Harsh Thakor
First Class Star
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2012
- Runs
- 3,519
- Post of the Week
- 2
Fascinating that England is a nation who had several all time greats before the war and the subsequent period but significantly declined after the 1970's.Man -to-man the players before 1968 were stronger .
Pre-1968 English xi
Len Hutton
Jack Hobbs
Walter Hammond
Denis Compton
Peter May
Frank Woolley
Godfrey Evans
Harold Larwood
Fred Trueman
Jim Laker
Sydney Barnes
Post-1968 xi
Geoff Boycott
Graham Gooch
David Gower
Kevin Pieterson
Robin Smith
Alec Stewart
Ian Botham
Andrew Flintoff
Derek Underwood
John Snow
Bob Willis
In terms of talent the pre-1968 xi was overwhelmingly superior.It posessed legends like Hobbs,Hutton,Hammond and Compton who could be classed with Tendulkar or Viv Richards.Hammond took batting domination to regions rarely traversed,Compton took wizardry to the height of divinty.Hutton took technical mastery to its highest zenith while Hobbs was in the all-round sense the best batsmen ever.Sydney Barnes in terms of statistics wa sthe best ever bolwer being more daunting than anyone on as tickler while Trueman and Larwood were in the Marshall-Wasim class.-,capable of unleashing devastating pace.Frank Wooleey was great all-rounder and left -hand batsmen in hiso wn right.
However the post-1968 xi had more professionalism with players who could adapt better to the modern game.In Botham and Flintoff they had 2 all-rounders who could turn a game in a whirlwind fashion from the deepest depths of despair.Botham could often play the role of a one -man army making the impact of a Hercules with bat and ball.Pieterson was one of the most destructive middle order batsmen of all time particularly against pace bowling.David Gower on his day could take batting to regions of the sublime ,matching strides with any batting great.Bob Willis was ferocious with the new ball and often an epitome of grit.John Snow had great variety and control matching strides with Lillee and Andy Roberts in his time.On bad wicket Underwood was as lethal as any spinner.Alec Stewart was the ultimate man for a crisis and would keep the wickets.Gooch and Boycot comprised the ideal pair.Boycott was the fulcrum,Gooch was the executioner.Gooch could tear an attack to the shreds ,Boycott could wear it down like boulder withstanding a gale.Robin Smith was master against lightning pace.
I back the pre-1968 to win but not by a very big margin.Say around 50 runs or 3 wickets.It is something unique as perhaps no nation's pre-1968 xi could beat it's post 68 xi.It tells us something about the evolution of English test cricket.
Pre-1968 English xi
Len Hutton
Jack Hobbs
Walter Hammond
Denis Compton
Peter May
Frank Woolley
Godfrey Evans
Harold Larwood
Fred Trueman
Jim Laker
Sydney Barnes
Post-1968 xi
Geoff Boycott
Graham Gooch
David Gower
Kevin Pieterson
Robin Smith
Alec Stewart
Ian Botham
Andrew Flintoff
Derek Underwood
John Snow
Bob Willis
In terms of talent the pre-1968 xi was overwhelmingly superior.It posessed legends like Hobbs,Hutton,Hammond and Compton who could be classed with Tendulkar or Viv Richards.Hammond took batting domination to regions rarely traversed,Compton took wizardry to the height of divinty.Hutton took technical mastery to its highest zenith while Hobbs was in the all-round sense the best batsmen ever.Sydney Barnes in terms of statistics wa sthe best ever bolwer being more daunting than anyone on as tickler while Trueman and Larwood were in the Marshall-Wasim class.-,capable of unleashing devastating pace.Frank Wooleey was great all-rounder and left -hand batsmen in hiso wn right.
However the post-1968 xi had more professionalism with players who could adapt better to the modern game.In Botham and Flintoff they had 2 all-rounders who could turn a game in a whirlwind fashion from the deepest depths of despair.Botham could often play the role of a one -man army making the impact of a Hercules with bat and ball.Pieterson was one of the most destructive middle order batsmen of all time particularly against pace bowling.David Gower on his day could take batting to regions of the sublime ,matching strides with any batting great.Bob Willis was ferocious with the new ball and often an epitome of grit.John Snow had great variety and control matching strides with Lillee and Andy Roberts in his time.On bad wicket Underwood was as lethal as any spinner.Alec Stewart was the ultimate man for a crisis and would keep the wickets.Gooch and Boycot comprised the ideal pair.Boycott was the fulcrum,Gooch was the executioner.Gooch could tear an attack to the shreds ,Boycott could wear it down like boulder withstanding a gale.Robin Smith was master against lightning pace.
I back the pre-1968 to win but not by a very big margin.Say around 50 runs or 3 wickets.It is something unique as perhaps no nation's pre-1968 xi could beat it's post 68 xi.It tells us something about the evolution of English test cricket.
