Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

So in a long spell of games that I come up with and then abandon (sorry Alphabet Game) let's give this a whirl. I will post England's teams from the summer of the year that ends with 7 in each decade. You just need to tell me who wins. First to five votes for any one team will win the fixture.

So we starts with 2017 XI v 2007 XI

Cook
Jennings
Westley
Root
Malan
Stokes
Bairstow
TRJ
Ali
Broad
Anderson

V

Strauss
Cook
Vaughan
KP
Collingwood
Bell
Prior
Sidebottom
Tremlett
Panesar
Anderson

Two sides in transition. Anderson before his best in 07. But that 07 side was two years from being very good and the future is not known for the 2017 XI. The current side's batting can't compare. 07 soon became the strongest England batting of my watching years. Maybe Jennings, Malan and Westley will go on to be greats but we don't know yet...

2007 is my vote winner, but, where's Freddie? Injured?

Yep, a Freddie 2007 wins it for me.

Any more votes out there?

2007 team wins it for me

Seems Freddie only played one Test in a year he started as skipper then was stood down after pedalogate and the Ashes that never was.

England's batting in 2007. Great year for KP. Better than I'd expect for MPV.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=batting

And bowling:

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=bowling

This year. Only Root looking good with the bat, but we only have one series to go on.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=batting

And the bowling.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=bowling

2007.

England lose in Sydney to be whitewashed in the Ashes.
Beat West Indies 3-0, one draw.
Lost to India 2-0, one draw.
Lost in SL 1-0, two draws.

2017.
England beat SA 3-1.

Tremlett seems an odd selection having played only 3 games. Harmison has nearly twice as many wickets and Hoggard a better average.

Are you having a vote Ian?

2007 for me.

2007

Right so that's a win for 2007

Next up 1997 v 1987; remember this is not a composite team for that year it is whatever team I could find that played in August of that year.

Your teams are:

Butcher
Atherton
Stewart
Hussain
Thorpe
Ramprakash
Hollioake
Caddick
Martin
Tufnell
Malcolm

V

Broad
Moxon
Robertson
Gower
Gatting
Botham
Emburey
French
Foster
Edmonds
Dilley

1987 for me

1997. Could be strengthened by Darren Gough (or Cork). The 1987 side couldn't be arsed to train and was mostly overweight and without discipline. Botham was years past his best and Gower was being marginalised (wasn't Gooch around though- maybe post rebel tour?) Against that, the later side was led by David Lloyd and Ted Dexter. Still, seven of the 1997 team had enough about them to become part of the Duncan Fletcher renaissance.