Big, big danger of comparing players on average. So a player that played against Ambrose, Donald, Walsh, Bishop, McGrath, Warne, Hadlee, Akram, Younis, Marshall (usually five match series) etc should be compared with someone who plays against the current load of tosh. Gooch for example. Gower spent a large proprotion of his career playing against Lillee and the West Indies.

Lamb was a good batsman. His average of 35 (playing well after his prime in his mid-late 30s) compares quite well with the likes of Collingwood. Judging by averages only, would you suggest that Collingwood is a better player than Gooch and Gower?? Of course not.

As I've said time and again on this site. Look in the 1988 wisden and you will see that only five players in world cricket average over 45. Boon and Gooch both average 36, Haynes 39, Vengsarkar 39, Crowe 40, Richardson 38.

1988-98 were dark times. But they still had the players, and NOT the team. Too many players lost their place after a coulple of tests. If these players had played under the Fletcher regime then they would have performed better. The likes of Thorpe averaged a lot higher under Fletcher than under anyone else (and he was even past his best).

Quite. These were my main cricket-watching days... and when scoring a half-century really MEANT something!Dark times in terms of sustained England success.. but at least we got to see extremely talented players beaten by superb opponents... and not (as currently) passable players beating less than passable opposition that frequently went AWOL!

It is incredibly difficult to compare the eras but one point on Lamb,he was a superb player of pace bowling and would no doubt have thrived against todays pace attacks but he was a poor player of spin and the likes of Kumble,Warne and Murali would have tied him in knots.

There is, but if you compare an players average to his peers then you get a good indication of his relative sucess. Lambs average of 36 was a bit less than Gooch, Gower or Smith and shows he was a decent bat but not world class.

Gower averaged in the mid 40's despite playing a lot of games against Lillee, Marshall, Ambrose..... This shows he was a great player, because a lot of his peers struggled to have an average as good as that. Lillee also said after Sobers Gower was the best left handed batsman he bowled to and one of the best overall - quite a compliment!

Ramps played over 50 tests, so did Hick and I'll bet Chris Lewis played a few too. Thats more than enough to prove your worth!

Lamb would have helped himself to large scores against a lot of todays pace bowling, but he wouldnt have been able to buy a run against Warne, Kumble, Murali, Kaneria.... So swings and roundabouts really. He would probably have averaged low 40's which is equivalent to averageing 36 in those days.

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Mark.

Not that I'm one for speculation, but I have a friend who is a friend of a friend (you get the idea...) and he's heard that both Ramps and Butcher have been approached by Peter Moores as possible injury cover in an emergency.

Don't shoot the messenger...

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Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi

Please, noooooo!

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Mark.

Why on earth Butcher? What's he done to warrant his name even being muttered?

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"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose."
- Ayrton Senna