Who Is The Best English Batsman of All-Time?

[Richard]

I'm sure Freddy is waiting by the phone for you to call up and give him a run-down of where he is going wrong...

That's the thing, though - that he's going wrong hasn't mattered of late, because he's still been picking-up the wickets since the Sri Lanka series.

 

[Tom Halsey]

No, she thinks she does.

It appears delusion runs in your family.

How exactly do you know that?

 

[marc71178]

Because my Mum has watched and listened to me all my life and has been shrewd in her observations.

What a sheltered life you've lead then.

 

[marc71178]

a very laughable claim indeed

It's more than just laughable, it's complete and utter tripe.

 

[marc71178]

Of course - because you know oh so much about both, don't you?

I imagine he knows better than to make such completely stupid comments as that one.

 

[marc71178]

That's the thing, though - that he's going wrong hasn't mattered of late, because he's still been picking-up the wickets since the Sri Lanka series.

So he's taking wickets (more than anyone else) at an extremely good average (when you bear in mind his contribution with the bat)

Then factor in the sort of balls he bowled that Lara couldn't cope with.

And you still think he's going wrong somewhere?

 

[Richard]

What a sheltered life you've lead then.

Because you know so much about that, too, don't you?

 

[Richard]

It's more than just laughable, it's complete and utter tripe.

No, it's not - and you can't comment knowledgably on the situation, because you have no knowledge of it.

 

[Richard]

I imagine he knows better than to make such completely stupid comments as that one.

So telling him he knows nothing about something he knows nothing about is a stupid comment, then?

 

[Richard]

So he's taking wickets (more than anyone else) at an extremely good average (when you bear in mind his contribution with the bat)

Then factor in the sort of balls he bowled that Lara couldn't cope with.

And you still think he's going wrong somewhere?

No, I think the batsmen are going wrong.
He's doing everything he can, and getting good figures - so there's no need to change anything.
As for the sort of balls that Lara couldn't cope with - funny how so many have coped with them, really, isn't it. The fact that he lost sight of the one that he got out to at Old Trafford and a previous one at Edgbaston, of course, had nothing to do with the thing.

 

[marc71178]

No, it's not - and you can't comment knowledgably on the situation, because you have no knowledge of it.

I know for a fact that you or I do not know more about Flintoff's game than he himself knows.

 

[marc71178]

So telling him he knows nothing about something he knows nothing about is a stupid comment, then?

The irony here cannot be overlooked.

 

[marc71178]

No, I think the batsmen are going wrong.

Of course, because you don't like Flintoff and only ever see bad in any player.

As for the sort of balls that Lara couldn't cope with - funny how so many have coped with them, really, isn't it. The fact that he lost sight of the one that he got out to at Old Trafford and a previous one at Edgbaston, of course, had nothing to do with the thing.

Yet again you bring this up when both those balls were too quick for Lara and are what got him out.

Pure and simple superb bowling to a great player.

 

[Swervy]

Because my Mum has watched and listened to me all my life and has been shrewd in her observations.
I've done the same with Flintoff's bowling.

that has got to be the quote of the year so far...brilliant.

I have this disturbing image of Richard sleeping, with his mum making notes next to him,all for sleep analysis session in the morning...god knows what happens during Richards more private moments

Look Flintoff knows his game,international players wouldnt be in the position they are in if they didnt know their game. And even if he didnt, he gets constant feedback from skipper and coach etc.

Richard, does your mum know you spend all your time in your room....studying Flintoff...most normal teenagers would be studying porn

 

[Richard]

I know for a fact that you or I do not know more about Flintoff's game than he himself knows.

No, you think it.
As far as I'm concerned if Flintoff, or anyone else, thinks his improvement in bowling-figures started at Bridgetown, they're wrong - simple as.

 

[Sussexshark]

Well, what a kindergarden party this thread has turned out to be, and here I was thinking we were all mature individuals. Ho hum.

For what it's worth I voted for Sir Jack. There's never been a batsman like him - the stats tell the story, or just part of it. Technically he was streets ahead of everyone else in the game, including his great friend Herbert Sutcliffe. Sir Jack was fully deserving of the soubriquet 'The Master', since that is precisely what he was; a genius, even, and most certainly the best batsmen on a sticky dog - a fact that has always been accepted. You don't score 3 shy of 200 tons if you're simply diddly-squat at the game. He was also a total gentleman, and would be shaking his head in utter disbelief at the behaviour of some modern international cricketers.

Some of you have argued about whether batsmen of Hobbs' era would have been so successful in the modern game. I really believe that is a ridiculous comparison. However, I have to say that the very best from the 20s and 30s - Hobbs and Sutcliffe, Patsy Hendren, Eddie Paynter, Frank Woolley, Les Ames plus the likes of Sir Len Hutton, Denis Compton, Bill Edrich and Peter May from the 50s would have still cut it a damned sight better than many modern cricketers do. Class, you see - if you have it you can do it in any time or era.

Oh, and by the way, I'm no whingeing Aussie, but what Jardine did was, yes within the Laws, but only just. He bent them somewhat and certainly had no respect for the spirit of the game. I have actually found some of the footage from that series quite sickening. I have every respect for Bill Bowes, who refused to do what Jardine wanted because he did not believe it was right to play the game in that way. And quite right too. Play hard, bloody hard, with a degree of sledging, but play fair, and there're many, many people who believe to their souls that Jardine did not play fair.

Just my two penn'orth.

Peter

 

[Richard]

The irony here cannot be overlooked.

Because I've commented on people's relationships with their family having never known a shred of anything about them, haven't I?

 

[Richard]

Well, what a kindergarden party this thread has turned out to be, and here I was thinking we were all mature individuals. Ho hum.

If this is a kindergarden party so are most threads in CC, and even more so elsewhere.

 

[Richard]

Of course, because you don't like Flintoff and only ever see bad in any player.

No, I just don't credit bowlers for poor batting.

Yet again you bring this up when both those balls were too quick for Lara and are what got him out.

Pure and simple superb bowling to a great player.

And despite the fact balls of similar pace have not gotten lesser players out.
Because lesser players haven't been unfortunate enough to lose sight.
And the first ball most certainly wasn't too quick for him - given that it was a slower-ball.

 

[Richard]

that has got to be the quote of the year so far...brilliant.

I have this disturbing image of Richard sleeping, with his mum making notes next to him,all for sleep analysis session in the morning...god knows what happens during Richards more private moments

No surprises there.

Look Flintoff knows his game,international players wouldnt be in the position they are in if they didnt know their game. And even if he didnt, he gets constant feedback from skipper and coach etc.

And they're just as likely to be crediting irrelevant sources as he is.
Look at Flintoff's bowling in the relevant matches, look at his figures from them and before them, and work-out that the change started when it is most commonly said to have. Or rather look at them and come to the more logical conclusion that the change started when I say it did.

Richard, does your mum know you spend all your time in your room....studying Flintoff...most normal teenagers would be studying porn

And you'll forgive me for not wanting nor feeling the need for any of that rubbish, forgive me for finding the game of cricket far more interesting. IMO that passage and the first one said far more about you than it does about me.