Best England Cricket XI - 1978 to 2020

[Johnny75]

Graeme Swann
Phil Tufnell
Ashley Giles

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Swann
Giles
Moeen

Very disappointed about beefy getting left out. Madness.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Like I say, if I'm 40 next year, and all I can remember is a man who didn't even average 15 with the bat and was about Collingwood's pace and ability with the ball...

 

[Nando]

Swann

Giles

Moeen

 

[Deleted Cyber]

Underwood
Swann
Tufnell

Giles didn't spin the ball at all did he? ��

You lot are too young to remember deadly Derek. He bowled medium paced left arm spin and was absolutely lethal . 297 test wickets and him and Knott were the same as Gilchrist and Warne in telepathy!

Swann was our best right arm spinner by a mile. Tufnell completely failed to take test cricket seriously so never made the most of his ability.

Emburey has the same august 20th birthday as me. That's where the similarity ends. No Moeen as we already have enough lefties now Stoke's is in and Underwood won't win!

 

[Tony Towner]

Not that I'm dismissing the Emburey points, but cricket is full of people with questionable character and or political beliefs. There's at least two in this side already who I'd feel comfortable using the c word about. No issue applying it to Vaughan who I'd have as captain if he'd made the side or Gough who will be in my Top 4 quicks either. Emburey wasn't even the worst of the mid 80s spin twins in that regard

 

[Sniffer]

Swann
Giles
Moeen

Very disappointed about beefy getting left out. Madness.

His bowling record over 100 tests is better than the guy I'll have to be nuts not to pick.

The results are what they are and I'm grateful for all who keep voting. Its just a shame that a couple more older posters aren't involved as it would even up the age range of the voters.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

The results are what they are and I'm grateful for all who keep voting. Its just a shame that a couple more older posters aren't involved as it would even up the age range of the voters.

I don't think I class as young any more :icon_lol:

 

[Sniffer]

Underwood
Swann
Tufnell

Giles didn't spin the ball at all did he? ��

You lot are too young to remember deadly Derek. He bowled medium paced left arm spin and was absolutely lethal . 297 test wickets and him and Knott were the same as Gilchrist and Warne in telepathy!

Swann was our best right arm spinner by a mile. Tufnell completely failed to take test cricket seriously so never made the most of his ability.

Emburey has the same august 20th birthday as me. That's where the similarity ends. No Moeen as we already have enough lefties now Stoke's is in and Underwood won't win!

No Cyber, I afraid I don't remember him. We had a bloke at my cricket club (RIP Derek) who shared the same name and action so he had the nickname "Deadly", unfortunately that is where the similarities ended. Our square is odd in that it has a small bank on the far side at one end and one day our "Deadly" came round the wicket, pitched it on the upside of the bank, as a result it came in to the right hander and a thick inside edge took it onto the stumps. We didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he stated, "I knew that one would get him."

 

[Parkins left foot]

I don't think I class as young any more :icon_lol:

You are compared to me - so will chip in

Underwood (who was deadly, but pitches were uncovered in those days & whether he would have been quite so prolific now is moot - was still a superb spin bowler though)
Swann




Struggling to get a third so Tufnell just to be able to have a laugh with him whatever his qualities as a bowler were

 

[Sniffer]

You are compared to me - so will chip in

Underwood (who was deadly, but pitches were uncovered in those days & whether he would have been quite so prolific now is moot - was still a superb spin bowler though)
Swann




Struggling to get a third so Tufnell just to be able to have a laugh with him whatever his qualities as a bowler were

Stay with the thread Parkin as there's a tall and lanky Bob Dylan fan who will need your vote tomorrow.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

No Cyber, I afraid I don't remember him. We had a bloke at my cricket club (RIP Derek) who shared the same name and action so he had the nickname "Deadly", unfortunately that is where the similarities ended. Our square is odd in that it has a small bank on the far side at one end and one day our "Deadly" came round the wicket, pitched it on the upside of the bank, as a result it came in to the right hander and a thick inside edge took it onto the stumps. We didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he stated, "I knew that one would get him."

When I wasn't keeping wicket I convinced myself I could bowl leg spin. Turns out they were right arm China men so came into right handers.I finally gave myself a bowl during a t20 about 10 years ago. The first was a full toss that the batsman tried to carve across the line to cow , missed and was bowled. Second ball, over pitched. Didn't turn but the new batsman carved it straight to gully. Caught. On a hattrick I bowled a rank long hop that spun in and over the stumps. The batsman was out of his ground and all the keeper needed to do was take the bails off. He dropped the ball. I didn't take many wickets with spin and those were my two in that match. Next game, back behind the stumps!

 

[Sniffer]

When I wasn't keeping wicket I convinced myself I could bowl leg spin. Turns out they were right arm China men so came into right handers.I finally gave myself a bowl during a t20 about 10 years ago. The first was a full toss that the batsman tried to carve across the line to cow , missed and was bowled. Second ball, over pitched. Didn't turn but the new batsman carved it straight to gully. Caught. On a hattrick I bowled a rank long hop that spun in and over the stumps. The batsman was out of his ground and all the keeper needed to do was take the bails off. He dropped the ball. I didn't take many wickets with spin and those were my two in that match. Next game, back behind the stumps!

Googlies not Chinamen?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

As a crappy spinner myself (started with leggies but it was giving my shoulder grief, so ended up with Emburey-style darts that were allegedly offies) you take anything!

The crafty long hop smacked straight to midwicket was a personal favourite. All part of the plan, skip.

 

[Parkins left foot]

Stay with the thread Parkin as there's a tall and lanky Bob Dylan fan who will need your vote tomorrow.

Will do - should have come on earlier as Knott was a far better keeper than Stewart (probably not as good a bat, but not that bad & what do you want your keeper to do best!)

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Will do - should have come on earlier as Knott was a far better keeper than Stewart (probably not as good a bat, but not that bad & what do you want your keeper to do best!)

He *was* that bad in this timeframe, keep up

If he played in this team he'd have to bat at eleven.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

Googlies not Chinamen?

I thought they were only googlies if they were bowled by a leg spinner as a wrong un.. Michael Bevan used to bowl left arm China men as in his stock delivery spun into a right hander whereas SLA bowlers traditionally spun away? But I guess being politically correct I should say googlies!

Just googled it. Wisden banned the term chinaman in 2018. Its now unorthodox spin! So I was a right arm unorthodox spin bowler. Basically bowled back of the hand floaty off breaks that allowed batsmen to carve me anywhere. I couldn't bat much either. I could defend but that was about it. Typical number 9 . But at 6ft and 100 + kilos I was a shed behind the stumps and stood up to most bowlers.

 

[Parkins left foot]

He *was* that bad in this timeframe, keep up

If he played in this team he'd have to bat at eleven.

My timeframe goes further back & I have difficulty remembering when people did what so am going with my gut feeling

 

[Deleted Cyber]

No Cyber, I afraid I don't remember him. We had a bloke at my cricket club (RIP Derek) who shared the same name and action so he had the nickname "Deadly", unfortunately that is where the similarities ended. Our square is odd in that it has a small bank on the far side at one end and one day our "Deadly" came round the wicket, pitched it on the upside of the bank, as a result it came in to the right hander and a thick inside edge took it onto the stumps. We didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he stated, "I knew that one would get him."

Here is a quick Underwood video. The speed he bowls spin is about 65 mph which is about 15 mph quicker than any other in my life time.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Nah, not quite that big a differential. Mo will bowl at about 58-59mph when it's coming out right.

Leggies are slower in general but Rashid was *too* slow when he first started.