Battle of the Cricketers

[grecian]

Bedser, the lesser story, but superior cricketer, I feel.

 

[a massive zebra]

Any contest professing to be a true battle of the greatest English cricketers surely cannot exclude legends like May, Verity and Wardle at the expense of Hussain, Lamb and Gough. The ignorance of many people on here has induced a recency effect that renders this battle spurious.

 

[steds]

Any contest professing to be a true battle of the greatest English cricketers surely cannot exclude legends like May, Verity and Wardle at the expense of Hussain, Lamb and Gough. The ignorance of many people on here has induced a recency effect that renders this battle spurious.

I agree. Lamb isn't even English.




...Although I'll be happy as long as Statham's in it.

 

[a massive zebra]

As for this battle, Fry gets my vote, by a fair distance.

Probably our greatest ever all-round sportsman, he averaged over 50 in first class cricket during a period when overall averages were 10 runs lower than today, captained England without losing a Test, played for England at football and reached the FA Cup final, equalled the world long jump record with a leap of well over 7 metres, was gifted enough to become a top class rugby player had he not been quite so busy, won a major scholarship to Oxford and became a truly outstanding journalist of almost unrivalled literary quality, nearly became an MP, represented India at the League of Nations, was offered the throne of Albania and married a violent, vindictive, argumentative, tyranical battle-axe described as 'an awful woman' by others.

Truly one of the most talented and interesting Englishmen ever to live, most certainly in another league entirely to a mere bowler like Bedser.

 

[Goughy]

Any contest professing to be a true battle of the greatest English cricketers surely cannot exclude legends like May, Verity and Wardle at the expense of Hussain, Lamb and Gough. The ignorance of many people on here has induced a recency effect that renders this battle spurious.

Where were you when I nominated them and they needed seconding? We could have got the list a little more to our liking. Its CW democracy in action so I guess I can't complain too much and actually, with a few exceptions, the list looks pretty good.

 

[a massive zebra]

Sorry Goughy I would have been there for you mate but unfortunately only just noticed the new contest. I had assumed that people were simply discussing the results of the previous battle.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Any contest professing to be a true battle of the greatest English cricketers surely cannot exclude legends like May, Verity and Wardle at the expense of Hussain, Lamb and Gough. The ignorance of many people on here has induced a recency effect that renders this battle spurious.

Well firstly I don't think it does profess to be a true battle of the greatest English cricketers. I only intended it as a vaguely diverting way to pass a few minutes.

The selection process was largely arbitrary I admit, I could've chosen the 32 players I deemed most worthy but I thought it preferable to let CW have a say on the players to be included. I did, however, build in two fail-safes in entering ten players whose inclusion seemed beyond dispute & also in requiring that each player should be nominated & seconded. You were more than welcome to second any of the players you mentioned, in fact I wish you had, but there you go.

I personally wouldn't have included Hussain or Lamb (I think a case can be made for Gough as our most successful ODI bowler), but others did. May, Verity & Wardle are all fine players & cases can be made for others who've missed out, but realistically I don't think any of them would be a chance to win, which brings me back to the ten I included at the outset.

 

[a massive zebra]

A seperate thread should have been started for the Battle of the English IMO, many people may have abandoned this thread (as I did) after the conclusion of the last competition.

 

[BoyBrumby]

A seperate thread should have been started for the battle of the English IMO, many people may have abandoned this thread (as I did) after the conclusion of the last competition.

Yeah, in hindsight I think that was the way to go. After this battle I'll start a new thread.

 

[a massive zebra]

Its CW democracy in action so I guess I can't complain too much and actually, with a few exceptions, the list looks pretty good.

Yeah to be fair this is not the worst list I have ever seen by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[steds]

Seeing as Ranji and Lamb are in there, I object to it being called a battle of English cricketers. Battle of cricketers who happened to represent England would be more appropriate.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Seeing as Ranji and Lamb are in there, I object to it being called a battle of English cricketers. Battle of cricketers who happened to represent England would be more appropriate.

Ooo. Snappy title. A career as a copywriter awaits you!

 

[Binit]

I nominate Rahul Dravid.

Bradman's and Sobers, and also Sachin Tendulkar to some extent, played in an era when there were not many Computer analysis and flaws finding methods.

But watching Rahul Dravid stay at the wicket in a test match, making the bowlers hate why they become a test match bowler, gives me a feeling that he is the toughest batsman to dismiss in test match cricket right now.

Ultimately that is what test match cricket is all about - staying at the wicket and making most of bad deliveries...

I nominate Rahul Dravid - THE WALL.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I nominate Rahul Dravid.

Bradman's and Sobers, and also Sachin Tendulkar to some extent, played in an era when there were not many Computer analysis and flaws finding methods.

But watching Rahul Dravid stay at the wicket in a test match, making the bowlers hate why they become a test match bowler, gives me a feeling that he is the toughest batsman to dismiss in test match cricket right now.

Ultimately that is what test match cricket is all about - staying at the wicket and making most of bad deliveries...

I nominate Rahul Dravid - THE WALL.

A wonderful player, no doubt; but unhappily (for us!) not English.

I can see how the title of the thread is confusing tho. Sorry.