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Graham Thorpe vs Ian Bell

h_hurricane

International Vice-Captain
During Thorpe's career, I always thought he was the best English batsman. Played in a really tough era too. I would go with him here. Bell was very good as well.
 

ataraxia

International Coach
I'll go Thorpe. Better away average and a better average overall. I note that Bell averaged more at 5 and 6 than usual. Given the lack of quality he batted with that isn't a lot of second new ball facing so I'm inclined to downgrade him for that too.
 

jimmy101

Cricketer Of The Year
You can still manually add one IIRC, just look at thread options. Alternatively, convince a mod to help you do so.
Had a squiz at the advanced options a little while ago but failed to figure it out haha. By the sounds of it, Thorpey's got this one covered anyway :-)
 

SeamUp

International Coach
Yeah Thorpe had fight. England's best batsmen for a little while.

A bell 100 was good too watch and whilst he gets criticised he did come right for an extended period. He ended up having a decent career.
 

_00_deathscar

International Debutant
For some reason I thought Thorpe had a 35-39 average like most English batsmen of his time. Didn't realise his average that was good - that's really fantastic for the 90s. He was always a pleasing batsman to watch.
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
The problem with Graham Thorpe was that for a large part of his career when he was not out overnight you just knew he wasn't going to last long in the morning - would have had an average north of 50 if he'd lost that irritating habit earlier
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Thorpey was a ray of light from heaven illuminating the stygian gloom of 90s English batting.

A fair few of the successes of Nasser's reign were in no small part due to his doughty efforts. The Series wins in Pakistan and Sri Lanka spring to mind.

I've probably moaned more than once before on his behalf about the decision to dispense with his services before the 05 Ashes, ironically for the young Ding Dong (and Pietersen too, kinda; it was a 3 players into 2 slots dealy). We'd likely have won somewhat more comfortably if the great man had still be in situ rather than the callow Bell.

Bell was always an attractive batsman to watch but, and here I steal a turn of phrase that Son of Coco used & I've always thought it apt, struck one as a batting apologist. Whereas Thorpe's countenance (the gimlet eyes, the chin perpetually sporting a shadow of beard growth, long before it was de rigueur) screamed permanence, Bell's demeanour seemed to suggest "I'm just here to score a few runs, if that's not too much trouble, and then I'll nick off, that's if no-one minds, terribly. Sorry!"

Probably totally unfair, but because he made batting look easy his dismissals often had an air of carelessness about them.
 

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