Rank the English batsmen

[centurymaker]

Rank your Top 5 English batsmen based on their recent form and their batting ability.



1. Bell
2. Trott
3. Pietersen
4. Cook
5. Prior

 

[BoyBrumby]

Tough one. Comparing apples with oranges for the most part. I'd say Bell is #1 because he's the most versatile batsman in our ranks; he can play the jaunty ran-a-ball 50 or an innings of substance over style. One couldn't imagine Cook flaying an attack to all corners nor Pietersen taking 500+ balls to score 200, but someone both seem in the realm of the possible for Bell.

 

[Howe_zat]

AWTBrumby.

Bell has been a man doing the necessary job to a frankly amazing degree of reliability lately. He did so in his county cricket in April too:

Against Nottinghamshire, in a fairly low-scoring game, he made 139 and then 33 off 16 balls. He was captain too.

For all the amazing stuff Cook and Trott have managed over the last two years, Bell has been matching the figures while playing through vastly more situations - and with a hell of a lot more shots. (with the notable exception of facing more of the new ball.)

With respect to batting ability and potential, I still think KP is something really very special. He'll be the man we're far more likely to be talking about in 20 years.

 

[Jacknife]

Still think KP's England's best player, I'd rate them in this order-
KP
Bell
Trott
Cook
Prior
Strauss

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Bell
KP/Trott/Cook
Strauss




Morgan


AN Other

Until we see Taylor/Stokes in an England shirt we can't judge them.



Bopara

 

[smash84]

KP is the best English batsman. A real attacking batsman. I can't see Bell flay an attack to all corners of the park like KP does. KP became my favorite English batsman when he smacked Shane Warne out of the park a fair few times in Ashes 05. Still think that Bell can't play the kind of attacking innings that KP can.

KP
Bell
Cook/Prior
Strauss

 

[Uppercut]

Trott's the best, for mine. This summer's been a bit of a piefest, last summer was when the batsmen were actually tested and only Trott came up with the goods.

I'd go:

Trott
Bell
Cook
KP
Prior
Strauss
Morgan

 

[Uppercut]

For all the amazing stuff Cook and Trott have managed over the last two years, Bell has been matching the figures while playing through vastly more situations - and with a hell of a lot more shots. (with the notable exception of facing more of the new ball.)

Mmm, he missed the Pakistan series, so that's not really true. Flatters his figures somewhat too in comparison to the others. But it's certainly better to have never been tested against bowling that good than to have failed the test ala Cook, whose scoring over the past couple of years has been an almost-perfect indicator of the quality of the bowling.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Mmm, he missed the Pakistan series, so that's not really true. Flatters his figures somewhat too in comparison to the others. But it's certainly better to have never been tested against bowling that good than to have failed the test ala Cook, whose scoring over the past couple of years has been an almost-perfect indicator of the quality of the bowling.

He was in such good form he'd have dominated. No doubt about that, he is up there at present with the best around. Top class.

 

[smash84]

Mmm, he missed the Pakistan series, so that's not really true. Flatters his figures somewhat too in comparison to the others. But it's certainly better to have never been tested against bowling that good than to have failed the test ala Cook, whose scoring over the past couple of years has been an almost-perfect indicator of the quality of the bowling.

haha......perfectly sums up my feelings too regarding Cook. Well said. Only thing I would say in defence of KP is that he had been woefully short of form in the last 2 years but is probably back to his best now.

 

[Uppercut]

He was in such good form he'd have dominated. No doubt about that, he is up there at present with the best around. Top class.

Lol @ claiming that a batsman would undoubtedly have dominated Aamer and Asif because they were in awesome form against Rubel Hossain the series before. Might as well assume your car's going to pass its MOT when it doesn't fall apart after you kick it.

 

[centurymaker]

for 2-3 years rahul dravid had been dominating the weaker teams while failing against the top ones so doing well against nz, wi, sl, bang etc didn't prove anything.

until you score against the best your performances can't be taken too seriously.

however bell and cook both were indeed superb against aus, who had a pretty good attack that underperformed.

harris
bollinger
johnson
siddle

all these guys bowl 140+ and can be great on their day.
i think the aussies bowled a bit too short to cook, barely tested his almost non-existent front foot play...
ponting's captaincy was poor. he changed the field after every 2nd boundary. literally showed no patience. bascially they had no clear game plans and their execution was appalling (by their standards). however, they still bowled far better than india/sl have this english summer.

 

[Riggins]

Re Cook, whilst he is batting brilliantly and undoubtably on top of his own game even watching as an outsider you never get the feeling he is on top of the bowling. Might be just me but for a top batsmen I want some degree of domination, if not from the strike rate then the general batsmanship, not still playing and missing when on 185, powerful defense etc.

So,

KP

daylight

Bell
Trott
Cook
Strauss
Prior
Bres
Morgan

 

[smash84]

awta

 

[zaremba]

Bell = KP
Cook
Strauss
Trott
Prior
Morgan

Strauss in the poorest recent form, but a fine batsman and one whom I'd rate above Prior and probably, on the strength of 19 Test centuries over several years, above Trott, who let's face it has only played a handful of series.

Very hard to pick between Bell, Cook and KP. You could make a respectable case for any of them. Bell and Cook have ridiculous recent records. Cook has to face the new ball, sometimes more than once in an innings. Bell looks to have genuinely developed from a man who might cash in when the going was easy to someone who is just as able to score runs when they are at a premium. And KP is an astonishing, innovative, unorthodox flayer of attacks.

 

[four_or_six]

Cook
Trott
KP
Bell
Prior
Strauss
Morgan

IMO... but it's pretty close with that top four. Best batting lineup we've had in my lifetime, easily.

 

[GIMH]

Trott's the best, for mine. This summer's been a bit of a piefest, last summer was when the batsmen were actually tested and only Trott came up with the goods.

I'd go:

Trott
Bell
Cook
KP
Prior
Strauss
Morgan

True, but Pietersen has succeeded against top quality bowling before now. He was woefully out of form last summer and it would have been interesting to see the Pietersen of this summer or 05-08 face them - not saying he'd have dominated, but I'm certain he'd have not looked like a plank.

I think you perhaps underrate Cook slightly but I do know what you mean; that being said there is no better player of poor bowling in world cricket, IMO. The fact that there are still improvements he can and needs to make his technique is a bit scary really when you consider he's nearly averaging 50.

I don't know how to rate them, tbh. Cook-Trott-Pietersen-Bell are all great for different scenarios. I love Strauss but don't think he's ever quite scaled the heights of the others.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I don't know how to rate them, tbh. Cook-Trott-Pietersen-Bell are all great for different scenarios. I love Strauss but don't think he's ever quite scaled the heights of the others.

Started like a train, tbf. Averaging 60 after 11 tests with 5 tons already.

 

[Uppercut]

True, but Pietersen has succeeded against top quality bowling before now. He was woefully out of form last summer and it would have been interesting to see the Pietersen of this summer or 05-08 face them - not saying he'd have dominated, but I'm certain he'd have not looked like a plank.

I think you perhaps underrate Cook slightly but I do know what you mean; that being said there is no better player of poor bowling in world cricket, IMO. The fact that there are still improvements he can and needs to make his technique is a bit scary really when you consider he's nearly averaging 50.

I don't know how to rate them, tbh. Cook-Trott-Pietersen-Bell are all great for different scenarios. I love Strauss but don't think he's ever quite scaled the heights of the others.

The fact that I think Cook is more vulnerable to good bowling early on than the others is a pretty small criticism. A while back the Dicko influence meant that CW felt that was crucially important in ranking a batsman but I never really bought into that idea. Piling on double centuries against attacks that don't get it 100% right to you first up is a pretty damn handy skill.

Nevertheless, I have to split them somehow and I think Trott's 184 in the final test against Pakistan was the best innings ever played by any of the current English batsmen. It just ticks all the boxes- decisive final test, rescued England from deep ****, world-class bowling attack in extremely helpful conditions, didn't give a chance and he turned it into a big one. I'm not entirely sure any of the others could have done that.

 

[Spikey]

Bell
Trott
KP
Cook
Strauss
Prior
Broad
Bres
Swann
Morgan
Anderson
Ravi