England's Greatest Ever XI

[archie mac]

Certainly from all I've read Wardle could be a **** but I think it was a case of him not suffering fools gladly - he was sacked by Yorks because he couldn't keep quiet about his views on their appointing JR Burnet as captain - he was also a joker - lots of stories about him playing to the gallery - and Geoff Cope thought the world of him after he helped him sort out his action after it was criticised

Fascinates me tbh. Great Test record but was dropped becasue of comments to the press

anyone remember the post war all time england vs rest of the world simulations that martin jenkins and co. did about a decade or so back?

quite interesting, especially the reasoning behind the selections. will try and dig up the teams.

Look forward to it

 

[hang on]

couldn't find the actual articles in which cmj outlined his reasons for choosing the teams. they appeared in the times in late july 2002. but here are the matches (from a search on the web).

the 5 tests:

http://www.thirdslip.com/misc/1-Lords.jpg
Times Online

http://www.thirdslip.com/misc/2-Bridgetown.jpg
Times Online

http://www.thirdslip.com/misc/3-Capetown.jpg
Times Online

http://www.thirdslip.com/misc/4-Sydney.jpg
Times Online

http://www.thirdslip.com/misc/5-Calcutta.jpg
Times Online

perhaps someone with a times subscription can dredge up the articles detainling the reasoning behind the selections.

here's another CMJ article where he chooses the pre and post 1953 world XIs, including the thought process behind the selctions.

Christopher Martin-Jenkins's greatest XI - Times Online

 

[L Trumper]

couldn't find the actual articles in which cmj outlined his reasons for choosing the teams. they appeared in the times in late july 2002. but here are the matches (from a search on the web).

the 5 tests:

http://www.thirdslip.com/misc/1-Lords.jpg
Times Online

http://www.thirdslip.com/misc/2-Bridgetown.jpg
Times Online

http://www.thirdslip.com/misc/3-Capetown.jpg
Times Online

http://www.thirdslip.com/misc/4-Sydney.jpg
Times Online

http://www.thirdslip.com/misc/5-Calcutta.jpg
Times Online

perhaps someone with a times subscription can dredge up the articles detainling the reasoning behind the selections.

here's another CMJ article where he chooses the pre and post 1953 world XIs, including the thought process behind the selctions.

Christopher Martin-Jenkins's greatest XI - Times Online

CMJ's is one hell of a list can't find any faults. I think 9 out of cricinfo's 11 are in that list.

 

[bagapath]

perhaps someone with a times subscription can dredge up the articles detainling the reasoning behind the selections.

here's another CMJ article where he chooses the pre and post 1953 world XIs, including the thought process behind the selctions.

Christopher Martin-Jenkins's greatest XI - Times Online

dude... this article has all the other older articles linked to it

 

[hang on]

right u are, bagapath! i should have checked. the other article didn't allow one to follow on with the links and i presumed it would be the same in this case. in any case, many thanks.

 

[archie mac]

I enjoyed them. A little surprised Aubrey Faulkner did not earn a mention as an A/R.

I have used to collect all time XIs may post up a few

 

[hang on]

look forward to them, archiemac. yes, was also surprised that faulkner wasn't mentioned. that - faulkner's brief life - was a tragedy. ever read 'by his own hand'? (by frith, i think) what is it about cricket, especially batting, that results in so much depression and suicide? if u have, what did u think of it. worth a look?

on matters less morbid, i quite enjoyed armstrong's top 100 cricketers categorized in 9 teams.

 

[weldone]

Playing XI:
Leonard Hutton*
Jack Hobbs
Herbert Sutcliffe
Wally Hammond
Ken Barrington
Ian Botham
Les Ames+
Jim Laker
Fred Trueman
George Lohmann
Sydney Barnes

Reserves: Geoff Boycott, KS Ranjitsinhji, Alan Knott, Hedley Verity, Harold Larwood

Mentor: WG Grace

 

[ankitj]

James to be given six infraction points for spamming CC


My post 1948 team


Hutton
Boycott
May
Barrington
Gower
Botham
Flintoff
Knott
Trueman
Laker
Willis

Denis Compton? Specially considering Hutton who also made debut before 1948 is included.

 

[ankitj]

Playing XI:
Leonard Hutton*
Jack Hobbs
Herbert Sutcliffe
Wally Hammond
Ken Barrington
Ian Botham
Alan Knott+
Jim Laker
Fred Trueman
George Lohmann
Sydney Barnes

Reserves: Geoff Boycott, KS Ranjitsinhji, Godfrey Evans, Hedley Verity, Harold Larwood

Mentor: WG Grace

Ditto. Without any changes at all. Might just swap batting position of Sutcliffe and Hutton to put the greatest ever opening pair on top together.

 

[archie mac]

Denis Compton? Specially considering Hutton who also made debut before 1948 is included.

Toss up between May and Compton, was thinking if they play in Aust Compton had a nightmare here circa 1950-51 (from memory) Just thought May more reliable, but on another day may (no pun) have gone for Compton.

Read an article that scoring rate between Dennis and Len was pretty much the same, was a surprise to me

 

[weldone]

Ditto. Without any changes at all. Might just swap batting position of Sutcliffe and Hutton to put the greatest ever opening pair on top together.

Not a bad option at all.

 

[GIMH]

Beefy, Laker & Fred I'll give you and dear old Kenny has a very good case too, but really, honestly? Harmison?

Even if we limit it to post WW2 we have Bedser, Statham, Tyson, Snow, Willis, Fraser, Gough, Caddick and even dear old Hoggy with better cases.

And Flintoff

 

[bagapath]

england first XI

hutton (c)
hobbs
barrington
hammond
compton
botham
knott (wk)
trueman
barnes
laker
peel

england second xi

gooch
boycott
may (c)
dexter
pietersen
ames (wk)
rhodes
bedser
larwood
statham
underwood

 

[archie mac]

england first XI

hutton (c)
hobbs
barrington
hammond
compton
botham
knott (wk)
trueman
barnes
laker
peel

england second xi

gooch
boycott
may (c)
dexter
pietersen
ames (wk)
rhodes
bedser
larwood
statham
underwood

No Suttcliffe?

Bobby Peel, have you checked this with Lord Hawke?

 

[bagapath]

No Suttcliffe?

Bobby Peel, have you checked this with Lord Hawke?

sutcliffe in for boycott? may be. but hutton and hobbs could be chosen over him without a second thought. and gooch is a personal decision. choosing between sutcliffe and boycott would be like choosing between snail and a barnacle. may be i would dump both and go for strauss? no... you are right archie. cant ignore that 60+ avg beyond a point. so geoffrey out; herbett in.

bobby peel must be a fun guy to have in the team. botham will take care of the bartender's duties for the first XI and peel can urinate on their wicket.

 

[archie mac]

sutcliffe in for boycott? may be. but hutton and hobbs could be chosen over him without a second thought. and gooch is a personal decision. choosing between sutcliffe and boycott would be like choosing between snail and a barnacle. may be i would dump both and go for strauss? no... you are right archie. cant ignore that 60+ avg beyond a point. so geoffrey out; herbett in.

bobby peel must be a fun guy to have in the team. botham will take care of the bartender's duties for the first XI and peel can urinate on their wicket.

Peel & Botham together Just throw in Bill Edrich and let the fun begin

 

[keeper]

Well, in that case I want Colin Milburn in the team.

 

[fredfertang]

Just for the record the story about Peel urinating on the pitch has been established to be false but, sadly, it seems to have become accepted as fact

 

[archie mac]

Well, in that case I want Colin Milburn in the team.

Looked such a happy fellow, sad end