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

I didn't go for Anderson. He's good, but not great. My four tends to come from what I've seen England do against Australia, so i went for; Gough, Jones, Hoggard, and Flintoff. Greats of the game in anyone's language. I did think about the tall English medium pace bowler, but then thought better of it.

Australia would be a good yardstick, as they were a great side for the whole of that period... apart from probably the 10/11 series and the 2013 series, which lets them down a a great litmus test. Against the Aussies post Beefy:

Wickets
Anderson 77
Gough 74
Caddick 64
Broad 64

But... Anderson and Broad played two series against below par Australia batting line ups. Unless they batted poorly because the bowling was so great? And Anderson has played far more games than anyone else.

Average (minimum 30 wickets)
Headley 24.8
Broad 29.9
Flintoff 30.4
Gough 30.8

Strike Rate (minimum 30 wickets)
Headley 43
Gough 53
Broad 54
Hoggard 63

The tall medium pacer is looking a bit unlucky not to be selected!

Bowlers I prefer to watch, probably the 4 best at reverse-swing as well.

Gough
Anderson
Jones
Flintoff

Anderson easily. I'm of course biased to those who have done well against India. His bowling at Mumbai in 2006, Kolkata and Nagpur in 2012 is easily the best I've seen an overseas seamer not named Dale Steyn bowl in India since Mcgrath/Gillespie.

Broad finally gets a vote.

Several of these options are/were better bowlers than Botham.

we tend to forget that quite a few of the world's best batsmen were playing for Packer when Botham took many of his wickets.

Any road up, Gough, Caddick, Anderson, Hoggard.

D/L wrote:Several of these options are/were better bowlers than Botham.

we tend to forget that quite a few of the world's best batsmen were playing for Packer when Botham took many of his wickets.

Any road up, Gough, Caddick, Anderson, Hoggard.

No they weren't. Botham made his test debut in the same season when it all kicked off with Packer. Within three years most of those players were back. Botham hadn't even had his Headingley moment by then.

Sadly the Beefy I remember was a medium paced swinger who only occasionally bowled teams out. His batting was still good though.

Botham really was at a peak 77-82, when he was magnificent. Though he played some Packer weakened sides in that time. Really, Best since Botham should mean since 1982. That wouldn't really change the options though- Angus and Dev's stats would just go further back.

Gough, Anderson and Freddie opening up a gap. Fraser suffering maybe from some not seeing him?

Just for clarity, here are Beefy's bowling figures per test innings so that people can judge quality of opposition etc.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... ew=innings


Personally for me he was the Roy of the Rovers of cricket.

I want Darren Pattinson.

Probably Grimsby's best since Botham.

Aidan11 wrote:

D/L wrote:Several of these options are/were better bowlers than Botham.

we tend to forget that quite a few of the world's best batsmen were playing for Packer when Botham took many of his wickets.

Any road up, Gough, Caddick, Anderson, Hoggard.

No they weren't. Botham made his test debut in the same season when it all kicked off with Packer. Within three years most of those players were back. Botham hadn't even had his Headingley moment by then.

Three years when he wasn't up against the best in the world then.

D/L wrote:

Aidan11 wrote:

D/L wrote:Several of these options are/were better bowlers than Botham.

we tend to forget that quite a few of the world's best batsmen were playing for Packer when Botham took many of his wickets.

Any road up, Gough, Caddick, Anderson, Hoggard.

No they weren't. Botham made his test debut in the same season when it all kicked off with Packer. Within three years most of those players were back. Botham hadn't even had his Headingley moment by then.

Three years when he wasn't up against the best in the world then.

Out of a test career that spanned 15 years. You will also note that during those 3 years England didn't have a test against the West Indies so when he faced them it was always the strongest possible side that also happened to be the best test side by far at the time.