Which type of players are hardest to find ?

[Betterpolo]

It was the toughest places to bat. Always swing and the occasional sticky wicket.

That's very fair and, yes, he played partly in the era of uncovers wickets. Knowing the conditions though I am surprised at the gap.

Played under ten England captains, now there's a good quiz question in there!

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

That's what I'm thinking, and why risk injury etc for franchise T20 leagues. Young English batting talent appears to have decided that developing keeping skills is the way to make yourself desirable.

As you say, Australia haven’t always seen the role as necessary, and I can’t see who plays that role for England after Stokes, though perhaps when he moves on, Carse might move up to 7 with Atkinson at 8

 

[AndrewB]

Played under ten England captains, now there's a good quiz question in there!

Could give as a clue that their surnames are all from the first half of the alphabet.

 

[Betterpolo]

Could give as a clue that their surnames are all from the first half of the alphabet.

Oh yeah, that's a freakish distribution isn't it!

 

[number11]

The genuine test quality allrounder is by far the rarest. I don't mean the "bowls a bit, bats a bit" player. The world class allrounder who adds balance and can win a game with bat or ball.

 

[wpdavid]

(Re. Alan Knott)
Played under ten England captains, now there's a good quiz question in there!

OK, let's have a go. Especially after @AndrewB 's tip.
Illingworth
Lewis
Denness
Greig
Brearley
Close
Botham
Cowdrey
Fletcher if Knott went to India in 1981/82
Maye Edrich when Denness dropped himself in 1974/75?

No cheating, honest.

I originally thought about Boycott, but I think that Knott may have been Packered when Geoffrey occsasionally took over in the late 1970s.

 

[Betterpolo]

OK, let's have a go. Especially after @AndrewB 's tip.
Illingworth
Lewis
Denness
Greig
Brearley
Close
Botham
Cowdrey
Fletcher if Knott went to India in 1981/82
Maye Edrich when Denness dropped himself in 1974/75?

No cheating, honest.

I originally thought about Boycott, but I think that Knott may have been Packered when Geoffrey occsasionally took over in the late 1970s.

Well I'm impressed Not Fletcher and so the other is another one-off like Edrich but in the 68 Ashes. Not sure of the story there.

 

[wpdavid]

Well I'm impressed Not Fletcher and so the other is another one-off like Edrich but in the 68 Ashes. Not sure of the story there.

That's very kind of you. But as I started following the game in 1971, most of them were etched in my memory, and I know enough about the 1960s to be aware of Close and Cowdrey. Even with your hint I still had no idea about the stand-in during the 1968 Ashes and had to look him up. I suppose Cowdrey was probably injured for that match. Anyway, I won't give his name in case anyone else wants a go. I suspect @fredfertang would have got him first time of asking.

 

[peterhrt]

That's very kind of you. But as I started following the game in 1971, most of them were etched in my memory, and I know enough about the 1960s to be aware of Close and Cowdrey. Even with your hint I still had no idea about the stand-in during the 1968 Ashes and had to look him up. I suppose Cowdrey was probably injured for that match. Anyway, I won't give his name in case anyone else wants a go. I suspect @fredfertang would have got him first time of asking.

Both captains (Cowdrey and Lawry) were injured so Graveney and Jarman led their countries for the only time in the same match.

 

[Betterpolo]

Both captains (Cowdrey and Lawry) were injured so Graveney and Jarman led their countries for the only time in the same match.

Ha, we start with one great quiz question and finish with another

 

[Sliferxxxx]

Atg left handed fast/spin bowlers are the rarest of the rares.

 

[capt_Luffy]

The rarest kind of player is someone who is ATG in both the disciples.

 

[Coronis]

The rarest kind of player is someone who is ATG in both the disciples.

Only one I can think of is early career Grace, think ~66-76

 

[capt_Luffy]

Only one I can think of is early career Grace, think ~66-76

Was he an ATG bowler though?? Has exceptionally good bowling stats over this period; but I seldom read Grace being rated as a Great bowler (despite taking 10th most wickets in FC and 3rd in all Grade combined).

 

[Coronis]

Was he an ATG bowler though?? Has exceptionally good bowling stats over this period; but I seldom read Grace being rated as a Great bowler (despite taking 10th most wickets in FC and 3rd in all Grade combined).

Idk

 

[wpdavid]

Only one I can think of is early career Grace, think ~66-76

Is anyone else reading this and wondering which posters are thinking 1966-1976?

 

[Prince EWS]

The rarest kind of player is someone who is ATG in both the disciples.

Joel Garner the only one I can think of.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

The rarest kind of player is someone who is ATG in both the disciples.

With more discipline (not throwing away his wicket/not playing for fun) Miller could've been.

 

[capt_Luffy]

With more discipline (not throwing away his wicket/not playing for fun) Miller could've been.

Possible, but really don't he could had been an ATG batsman.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Possible, but really don't he could had been an ATG batsman.

Well he had a fc average of 49 including tests despite giving his wicket away