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Rank/Rate/Compare the Post-Strauss English Test Openers

Bijed

International Regular
Here are their stats whilst opening:

PlayerSpanMatInnsNORunsHSAveBFSR1005004s6s
AN Cook2012-2018781446586826342.521282145.76132846903
KK Jennings2016-201917311755 146*25.16178442.32214870
RJ Burns2018-20191224070213329.25157544.57141850
AD Hales2015-2016112105739427.28130743.84050773
MD Stoneman2017-2018112015266027.68118844.27051661
NRD Compton2012-20161018249811731.12141635.16211522
JE Root2013-2016611141718041.7101241.2120482
SD Robson2014-2014711033612730.5475544.5110421
MA Carberry2013-201451002816028.169540.43012451
A Lyth2015-2015713026510720.3852950.09101401
JL Denly2019-20193601889431.3346440.51020241
H Hameed2016-2016350160823248433.05010171
MJ Leach2018-2019220939246.517353.75010160
BM Duckett2016-201624092562313866.66010102
MM Ali2015-201536084351423735.4400070
IJL Trott2015-201536072591218938.0901380
JJ Roy2019-201947062288.8514044.2800190
JC Buttler2015-201511044458000010


Not really counting Cook, Leach or Buttler as part of the discussion here, but figured I may as well leave them in for reference.

Had forgotten Duckett (as will history, in all likelihood). Revisiting these numbers doesn't change my view that Compton/Carberry were the best of a bad bunch (I suppose Root too, but it feels weird saying him), Roy the worst, Burns a shout of being the best and Hameed promising but we know what happened next, but would be interested to know how others feel - in particular fans of other countries who played against them
 
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vcs

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Compton was probably the best of the lot and even his numbers are pretty unflattering. He has two centuries so must have been rocks or diamonds.
 

a massive zebra

International Captain
Interesting that Nick Compton was considered a failure, and yet no opener has come into the side in the 7 years since his debut and made more runs at a higher average.
 
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Bijed

International Regular
Interesting that Nick Compton was considered a failure, and yet no opener that has come into the side in the 7 years since his debut has made more runs at a higher average.
Yeah, he was sort of unlucky to be the first post-Strauss opener tried, when the expectation was that we'd find a genuinely test standard replacement. If he was the incumbent today with that record, we'd be perfeclty. happy to stick with him for a while longer imo. I know he did come back into the side anyway (mostly at 3) and was largely not great and tbf I don't think he reached 20 in any innings opening after his 2 tons

Compton was probably the best of the lot and even his numbers are pretty unflattering. He has two centuries so must have been rocks or diamonds.
Pretty much, although my feeling is that even when he didn't make a score he hung around a bit, so was at least doing more of a job than some later options. Most others we've tried have been rocks and diamonds too I think (mostly rocks), although a couple have made semi-consistent starts, just with a lower ceiling
 
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GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
Had to statsguru Buttler opening because couldn't remember.

I forgot all about that Abu Dhabi Test like I had blanked it out. The missus had been on at me to do a load of tip runs so with the game meandering to a draw I acquiesced. Checked the score after finishing one of the trips and all hell was breaking loose.

I'm now fuming all over again that they called the chase off due to bad light.

A fine example of something Spark recently mentioned in terms of Asian pitches springing to life on day five.
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Still haven't given up hope of Hameed stepping up - shabbily treated by Lancs - hopefully a fresh start will be just what he needs
 

Dan

Hall of Fame Member
For mine, so far it's this:

1. Cook
2. Burns
3. Compton
4. Carberry
5. Robson

Excluding Root, obvs.
 

Lancashire Nick

Cricket Spectator
Only 2 of them are averaging more than 31.33, and you can't really count Jack, so that just leaves Cookie .................. Says it all really. For a myriad of reasons, our system doesn't produce Opening Bats of quality.
 

Bijed

International Regular
I personally thought Hales looked okay
His trio of half-centuries against Sri Lanka were actually quite good and important innings. It's tempting to point to the quality of the bowling (and indeed he was far worse against South Africa and Pakistan), but only him and Bairstow consistently made any runs that series, everyone else made (I think) at most a single 50+ score
 

mr_mister

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
All 3 were 80+ too. To only refer to them as half centuries is underselling them though I know that wasn't your intention
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Hope so, obviously the guy has potential but on current form he is not much better than Jack Leach!
Saw him at Lord's in 2016 when he got 89 - it was an absolute pleasure to watch and he looked like the complete opening batsmen - was a real surprise when he was dismissed

I haven't seen him 'in the flesh' since but have a good look on the internet - the transformation has been quite distressing - he never looked the same and at times has looked clueless and no one seems to have any idea why
 

OverratedSanity

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Burns>Compton >Carberry

Tough to say who's actually better when they've all barely lasted more than a handful of games but I think i can say with certainty that this Ashes from burns has been more impressive effort than anything the others managed at any point. Liked hameed too before he forgot how to bat.
 

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