Gooch vs Boycott vs Cook

[Betterpolo]

Interesting...... I really am not Hayes expert, just know he had was a really talented bloke who failed harder than Hick and Ramprakash.

Actually not an opener so not sure why I thought he was.

But he is an interesting case. Test cricket cross over into wider society a lot back then and he was briefly a national hero, this young dashing blonde coming in and hitting a ton on debut. And then he couldn't get close to anything like that again. Like a 70s version of Mark Lathwell maybe, although Hayes got more opportunity and still went on to have a lengthy county career.

Anyway, if we're still looking for decent England openers I shall suggest Tim Robinson and David Steele.

 

[capt_Luffy]

Thought of Robinson, but just placed Crawley higher. Steele didn't cross my mind though.

 

[trundler]

Mead was a #4, not an opener.

 

[capt_Luffy]

Mead was a #4, not an opener.

Strange, I am sure I read somewhere he was an opener in FC and had to bat in MO in Tests mostly; but can't remember where and the FC scorecards I checked mostly had him batting at 4......

 

[sayon basak]

Strange, I am sure I read somewhere he was an opener in FC and had to bat in MO in Tests mostly; but can't remember where and the FC scorecards I checked mostly had him batting at 4......

However, from 1907 onwards Mead, at this stage an opening batsman, advanced very rapidly, with his average reaching 39 in the very wet summer of 1909. In 1911, he moved down the order to his familiar position of number four, and so successful was this move that he was the leading run-scorer in 1911 and 1913, and toured Australia in 1911–12 and South Africa in 1913–14. He was not nearly so successful as might have been expected in Australia, but in South Africa he hit a Test century and played particularly well throughout. In 1912 he had been unbeaten (160* and 33*) in Hampshire's historic win over the Australians at Southampton.