Worst ever English player?

[R W S]

After a quick glance back through the list of England test players (here) I found reams of names to choose from, not all genuine contenders but worthy of consideration nonetheless. Here's a start:-


504 ACS Pigott v New Zealand Christchurch 1983/84
509 RM Ellison v West Indies The Oval 1984
516 WN Slack v West Indies Port of Spain 1985/86
524 JJ Whitaker v Australia Adelaide 1986/87
534 DV Lawrence v Sri Lanka Lord's 1988
540 AP Igglesden v Australia The Oval 1989
546 NF Williams v India The Oval 1990
550 SL Watkin v West Indies Leeds 1991
552 H Morris v West Indies Birmingham 1991
553 DA Reeve v New Zealand Christchurch 1991/92
555 TA Munton v Pakistan Manchester 1992
558 RJ Blakey v India Chennai 1992/93
562 MN Lathwell v Australia Nottingham 1993
573 JER Gallian v West Indies Birmingham 1995
581 SJE Brown v Pakistan Lord's 1996
594 A Habib v New Zealand Birmingham 1999

[Mike_Hock]

Thats a bit harsh on Steve Watkin!

11 wickets at 27!

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Tony Pigott, I forgot all about him. He was the martin saggers of his day wasnt he ? Alot of county wickets and sod all at test level. Tim munton, he was another I remeber.


You have committed a cardinal sin in the eyes of one or two (not me) and put dermot reeve on that list. I can feel the iron fist of the moderator coming down anytime now......

[R W S]

Originally Posted by Mike_Hock

Thats a bit harsh on Steve Watkin!

Maybe not the bottom of the barrel but ...

As Welsh as Tom Jones, Watkin has been an integral member of Glamorgan's seam attack since 1986. He runs in with ten-to-two feet and an action that culminates in both arms reaching heavenwards, but he's accurate, gets the ball to seam and bounce, and often takes important wickets early in the order; on greentops he can be lethal. A classic horses-for-courses selection for Headingley in 1991, Watkin chipped in to help England beat West Indies, but he won just two more Test caps, despite going on the 1993-94 tour to the Caribbean, where he was restricted to a handful of one-day appearances. He formed part of Glamorgan's gloriously inept tail in the late 1980s, but in 2000 hit his maiden first-class 50. In 2001, shortly after taking his 900th wicket, he announced his retirement. (Wsiden)

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Originally Posted by ernest

Tell yu what Richie,Peter martin and Ian Auistin,were better one day players than most one dayers now,score of them if you could,Mike watkinson now he was a spinner all rounder,these players won every thing there was to win in their day,not forgetting flat Jack Simmonds.Good days for Lancastrians like myself,then there was Clive,and Niel.

Worst player no one has sussed him,not even you Richie D PRINGLE read a besst seller every day .

Ernest

Your're right ern, pringle did escape my evil eye. Admittedly lancs did well in the one day stuff, but how many years ago was that ?!?!?! And martin still opens the bowling !

[Mike_Hock]

Bang out of order!!!

[R W S]

Originally Posted by Mike_Hock

Bang out of order!!!

The green green grass of home

[Oliver]

Originally Posted by R W S

After a quick glance back through the list of England test players (here) I found reams of names to choose from. Here's a start:-


504 ACS Pigott v New Zealand Christchurch 1983/84
509 RM Ellison v West Indies The Oval 1984
516 WN Slack v West Indies Port of Spain 1985/86
524 JJ Whitaker v Australia Adelaide 1986/87
534 DV Lawrence v Sri Lanka Lord's 1988
540 AP Igglesden v Australia The Oval 1989
546 NF Williams v India The Oval 1990
550 SL Watkin v West Indies Leeds 1991
552 H Morris v West Indies Birmingham 1991
553 DA Reeve v New Zealand Christchurch 1991/92
555 TA Munton v Pakistan Manchester 1992
558 RJ Blakey v India Chennai 1992/93
562 MN Lathwell v Australia Nottingham 1993
573 JER Gallian v West Indies Birmingham 1995
581 SJE Brown v Pakistan Lord's 1996
594 A Habib v New Zealand Birmingham 1999

Interesting figures - Ellison took two fivefers v. the 1985 Australians as I recall. He wasn't rubbish by any means.
Just a swing bowler, who could bat about as well as Chris Read. David Lawrence might have made it but for being a little on the large side, which no doubt contributed in some way to the appalling knee injury that he suffered in New Zealand.
I still have the pertinent part on video somewhere at home. You can actually hear his knee-cap snap as he put down his front foot to bowl. And then you just hear him screaming. Not very nice. He wasn't express, but he WAS a trier, and as I've posted elsewhere today...that is a level up on a great many cricketers who have played for England.
Lathwell didn't enjoy his England experience...but Richie Benaud said at the time words to the effect of: "he's a terrific looking player...but he's not an opener."
Two or three of the above smack of players who were given a go because they were County stalwarts.
You could put Martin Bicknell in that list. He hasn't done much at Test level, but actually he's quite a good player.
If you've got Wilf Slack, why not put down Roland Butcher? Or Paul Terry or Andy Lloyd?
And of course Ed Smith is a shoe in on the end, because he only made sixty odd in his first Test.

[Mike_Hock]

Originally Posted by R W S

The green green grass of home

So just cos hes welsh hes crap?

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Was it him or maynard who had those really scary eyes ?