An England XI That Never Played Tests

[Line and Length]

This is a companion piece to the "Australian XI That Never Played Tests" and, once again, I have leaned heavily on statistics when making my selections. Unlike the Australian XI named, there are fewer English batsmen with FC batting averages in excess of 40 who qualify. On the other side of the coin, the all-rounder and bowling departments provided a wealth of talent to select from.
Once again I am sure to overlook worthy contenders and look forward to CW members bringing them to my attention.

An England XI

Alan Jones 36,049 runs @ 32.9 - 56 centuries
John Langridge 34,380 @ 37.4 - 76 centuries
Peter Roebuck 17,558 @ 37.2 - 33 centuries
Mal Loye 15,329 @ 39.9 - 42 centuries
Ali Brown 16,898 @ 42.7 - 47 centuries
Trevor Jesty 21,916 @ 32.7 - 35 centuries & 585 wickets @ 27.7
Geoff Humpage w/k18,108 @ 36.3 - 29 centuries & 743 dismissals
Tony Nicholson 879 w @ 19.8
George Dennett 2,154 w @ 19.8
Don Shepherd 2,218 w @ 21.3
Tom Wass 1,666 w @ 20.4

12th man Edgar Oldroyd 15,925 @ 35.1 - 36 centuries (once described as 'the best sticky-wicket batsman in the world')

Oldroyd could well have slotted in a head of a number of other batsmen named.

All-rounders who came under consideration were Emrys Davies (26,564 @ 27.9; 903 w @ 29.3), Glen Chapple (8,725 @ 24.1; 985 @ 26.7) and Peter Sainsbury (20,176 @ 26.9; 1316 w @ 24.1) but Jesty's batting earns him the nod ahead of Sainsbury.

Humpage was always going to be included because of his batting but Harry Martyn was apparently a fine gloveman and a reasonable bat.

Of the bowlers, Charles Kortright (489 w @ 21.0) was very quick and could easily have been included.

I welcome your comments - especially with regard to a comparison with the Australian XI

 

[ataraxia]

Fuller Pilch IMO.

 

[Flametree]

As you say, rather harder than the Australian one. England have played more tests than other countries, and arguably have had a more, er, inclusive selection policy than other countries, so pretty much everyone got a go.

One name that sprang to my mind was Wilf Wooller (13,000 at 23, 950 wickets at 26) who is worth a mention if only because he also got 18 caps for Wales at rugby, and played soccer for Cardiff. Also Doug Slade (500w @ 23, plus a useful number 8).

Must confess I'd never heard of Tony Nicholson. Seems remarkable he never got a test given the likes of Jeff Jones and John Price got 15 each in the same era.

 

[honestbharani]

Always felt Ali Brown had potential to play both formats of the game for England. Somehow never even got a chance inspite of their general direness across the 90s.

 

[Kraken]

Mark Nicholas??

 

[morgieb]

As you say, rather harder than the Australian one. England have played more tests than other countries, and arguably have had a more, er, inclusive selection policy than other countries, so pretty much everyone got a go.

One name that sprang to my mind were Wilf Wooller (13,000 at 23, 950 wickets at 26) who is worth a mention if only because he also got 18 caps for Wales at rugby, and played soccer for Cardiff. Also Doug Slade (500w @ 23, plus a useful number 8).

Must confess I'd never heard of Tony Nicholson. Seems remarkable he never got a test given the likes of Jeff Jones and John Price got 15 each in the same era.

In general it feels like the Welsh players got a rawer deal with selection than the English ones. In saying that though a lot of these guys don't feel robbed - most of them weren't quite that good or had really tough competition to crack. Guess you can say the same about the Aussies.

It's a little surprising Brown didn't get a crack given the crap that England dished up in the 90's and even the 2000's to some degree (not so much in terms of how they played but there was some utter spuds who got caps in the 2000's)

 

[TheJediBrah]

Always felt Ali Brown had potential to play both formats of the game for England. Somehow never even got a chance inspite of their general direness across the 90s.

Made 268 in a 50-over game in England back when making a double-century in white-ball cricket was unheard of

It's a little surprising Brown didn't get a crack given the crap that England dished up in the 90's and even the 2000's to some degree (not so much in terms of how they played but there was some utter spuds who got caps in the 2000's)

They seemed to rotate more through their bowlers and, ahem, "all-rounders" more than their batsmen. Anyone who had a few decent games with the ball got a cap at some point. Even Darren Pattinson was given a Test after a few good county games and he was only there visiting as an unofficial overseas player with an English passport lol

 

[honestbharani]

Also a good 100 or 80 chasing 350 on the last day of a 4 day game. Guy was good. Was never given a proper chance IMO.

 

[_Ed_]

And I don't think that was his only 50-over double ton.

EDIT: Actually, his other one was a 203 in a 40-over game!

 

[TheJediBrah]

And I don't think that was his only 50-over double ton.

EDIT: Actually, his other one was a 203 in a 40-over game!

I'd preface it by saying that county 50-over cricket was not the highest standard of domestic cricket, and small grounds etc, however his 268 was at The Oval which I think is a pretty normal sized ground, and the attack was decent too. They had at least 1 international bowler in Michael Kasprowicz.

 

[tony p]

I'd preface it by saying that county 50-over cricket was not the highest standard of domestic cricket, and small grounds etc, however his 268 was at The Oval which I think is a pretty normal sized ground, and the attack was decent too. They had at least 1 international bowler in Michael Kasprowicz.

i have a 72 page book on this innings, written by trevor jones of surrey, called" 268, the blow-by-blow account of ali's amazing onslaught...... and the day the records tumbled"

he opened the batting, out off the first ball of the last over, faced 160 balls, and hit 30 fours and 12 sixes. there was a 50-60 yard boundary down towards the gasholders.

amazingly surrey only won by 9 runs, 5-438, glamorgan out off the second last ball for 429, robert croft opening scored 119 off 69, david hemp 102 off 88 and darren thomas who took 3-108 off 9 overs, scoring 71 off 41.
a good surrey attack too, m.bicknell, giddins, ormond, saqlain mushtaq, a hollioake and clarke.

kasprowicz had the great figures for glamorgan 10-0-53-1.

never know why brown wasn't considered for tests, i will be posting my team shortly, he's in mine.

 

[TheJediBrah]

there was a 50-60 yard boundary down towards the gasholders.

would help I guess

 

[Flametree]

Yes that Oval wicket block is ridiculous in size and you would occasionally see games with them out on one side with tiny boundaries on one side, and the rope on the other miles in from the fence.

 

[tony p]

okay, i have two england teams, one of players before i was born, and the other team, players who i have seen live in county cricket,( i first went to england in 1989, i have seen around 100 championship matches, so it's on players who did well or impressed me.

a lot of both teams is on stats, but you do wonder on the oversight on some players. quite a few of these players have already been mentioned on here already.

before i was born team players on left , players i have seen live team on right

JOHN LANGRIDGE, 34380@37.45, 76 CENT, 784 CATCHES DARREN BICKNELL,19931@38.55, 46 CENT
FRANK WATSON, 23596@36.98, 5O CENT, 407WKTS@32.14 DARYL MITCHELL, 13066@39.35, 37 CENT.
JAMES SEYMOUR, 27237@32.08, 53 CENT, 675 CATCHES JAMES HILDRETH, 17158@42.57, 46 CENT
TOM SHEPHERD, 18715@39.81, 42 CENT, 445 WKTS@30.73 NEIL TAYLOR, 19031@39.56, 45 CENT
GEORGE COX, 22949@32.92, 50 CENT. ALI BROWN, 16898@42.67, 47 CENT
JACK NEWMAN, 15364@21.57, 10 CENT, 2054 WKTS@25.02 DARREN STEVENS, 15633@35.05, 34 CENT, 517 WKTS@25.18
DEREK MORGAN, 18356@24.94, 1248 WKTS@25.08, 573 CATCHES GLEN CHAPPLE, 8725@24.16, 6 CENT, 985 WKTS@26.71
PETER SAINSBURY, 20176@26.86, 1316 WKTS@24.14, 617 CATCHES STEVE MARSH, 10098@28.05, 9 CENT, CATCHES 668, STUMPINGS 61
ROY BOOTH, 10138@18.91, 2 CENT, CAUGHT 948, STUMPINGS 177 DAVID MILLNS, 553 WKTS@27.35
GEORGE DENNETT, 2151 WKTS@19.82 CHRIS RUSHWORTH, 494 WKTS@22.82
DON SHEPHERD, 2218 WKTS@21.32. JASON LEWRY, 621 WKTS@27.10

the before i was born team has four of the greatest catches who have played, langridge, seymour, sainsbury and morgan took an amazing 2649 catches between them, langridge in his last year at sussex in 1955 took 69 catches, he was a great slip.
shepherd batted at number 4 for surrey, behind hobbs and sandham, but was good enough to make a century for the players v gents at the oval.
watson was competing with to many greats, he was regarded as dull and unenterprising,( his wisden 1977 obituary confirms his dullness,) but still scored a triple century and three doubles as well, and lancashire won 5 championships in his time, which he was a major contributor.
cox was a crowd pleaser, when in, a great player, however he made plenty of ducks, hence is average
newman, sainsbury and morgan's records suggests that they could have been given a chance, none of them was even given a minor test tour to go on.
booth was very underated, had to leave yorkshire because of jimmy binks

both dennett, and don shepherd, played for unfashionable sides, but you thought they might have got picked for at least a tour, although in dennett's day, they only played australia and south africa.

on the other side, bicknell and taylor always made good runs when i saw them, as a kent fan, always good when taylor did.
mitchell always looks good to me, not sure how the likes of lyth, stoneman, jennings and robson all played ahead of him.
hildreth still may, brown has been mentioned, biggest balls up by the england selectors in this period, the number of matches he won for surrey in all formats, how many chances did ramprakash have.
stevens should have played in another era, doesn't look like a cricketer, but he is a wonder of the age, hope he gets back in this year to play before he retires.
millns, rushworth and lewry could be termed solid county players, but they all had heart and were great competitors.

i would pick the older side to win due to their allround strength and great slip catching.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

The best batsman never to play Test Cricket for England who qualified to do so is probably Ken McEwan. Passed his best when he became available though.

 

[Line and Length]

The best batsman never to play Test Cricket for England who qualified to do so is probably Ken McEwan. Passed his best when he became available though.

He'll make my South African line-up!

 

[trundler]

Could cheat a bit and peak someone like Richard Daft whose best came before test cricket was a thing

 

[Engle]

' Flat Jack ' Simmons was good enough to be Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1985

He played in 450 FC matches, 9,417 runs at 22.52 and 1033 wickets at 27.18

 

[Engle]

John Arlott 1981 article : https://www.espncricinfo.com/wcm/content/story/213031.html

The side, then, will be, in batting order: John Langridge, Maurice Hallam, Emrys Davies, Edgar Oldroyd, Jack Newman, Harry Martyn, Peter Sainsbury, Wilfred Wooller, Don Shepherd, Charles Kortright and Tom Wass.

The side bats down to No. 7. There are seven bowlers, Wass and Kortright, with Wooller in support, narrowly putting out Clem Gibson, Raymond Robertson-Glasgow and Emmott Robinson from the seam bowling. George Dennett is unlucky because two capable batsmen in Emrys Davies and Peter Sainsbury also bowl slow left-arm.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

James Hildreth and David Byas need a mention. Glen Chapple too.