All Time Great Test Championship: Through the Decades

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Round 5 Results

Round 5

40s drew with 00s

60s drew with 80s

50s drew with 10s

70s defeated 90s

Final Standings

Group A	Played	Wins	Draw	RPW	Total
1980s	4	2	2	1.05	6
2000s	4	2	1	1.24	5
1940s	4		3	1.07	3
1960s	4		3	0.98	3
1920s	4		3	0.67	3
Group B	Played	Wins	Draw	RPW	Total
1970s	4	3	1	1.29	7
1990s	4	2		0.85	4
1930s	4	1	1	1.03	3
1950s	4	1	1	1.02	3
2010s	4		3	0.79	3

Tournament Stat Leaders

Batsman	Runs	Bowler	Wickets
D Bradman	717	B O'Reilly	32
B Simpson	613	M Muralitharan	32
C Macartney	541	D Lillee	29
J Hobbs	540	S Warne	27
J Root	515	I Qasim	24

D Bradman has the most boundaries (97).
J Root and A Gilchrist have the most 6s (7)
D Underwood has the most maidens (59).

Finals Fixtures

Qualifying	Semis	Final
90s vs 40s	80s vs Q1	S1 vs S2
00s vs 30s	70s vs Q2

How do the finalists stack up?
1930s
Bradman's team has really been carried by a few players. Of course, Bradman, the leading batsman of the tournament, played a pivotal role in getting the 1930s to the finals. He's been supported well by the likes of Hendren and O'Reilly but will need to see the rest of the team lift their game if they are going to progress. Overall the 1930s were lucky to get make it to the finals, just edging out the 1950s by just 0.01 RPW.

1940s
The only other 'non-modern' team to make it to the finals has really had to rely on their batsmen to scrape through to the finals. They went through the group stage winless and have had no bowlers step up to lead the attack. Morris and Nourse have ensured that their team, while winless, also remained undefeated. Considering the 1940s played most of their cricket in the years after WWII, they have certainly done well to make it into the finals.

1970s
The players that revolutionised international cricket with ODIs topped their group and were arguably the strongest performers of the tournament. In a tournament dominated by batsmen, Lillee and the 1970s bowlers have thrust their team to be one of the favourites to win the whole thing.

1980s
The 1980s are the second team to head straight to the semis. Their deep batting line-up and devastating bowlers proved they were the best in their group. While some of their biggest names have yet to perform, the likes of Viv Richards and Botham are known to put in their best when the pressure is on.

1990s
On paper, the 1990s were one of the favourites at the start of the tournament. Some of the biggest names in the history of the game are represented in this team, such as Warne, Ambrose, Tendulkar and Lara. Despite not earning the top spot in their group, the 1990s are still considered one of the top contenders.

2000s
Murali, McGrath, Kallis, Dravid, Gilchrist, Sangakkara. The 2000s boast a squad made of many names that would be thrown around for the greatest cricketers of all time. It's clear that the 2000s have one of the best bowling attacks in the tournament and have phenomenal batsmen to back them up. They narrowly missed out on a semi-final spot due to bowling against the brick wall of the 1940s in the last round and will be keen to prove that they should be the best era.

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Qualifying Final 1: 1990s vs 1940s
1990s XI: S Anwar, A Stewart+, S Tendulkar, B Lara, M Waugh, S Waugh*, M Azharuddin, W Akram, S Warne, C Ambrose, A Donald
1940s XI: C Washbrook, A Morris, D Nourse*, L Hassett, V Hazare, G Gomez, D Tallon+, K Miller, I Johnson, T Mann, B Johnston
1940s won the toss and elected to bat first.

With the group stages all done and dusted, it's time for the finals. One piece of housekeeping first: draws. If a final is drawn, the tiebreaker used in the Sheffield Shield final will be used.

Teams score 0.01 of a bonus point for every run over 200 they score during the first 100 overs of their first innings (for example: 350 runs after 100 overs gets you 1.5 bonus points) and 0.1 of a bonus point for every wicket they take during their opponent's first innings (for example: 10 wickets in the first 100 overs equals 1 bonus point).

Day 1
Defensive starts from the earlier eras have become a staple of this tournament and likely a reason for the number of draws throughout. Morris looked to rotate strike but Washbrook was happy to face 50 balls for just five runs. The 1940s made it to the final over before lunch unscathed but a short of a length ball from Ambrose took an inside edge off Morris through to the keeper.

The second session was much of the same. There were some boundaries but for every 4, there were a couple of maidens. Of course, it goes without saying there were no maximums. Washbrook's defensive approach proved fruitful, bringing up a 50 from 160 balls. By tea, Washbrook and Nourse had put on 80 runs in the session.

With some confidence under their belts, Nourse and Washbrook were playing a more aggressive brand of cricket this session. While not bazball by any means, Nourse brought up his 50 from 130s balls, including eight 4s. Just before the new ball was taken, Steve Waugh brought himself on to bowl and picked up the unlikely wicket of his opposition captain, bowling Nourse with a slow, hooping inswinger. It took a whole day but Washbrook brought up his century with a boundary in the last over before stumps.

1940s 2-224.

Day 2
Ambrose struck an early blow, bowling Washbrook in the 98th over. Hassett brought up his 50 with a single then Hazare knicked one off Donald the next ball. Despite hitting a few early boundaries, Gomez became Donald's second victim. An errant drive from Tallon flew straight to Donald in his follow through and the 90s would be hoping the tail would fall quickly since the 40s had already put on over 300 runs.

Ambrose picked up Miller for just 10 early in the session. Looking to protect the tail and make runs, Hassett dealt mainly in boundaries for this stage of his innings, quickly reaching his century off 186 balls. The fast left-armer, Akram, picked up his first wicket of the match, bowling Hassett for 113 runs. Warne, who had a quiet matt match so far, picked up the final to wickets. The 1940s finished their first innings on 433 runs.

With only an hour left in the day, the 1990s didn't look to do anything that risky. Anwar played a few powerful shots but both batsmen were able to walk off at the end of the day content with achieving their goal of surviving.

1940s 433, 1990s 0-32. 1940s lead by 411 runs.

Day 3
Both openers fell to spin in the first half hour of the day. Stewart was never able to get going but Anwar looked comfortable until he didn't pick a doosra from Johnson. Two of the most prolific run scorers were now in the middle together. Both Lara and Tendulkar would be looking to put on big scores since while they have been successful in this tournament, they haven't yet shown their best.

Once the pair had put on a 50-run partnership, they began to find the boundary more. Tendulkar was the first to bring up a 50 but Lara was able to do it with 30 fewer deliveries. The 1990s total passed 200 runs, giving them 26 overs to accumulate bonus points in case of a draw. Both batsmen ended the session unbeaten in the 80s.

Johnston came out fiery with the new ball in his hand and had Tendulkar caught trying to play a short ball for 92 runs. With a push into an offside gap, Lara became the first 1990s player to score a second century in the tournament. In the 97th over, Mann bowled Lara but it was overturned due to a no-ball call. The replay showed Mann's foot clearly behind the line, causing the biggest controversy in Test cricket since the new ball scandal of the 2023 Ashes. A few overs later, the 1990s were 3-296 at the 100-over mark. Lara and Junior continued to pile on runs until the end of the day.

1940s 433, 1990s 3-335. 1940s lead by 98 runs.

Day 4
Lara started the day by passing 150 runs. Mark Waugh was unable to convert his start, bringing his brother Steve to the crease. A couple of steps down the pitch and a lofted drive for 6 from Waugh brought up the 1990s 400th run for the innings. A textbook straight drive brought up Lara's double ton, the seventh person this tournament to do so. Lunch was called not long after Lara and Waugh began building a lead.

Boundaries were flowing like beers at Old Trafford to start the middle session. Steve Waugh raised his bat for a much-needed 50 considering his form this tournament but was bowled without scoring a single run more. Azharuddin went out cheaply and Lara finally fell for 245 off 403 balls. The quick collapse of wickets prompted the 1990s to declare, hoping they could do the same. Their first innings total was 7-508 with a lead of 75.

The start Washbrook and Morris made was a bit more forceful than their first innings partnership. By the time they had put on 50 runs, less than 20 overs had passed. With the help of some leg byes, the pair had put on 100 runs before Donald had Morris caught and bowled for 48. Despite the great start to the third innings of the 1940s, it would take a miracle for either side to win with just one day left to play.

1940s 433 and 1-131, 1990s 7-508 dec. 1940s lead by 56 runs.

Day 5
For not the first time in this match, a milestone preceded a wicket. This time when Washbrook reached 50, Nourse was bowled just two overs later. Warne had Hassett who was struggling to make contact with the ball. With a lead of over 100 runs and seven wickets left to take, the chances of a completed fourth innings were getting slimmer by the over.

Washbrook's equalled Bradman with his third century of the tournament, this one coming in 248 balls. He was also the first batsman to score centuries in both innings of a match. He continued scoring at a run-a-ball until Nourse declared with the 1940s 215 runs ahead. With around 35 overs left in the match, it's unlikely that 215 runs or 10 wickets would be achieved by either team.

Anwar fell in the half hour before tea but Stewart and Tendulkar weren't having a bar of anything aside from protecting their wicket. Stewart and Tendulkar suffocated the match by putting on a 100-run partnership. Stewart was the only one of the pair to make a 50 and both batsmen were dismissed with just three overs left in the day.

1940s 433
L Hassett 113, C Washbrook 109
A Donald 3-81, C Ambrose 3-88

1990s 7-508 dec
B Lara 245, S Tendulkar 93
T Mann 4-146, I Johnson 2-196

1940s 3-290 dec
C Washbrook 144 no, A Morris 48
S Warne 1-61, A Donald 1-61

1990s 3-121
A Stewart 52, S Tendulkar 46
T Mann 2-31, K Miller 1-27

Match drawn
C Washbrook was awarded Man of the Match.

Tiebreak points at the 100-over mark:
1940s 3-253 (0.83 points)
1990s 3-296 (1.26 points)

The 1990s will progress to the semi-finals where they'll play the 1980s.

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Qualifying Final 2: 2000s vs 1930s
2000s XI: M Hayden, G Smith*, R Ponting, M Yousuf, K Sangakkara, J Kallis, A Gilchrist+, S Pollock, M Muralitharan, M Ntini, G McGrath
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
2000s won the toss and chose to bat.

Day 1
Smith got the 2000s off to a positive start but a start is all his innings would be after Voce struck him on the pad, LBW, for 20. Hayden had a similar experience in the middle before he too was out in the 20s. The two openers were the only two wickets to fall as Yousuf blocked his way to lunch while Punter ensured the scoreboard was always moving.

It must've been a greasy lunch in the pavilion as two simple catches were put down in the first half hour of play. Both chances would have seen the back of Ponting. The partnership between Yousuf and Ponting grew past 50, settling the 2000s innings after losing both openers. Ponting made his own 50 off 103 balls but Yousuf didn't get any chances when a sharp catch at short leg saw the end of his innings. Verity had his third wicket when he bowled Sangakkara through the gate. Kallis immediately looked like he was batting at his peak, something which was rarely seen in this tournament. Both he and Ponting made it to tea without much hassle.

After lunch, Kallis had a lapse of concentration and was bowled playing a completely wrong line against O'Reilly. With batsmen struggling to go on after making a small start, Ponting's second ton of the tournament came at the perfect time. With the new ball in hand, Larwood found an edge to slips but for the third time in Ponting's innings, he was dropped. Gilchrist and Ponting had an unbeaten 71-run partnership at stumps.

2000s 5-286.

Day 2
Gilchrist was dropped in the first over of the day before he brought up his 50. The drop only cost 10 runs in the end as Gilchrist was bowled to become O'Reilly's second wicket of the innings. Ponting reached his 150 milestone and Pollock was looking to be aggressive. A 6 from Pollock brought up 350 for the 2000s.

Finally, after three drops, O'Reilly plucks a lofted shot from Ponting out of the air off his own bowling. His final score for the innings was 177 off 339. You may argue that Pollock lengthens the batting lineup of the 2000s but with Murali coming in at 9, you can easily argue that the team had three number 11s. Pollock brought up his 50 and the team's 400 runs with some glorious strokes. Pollock was in fine touch and despite the tail dropping around him, he made a brilliant 100 off 134 balls. At the start of the session, the 2000s were ~350. By the time the innings were over, Pollock had rocketed the total beyond 500. Tea was called when Pollock edged one through to the keeper for 148 runs. His innings consisted of an ATG record eight 6s.

It did not take very long at all for the 2000s to make inroads into the 1930s batting lineup. In his second over, McGrath bowled Ponsford for just two runs and had Mithcell LBW for nine runs not long after. Bradman was slow to get off the mark and was still in single digits after 50 deliveries but was unshakeable in defence. After 23 overs, Bradman hit Murali for the first boundary of the innings. The only other boundary before stumps was called leg byes.

2000s 516, 1930s 2-63. 2000s lead by 453 runs.

Day 3
The opening spell from McGrath and Ntini saw more near misses and chances than boundaries. Bradman and Hendren survived though and soon had 100 runs between the two of them and Bradman with another 50 to his name. Falling short of his own 50, Hendren edged Pollock to the slips on 47. Headly and Bradman looked to begin scoring quicker and seemed to have no qualms about hitting any of the bowlers around the ground.

With one wicket and a bowling average of over 100, Kallis has arguably been the worst bowler of the tournament. He redeemed himself when he removed Bradman on 86, just as he was looking to start scoring a faster rate. With their main run scorer gone, the 1930s retreated into their shells again and the run-rate trickled almost to a stop.

A new ball and new session saw Ntini take his first wicket of the tournament, bowling Headley for 37. Hammond was playing a slow and steady innings on his way to 50 but unleashed a number of boundaries just before stumps, which saw the 1930s total creep just above 300.

2000s 516, 1930s 5-302. 2000s lead by 214 runs.

Day 4
Saying McGrath was an unplayable metronome was an understatement. While only taking two wickets for the innings, his economy rate was under 1.5. The pressure he created at one end led to the wicket of Ames down the other, who just missed out on reaching 50. With just Hammond and the tail remaining, Hammond made a statement by slogging his way to 100. If Hammond could keep up this intensity, there was a chance the 1930s could take a first-innings lead.

Unfortunately, his innings was ended by McGrath who romped through the tail, taking five wickets total for the innings. The 1930s finished with 407 runs and a 109-run deficit.

There was a day and a half left in the match so either team would have to pull out a great performance to put themselves in a winning position. Larwood started proceeding by bowling Hayden, followed by Hammond getting Ponting caught off a mistimed drive. Leading by example, Smith brought up a half-century. The 2000s' lead had put them into a strong position by the end of the day.

2000s 516 and 2-131, 1030s 407. 2000s lead by 240 runs.

Day 5
Smith hit consecutive boundaries off the first two balls of the day, signalling the 2000s intent to quickly grow their lead before having a crack at taking ten wickets. Yousuf hit two boundaries in a row to reach 50 and was stumped the very next ball. Since Sangakkara has had a lot of experience being a clutch hitter in the shorter form of the game, he comfortably came to the crease and had an impact straight away. Smith and Kallis were both caught behind off Verity, which brought Gilchrist to the crease. It took the 2000s batters just over half an hour to add almost 70 runs to push the lead above 300 and declare.

It was no surprise that first blood went to McGrath in the first over of the final innings. McGrath's second over had an even bigger moment though, when Bradman was caught behind for just five runs. Ntini took the third wicket of the innings and the 1930s still hadn't reached double digits. McGrath had Headley LBW and it was 4-17 with more than two sessions left.

Mitchell and Hammond survived for almost 30 overs without a single boundary but most importantly, not a single wicket. Murali got the needed breakthrough and proceeded to take the final five wickets required for the win alongside Ntini in the space of just seven overs. Murali finished with figures of 4-9 off 10 overs, sealing the win and a spot in the semi-finals for the 1930s.

2000s 516
R Ponting 177, S Pollock 148
B O'Reilly 5-151, H Verity 3-152

1930s 407
W Hammond 113, D Bradman 86
G McGrath 5-86, M Muralitharan 2-107

2000s 7-204 dec
G Smith 79, M Yousuf 51
H Verity 4-57, W Hammond 1-14

1930s 93
W Hammond 37, B Mitchell 22
M Muralitharan 4-9, M Ntini 3-30

2000s won by 220 runs
R Ponting was awarded Man of the Match.

The 2000s will progress to the semi-finals where they'll play the 1970s.

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Semi-final 1: 1980s vs 1990s
1980s XI: G Gooch, G Greenidge, V Richards, A Border*, J Miandad, I Khan, J Dujon+, R Hadlee, C McDermott, J Garner, I Qasim
1990s XI: S Anwar, A Stewart+, B Lara, S Tendulkar, M Waugh, S Waugh, M Azharuddin, W Akram, S Warne, C Ambrose, A Donald
1980s won the toss and elected to bat.

Day 1
Just happy to rotate the strike without risking playing too many shots, Gooch and Greenidge saw off the first hour without much of a fuss. A fast and furious Donald ended the opening partnership with a blistering delivery on middle stump, dismissing Greenidge for 11. Things worsened for the 1980s when Donald picked up his second, removing Viv Richards for just four runs. Gooch and Border cruised to the end of the session, putting on more than 50 runs quickly.

Ambrose had Gooch caught in the slips for 64 early in the session. Miandad looked to take Warne on early but fell to the wily spinner for 23. Imran Khan was bowled through the gate the very next ball, leaving Warne to bowl for his hat trick at the start of the next over. His hat trick ball was the perfect leg break but it span too much for Dujon, just missing the edge of the bat by millimetres. Warne eventually dismissed Dujon for 20 runs. As usual, Border led by example, driving purposefully for four to bring his 50. The last half hour before tea saw the 1980s innings turn into a shamble. Led by Warne and backed up by Junior Waugh, the lower-order batsmen and tail fell for just 14 runs. Border remained not on out 52 and the final total for the first innings was 198. Warne finished with six wickets.

The first shot of the 1990s innings was a streaky hook shot that could have gone anywhere. Thankfully for Alec Stewart (and unfortunately for Garner), it landed in the crowd a couple of metres away from fine leg. The edge Hadlee found in the next over went straight into Dujon's glove (unfortunately for Anwar). Lara was off the mark with a couple of boundaries but he miscued a drive off McDermott that ended in mid-off's hands. When Qasim had Tendulkar LBW, it seemed that the match was in an even position despite the 1980s being bowled for under 200 runs. Mark Waugh and Stewart settled things a bit and were unbeaten at stumps.

1908s 198, 1990s 3-96. 1980s lead by 102 runs.

Day 2
With a flick off the pads, Stewart brought up his 50, just before being caught in the slips off Hadlee's bowling. The Waugh brothers looked in good form out in the middle. Mark brought up his 50 and Steve hit a few boundaries before lunch. The pair had lowered the gap to just 25 runs.

A cut shot for four from Steve Waugh brought up both his 50 and gave the 1990s a first innings lead Without a single run more though, Steve was caught in the deep off Qasim. The new ball produced a few close calls and near misses but Junior and Azharuddin both survived through to tea.

The 1990s showed what has made them so successful in this tournament. While they weren't lighting the world on fire with boundaries or run rate, they made sure they didn't give away any cheap wickets. The epitome of this approach came when Mark Waugh pushed a single to extra cover to bring up his century off 237 balls. At the other end, Azharuddin also made a milestone, bringing up his 50 in 97 balls. Waugh finally was undone by spin, being dismissed by Qasim for 121 runs. Imran Khan had Azharuddin a few overs later and the tail soon collapsed. The 1980s would still find themselves 150 runs behind despite the huge effort in the last hour of the day.

1980s 198, 1990s 360. 1990s lead by 162 runs.

Day 3
While Gooch was happy to play defensively, Greenidge had a point to prove after his first innings duck. He made most of the runs in the opening partnership's 50-run stand but ultimately fell to a leading edge from Warne. A golden duck to Viv gave Warne his second chance at a hat trick in this match. It was confidently blocked by Border. Warne's third wicket was Gooch, bowled by a wrong'un to round out the morning session of play.

Akram began the session with an inswinger which picked up an inside edge and removed Miandad for 15 runs. Border and Khan stuck around together for about an hour without many runs before Warne came back on to bowl and skittled the Pakistani all-rounder. The spin-king picked up his second 5fa for the match, trapping Dujon LBW. The only highlight of the session for the 1980s was Border's second 50 of the match. With all the wickets falling around him, he may be left unbeaten at the end again too.

Border protected the til well but any time the likes of McDermott or Garner faced more than a few balls in a row, they looked incredibly shaky. At nine wickets down, the 1980s scraped through to stumps with Border unbeaten on 90.

1980s 198 and 9-239, 1990s 360. 1980s lead by 77 runs.

Day 4
In the end, a century for Border would have been a consolation prize since it was very likely that the 1990s would storm home with such a small target. Unfortunately, Akram ended those plans when Border was on 97 by bowling Qasim at the other end. The 1980s set a meagre target of 89 runs.

The 80s were up and about when Garner had Anwar with the second ball of the chase. Lara came out and scored some quick runs. Despite being dismissed rather quickly though, he reduced the required runs to under 50. Tendulkar hit the winning runs to give the 1990s not only a comfortable win but also a spot in the ATG Championship of the Decades Final.

1980s 198
G Gooch 64, A Border 52 no
S Warne 6-75, A Donald 2-34

1990s 360
M Waugh 121, M Azharuddin 75
I Khan 4-39, I Qasim 3-90

1980s 251
A Border 97 no, G Greenidge 34
S Warne 6-70, W Akram 2-27

1990s 3-90
A Stewart 43, B Lara 19
I Khan 1-20, R Hadlee 1-21

1980s lost by 7 wickets
S Warne was awarded Man of the Match.

1990s will face the winner of 1970s vs 2000s in the final.

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Semi-Final 2: 1970s vs 2000s
1970s XI: G Boycott, S Gavaskar, A Kallicharran, C Lloyd, G Chappell*, T Greig, R Marsh, A Roberts, D Lillee, J Thomson, D Underwood
2000s XI: M Hayden, G Smith*, R Ponting, M Yousuf, K Sangakkara, J Kallis, A Gilchrist+, S Pollock M Muralitharan, M Ntini, G McGrath
2000s won the toss and elected to bat.

Day 1
38 balls before Hayden scored his first boundary would have to be some personal record for him but with the way Lillee and Roberts were bowling, it would be difficult for anyone to strike the ball cleanly. Once the opening bowlers were rotated out, Hayden looked to attack Thomson. Thomson eventually got his fellow Australian edging the ball to the second slip, ultimately put down. A single off the last ball of the session brought up the 100-run partnership (neither batsman had passed 50 due to four leg byes).

Both batsmen past 50 within a few overs. By the time the 150 came up for the 2000s, it seemed the 1970s were bowling against a brick wall. Smith was the first to his century and Hayden was left hanging on an unbeaten 98 at tea.

Hayden had his own hundred in the first over of the evening session. After 64 overs, 23 boundaries and 227 runs, Underwood finally broke the opening partnership by trapping Smith LBW. Underwood also had Hayden caught at mid-on in his next over. Ponting didn't need much time to begin seeing beach balls. He raced to 50 and helped the 2000s to a 300-run total before the end of the day.

2000s 2-336.

Day 2
The first ball of the day came off the middle of Yousuf's bat for 4 but the second ball jagged away and found Yousuf's edge to have him caught a slip. Sangakkara had a shaky start and had a few close calls but Ponting at the other end was going from strength to strength. Thomson finally had one of Sangakkara's shots find the slips. The underwhelming form of Kallis continued when he to edged Thomson to the slips. Thomson had three wickets in the session when he bowled Ponting on 98 runs.

Gilchrist came out looking for quick runs to add to his team's total, making a quickfire 34 runs before being caught out. Lillee ripped through the rest of the tail with a searing pace. The huge opening partnership helped the 2000s reach a total of 467.

McGrath would've hit a 20c piece six times in a row in his fourth over. The first five times, the ball went away from Gavaskar and the sixth time nipped back and took out the off stump. Kallicharran guided himself and Boycott to a 50-run partnership. Never looking lively, Boycott was out LBW to a Pollock inswinger. When McGrath picked up Lloyd cheaply, the 2000s felt like they had one step already in the finals.

2000s 467, 1970s 3-127. 2000s lead by 340.

Day 3
McGrath's opening over of the day went for 10 runs, a strong indication that the 1970s didn't consider the match done yet. Leading the 1970s, Chappel confidently batted towards 50 but fell just short when McGrath bowled him with an inswinger. The only person more surprised that McGrath could swing the ball that much than Chappell was McGrath himself. Kallicharran reached 50 but it was more bad news when Pollock had Greig caught in the slips. Marsh didn't last long and McGrath and Murali made the tail-end look like U12s. McGrath finished with six wickets. Still 187 runs ahead, the 2000s enforced the follow-on.

Runs came easily for Boycott and Gavaskar at the beginning of the innings thanks to the aggressive fields that were set. Murali got the first breakthrough when one of the seven men around the bat took a catch off a ballooned inside edge onto the pad. Ntini picked up Kallicharran. Murali still had seven catchers bowling to Gavaskar after he had comfortably made it 76 balls into his innings but it worked. Lloyd and Chappell looked aggressive as tea approached.

Murali picked up his third wicket in the second over of the session, getting Lloyd caught in a similar fashion to his other wickets. With little to lose at this point of the match, Greig came out swinging. He made it into the 30s with a strike rate of 125%. The pitch began to show some uneven bounce which helped Ntini remove Chappell and Greig. The tail began to falter again and Ntini picked up his fifth wicket when Roberts knicked one through to Gilchrist. Murali's fourth wicket was the tenth for the innings and the 2000s were through to the final to face the 1990s!

2000s 467
G Smith 115, M Hayden 105
J Thomson 4-103, D Lillee 3-122

1970s 181
A Kallicharran 66, G Chappell 46
G McGrath 6-52, S Pollock 3-52

1970s 215
G Chappell 43, T Greig 38
M Ntini 5-49, M Muralitharan 4-67

2000s won by an innings and 71 runs.
G Smith was awarded Man of the Match.

The 2000s will meet the 1990s in the ATG Championship Final.

[Wilted]

Mystery Round: 1800s vs 2020s
2020s XI: D Conway*, A Shafiq, H Brook, S Shakil, S Gill, C Green, A Carey+, A Patel, M Jansen, O Robinson, S Boland
1800s XI: C Bannerman, A Shrewsbury, WG Grace*, A Steel, B Barnes, G Ulyett, J Blackham, G Lohmann, J Briggs, C Turner, F Spofforth
1800s won the toss and elected to bat.

While the 1990s and the 2000s make their final preparations for the ATG Championship final, players whose eras missed out on being represented have come together for an exhibition match. Of course, the best players of 2020, such as Cummins, Jadeja and Azam, would steamroll the English village cricketers and Aussie farmers of the 1800s so the 2020s XI is made exclusively from players who made their debut since 2020 to even things out. 18-man squads of the most prolific players in their respective eras were selected and the best XI was selected by the CC23 engine.

Day 1
It wasn't a surprise to anyone that the 1800s only hit two boundaries after watching the early era bat throughout the tournament. The first wicket went to Robinson, striking Bannerman plumb in front. WG Grace and Shrewsbury looked to accelerate the run rate until Green had Grace LBW, which replays showed the ball clearly hitting middle stumps. Grace invoked the English Spirit of Cricket and refused to walk off. He claimed, "They've come to see me bat, not you bowl."

The sluggish pace of play continued after lunch and it took over an hour for Shrewsbury to make the final ten runs he needed for his 50 off 143 deliveries. Soon after, Grace had his own half-century, which took 124 balls. The pair had put on well over 100 runs between them across almost two whole sessions by the time tea came around.

A breakthrough came when Shrewsbury edged Patel through to Carey for 69 runs. Steel went for a duck in the next over off the bowling of Boland. It was Boland who finally managed to dismiss Grace, bowling him for 80 with a yorker. Barnes and Ulyett didn't look too comfortable against Jansen and Robinson with the new ball but managed to survive through to stumps.

1800s 4-215.

Day 2
The second day started with Jansen bowling Barnes. What followed was a slow period of play where Ulyett and Blackham looked as if they had forgotten timeless tests are no longer a thing. Ulyett attempted to go for the record of the oldest player to play a reverse sweep but only found a Gatting-like top edge.

The run-rate had trickled to around a run an over but Robinson and Boland were relentless at bowling to the lower order. Once Boland bowled Blackham for 37 off 143, the rest collapsed soon after giving the 1800s a solid first-innings total of 297 runs.

Conway led the way with the opening partnership, scoring 37 runs by the time the pair reached a 50-run partnership. The pair did not offer one chance or opportunity to the 1800s bowlers as they cruised to stumps. Conway finished the day unbeaten on 55 runs.

1800s 297, 2020s 0-93. 1800s lead by 204 runs.

Day 3
The first boundary of the day pushed the 2020s total above 100. It took the 1800s over 50 overs to get a breakthrough and it was the aggressor, Conway, who got a thin edge to the keeper off Briggs.Lohmann had Brook out shortly after for just 5. A straight drive for 4 gave Shafiq his 50 and the deficit had crept below 150 runs. Unfortunately, Shafiq was unable to go on to produce a big score as he had just become Lohmann's second victim. Gill came aggressively. He scored 42 runs off 39 deliveries before lunch was called.

Gill started the session with a boundary off the first ball and brought up his 50 not long after. Gill continued his run of boundaries but Shakil was unable to keep pace. He was caught behind off Briggs. Briggs had three wickets when he had Green caught at slip for just nine runs. The runs kept flowing at the other end and Gill quickly reached his century off 113 deliveries. By the end of the middle session, the 2020s had gone past the 1800s first-innings total and were 32 runs ahead with five wickets left.

Gill finally played one shot too many and was caught behind off Steel for 117 runs. A risky run brought up Carey's 50 and the 2020s were in a very comfortable position for the match. Steel had Carey caught and bowled. Patel and Jansen looked as comfortable as any top batsman as they continued to pile on runs until stumps.

1800s 297, 2020s 7-418. 2020s lead by 121 runs.

Day 4
Along with his three wickets in the first innings, Patel now had a 50 to his name as well. It couldn't have come sooner either as he was caught in the slips without adding any more runs to his score. The rest of the tail managed to wag a few more runs and the 2020s final total was 463 runs. Their lead going into the second half of the match was 166 runs.

First to fall was Shrewsbury, who was completely undone by a searing delivery from Jansen. The second wicket was Bannerman, who was also Jansen's second wicket. Just two balls later, Steel's stumps were sent flying to become Jansen's third victim. All of a
sudden, it was 4-28 when Robinson chimed in with the wicket of Barnes. Grace and Ulyett put on a resistant partnership. Ulyett launched one over the rope for 6 and when he realised he didn't need to heave the ball out of the enormous stadium, he hit a few more. Ulyett fell just before lunch and now with just five wickets in the shed and a standing deficit of 65 runs, the 1800s were staring down the barrel of defeat.

Green took revenge against Grace for the first innings, clean bowling the English great for 46 runs. Blackham and Lohmann slowly but surely picked away at the remaining deficit. It took them most of the session but both batsmen navigated the 2020s attack and hit the lead by the end of Day 4.

1800s 297 and 6-170, 2020s 463. 1800s lead by 4 runs.

Day 5
The final day promised to be a nail-biter with the game poised to go down to the wire. The 1800s batting lineup went deep and they'd be looking to bat as long as possible to force a draw on the best day-five pitch they had ever seen. On the other hand, the 2020s would be hoping for quick wickets and an easy chase. It was the worst start possible for the 1800s, with Blackham running himself out in the second over of the day. Lohmann brought up what would most likely be a consolation 50.

By the time the second session started, the 1800s were closing in on a 100-run lead and Lohmann was closing in on a century. The 100 lead came but unfortunately, Lohmann's century never eventuated. He edged Jansen to the slips on 95. He was Jansen's fifth wicket of the innings.

The 2020s looked comfortable in chasing the small total until Barnes took two wickets in two balls. At the tea interval, the 2020s still needed 55 runs to win. Conway helped out the most by putting on 50 runs. Despite going down to the last half an hour of play, the 2020s won comfortably by eight wickets.

1800s 297
WG Grace 80, A Shrewsbury 69
A Patel 3-60, S Boland 3-79

2020s 463
S Gill 117, D Conway 82
A Steel 4-103, J Briggs 3-155

1800s 270
G Lohmann 95, WG Grace 46
M Jansen 5-73, O Robinson 2-56

2020s 2-105
D Conway 59 no, S Shakil 24 no
B Barnes 2-23

2020s win by 8 wickets
D Conway was awarded Man of the Match.

[Wilted]

ATG Championship Final: 1990s vs 2000s
1990s XI: S Anwar, A Stewart+, B Lara, S Tendulkar, M Waugh, S Waugh*, M Azharuddin, W Akram, S Warne, C Ambrose, A Donald
2000s XI: M Hayden, G Smith*, R Ponting, K Sangakkara, M Yousuf, J Kallis, A Gilchrist+, S Pollock, M Muralitharan, M Ntini, G McGrath
2000s won the toss and elected to bowl first.

The 1990s and 2000s were arguably the strongest era of cricket of all time. They boast some of the all-time greats to have played the game. Dividing that era on either side of the millennium means that members of each team today used to be teammates representing their nation at the highest level of the game. Warne/McGrath, Donald/Pollock, Anwar/Yousuf, Waugh/Ponting are some of the teammates who changed the game forever. Now they will be going head to head to find out which decade of players are genuinely the All-Time Greats

Day 1
With a shiny, new ball in hand, Donald sized up Hayden at the other end before bowling the first ball of the ATG Championship Final. Hayden safely let the ball go outside off stump. Akram started his over with a head-high bouncer at Smith, who confidently stepped back to guide it through backward point for four. The two opening batsmen confidently saw the shine off the new ball and put on 50 runs together in the opening hour of the session. Ambrose had the first chance of the match, drawing out a knick from Smith which was put down at second slip. At lunch, both Smith and Hayden remained unbeaten and had a partnership of 110 runs.

The onslaught continued after lunch. Ambrose seemed to keep the two juggernauts at bay but Wkram and Donald were simply dispatched. Warne got some severe treatment from his former teammate, Hayden. A cover drive for 4 brought up Smith's second century of the tournament. Just two balls later, Hayden was looking to bring up his own century but was trapped LBW by Akram for 98 runs. At 1-222, the teams walked off for tea.

Akram surprised Smith with a bouncer on the first ball back after tea. The ball flew off the shoulder of the bat to be caught comfortably at third man. With both openers gone, Ponting and Sangakkara toned things down a bit to preserve their wicket and prevent a collapse. A studious Ponting reached 50. Just before stumps, Sangakkara unleashed a barrage of boundaries, bringing up his own 50.

2000s 2-340

Day 2
After an abysmal start to the final, the 1990s would need a heroic performance from their bowlers on the second morning to stay in the match. Akram was the one to deliver on just the second ball of the day, getting an inside edge onto Sangakkara's pad to balloon to silly mid-on. A streaky slash just wide of the slips from Yousuf brought up 400 runs for the 2000s, leaving the 1990s bowlers frustrated. Ambrose knicked off Yousuf for 48 runs. Ponting's third century for the tournament was his fastest yet, coming off 149 deliveries.

Akram continued to be the only bowler to find success, dismissing Kallis for his fourth wicket of the innings. Finally, Warne picked up a wicket but it wasn't his best performance of the tournament, already going for well over 100 runs. Pollock slogged his way to 52 off 40 balls before being Donald's first wicket of the innings and soon after the 2000s declared on 7-605. Ponting remained unbeaten on 178 runs off 248 balls.

Needing a strong performance with the bat, and quick runs to make sure there was enough time to end the match with a win, the 1990s looked to start off aggressively. Anwar belted the first ball of the innings for 4 and Stewart had hit a 6 for his first boundary. McGrath ensured that the aggression was of no concern, dismissing Stewart for nine runs. Soon after, McGrath picked up his second, getting Anwar out caught behind. Things were dire when a fourth wicket fell within an hour when Pollock had Tendulkar for just 12. Thankfully for the 1990s, the Waugh brothers put on an unbeaten partnership before the end of the day to give their team some relief.

2000s 7-605 dec, 1990s 4-128. 2000s lead by 477 runs.

Day 3
Steve Waugh started the day as if he had nothing to lose. In the opening over he hit Murali for three boundaries to bring up his 50 in 61 balls. Mark Waugh was a bit more conservative bringing up his half-century, coming off 106 balls. Throughout their career, the Waugh twins put on nine 100+ run partnerships in test matches and in the ATG Final, they brought up their 10th and possibly most important. On the cusp of lunch, Steve put away a straight drive for 4 to bring up his second century of the tournament.

The combination of Murali and McGrath curbed the run rate of the Waugh twins but neither could find a flaw in their techniques. The younger brought up his century off 247 balls. Both brothers continued to steadily make runs and survived until tea with a 251-run partnership and brought up 300 for their team.

You know a batsman is seeing them well when they begin to reverse-sweeping one of the greatest spin bowlers of all time for 6. When Mark Waugh pushed for two, he brought the 1990s' total to 400, avoiding a follow-on which seemed inevitable at 4-56. The indomitable partnership was finally broken when Murali trapped Mark Waugh for 165. McGrath kept the momentum going in the next over, dismissing Azharuddin cheaply. With the tail now in, Waugh looked to go big, hitting multiple boundaries off a Kallis over to bring up a double century. McGrath took a couple more wickets before stumps, including his partner in crime, Shane Warne, to bring up his fourth five-wicket haul for the tournament.

2000s 7-605 dec, 1990s 9-471. 2000s lead by 134 runs.

Day 4
Despite being nine wickets down, the 1990s still had some fight left in them. Steve Waugh continued to show his expertise with the bat, putting on another quick 50 runs to reach 250. It was his highest score throughout his entire test career. The ball after he raised his bat for the fifth time in the innings, he was caught in the deep trying to hoik Pollock over midwicket. Led by their captain, the 1990s managed to salvage their innings and finish with a first-innings deficit of 93 runs. McGrath finished with six wickets.

There were some early chances for Akram and Donald but both of the 2000s openers survived their initial spell. Once the shine had worn off the ball, Hayden and Smith looked very comfortable on the pitch that had turned quite flat. The quicks couldn't find anything in this pitch but Warne could. He picked up Smith in his second over. Ponting came out to the crease looking to push his team forward to victory but was ran out before even facing a ball. Warne almost had Hayden multiple times but dropped catches and leading edges into gaps meant Hayden could reach 50 once more this tournament. Eventually, Warne had the last laugh. A few more wickets fell to Warne and Akram. Warnie had a fifth when he bowled Pollock and it looked like he may bowl the 1990s into an unlikely winning position just as he had done for Australia many times in the past. Sangakkara batted well with the tail to ensure the 2000s still held the upper hand going into the final innings but Warne's six wickets meant the 1990s would be chasing 297 runs for victory.

297 runs or 10 wickets would name either team ATG Champions. With four sessions left, one team would walk away outright victors. Shane Warne's six wickets proved there was some life in the pitch for spinners so
the biggest factor in this final innings would likely be Murali. Would the leading wicket-taker for the tournament bowl the 2000s to a historic win or would the 1990s mount one of the all-time classic comebacks? The 2000s staked their claim to the title with just the second ball of the innings. Anwar misjudged an inswinger from Pollock which flew to gully and Kallis took one of the sharpest catches of the tournament to finish the play. McGrath soon had one of his greatest rivals, Lara, out for just eight runs. Stewart looked to combat the precision of Pollock and McGrath by hitting them out of the attack and achieved his goal successfully, only to be beaten by the pace of Ntini. Tendulkar and Junior Waugh saw out the session and the day.

2000s 7-605 dec and 204, 1990s 512 and 3-95. 1990s need 203 for victory.

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[Wilted]

Day 5
After 25 matches, 125 days, 375 sessions, and countless overs and runs, the ATG Championship has come down to its final day. With runs on the board, the 1990s would feel like they have the upper hand but both teams were still in with a chance and a big performance from any player could be the difference. Just like in the previous session, Pollock was the first to stand up, dismissing Tendulkar in the first over. With the Waugh brothers at the crease, the 2000s knew they needed to continue putting on pressure so a repeat of the first innings didn't happen. Slow and steady was the aim of the game for the Waugh twins. Mark finished the session unbeaten on 53 off 145.

The gap had closed to 144 runs and the 2000s had six wickets to take. A few quick wickets would wrench the game straight out of the hands of the 1990s who had some momentum going for them. McGrath had Waugh playing a ball he should've left and had him caught at mid-off. Steve Waugh's 50 came from 120 balls and the required runs were under 100. The 2000s' quicks were economical but the slow, flat pitch meant no chances were carrying to their catching fielders. Despite this, they chose to use Murali sparingly. Tea was called and the equation stood at 69 runs for a 1990s victory or five wickets for a 2000s victory.

With back-to-back 4s off McGrath's first over, captain Steve Waugh looked to have this finished before it went down to the wire. Azharuddin had similar thoughts and went after Pollock. The pair happily picked gaps for singles in the spread field to whittle the required runs below 20. The underused Murali came into the attack and broke the near match-winning partnership, removing Azharuddin for 68 runs. He had Akram out LBW two balls later. 30 minutes. 11 runs. 3 wickets. Waugh began farming the strike, making it difficult to score with spread fields. Murali had an opportunity to bowl a whole over to Warne but only needed three balls before bowling him. 15 minutes. 7 runs. 2 wickets. Waugh managed to hit Kallis for 4 in the next over but failed to retain strike. Murali had Ambrose in a tizz until Ambrose skied the ball off a top-edged sweep. The high ball headed towards McGrath at mid-off who put in a huge dive to catch the ball... but it landed just out of reach and trickled to the boundary for 4. The streaky top edge from Ambrose sealed victory for the 1990s!

2000s 7-605 dec
R Ponting 178 no, G Smith 105
W Akram 4-122, C Ambrose 1-86

1990s 512
S Waugh 250, M Waugh 165
G McGrath 6-100, S Pollock 2-114

2000s 204
K Sangakkara 57, M Hayden 50
S Warne 6-87, W Akram 3-52

1990s 8-300
S Waugh 89 no, M Azharuddin 68
M Muralitharan 3-54, S Pollock 2-67

1990s win by two wickets
S Waugh was awarded Man of the Match.

The 1990s are ATG Champions!!!

[Wilted]

Final Awards, Stats and the Future of the ATG Championship
An all-round team performance led the 1990s to become ATG Champions. They came into the tournament as one of the favourites, alongside runner-up, the 2000s, and proved to be the better team when the pressure was put on. Led by their bowling attack and supported by every batsman on the team, the 1990s truly deserved to win the tournament.

In a tournament dominated by huge totals and massive hundreds, there were a few bowlers who were able to withstand some of the flattest pitches and breakthrough insurmountable defences. Two of those bowlers were clearly above the rest. They took 10 more wickets than the third highest wicket-taker, had almost identical stats and spun their teams all the way to the finals. Being unable to be split apart, Muttaiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne were awarded joint Player of the Tournament.

Of course, they weren't the only players to step up multiple times when their team needed a big performance. This edition of the ATG Championship saw some of the best batting and bowling performances the world has ever seen. The following players were named in the ATG Decade XI:

ATG Decade XI

B Simpson - 613 runs @122.6, 3x100s and 3x50, best 164
C Washbrook -750 runs @83.33, 4x100 and 3x50, best 144
D Bradman (c) - 808 runs @115.43, 3x100 and 2x50, best 315
R Ponting - 758 runs @84.22, 3x100 and 1x50, best 178
A Border - 626 @125.20, 2x100 and 2x50, best 240
C Walcott (wk) - 282 runs @56.40, 1x100 and 1x50, best 123
S Pollock - 366 runs @40.67, 1x100, 2x50, best 148 // 24 wickets @28.88, 1x5WM, best 5-53
S Warne - 50 wickets @23.30, 6x5WI and 2x10WM, best 8-131
D Lillee - 32 wickets @16.25, 3x 5WI and 1x10WM, best 7-65
M Muralitharan - 51 wickets @22.84, 35WM and 2x10WM, best 7-89
G McGrath - 40 wickets @21.25, 4x5WM, best 6-52

12th man: J Hobbs

Batting Stats

Top 10 Run Scorers

Player	Runs	Average
D Bradman	808	115.43
R Ponting	758	84.22
C Washbrook	750	83.33
M Hayden	711	64.64
M Waugh	668	60.73
B Lara	666	55.50
S Waugh	628	62.80
A Border	626	125.20
B Simpson	613	122.60
K Sangakkara	589	53.55

Next 10 Run scorers

Player	Runs	Average
A Morris	572	63.56
B Mitchell	552	61.33
C Macartney	541	90.17
J Hobbs	540	108.00
P Hendren	529	66.13
G Smith	522	40.15
J Root	516	64.50
S Tendulkar	493	37.92
A Stewart	488	34.86
A Gilchrist	479	47.90

Highest Scores (highest score of each batsman)

Player	Highest Score
D Bradman	315
J Hobbs	275
A Morris	264
S Waugh	250
B Lara	245
A Border	240
P Hendren	235
S Gavaskar	203
L Hutton	198
F Woolley	197

Most Boundaries

Player	4s	6s	Boundaries
D Bradman	102	2	104
R Ponting	94	4	98
M Hayden	93	5	98
B Lara	95	2	97
C Washbrook	89	2	91
M Waugh	81	6	87
K Sangakkara	83	2	85
G Smith	79	6	85
S Waugh	72	11	83
A Border	71	5	76

S Pollock had the 17th most boundaries but was equal first with 11 sixes.

Miscellaneous

Most balls faced: B Simpson (1589 balls)
Most innings: B Lara, S Tendulkar, A Stewart, S Anwar (14 innings)
Most not outs: A Border, A Donald, B O'Reilly (4 not outs)
Highest average: A Border (125.20 runs)
Highest runs per innings: B Simpson (102.17)
Highest strike rate: S Pollock (76.09)
Lowest strike rate: L Ames (33.02)
Most 100s: C Washbrook (4x100s)
Most 50s: M Hayden (6x50s)

Bowling Stats

Top 10 Wicket Takers

Player	Wickets
M Muralitharan	51
S Warne	50
G McGrath	40
D Lillee	32
B O'Reilly	32
I Qasim	27
A Donald	26
T Mann	26
S Pollock	24
I Khan	22

Next 10

Player	Wickets
H Tayfield	22
D Underwood	21
T Freeman	18
W Akram	18
J Garner	17
R Ashwin	15
A Kumble	14
J Laker	14
B Chandrasekhar	14
A Roberts H Verity	13

Best Figures (best figures of each bowler counted)

Player	Best
B O'Reilly	9-66
T Freeman	8-82
S Warne	8-131
D Lillee	7-65
I Khan	7-80
M Muralitharan	7-89
G McGrath	6-52
H Tayfield	6-54
I Qasim	6-88
J Gregory	6-110

Most 5 Wicket Innings

Player	5WI	10WM
S Warne	6	2
G McGrath	4
B O'Reilly	3	1
M Muralitharan	3	2
D Lillee	3	1
I Qasim	2
H Tayfield	2
T Mann	2

Miscellaneous

Most overs bowled: M Muralitharan (404.14 overs)
Most maidens: G McGrath (75 maidens)
Most runs conceded: M Muralitharan and S Warne (1165 runs)
Best average: D Lillee (16.25)
Best strike rate: D Lillee (40.69)
Best economy: V Philander (1.78)
Highest economy: D Compton (4,36)

Other Bits and Pieces
As usual, the ATG Decade Championship Spreadsheet has just about every recordable stat, including batting and bowling strike rates, economy, balls faced, 100s and 50s, not outs, maidens, etc for all ~143 players who participated across every team.

The next ATG Championship will be a T20 format tournament. Since many of the best T20 players of all time are current players, there will be a twist. To make things interesting this tournament will comprise only of players who have never played a T20I match in their entire careers. The likes of Michael Bevan, Wasim Akram and Ian Botham will duke it out to find out which nation would have had the greatest T20 team of yesteryear. Keep an eye out for a possible squad thread.

Last of all, if you have been, thanks for reading.

[CardboardBox]

Hey man, this is damn awesome and the sort of thing I love to do. However, how do you play all these theoretical games and try keep it fairly balanced given you control only one team? And how do you do this and keep your sanity with the natural strange occurrences within CC, like when bowling changes simply make no sense. I've tried but I just can't do it. I used to love making such tournaments on the 2013 version, despite its severely limited number of all-time greats and it was much more satisfying due to the 2 player mode, meaning I could control the bowling changes myself which made everything much more reasonable.

[Wilted]

Hey man, this is damn awesome and the sort of thing I love to do. However, how do you play all these theoretical games and try keep it fairly balanced given you control only one team? And how do you do this and keep your sanity with the natural strange occurrences within CC, like when bowling changes simply make no sense. I've tried but I just can't do it. I used to love making such tournaments on the 2013 version, despite its severely limited number of all-time greats and it was much more satisfying due to the 2 player mode, meaning I could control the bowling changes myself which made everything much more reasonable.

It's a lot of fun to do these and it's great to see other people read through them.

Balance and fairness is simple: I play each game as both teams, hence the A and B games. Hopefully that mitigates most of the human element. The oddities are something you simply can't avoid. Especially since a lot of the old ODI teams played four bowlers and filled in the rest of the overs with part-timers, there's some really odd bowling changes. Dean Jones coming on to take a 6-42 has been the biggest strange occurrence and he hasn't been selected to bowl since. It's just part of the game.