belonged to Bradman, who raced to 100 and looked like he might carry the 1930s to a very unlikely victory. Lyon picked up Hendren but when Headley came out to hit his first ball for 6, it was clear what the 1930s' intentions were. Headley and Hammond fell in quick succession to Ashwin and the hopes of rampaging to victory were dashed. Bradman remained unbeaten on 135. The 1930s were 101 runs short while the 2010s still needed 5 wickets.

2010s 362
S Smith 99, J Root 65
H Larwood 5-87, H Verity 3-93

1930s 299
D Bradman 76, G Headley 60
N Lyon 4-83, J Anderson 3-83

2010s 8-382 dec
A Cook 115, B Watling 60 no
H Larwood 4-116, B O'Reilly 4-129

1930s 5-344
D Bradman 135 no, P Hendren 81
R Ashwin 3-78, D Steyn 1-50

Match drawn.
D Bradman was awarded Man of the Match.

[Wilted]

Game 16: 1950s vs 1970s
1950s XI: L Hutton, H Mohammad, E Weekes, D Compton, P May*, N Harvey, C Walcott+, R Lindwall, H Tayfield, B Statham, A Bedser
1970s XI: G Boycott, S Gavaskar, A Kallicharran, G Chappell, C Lloyd, T Greig, R Marsh+, A Roberts, D Lillee, J Thomson, D Underwood
1970s won the toss and elected to bat.

Before we start, this Test surely has the record for the most double letters in players' names with 17 double letters.

Day 1
The 1970s struck early when Lindwall hooped one back into Gavaskar's stumps and Bedser found Boycott's edge a few overs later. Making his ATG debut, Statham removed Chappel for just eight runs and the 1950s were in a strong position after the first hour of play. Kallicharran and Lloyd put on a solid fightback, almost surviving to lunch. Unfortunately, Lloyd missed a straight one from Taylor just before the break.

The middle session wasn't as devastating as the first, with only a few boundaries and a 50 to Kallicharran. After a slow start, Greig started to up the aggression before being bowled by Statham. With Kallicharran and Marsh surviving until tea, the 1970s fought back this session to put themselves right back into the contest.

It was another hour of great batting from the 1970s, topped off with Kallicharran bringing up a century. The Kallicharran/Marsh partnership ended with the unsuspecting run out of Marsh. The 1950s took the new ball as soon as possible and it took Lindwall just three deliveries to remove Kallicharran with a sharp, short delivery that was gloved to short leg. The Liillee and Thomson wagged some streaky boundaries but in the end, the tail offered little resistance. Lindwall bounced back into form with five wickets in the innings.

1970s 261.

Day 2
Lillee got the 1970s off to the start they needed, removing Hutton in the opening over of the innings and Weekes not long after. After surviving the rest of Lillee's spell, Mohammad and Compton were able to relax against the rest of the attack and score more freely. The pair had put on an unbeaten 50+ run partnership by the time lunch came around.

A fiery Lillee came into the straight after lunch and picked up right where he left off, finding the edge of Mohammad for 34 runs. With Lillee back into the attack, the runs once again dried up and put pressure on the batsmen. Underwood found the edge of May but May's reaction and replays suggested that there may not have been any bat involved at all. Compton stayed calm on his way to 50 as he and Harvey both walked off unbeaten at the tea break.

Pace bowling got another wicket straight after a break, this time it was Roberts who found the edge of Harvey. Roberts picked up Compton about 20 minutes later for 70 runs. Walcott and Lindwall put on a very good cameo partnership, bringing the deficit to under 50 before Lindwall edged another slider from Underwood through to the keeper. With only tail-enders left, Walcott upped the ante to bring up his 50 in just 72 balls. At the end of the day, the 1950s were two runs ahead.

Day 3
With just two wickets needed, the 1970s bowled Lillee and Roberts with the new ball expecting a quick turnaround. In the end, it took them over an hour to pick up the final wickets. Walcott's unbeaten 78 gave the 1950s a 32 runs lead. In the short spell before lunch, the 1970s knocked off the small lead without loss of wicket.

The openers blocked out Statham and Lindwall, punctuated with the occasional single or boundary, which made it a slow start to the innings. Tayfield's change of pace drew a poor shot from Boycott who made just 30 runs off 101 deliveries. A fast and straight delivery from Bedser removed Gavaskar for a similar score and then picked up both Chappell Kallicharran in his following over, spinning the 1950s back into the game just before tea.

Picking up from where he left off, Tayfield dismissed Greig with the first ball of the session. Marsh was unable to survive the rampaging Tayfield, who scooped one to mid-off, becoming Tayfield's fifth wicket for the innings. Once Llyod too fell to Tayfield, only the tail was left with a lead of just 100 runs. Roberts and Lillee survived to the end of the day with 15 runs each.

1970s 261 and 7-158, 1950s 293. 1970s lead by 126 runs.

Day 4
It took the 1950s an entire session to knock the tail over, mainly thanks to Lillee's unbeaten 40 off 148 deliveries. With a total of 204, the 1970s had an underwhelming lead of 172 runs. Of course, Tayfield was the star of the innings with six wickets.

Lillee was unable to replicate his first innings devastation but as they used to say, "If Lillee doesn't get you, Thommo will." Thomson picked up the first two wickets of the innings, giving the 1970s the perfect start to defend a low total. Roberts had Weekes caught at slip and all of a sudden, the remaining 133 runs began to look daunting. It would be up to May to rescue the match, just as he had done many times for England throughout his career.

The first over of the third session almost saw the back of May when Lillee got him edging to the slips. Unfortunately, a diving Chappell was unable to get a good grasp of the ball. The drop only cost the 1970s one run in the end, when May was given out LBW to Roberts. Chappell took an even better catch off Lillee to dismiss Harvey and the rollercoaster of a match took yet another twist. Losing Walcott was just about the final nail in the coffin for the 1950s and the 1970s quicks seemed to hit another level of confidence. A couple more wickets fell in the waning overs of the day. Either way, the result of the match would likely be decided in the first session tomorrow morning.

1970s 261 and 204, 1950s 293 and 8-125. 1970s lead by 48 runs.

Day 5
The equation to win was simple: two wickets for the 1970s or 48 runs for the 1950s. An unbeaten Compton would likely be the deciding factor. Against a fired-up trio consisting of Roberts, Lillee and Thomson, you'd have to say the 1970s were likely to come out on top. The opening hour saw more balls pass the edge than runs scored. Compton broke the stupor, launching Underwood for 6 to bring up his 50 off 208 balls. The run rate of the opening 20 overs was just one run per over but no wickets had fallen. With the new ball in hand, Roberts and Lillee hoped to make quick work of things. The first ball with the new ball, Roberts dismissed Compton. With 10 and 11 at the crease, 26 runs seemed like an impossible task now. A short ball from Lillee ballooned off Bedser's glove to give the 1970s a win in what was one of the best matches of the tournament so far.

1970s 261
Kallicharran 106, R Marsh 40
R Lindwall 5-46, B Statham 2-69

1950s 293
C Walcott 78 no, D Compton 70
D Lillee 4-56, A Roberts 3-86

1970s 204
D Lillee 40 no, S Gavaskar 38
H Tayfield 6-54, B Staham 2-34

1950s 147
D Compton 59, P May 16
A Roberts 4-26, J Thomson 3-33

1950s lost by 25 runs
D Lillee was awarded Player of the Match.

[Wilted]

Round 4 Results

Round 4

20s lost to 00s

40s drew with 60s

30s drew with10s

50s lost to 70s

Current Standings

Group A	Played	Wins	Draw	RPW	Total
1980s	3	2	1	1.30	5
2000s	3	2		1.06	4
1920s	4		3	0.67	3
1940s	3		2	1.25	2
1960s	3		2	0.69	2
Group B	Played	Wins	Draw	RPW	Total
1970s	3	2	1	1.27	5
1990s	3	2		0.90	4
1930s	4	1	1	1.03	3
1950s	3	1		1.05	2
2010s	3		2	0.71	2

Tournament Stat Leaders

Batsman	Runs	Bowler	Wickets
D Bradman	717	B O'Reilly	32
C Macartney	541	M Muralitharan	24
J Hobbs	540	I Qasim	20
P Hendren	480	D Lillee	20
C Washbrook	468	S Warne	18

D Bradman has the most 100s (3).
B O'Reilly and M Muralitharan have the most 5WI (3).
M Muralitharan is the only bowler with 2 10WM.

Round 5 Fixture

Round 5

40s vs 00s

60s vs 80s

50s vs 10s

70s vs 90s

How each team can make the finals

1920s
Having already played their four games, the 1920s will need two rely on two favourable results this round while they have a bye. They are currently third in their group but have the lowest RPW in the whole tournament. They need both the 1940s and 1960s to lose to maintain their position. Although considering their opponents this round are the top two teams in Group A, it is a likely outcome.

1940s
Sitting just one point behind third and with a strong RPW, a win will guarantee the 1940s will make it through to finals. It'll be a tough ask against the 2000s though. A draw leaves their fate in the balance and they will need to rely on the top-of-the-table 1980 to not lose against cellar dwellers 1960s. If the 1940s lose, their tournament is all over.

1960s
With the same amount of points as the 1940s, the 1960s are in an almost identical scenario. The only difference is their abysmal RPW, which means they need to outperform the 1940s by a long way to progress. They do play after the 1940s so they will know the exact scenario when their match begins.

1980s
The 1980s have already done enough to make it through to the finals. Being a point clear on top of the table also gives them a very good chance of sailing straight through to the semi-finals. They do play the bottom team of Group A, the 1960s, so their confidence in achieving this should be high.

2000s
While there is a mathematical chance of the 2000s miss finals, it seems like an almost possible scenario. They would need a huge loss against the 1940s and then the 1960s would need a massive win against the 1980s. The results would need to be big enough to ensure a 0.5 swing in RPW. Aside from that, they also have a chance of stealing the top spot. If they win their final group match and the 1980s draw or lose, then the 2000s get a one-way ticket to the semis.

1930s
Just like the 1920s, the 1930s have played all their group matches and will need to rely on some favourable results to maintain third position in Group B. The difference between them is that the two bottom teams in Group B will be playing each other. The 1930s need a draw, not even a tie, where the 1950s need a slight drop in RPW. Any outcome other than that will see them drop to fourth and miss finals.

1950s
A win will see the 1950s into the qualifying final. As mentioned above, a draw could go either way but as long as they maintain their RPW, that should be enough to get them over the line. A loss and it's all over.

1970s
Top of the table 1970s will face the second-placed 1990s in the final match of the group stage. It really is a case of winner takes all, or at least a spot in the semi-final. Having a clear one-point advantage as well as a significant gap in RPW means the 1970s will likely maintain top spot in the event of a draw.

1990s
The 1990s have also booked a spot in the finals but whether it's a spot in the qualifying or semi is still up to them. It's a pretty simple scenario, win and they leapfrog the 1970s and go through to the semi or they don't win and have to fight their way through in the qualifying final.

2010s
The time machine that must've brought all the players in this tournament together forgot that many of the 2010s players aren't at their peak any more and forgot to pick them up in their prime like other players. A prime squad from the 2010s could have been a real threat to this tournament but the mixed forms of these players at the time of selection sees them at the bottom of Group B. Hope isn't lost though, as a win against the 1950s in the final round will see the nudge their way past both the 50s and 30s to play in the qualifying final. A loss or draw though will see the remain at the bottom...

[Wilted]

Game 17: 1940s vs 2000s
1940s XI: C Washbrook, A Morris, D Nourse, V Hazare, V Mankad, G Evans, K Miller, D Wright, T Mann, B Johnston
2000s XI: M Hayden, G Smith*, R Ponting, J Kallis, K Sangakkara, M Yousuf, A Gilchrist+, S Pollock, A Kumble, M Muralitharan, G McGrath
2000s won the toss and elected to bat.

Day 1
Two big changes were made to the 1940s must-win game. Mankad and Wright come in to bolster their underwhelming bowling attack. Being sent in means they'll be put to the test early on. First up were the quicks however, with Johnston finding Hayden's edge for just 2. Miller wasn't far away from the action either, bowling Smith for 17. The third wicket to fall was Ponting, caught behind off Hazare to a good first session for the 1940s.

Johnston started the session off trapping Sangakkara LBW but Kallis and debutant, Yousuf, steadied the innings. Kallis has had a disappointing tournament so far and was almost dropped instead of Dravid this match but he has hit form at the right moment, bringing up a 50 to even the match out.

Yousuf brought up a 50 at the other end. Once the seamers needed resting, Kallis and Yousuf went after the spinners. Despite the pitch being a spinner's paradise, the 1940s were regretting picking three spin options this match. Once the new ball was available, Johnston got to work immediately, catching Kallis off his own bowling in the 90s. Yousuf and Gilchrist survived to the end of the a slow day with both bat and ball.

2000s 5-230

Day 2
Yousuf continued the next day with his usual slow, methodical approach but Gilchrist came out guns blazing. He brought up his half-century off 70 balls but was immediately caught out off Wright's bowling before adding another run to his name. Despite increasing his run rate, Yousuf became the second player of the innings to fall in the 90s but not before the total crept above 300 runs. Miller bowled Pollock, leaving just the dregs of the tail left. Surprisingly, it was McGrath who was left unbeaten at the end of the 335-run innings.

Morris started with three consecutive boundaries in the opening over of the 1940s innings but eventually fell to a great catch in the slips for 13. It was hard going for the batters, with even Hayden managing to square up Nourse with a half-tracker. Despite the difficult conditions for batting, Nourse and Washbrook put on a brave 50-run partnership before the tea break, most of which came off Nourse's bat. He made his own half-century. In the final over before tea, Washbrook fell for 20 off 84 balls.

The opening hour of the third session involved Nourse hitting boundaries to all parts of the ground off every bowler., bringing up his century not long after raising his bat for 50. A short ball that flicked the should of Hasset's baton the way through gave Pollock his second of the innings. After 19 overs of being smacked around the ground, Murali finally got the big wicket of Nourse. Stumps were called with Hazare and Mankad unbeaten.

2000s 335, 1940s 4-207.

Day 3

The first over of the morning saw Murali pick up Hazare's wicket, which brought in Evans for the first time in the tournament. In the 22 balls he faced, not once did he hit the middle of the bat before being bamboozled by Murali. The two spinners made short work of the tail, ending the 1940s innings on 262 with a 73-run deficit.

Both Hayden and Smith were able to see off the new ball but Hayden fell LBW to Johnston in the 12th over. Smith played a more defensive role alongside an aggressive Ponting but it didn't bear fruit as he was caught at slip off the bowling of Wright. Ponting fell in the next over to Mann. After hitting three balls for 4 in a row, Sangakkara looked in fine form until he edged one on the fourth ball, ending his short stint at the crease, and Kallis fell to Mann too. The 2000s were five wickets down at tea but had a solid 213-run lead.

Quick wickets would be key to keeping the 1940s chase to a reasonable target but Yousuf and Gilchrist had other ideas. There wasn't too much running between the creases but boundaries flowed from the two big hitters at the crease. Both batsmen passed 50 with boundaries and took their team's lead above 300 runs.

2000s 335 and 5-249, 1940s 262. 2000s lead by 322 runs.

Day 4
A new day didn't stop the flow of runs and neither did the new ball. It wasn't until the combination of Yousuf and Gilchrist put on a 184-run stand that Johnston finally nicked off Gilchrist for 84. A risky single and a direct hit almost ended Yousuf's innings on 99 but he managed to scamper home for a memorable hundred in his tournament debut. The lead blew out past 400 as Yousuf continued to pile on runs up until lunch.

The 1940s bowling attack was summed up early in the session when Yousuf hit a reverse sweep, top-edged it straight to deep point, it was dropped, the ball trickled over the rope for 4 and then a front foot no-ball was called. Yousuf comfortably passed 150 and the lead was nearing 500 runs. Yousuf finally fell to a thin edge off Mann. Smith declared when Pollock reached 50 and the 2000s reached a total of 452 runs. The final target set for the 1940s to chase was an incredible 525 runs.

With no chance for a win, the 1940s set in for the long haul to draw. A loss would be the end of their tournament but a draw still kept them alive with just a bit of luck. Murali took the first wicket after 17 overs but there was a determination about the 1940s batsmen's defence. The 1940s almost made it through to the end of the day without further loss but Pollock picked up Morris and Nourse in the same over. At the end of the day, 1940s had seven wickets left to survive.

2000s 335 and 7-452, 1940s 262 and 3-70. 2000s lead by 456 runs.

Day 5
Runs flowed a bit more easily on the final morning of the match. With up to six catchers hanging around the bat, the 1940s batsmen found it easy to find large gaps in the field. Hazare survived an hour before being the first wicket to fall for the day. Hassett and Mankad remained unbeaten at lunch with almost 150 balls faced between them but there was more than double that remaining left in the game.

It was an early blow to the 1940s when Murali picked up Hassett for 32 from a leading edge that popped straight back to the bowler. The new ball didn't have the desired effect for the 2000s until Kallis came in to give the main quicks a rest and picked up Mankad for 46. Miller came in to hit a few boundaries but despite the risky shots, survived until tea. With four wickets left, both teams would be fiercely fighting for a positive result.

Evans fell early to Murali, leaving Miller and the tail left to face the 25+ overs left in the day. With an hour of play left, Wright fell to Murali, leaving only two wickets left. Miller started to farm strike to protect the tail and made a half-century in the process. Pollock found the edge of Miller with half an hour left in the day, leaving Mann and Johnston to survive the closing overs. A backfoot drive through the covers even brought up 300 runs for the 1940s with 16 minutes left. 10 and 11 survived a combined 75 balls, which lead to the final over to be bowled by McGrath. After five defensive blocks in a row, it came down to the last ball... which was safely left on a sixth stump line for a draw. The 2000s miss out on the chance to go straight to the semis but guarantee a spot in the qualifying. The 1940s however must wait until the next match to find out their fate.

2000s 335
M Yousuf 98, J Kallis 90
K Miller 3-55, B Johnston 3-68

1940s 262
D Nourse 112, V Hazare 27
M Muralitharan 4-104, S Pollock 3-37

2000s 7-452 dec
M Yousuf 162, A Gilchrist 85
T Mann 3-146, B Johnston 2-69

1940s 9-313
K Miller 61, V Mankad 46
M Muralitharan 4-95, S Pollock 3-47

Match drawn
M Yousuf was awarded player of the match.

[Wilted]

Game 18: 1960s vs 1980s
1960s XI: B Simpson, B Lawry, G Pollock, K Barrington, G Sobers*, R Kanhai, W Grout+, P Pollock, F Trueman, G McKenzie, B Chandrasekhar
1980s XI: G Gooch, G Greenidge, J Miandad, A Border*, V Richards, I Khan, I Botham, J Dujon+, R Hadlee, J Garner, I Qasim
1960s won the toss and elected to bat.

Day 1
The first hour of the match was the typical defensive style we'd come to expect from the 1960s, who put on just 29 runs in the time. Simpson did look aggressive on occasion, even hooking a couple of 6s. Once the openers saw off the new ball, they could score more freely and went to lunch unbeaten with a 74-run partnership.

Thanks to a total of eight extras, the 100-run opening stand came before either batsman reached 50 runs. Both batsmen reached a half-century. Imran Khan changed his angle to around the wicket and with a hooping inswinger, struck Lawry on the front pad plumb in front. Graeme Pollock waltzed to the crease and started his innings with a bang! In the half-hour he had at the crease, he scored 43 runs and pushed his team's total to 190 by tea.

Simpson and Pollock continued to attack the 1980s quicks. The only bowler who managed to keep things tight was Qasim but Simpson and Pollock calmly fended off his spells for few runs. Simpson reached a century and Pollock reached a half-century as their partnership cruised past 150. After showing the best bowling performances in the tournament so far, today was a reality check for the 1980s.

1960s 1-268

Day 2
The day began with less aggression than we saw for most of Day 1 with the two batsmen continuing to steadily. Not long after the score ticked past 300, Qasim bowled Pollock in the 90s. There were no more wickets for the rest of the session but the loss of Pollock seemed to restrict runs being made.

After batting for four whole sessions, Simpson was finally bowled by Garner for 164. The wicket fell just after the 1960s past 350 runs. Barrington fell in Qasim's next over and Sobers was dismissed not long after before he could really get going.

Kanhai put a solid effort in the latter part of the day, just making sure the 1980s were never able to relax. He brought up his 50 and once the 1960s reached 500 runs, they declared. Kanhai remained unbeaten on 77.

1960s 6-502 dec, 1980s 0-8. 1960s lead by 494 runs.

Day 3
Both Gooch and Greenidge looked to ease themselves into their innings but almost as soon as they looked comfortable at the crease, Pollock removed Gooch for 28. The 1980s survived the rest of the session without the loss of a wicket but the 1960s quicks didn't make it easy for them.

Trueman picked up Miandad but there was not much excitement for the rest of the session. It was as if the fight had gone out of the 1980s and they were already playing for a draw. After 180 balls faced, Greenidge finally reached his half-century but fell to Chandrasekhar soon after. The 1980s needed Viv Richards to find some form in this match and his early signs were promising, hitting six boundaries in less than 20 balls before the tea break.

Viv's 50 came off 50 balls, his first of the tournament, but there was still a long way to go for the 1980s. It was even longer when Viv was caught in the slips off Pollock the next ball he faced. Trueman had Imran Khan in the first over with the new ball and the 1980s were beginning to regret not picking an extra specialist batsman. Border and Dujon fell just before stumps to a fiery spell from Trueman.

1960s 6-502 dec, 1980s 7-219. 1980s need 84 runs to avoid the follow-on.

Day 4
Botham and Hadlee were slowly but surely chipping away at the total when Sobers pulled out a terrific effort to take a diving catch at second slip to remove Botham off Pollock's bowling. Sobers wasn't able to get out of the action, picking up the last two wickets. His team had a 233-run lead and decided to enforce the follow-on due to time left in the match.

There have been some uneventful sessions this tournament but this one would likely take the cake. In the first 200 balls of their innings, Gooch and Greenidge hit three 4s, only one of which was off the middle of the bat. At this rate, a draw was imminent, which would spell a tournament-ending disaster for the 1960s after dominating for the entire match so far.

Gooch and Greenidges defiant opening stand was broken shortly after the break. Miandad and Border almost made it through to the break in a similar, defensive fashion to the openers but Chandrasekhar, who had been quiet so far this match, picked up Miandad and Richards before stumps.

1960s 6-502 dec, 1980s 270 and 4-132. 1960s lead by 100 runs.

Day 5
Putting on 62 runs for the session, Khan and Border stuck their heels in, putting on a partnership that would likely end the 1960s hopes of reaching finals. Going into the lunch break, six wickets were still needed and had a slight lead of 38 runs. Quick wickets and some runs would still be needed for the 60s to win from here.

Border's 50 came from 134 balls. Halfway through the session, the 1980s hit the lead. Once they had the lead, Border and Botham seemed to relax a bit and began hitting boundaries, something which the crowd had not seen a lot of over the last couple of days. Once again, it was the end of the session that brought on a couple of quick wickets, leaving the door open for the 1960s to win in a tight finish.

Still batting with a defensive mindset, Border reached his century. His innings almost single-handedly dashed any chance of the 1960s winning from this position. Nothing of note happened for the rest of the match, which finished with three consecutive maidens.

1960s 6-502 dec
B Simpson 164, G Pollock 97
I Qasim 4-88, I Khan 1-103

1980s 270
G Greenidge 52, V Richards 50
F Trueman 4-73, P Pollock 3-72

1980s 6-345
A Border 119 no, G Greenidge 48
B Chandrasekhar 4-113, G Sobers 1-48

Match Drawn
A Border was awarded Man of the Match.

[Wilted]

Game 19: 1950s vs 2010s
1950s XI: L Hutton, H Mohammad, P May*, E Weekes, D Compton, N Harvey, C Walcott+, H Tayfield, J Laker, A Bedser, B Statham
2010s XI: A Cook, C Gayle, J Root*, S Smith, A de Villiers, B Stokes, B Watling+, R Ashwin, V Philander, D Steyn, N Lyon
2010s won the toss and elected to bat.

Day 1
This match would essentially be an elimination final between the two bottom teams. If either team wins, they will make it to the qualifying final otherwise, they will be packing their bags. Gayle and Cook saw off the new ball and began opening the blade once the ball softened. Both batsmen were unbeaten at lunch with an 81-run stand.

Just four overs into his spell, Statham pulled up sore and left the field. A huge blow for the 1950s. Cook made 50 runs, as did Gayle a few overs later. Being a bowler down, Compton would have to step up throughout the match and did so as soon as he came in to bowl, dismissing Cook in his first over. He did it again a few overs later when Gayle miscued one straight to mid-on. Smith and Root weren't phased by slow-paced deliveries and put on a bit of a firework show leading up to tea.

Joe Root Bazballed his way to 50 while Smith took a more traditional approach. The 2010s passed the milestone of 2-222 quickly and were already discussing who'd be selected for the qualifying final. Without a second seamer, May took it upon himself to bowl with the new ball alongside Bedser. The strange decision kept Root and Smith caged in, likely due to them not wanting to face the dressing room after getting out to a bowler like May. The day ended with a Root century and an unbeaten 180-run stand with Smith

2010s 2-326.

Day 2
It was for boundaries for the 2010s and more pain for the 1950s in the morning session of Day 2. It wasn't long before Smith tonned up. Runs flowed for over an hour before Bedser caught Root on the back foot, dismissing him for 144. Tayfield bowled Smith for 137, which he scored with an SR of 70+. Compton capitalised on the loss of the two dangerous batsmen and removed de Villiers cheaply for his third wicket.

We all know that Stokes can take away a game in the blink of an eye but a run-a-ball 50 seems less impressive when your team already has 500 runs on the board. Compton picked up another wicket, bowling Watling, and the chances of him picking up an unlikely 5fa were on the cards. Stokes sped to 100 and with the same stroke, brought up his 100 off 103 balls and the team's 600. The 1910s declared after the next delivery. Surely, a mammoth total like that has struck the 1950s out of finals contention.

Steyn struck early, bowling Mohammad for a golden duck. Philander had May knicked to the slips and the 1950s were down two wickets and hadn't even made ten runs yet. Not long after, Philander had his second with Weekes and not a single 1050s batsman had been able to make it to double figures. The day ended due to poor light and Hutton and Compton really fighting to save their finals chances.

2010s 7-604 dec, 1950s 3-63. 2010s lead by 541.

Day 3
Not even ten minutes into the day and Philander already had a wicket. This time removing Hutton for 21 off 84 balls. The 1950s were once again relying on Compton to save them, who brought up his 50, but just like the first innings, one man cannot do it all himself. A strong partnership between Harvey and Compton saw a bit of fightback but there still was an enormous 452-run deficit towering ahead of them.

The Compton/Harvey partnership was eating into precious time for the 2010s. Despite being far ahead in the match, it was a win they were needing. Harvey raised his bat for a well-earned 50. The partnership broke to Ashwin, getting Harvey out LBW. Even though the entire match has been dominated by the 2010s so far, Compton was having the greatest performance of his career. Along with the four wickets in the first innings, he now had a 100 as well.

Walcott and Compton were putting on a very good display of batting. With just over 100 runs to make before avoiding the follow-on, this partnership was vital to the 1950s. Walcott made a 50, making a claim for the best keeper-batsman in the comp. On the cusp of tea, Compton pushed for two, bringing up 150 runs.

2010s 7-604 dec, 1950s 5-307. 2010s lead by 297.

Day 4
It took a while but Lyon finally found a way past Compton's defence, getting him caught at slip for 160 runs. Tayfield hit a couple of boundaries, pushing the total past 350. Along with that, the runs needed to avoid the follow-on dropped below 50. To finish the session, Walcott pummelled Lyon through the covers for 4 to bring up a century.

Along with the 400 total, the follow-on was avoided in the first half hour of the session. Barring a miracle performance or a mathematical miracle, it would seem like both of these teams are playing in their final match of the tournament. With the deficit below 200, Walcott relaxed and Ashwin immediately took advantage, bowling him for 123.

Tayfield and Bedser put on a stubborn 50+ run partnership. Tayfield brought up an unlikely 50 and the innings was over when Lyon had Bedser for 44 runs. With a lead of just over 100 and a day to play, there was a small opening for the 2010s to win if they tried to go for it.

2010s 7-604 dec & 1-32, 1950s 489. 2010s lead by 147.

Day 5

Things started poorly (if you can have a poor start with a 100-run lead) for the 2010s when Bedser bowled Gayle for a duck in the evening of the previous day. Cook fell early to Tayfield to give the 1950s a decent start to the innings. With Smith and Root at the crease though, I'm sure there'd be a few worried players in the middle. Once Smith departed, it was just Root they had to worry about, who had already raced to yet another 50. Laker quickly picked up Stokes and Watling. De Villiers made 50 off just 42 balls and the 2010s declared just an over before lunch with a lead of 282.

At the lunch break, the teams ran through the calculations of how they could make the top three of their group. Obviously, a win would see either of them through but a draw could mathematically send either through too. It basically boils down to the 2010s taking as many wickets as possible and the 1950s needed to defend wickets. Philander started things for the 2010s in the perfect fashion, bowling Mohammad in his first over. It didn't fare better with May getting out half an hour later. When Lyon bowled Weekes before tea, the stats said the 1950s could lose only one wicket in the final session to even have a chance of making it through. On the other hand, the 2010s were seven wickets away from winning on a pitch that was showing some serious demons now.

Hutton and Compton bunkered down a saw off enough balls to put the 2010s chance of winning to bed. Together they had faced over 200 balls together for just 66 runs. To end the high-scoring match, Compton raised his bat one more time for 50, showing that one person can really save a Test match against a whole team. With the loss of three wickets in the final innings but a 130-run difference, until the RPW would be calculated, the 1930s, 1950s and 2010s sat equally in third place on the table with a chance of playing finals.

2010s 7-604 dec
J Root 144, S Smith 137
D Compton 4-165, H Tayfield 2-136

1950s 489
D Compton 160, C Walcott 123
V Philander 3-89, R Ashwin 3-102

2010s 7-167 dec
J Root 62, A de Villiers 53
J Laker 4-37, H Tayfield 2-23

1950s 3-152
L Hutton 57 no, D Compton 53 no
V Philander 1-16, R Ashwin 1-40

Match drawn
D Compton was awarded Man of the Match.

[Wilted]

Game 20: 1970s vs 1990s
1970s XI: G Boycott, S Gavaskar, A Kallicharran, G Chappell*, C Lloyd, T Greig, R Marsh*, A Roberts, D Lillee, J Thomson, D Underwood
1990s XI: S Anwar, A Stewart*, S Tendulkar, B Lara, M Waugh, S Waugh*, M Azharuddin, S Warne, W Younis, A Donald, C Walsh
1990s won the toss and elected to bat.

Day 1
This match would determine who would advance to the semi-final. If the 1990s win, they would earn that spot, otherwise, it'll be the 1970s who make it through. Either way, these two teams would end up as the top two teams of Group B. Lillee, who had proven himself as the premier fast bowler of the competition, dismissed Stewart for a duck. Roberts had Tendulkar's off stump cartwheeling and the 1990s were off to a shocking start. Lara and Anwar held fast until the end of the session to make amends for their team's poor start.

Continuing impressive starts, Lara and Anwar both brought up their 50s in the first half hour of the session. Just as it looked like the partnership was going to turn the match around, Lillee had Lara caught a short leg. Mark Waugh and Anwar fell in consecutive overs and Azharuddin was LBW not long after. At tea, the 1970s were seven wickets down.

Steve Waugh batted with the tail-enders for the 1990s and put on a solid defence that resulted in more time spent than actual runs made. Greig and Underwood knocked over the tail before the 200 runs could be made. Greig ended up with astonishing figures of 3-3/

1990s 192, 1970s 1-21. 1990s lead by 171 runs.

Day 2
Boycott started things off with a huge 6, showing little respect for Younis' bowling. Donald ended up getting him caught at slips in the next over though. Coming in at first change, Walsh picked up Kallicharran with a searing yorker with just his second delivery. It seemed like changing bowlers was the key to the 1990s' success when Warne also picked up a wicket in his first over. The only batsman who looked confident in the middle was Gavaskar, who remained unbeaten on 48 at lunch.

A backfoot drive off Warne saw Gavaskar reach 50 runs. Gavaskar's innings ended when he was almost knocked over by a bouncer from Donald. Unfortunately, Gavaskar was unable to get his bat out of the way and Stewart took an easy catch behind the stumps. The loss of Gavaskar stemmed the runs for a bit but Lloyd remained unfazed and inched his way to 50. Lloyd and Greig walked off to tea with a two-run lead.

The partnership between Lloyd and Greig was broken on 99 when Warne found Greig's edge and Lara took a great catch in the slips. Warne struck again, bowling Lloyd for 96, just short of a century. Lille and Thomson put on a solid partnership to get them through to the end of Day 2 with a lead of over 100 runs.

1990s 192, 1970s 8-313. 1970s lead by 121 runs.

Day 3
It took an hour for the 1990s to take the last two wickets needed, leaking almost 100 runs from the tail. Things didn't get better once their second innings started. The 1990s lost Anwar for a duck. Stewart and Tendulkar dug their heels in to defend their wickets. The pressure ended up being too much for Stewart, who lashed out at a wide ball only to edge it through to the keeper. Lara was bowled two balls later giving Lillee two wickets in the over to finish the session.

It's been a feature of this match to take a wicket in the first over of a spell. Lillee had Tendulkar caught at slip straight after lunch, leaving the 1990s four wickets down and still over 100 runs behind. Steve was the first Waugh brother to fall but Mark put on a solid innings to get through to tea.

Mark Waugh reached his half-century but the 1990s were still behind with just five wickets left in the sheds. Waugh and Azharuddin would need a huge partnership. A flurry of boundaries from Waugh took the partnership above 100 as both batsmen walked off at stumps unbeaten. Waugh would have a restless night in the 90s.

1990s 192 and 5-190, 1970s 341. 1990s lead by 41 runs.

Day 4
With a new ball in hand, Lillee and Thomson managed to beat the bat quite a few times in the first few overs of the session. The good news for the batsmen was that boundaries were being hit just as often. Azharuddin made a 50 but unfortunately, Lillee dismissed Waugh on 94 runs. Lillee's fifth wicket for the innings was Azharuddin. The tail was wrapped up fairly quickly from there, leaving the 1970s needing just 79 runs to confirm themselves as the top team of Group B. Lillee finished with seven wickets for the innings.

You'd be mistaken if you thought that the chase would be simple. After a slow start against the quicks, Warnie came in to turn the game on its head, taking five quick wickets in his spell. Unfortunately, as amazing as the great man's bowling is, the 80 runs were made in roughly one session. the 1970s confirmed their spot in the semi-final while the 1990s had booked a ticket to face the 1940s in the qualifiers.

1990s 192
S Anwar 75, B Lara 57
T Greig 3-3, D Underwood 3-36

1970s 341
C Llyod 96, S Gavaskar 64
A Donald 4-78, S Warne 4-104

1990s 228
M Waugh 94, M Azharuddin 55
D Lillee 7-65, A Roberts 2-55

1970s 5-80
G Boycott 35 no, G Chappell 16
S Warne 5-28

1970s won by 5 wickets
D Lillee was awarded Man of the Match