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[ppccopener]

great thread, im putting my team together  glad to see my forum members do recognise what Tres did for us, just how good this guy was in his pomp, had he found a way to tour, he could even still be opening today!

I don't know how to post a you tube link on here i'm a serious technophobe but should anyone wish to link Simon Jones to Micheal Clarke, it's 0.18 seconds long and for me was the iconic moment from 2005..

It would make my day 

[smilley792]

great thread, im putting my team together  glad to see my forum members do recognise what Tres did for us, just how good this guy was in his pomp, had he found a way to tour, he could even still be opening today!

I don't know how to post a you tube link on here i'm a serious technophobe but should anyone wish to link Simon Jones to Micheal Clarke, it's 0.18 seconds long and for me was the iconic moment from 2005..

It would make my day

https://youtu.be/kpQpJdFLzdc

I am nice sometimes.

[ppccopener]

you legend

thank you

what a fabulous moment
by luck or design the cameraman just got the moment the whole crowd went up in unison.

[alexhilly1492]

Don't forget this over form Freddie

https://youtu.be/l2yv7OIXKIc

[Manormanic]

Intriguing. Assuming a 2005 onward side - ie making Swann etc who came and went between available, I would go....

Trescothick
Strauss/Cook (note one)
Vaughan (c)
Root
Pietersen
Bairstow
Stokes
Flintoff
Swann
S Jones (note 2)
Anderson

Note one - my printed XI assumes the Lords test in the Ashes as a start point. If you pull it back a single game, I would be sorely tempted to let Virgil open and bring Thorpe in at five.

Note 2 - Jones is in for his reverse and pace, but there is a good argument that actually that attack needs one Ryan Sidebottom

[Johnny]

I assumed it was 2005 v today. Else Swann def makes my team and I'd probably give Prior the nod over YJB

[Buzz]

Meant to be 05 vs today to effectively highlight the bowling is basically the same high quality. Keeper batter is arguably better but the top order is a chunk weaker.

As people can see Stauss and Cook are used interchangeably across the teams, but Tresco is in every team.

Bell hardly scored a run in 05 and yet he is picked by some people which is comical.

Swann was an exception, but like Trott and Prior out of scope.
Separately I have no idea how anyone would pick prior ahead of YJB, but I think we have a clouded view of Prior's keeping.
YJB is on a different level as a batsman and nearly as good as a keeper.

[Tailendfielder]

Can't believe there's some folk not picking England's highest run scorer and wicket takers! You don't get there by accident.

l

Im suprised how highly rated stokes and bairstow are. They are good but i think theyve got a way to go to match the likes of flintoff and prior. Not saying they will not make it, just not done enough yet.

[Righthand]

l

Im suprised how highly rated stokes and bairstow are. They are good but i think theyve got a way to go to match the likes of flintoff and prior. Not saying they will not make it, just not done enough yet.

Agreed! Stokes could become a great all rounder one day but to put him ahead of Flintoff is kind of crazy.
Also Root ahead of Vaughan. The versatility of his game, his hunger and his age all give him a massive advantage over Vaughan. Besides hes already rated as one of top 3 modern day batsmen!

[Manormanic]

l

Im suprised how highly rated stokes and bairstow are. They are good but i think theyve got a way to go to match the likes of flintoff and prior. Not saying they will not make it, just not done enough yet.

Who is the better at their peak? Bairstow certainly, Flintoff vs Stokes much harder - I think Ben is the better bat, Freddie with ball.

But...YJB may be ace etc but he has only started to prove that in the last 18 months. It still isn't clear long term if e are assessing him as keeper-bat or frontline bat. Meanwhile, Prior gets an unfairly harsh Rep - he became a very decent keeper in his second international stint, and is figures as a batsman are comparatively low because he played most of his career behind a rock solid top six, so often came in to give late impetus rather than the opportunity to bat long that later keepers have had.

If he were available today, I reckon Prior would get into the side. He may or may not get the gloves, but the role that we argue Jos Buttler should be given would definitely be made for him.

[SOULMAN1012]

Who is the better at their peak? Bairstow certainly, Flintoff vs Stokes much harder - I think Ben is the better bat, Freddie with ball.

But...YJB may be ace etc but he has only started to prove that in the last 18 months. It still isn't clear long term if e are assessing him as keeper-bat or frontline bat. Meanwhile, Prior gets an unfairly harsh Rep - he became a very decent keeper in his second international stint, and is figures as a batsman are comparatively low because he played most of his career behind a rock solid top six, so often came in to give late impetus rather than the opportunity to bat long that later keepers have had.

If he were available today, I reckon Prior would get into the side. He may or may not get the gloves, but the role that we argue Jos Buttler should be given would definitely be made for him.

For me I feel Prior was the superior keeper but YJB is by far the better bat. Prior was certainly a selfless batsmen who was happy to throw his wicket in pursuit of team runs mainly as you say when England were already 300+. For 5 but the few times we needed him to bat for the team from memory he couldn't do it except one great knock in NZ.

[SOULMAN1012]

In addition YJB got into the England test side on the back of a storming county season in 2015 with 5 or 6 championship Tons and some big daddy tons. Jos is world class 1 day batsmen but in longer formats has a modest at best record so the argument t for him in the test side as batsmen/keeper or just batsmen is in my opinion is a wasted point.
ODI first name on the team sheet test side for me prove you can

[Buzz]

Stokes is already better than Flintoff in my view.

[Felix Tito]

Agreed! Stokes could become a great all rounder one day but to put him ahead of Flintoff is kind of crazy.
Also Root ahead of Vaughan. The versatility of his game, his hunger and his age all give him a massive advantage over Vaughan. Besides hes already rated as one of top 3 modern day batsmen!

When did Root become 'one of the best three modern batsmen'? He has to sustain it for 5-10 years. Vaughan as a pure batsman averaged 50, captaincy made his form suffer.

[Stuey]

When did Root become 'one of the best three modern batsmen'? He has to sustain it for 5-10 years. Vaughan as a pure batsman averaged 50, captaincy made his form suffer.

Vaughan has to be ahead of root for his 2002 ashes efforts alone, if root can do similar in this series then  we're talking. He became legend from that point, the only one to stand up to that great Aussie side.