All time England XI

[C C Csiders]

Pick your England line-up, from players you have seen in your lifetime (I'm going back to the 1976 series against the West Indies, as the first real series I can remember).

My XI:

Boycott, Gooch, Stewart (wk), Gower, Pietersen, Botham, Flintoff, Emburey, Underwood, Willis, Malcolm

Gone for two all-rounders, leaving room for two spinners. Thus allowing the fast bowlers to opearte in relatively short spells/bursts of 5 or 6 overs, allowing them to remain fresh. In doing this it was necessary to pick a real wk/batsman, to this end Alec Stewart takes the gloves (if we bat first he bats at three, if we bat second he can come in after Beefy or Freddy). I know his batting average was much lower as a wk, but I'll live with that. Devon Malcolm is a shocker of a selection, probably, but given the fact that we go in with 6 bowlers, I'll just get him to wind it up, in those short bursts, and let it fly.......

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

1. Gooch
2. Atherton
3. Vaughan
4. Pietersen
5. Thorpe
6. Stewart
7. Botham
8. Flintoff
9. Gough
10. Hoggard
11. Harmison

Botham is lucky to be included as I was too young to see him in his prime and have undoubtably been influenced by video (and all those rainy days when the Beeb use to show highlights from old series), although I did see him play live in his latter years. Gower is unlucky to miss out, but I didn't see a great deal of him. Bowling lacks variety, but not quality.

 

[number11]

Based on first series I remember was 1989 Ashes humiliation, first series I avidly started watching was Gooch take on the W.Indies in 91.....

1. Gooch - Class above in a struggling England era (early 90's version)
2. Trescothick - 2000 -2005 (excluding ashes in 02/03). As adept against spin as pace, and gets a right left combo opening.
3 Vaughan - 2002/2003 version, one of the most sublime sustained spells of batting Ive seen. Made big hundreds (without quite making the double century) and did so with class. Would also captain the side.
4. Thorpe - Could play all types of bowling in all conditions. (1996-2001)
5. Pieterson - 2005 - date - utterly destructive.
6. Stewart - 1992-1997. Best all rounder we have had in my cricket watching era. Would press for an openers spot...one of the first times I watched a hole days cricket was when he made 190 against an awesome Pakistani attack in 1991).
7. Flintoff -2004-2005 - Gives great balance to side, like playing an extra player when on song.
8. Gough - 1995-98 - always seemed to deserve more wickets then he got due to playing in a woeful fielding side.
9. Caddick 1997 and 2000.......when on song, impossible to play..
10. Hoggard - 2000-2006 willing to slog away in all conditions.
11. Panesar - 2006- more by being the best of a bad bunch, but having the spinner balances the side nicely. Lack of competition as the spinners Ive seen include - a past it Embury, Watkinson, Dawson, Illingworth, Schofield, Salibury, Such, Patel....ah Im having nightmares.

In terms of series, or seasons of excellence, Craig White and Whellie Bin Giles for their efforts on the sub continent, Cork circa 1995, Strauss for his first year wonderform, Malcolm for THAT spell against S.Africa and Nasser Hussein for his doggedness would be in my touring party.

 

[number11]

In terms of players who I have seen play for England that did not come into consideration....how about this team:

1) Gallian
2) S James
3) Afzaal
4) Ian Ward
5) Anthony McGrath (Captain)
6) Gavin Hamilton
7)Warren Hegg (wkt)
8) Salisbury
9) Sidebottom
10) Mike Smith
11) Simon Brown

 

[canveyshrimper]

On the basis of players I have seen play, I will go with this XI

Geoff Boycott
Graham Gooch
Colin Cowdrey
Ted Dexter (c)
David Gower
Alec Stewart (w)
Ian Botham
Fred Trueman
Brian Statham
John Snow
Derek Underwood

I reckon that lot would give any side a run for their money.

 

[C C Csiders]

On the basis of players I have seen play, I will go with this XI

Geoff Boycott
Graham Gooch
Colin Cowdrey
Ted Dexter (c)
David Gower
Alec Stewart (w)
Ian Botham
Fred Trueman
Brian Statham
John Snow
Derek Underwood

I reckon that lot would give any side a run for their money.

No place for WG Grace in this side of players you have seen play, Canvey?

 

[C C Csiders]

In terms of players who I have seen play for England that did not come into consideration....how about this team:

1) Gallian
2) S James
3) Afzaal
4) Ian Ward
5) Anthony McGrath (Captain)
6) Gavin Hamilton
7)Warren Hegg (wkt)
8) Salisbury
9) Sidebottom
10) Mike Smith
11) Simon Brown

What about Mark Lathwell opening?

 

[canveyshrimper]

No place for WG Grace in this side of players you have seen play, Canvey?

Cheeky bugger, even I'm not that old.:D

Now where's the negative rep when you need it?:D

 

[number11]

What about Mark Lathwell opening?

Good call, probably ahead of S James, who in fairness was prolific the year he was called up and deserved a chance. Everything about Lathwells call up was wrong and he never even developed into a good county player unlike other england discards like Crawley, Wells, Morris, Maynard, Illot, Mccague etc who served their counties with distinction

 

[Ailsa Road Shrimper]

My team based on following Cricket for last 20 years:

1. Gooch - great batsman, always consistent in a struggling side
2. Vaughan (C)his form against India in 2002 and Australia in 2002/03 is the best batting I have ever seen from an English player, scoring 180's and 190's. Great captaincy in 2005 Ashes too
3. Smith - great player of fast bowling, very unlucky to be discarded in mid 90's yet Hick, Ramprakash etc persevered with
4. Pietersen - has been fantastic since he's been in the side, most attacking batsman in the line up
5. Thorpe - always averaged over 40 in a poor side, shame his personal problems affected him late in his career
6. Stewart (W) - again averaged over 40, and how many errors did he used to make behind the stumps? very few. has been sorely missed since retiring
7. Flintoff - awesome between 2003 and 2005, still a fine bowler
8. Cork - one to make up the numbers, based on his performance against the West Indies in 1995! a good tail end batsman too
9. Caddick - very effective bowler:bounce, swing and pace
10. Gough - best bowler in the 90's, quick and great use of the yorker in ODIs
11. Harmison - excellent between 2003 and 2005

I haven't included any spinners as I don't believe we've had any decent ones in the last 20 years. Tuffers was crap apart from a couple of matches on dust bowls at the Oval. Panesar is overrated, would there be the same hype about him if he didn't wear a turban and jump up and down when he takes wickets? As for Salisbury, Croft, Illingworth, Schofield, Dawson....