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Re: England's greatest test?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 8:19 pm
by Gingerfinch
ianp1970 wrote:
Arthur Crabtree wrote:Impossible to leave one of Hobbs, Sutcliffe and Hutton out. But only two openers.

Sutcliffe averages over 60, which is unique for an opener and won't ever be beaten. So one of Hobbs and Hutton...

The article I first read made it sound like the 'ECB' picked the side, but I later found out it was a poll. So fair enough. Like Beckham being in the top 100 Great Britons about ten years ago. His face happened to be in the frame at that time.


My favourite of these voted polls - that I'll always remember - is from the late 80s, when 'I Owe You Nothing' by Bros was voted the best single of all-time :facepalm


I preferred Cat Amongst The Pigeons 8-)

Re: England's greatest test?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 8:26 pm
by Durhamfootman
not a patch on 'hello, John, got a new motor'

could have won the award for most influential album of the 80's if it hadn't been for Thriller.... and the fact that there were no other tracks

Re: England's greatest test?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 9:15 pm
by Arthur Crabtree
Ginger prefers Didn't You Kill My Brother? ;)

Re: England's greatest test?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 11:10 pm
by bigfluffylemon
Durhamfootman wrote:I'm extraordinarily myopic abut these things, but England's greatest test was at CLS in 2013.


Funny how that one hasn't stuck in the collective memory. Just looking at it at the time, Broad's spell was compared to Botham's in '81, pulling a victory from the jaws of defeat. Yet it doesn't even make the shortlist. I can only guess it's because at the time England were already 2-0 up in the Ashes and had already retained them, whereas the games in '81, and Edgbaston '05, had the galvanising effect of pulling England back not only in the match, but the series.

Shocker of an all-time XI. I would agree more with AC, although I think you could make a genuine case for Anderson's inclusion (although when you're up against the likes of Barnes, Trueman, Statham, Willis it's stiff competition). Not sure about Stewart either. Root may make it in some day but he's not an all time great yet. But how you can leave out Hammond, Sutcliffe, Barrington, Barnes, Laker etc. beggars belief.

The people have spoken, apparently, and this is the BBC voters' all-time test list:

2009 Cardiff
2013 Trent Bridge
2015 Trent Bridge
1998 Trent Bridge
2000 Karachi
2010 Melbourne
1981 Edgbaston
1956 Old Trafford
2005 Edgbaston
1981 Headingley

Only one from before 1981 says it all, really.

Re: England's greatest test?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 11:54 pm
by Arthur Crabtree
bigfluffylemon wrote:
Durhamfootman wrote:I'm extraordinarily myopic abut these things, but England's greatest test was at CLS in 2013.


Funny how that one hasn't stuck in the collective memory.


For me, that was the only time that series came to life (and I remember the close finish at TB). But I do think of it as a mostly glum time for the England side.

Re: England's greatest test?

PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 12:05 am
by Arthur Crabtree
bigfluffylemon wrote:2009 Cardiff
2013 Trent Bridge
2015 Trent Bridge
1998 Trent Bridge
2000 Karachi
2010 Melbourne
1981 Edgbaston
1956 Old Trafford
2005 Edgbaston
1981 Headingley

Only one from before 1981 says it all, really.


And eight Ashes Tests.

Re: England's greatest test?

PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 8:49 am
by sussexpob
Durhamfootman wrote:I'm extraordinarily myopic abut these things, but England's greatest test was at CLS in 2013


Seem to remember the Broad magic being thoroughly exciting to watch, a rarity in the modern day.

Re: England's greatest test?

PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 9:13 am
by sussexpob
Arthur Crabtree wrote:Athers v Donald was a thrilling contest, but no need for the Test to be selected.


Id totally disagree. If I wanted to pick the shining example of what test cricket is to me, it was that 4th evening. The game was a thrilling spectacle, England had come out all guns blazing, Cronje fought back with a blinder along with a combative Pollock. They set a total that looked like a winner on an up and down deck, we then came out to bat in hostile conditions and put 150 without a wicket down, then cue a cluster of wickets. They fought back, took a narrow but significant lead, we got into them. And then came that passage of play. At various stages in the first innings, both teams looked on top. It see-sawed into an epic battle. Even when England had South Africa 5 down for under a 100 in the 3rd innings, you felt with the 50 odd run lead it might not be enough on that deck.

The scorecard made it look easy, but the game was up in the air. 250 required on that pitch, in the 90s when 250 on day 4 was really some ask..... you just couldnt take your eyes off it. One wicket seemed like it could bring all 10 quickly. And South Africa tried. God they tried.....

The most compelling day of sport in my lifetime. And thats before you add the significance of what it meant for the English game after a period of woeful performance. The 5th test was also a barnstormer. The 3rd test was lopsided but who can forget Gus Fraser blocking out Donald at full pace for a few overs to avoid a crushing defeat.

Thorpe's SL efforts in 2001 were a joy. The Pakistan victory was immense in the same year, but then again the nature of it was a farce and it taints it somewhat. 2005 Edgbaston ending felt pure Ecstasy, if only because the preceding hour before the Kasper wicket felt like you knew what was coming. You went through that annoying motion of a convincing and important victory turning into one which Australia could take a lot away form (which felt important at the time for England's momentum), to the beginnings of panic that it might be tight, to praying for the final wicket. The OT test was very good too.

Re: England's greatest test?

PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 9:25 am
by Arthur Crabtree
Stewart's hitting to finish the game off sticks in the memory. After the sturm und drang of Athers v Donald, it was like a comical breaking of the tension. He made it look so easy, though AD had burned out by then.

I was at all that match, and it was an excellent game, but I can't say I'd put it up there with games like Headingley 81 or Ashes 2-5 in 05. Or Colombo.

Re: England's greatest test?

PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 9:42 am
by sussexpob
A lot like the way Tudor/Thorpe finished off NZ the year after at Edgbaston, you felt that South Africa poured everything into that 4th day and England were largely unmoved. England batted South Africa into submission, which is bizarre really in itself. When Stewart came to the wicket you still could have seen England being blown away, the ball was moving off everything still. Maybe the memory of the 3rd test and the previous evening opened up a bit of self defeatism and doubt in the saffer ranks.

Re: England's greatest test?

PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 9:45 am
by Arthur Crabtree
Well, they had got Atherton out, which often seems to be pushed to one side. Umpire error. So Donald won in an alternate reality.

Boucher shouldn't have spilled that catch too!

Re: England's greatest test?

PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 9:49 am
by sussexpob
Arthur Crabtree wrote:Well, they had got Atherton out, which often seems to be pushed to one side. Umpire error. So Donald won in an alternate reality.

Boucher shouldn't have spilled that catch too!


Poor Donald's face when Hussain was dropped; if looks could kill :clap The enduring memory was the legend calming down about 4 balls into Pollocks over, and Donald running 70 yards to give Boucher a pat on the bottom. That, and Athers smirk back at Donald when the umpire didnt give him. I bet Allan made it a double in the bar afterwards.

Re: England's greatest test?

PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 9:52 am
by sussexpob
Think Donald bottled it up for a year. Who can forget the baptism of fire at the Wanderers in 1999-2000. I think we were 5 wickets down for 2 runs at the start of that series. I seem to remember Atherton being bowled by an inswinger that the batsman could have rightfully judged with the ball half way down, that he could leave it go for a wide. A split second later his stumps were shattered and that was it.

Re: England's greatest test?

PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 9:54 am
by sussexpob


That ball is quite frankly bloody ridiculous.