Best ever England Cricket Team

[The Stockport Iniesta]

Tough from my 'limited' knowledge of 2005 onwards.

Had to put Gower in my team despite never having seen him play. Bell in for Pietersen, replaced Stokes for a proper keeper in Foakes who is a brilliant keeper but just doesn't bat quite fast enough for Bazball..

Duckett
Cook
Gower
Root
Bell
Botham
Flintoff
Foakes (w)
Swann
Broad
Anderson

Bell over KP is just criminal. One was a great test player the other was average.

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

Flintoff should never get in. He was half decent for 5 minutes. But he was never a great allrounder.

There's an argument that at his best he'd get in as a bowler who could bat a bit, maybe 8 or 9. He was a very good bowler in his pomp though.

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

Looking at the stats, Stewart was the best batsman out of the three and the weakest at keeping.

Prior has slightly better batting stats than Knott and their keeping stats are on a par.

Most keepers should be good standing back. I think the best judge of a keeper is how good are they when they come up and are right behind the stumps, when the ball is turning. Knott kept wicket for Underwood basically his entire career, and made it look easy.

 

[crooky]

Bell over KP is just criminal. One was a great test player the other was average.

This was the England team born in England. Suggested by @denislawsbackheel

My actual XI has KP in it.

 

[KS55]

You cannot leave Boycott or Trueman out

Nor Bob Barber, Noddy Pullar, Brian Statham, Cyril Washbrook, Peter Marner, Ken Higgs, Frank Hayes……..

 

[Vienna_70]

Gooch (c), Cook, Stewart, Root, Thorpe, Botham, Knott (wk), Swann, Broad, Anderson, Willis. Kevin Pieterson perhaps ought to be in and being an old git I remember John Edrich who was a gutsy and effective top order batsman. Michael Vaughan was arguably the best skipper and also a high quality batter but wouldn't get in ahead of the players selected

I can just about remember Edrich and Brian Luckhurst as the England openers, when I first started watching cricket, around 1970/71.

Ray Illingworth was probably captain.

 

[Vienna_70]

We all have an extra affinity to the best players we saw growing up.

However many goals Mahrez and Sterling scored, they’ll always be competing with David White in my head!

Same with Sergio and Frannie for me.

 

[Nightmare Walking]

Gooch (c), Cook, Stewart, Root, Thorpe, Botham, Knott (wk), Swann, Broad, Anderson, Willis. Kevin Pieterson perhaps ought to be in and being an old git I remember John Edrich who was a gutsy and effective top order batsman. Michael Vaughan was arguably the best skipper and also a high quality batter but wouldn't get in ahead of the players selected

I was thinking Vaughan. The captains role is the most important. Vaughan was the best England captain and he has to be in an all time England team.

 

[Protein Junkie]

Gooch,Cook,Root,Gower, Pieterson, Stokes, Botham, Knott, Willis, Anderson and Underwood.

Ok I have three bunnies in the tail but very strong top seven and bowling attack.

 

[normskih]

Flintoff should never get in. He was half decent for 5 minutes. But he was never a great allrounder.

Correct. Had he been around 20 years earlier he wouldn’t have even got a mention. He would be up against Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Richard Hadlee. Now they were great all rounders.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

And the West Indies had four of the best in the world - Roberts, Holding, Garner and Marshall - in the same side for a while.

It must have been really scary, when there were four genuinely quick and hostile bowlers coming at you all the time.

That is some attack. However, I'd argue that if you only take two bowlers, bowling alternately, over after over after over, there was nothing quite as scary at Thommo and Lilley in their pomp. Thommo did his back in, unfortunately (always wondered if it was something to do with his action, which I always found a bit odd). As I remember it, helmets with protective grills were brought in in the wake of their tour of England ( mid-seventies?).
Also, honourable mention for Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith — not as accurate, perhaps, but grisly fast. (Both still alive, I see. Incredible. And both from that tiny island that used to produce so many great cricketers — Barbados).

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

Since I've followed them, mainly the last 20 odd years

Cook
Trescothick
Pietersen
Root
Brook
Stokes (C)
Prior (WK)
Swann
Broad
Gough
Anderson

Would probably still get dicked in Australia!

Collingwood, Bell and Thorpe unlucky to not get in but I reckon in 5 years Brook will be an automatic selection so I'll get him in early.

 

[normskih]

And the West Indies had four of the best in the world - Roberts, Holding, Garner and Marshall - in the same side for a while.

It must have been really scary, when there were four genuinely quick and hostile bowlers coming at you all the time.

Awful scary and very hostile almost life threatening. No helmet protection on their head in those days either. Brian Close and David Steele copped for it.

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

Flintoff should never get in. He was half decent for 5 minutes. But he was never a great allrounder.

He was definitely good enough to play Test cricket for his bowling alone. Runs were a bonus and he was a cracking fielder aswell. His average doesn't tell the full story he was a world class fast bowler some of the spells he put together were unplayable. I considered having him in my XI at 8 over Gough.

 

[normskih]

They say Truemen was one of the all time greats speed wise was so fast too, I never watched him really only old footage!

Me too, I’ll si thi.

 

[normskih]

Bob Willis was fucking quick.

In the 1981 Headingley test, during the Aussies' second innings, he was concerned about no-balling running down the hill.

Mike Brierley told him, "Just bowl as fast as you can, and I’ll worry about the no balls".

He took something like 8-32.

I was watching that match with my Dad. We’d just got a coloured telly. Imagine that after all those years watching cricket, football and snooker in black and white;) No antics with Willis, got an Aussie out? great, let’s get on and another. What a man, what a blue:)

 

[Dr Jacoby]

In my lifetime, it would be:

1. Trescothick
2. Cook
3. Root
4. Brook
5. Pietersen
6. Flintoff
7. Prior
8. Swann
9. Broad
10. S Jones
11. Anderson

12th man - Stokes

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

Marshall was the one I always thought id have hated to face the most at his fearsome peak.

Yeah, seeing off the guys bowling 90+ mph to be replaced at either end by guys bowling 90+mph. Can’t have been fun.

My club played against a Lashings World X1 just over a week ago and they had Curtly and Courtney, who weren’t too shabby either!! (Fortunately a lot slower now!!)

At least Marshall would just get you out, some of the others were trying to kill you! Remember Curtly getting pissed off with some Aussie once and bowling an series of throat high bumpers that were all delivered from about 3 yards over the no ball line.



Found it, it was Steve Waugh

 

[denislawsbackheel]

I was thinking Vaughan. The captains role is the most important. Vaughan was the best England captain and he has to be in an all time England team.

I think there’s a case for Brearley as captain. He was not a great batsman but his ability to get the best out of his players was second to none.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

I can just about remember Edrich and Brian Luckhurst as the England openers, when I first started watching cricket, around 1970/71.

Ray Illingworth was probably captain.

Can remember Colin Milburn, who was a folk hero to us schoolboys. Didn't often do it, but when he was on it, would simply destroy the opposition bowling. Real violence. Bazball before there was Bazball.