Playthrough - England in the 1990s... and beyond

:aus: Australia vs England :eng: - First Test at The Gabba

Australian XI
:aus: :bat: Mark Taylor :c:
:aus: :bat: Michael Slater
:aus: :bat: Justin Langer
:aus: :bat: Mark Waugh
:aus: :bat: Steve Waugh
:aus: :bat: Ricky Ponting
:aus: :wk: Ian Healy
:aus: :bwl: Michael Kasprowicz
:aus: :bwl: Damien Fleming
:aus: :bwl: Stuart MacGill
:aus: :bwl: Glenn McGrath

English XI
:eng: :bat: Michael Atherton
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick :c:
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe
:eng: :ar: Craig White
:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon
:eng: :bwl: Andy Caddick
:eng: :bwl: Darren Gough
:eng: :bwl: Dean Headley
:eng: :bwl: Alan Mullally

- - -

Australia win the toss and choose to bat

- - -

Upon arriving in Brisbane for the first Test, the teams found a very green 'Gabba track waiting for them. This informed how both teams picked their bowling attacks: the Australians went for a trio of brisk but not express-pace seamers alongside their best uninjured leg-spinner, Stuart MacGill; the tourists meanwhile chose to put forth an all-seam attack that included the height of Caddick, the pace of Gough, the swing of Headley and the angle of Mullally. As far as the batting and keeping selections went, both teams arrived at more or less full strength.

England started excellently with ball in hand: tight spells from Headley, Caddick and White were each rewarded by hard-earned wickets as Australia were reeling at 64 for three. Of course, with this team that is only half the job done: both Waugh brothers were together at the crease with Ponting still to come - all three of them more than able to turn a tough Test around single-handedly. In this instance, all three of them contributed with scores of over 70, including a priceless Steve Waugh century. Most surprisingly, number eight Michael Kasprowicz proved himself anything but an easy wicket by cuffing a priceless career-best 66 against a tiring attack that looked like it might in fact have needed the spin of Phil Tufnell to shoulder some of that burden.

The touring batters were now facing some very real scoreboard pressure, exacerbated by the early loss of Michael Atherton to a suicidal run-out. Alec Stewart in particular shouldered that workload by compiling a wonderful, chanceless innings well into the third day: however, in attempting to turn a century-sealing single to the leg side, he instead edged a superb leg-break from MacGill into the waiting hands of Mark Waugh at slip. After a decent 58 from Captain Hick and a stoic 210-minute 41 from Thorpe, England were still some way behind in the match, only for a superb rescue act from Paul Nixon who eked out a fighting 84 before ultimately being the last man out. Perhaps Jack Russell won't be so sorely missed after all?

Thus, Australia had around a day to try to set a total. They did so off the back of Steve Waugh's second century of the match, and in the face of another excellent Alan Mullally spell - although by the end of his fourth spell, he was visibly exhausted from the workload given to him by Graeme Hick - but he had prised out six of the eight Australian wickets to fall before Taylor declared. This left England with 344 runs to win, but more realistically five and a half hours to draw.

A flurry of early wickets for McGrath and Kasprowicz put England right behind the eight-ball with four hours still to go. Thorpe did his best to hang around, but fell to a lifter from Kasprowicz that brushed his glove before settling safely with Ian Healy behind the stumps. This created a fascinating contest between Craig White and the tail, and leg-spinner MacGill operating from one end on a fifth-evening pitch. The balance of power ebbed and flowed - Craig White's stoic defence took England in exactly the right direction, but the wickets of Nixon, Caddick and Gough (all falling to googlies) put Australia right back on the brink. Then, disaster: White attempted to keep the strike for an all-important MacGill over, and was instead run out at a crucial time. Could notorious rabbit Alan Mullally see off the leg-spinner? Amazingly, he did.

Not only that, but Glenn McGrath couldn't quite get through the defences of Dean Headley, and against all the odds England escaped the opening Test with a draw.

1652819271724.png

I'm also adding a Player of the Season award in the style of the Allan Border Medal - the Barrington Medal.

Drawn or lost match
Best player - 3 points
2nd best player - 2 points
3rd best player - 1 point

Won match
Best player - 5 points
2nd best player - 3 points
3rd best player - 2 points
4th best player - 1 point

Standings
1. Alan Mullally - 3 points (+3)
2. Craig White - 2 points (+2)
3. Paul Nixon - 1 point (+1)
 
:aus: Australia (0) vs (0) England :eng: - Second Test at The WACA

Australian XI
:aus: :bat: Mark Taylor :c:
:aus: :bat: Michael Slater
:aus: :bat: Justin Langer
:aus: :bat: Mark Waugh
:aus: :bat: Steve Waugh
:aus: :bat: Ricky Ponting
:aus: :wk: Ian Healy
:aus: :bwl: Jason Gillespie
:aus: :bwl: Damien Fleming
:aus: :bwl: Colin Miller
:aus: :bwl: Glenn McGrath

English XI
:eng: :bat: Michael Atherton
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick :c:
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe
:eng: :ar: Craig White
:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon
:eng: :bwl: Andy Caddick
:eng: :bwl: Darren Gough
:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell
:eng: :bwl: Alan Mullally

- - -

Australia win the toss and choose to bat

- - -

Where The 'Gabba was green and lively, the WACA pitch looked likely to be hard and flat and great for batting on. With the prospect of a long stint in the field, England promoted their star spinner Tufnell who had been benched in Brisbane in favour of an extra seamer. Australia, on the other hand, chose to call up the raw pace of Jason Gillespie and the two-skilled bowling of Colin Miller in place of Kasprowicz and MacGill who had both been excellent in the first Test. It would certainly prove interesting to see which team had got their selection right - especially with Australia winning the toss and again claiming first use of the surface.

After a slightly ragged pair of opening spells from Caddick and Gough allowed Australia to make an untroubled start, the skills of Mullally and White really brought England back into the game before the first lunch break. Mullally picked up exactly where he left off at the Gabba to dismiss both Slater and Langer with probing length deliveries that were edged to slip, while Craig White's first four overs conceded only one run in a stellar display of pressure bowling. It was a shame then that the interval came when it did - allowing the Australians to regroup while also disrupting the English bowlers' rhythms. Ultimately, the English bowlers were put through the wringer in the scorching Perth heat, first by Taylor who compiled a patient century, then by the precocious Ponting who took that platform and turned it into a boundary-studded century of his own. Even with the returning Tufnell, this was a huge workload for the English fast men.

Alec Stewart led the English reply as he so often does, standing head and shoulders above the rest of the English top order with his second successive 90+ score. The difference this time was that he was able to get himself up to that milestone with a composed single off Damien Fleming: his seventeenth Test century, and his first since the match-defining hundred at Bourda a year ago. This knock and a supporting contribution from fellow Surrey player Graham Thorpe (who kept going to record an Ashes century of his own) ensured that England made it all the way to a creditable 358 by the time they were bowled out on the fourth morning - and this despite the next highest score after their efforts being the 33 of keeper Paul Nixon.

With so little time left in the game and a 100-run deficit, there was little chance of England coming from behind to craft a win. Just as important was that they tie up the runs to make sure Australia weren't able to press home their own advantage in the game. This meant that the tourists had to play boring cricket, and a combination of disciplined lines and well-placed fields meant that in a session (the fourth afternoon) when Australia wanted to push for quick runs, they were instead restricted to a mere 48 of them in the entire session. Even so, starting the fifth and final day with a lead of 250 meant that the home side had the option of an attacking declaration if they so wanted one - which they did, setting England a target of 295 to win from roughly 70 overs remaining in the match.

The trademark of Graeme Hick's tenure as captain has been an attacking approach to such potential chases, and it is one that has led to many famous victories in the past. Not on this occasion though, as the wide-open cracks meant that the risks required to score at so rapid a rate would be just too great. Not that this stopped the England captain playing yet another commanding hand in his storied career, this time with an explosive 74 as he tried to single-handedly drag England to the total. Ultimately though, it was most certainly a bridge too far as the series remains deadlocked at 0-0.

1652827463559.png

I'm also adding a Player of the Season award in the style of the Allan Border Medal - the Barrington Medal.

Drawn or lost match
Best player - 3 points
2nd best player - 2 points
3rd best player - 1 point

Won match
Best player - 5 points
2nd best player - 3 points
3rd best player - 2 points
4th best player - 1 point

Standings
1. Alan Mullally - 3 points
=. Alec Stewart - 3 points (+3)
3. Graham Thorpe - 2 points (+2)
=. Craig White - 2 points
5. Graeme Hick - 1 point (+1)
=. Paul Nixon - 1 point
 
:aus: Australia (0) vs (0) England :eng: - Third Test at Adelaide Oval

Australian XI
:aus: :bat: Mark Taylor :c:
:aus: :bat: Michael Slater
:aus: :bat: Justin Langer
:aus: :bat: Mark Waugh
:aus: :bat: Steve Waugh
:aus: :bat: Ricky Ponting
:aus: :wk: Ian Healy
:aus: :bwl: Damien Fleming
:aus: :bwl: Stuart MacGill
:aus: :bwl: Colin Miller
:aus: :bwl: Glenn McGrath

English XI
:eng: :bat: Michael Atherton
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick :c:
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe
:eng: :ar: Craig White
:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon
:eng: :bwl: Darren Gough
:eng: :bwl: Dean Headley
:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell
:eng: :bwl: Alan Mullally

- - -

England win the toss and choose to bat

- - -

For the first time all series, it was England who won the toss and chose to have first use of a flat-looking Adelaide wicket. They had made only one change from the first Test, bringing in Dean Headley for the underperforming Andy Caddick. Australia, meanwhile, had chosen to play two spinners for the first time all series, and must therefore have hoped to bat first even more than they usually would.

Curiously, none of the English batters managed to post a huge individual contribution, but between them they managed to haul their team up past that all-important 400 mark. First, Nick Knight compiled an enthusiastic 78 from number three, the last portion of it alongside Graham Thorpe who made a stoic 89. His innings finished alongside Craig White (70), and the final portion of the England innings was shepherded by the in-form Nixon at number seven. Something about Nixon clearly brought the best out in Alan Mullally too, as the Perth-raised number eleven managed record a career-best 22 that was crucial in his team reaching a total of 401.

As a result of being asked to bat second, Australia no longer had best use of the batting conditions and it showed: two excellent contributions from Taylor and Langer put Australia in a strong initial position, but this was no longer a pitch where it was easy to get yourself in. This was especially true if you were being asked to face the excellent Dean Headley who was having an absolute career day: he took no fewer than seven Australian wickets in a stellar spell: Slater (21), Mark Waugh (14), Taylor (81), Ponting (24), Fleming (0), MacGill (0), and Healy (21) all fell to the English opening bowler, and the Australian team folded from 178 for one to 289 all out.

Suddenly, this was the exact same match situation as in Perth, but reversed: England, not Australia, had a 100+ run lead and five sessions to push for a win. And just like at Perth, a disciplined session from the bowling team was enough to make the draw the absolute most likely result. None of the English batters could get any rhythm going, and they would be bowled out for just 201. Not that it mattered: by that point, the Australians had decided to shut up shop and live to fight another day.

Three Tests, three draws and still the series remains level at 0-0.

1652860561034.png

I'm also adding a Player of the Season award in the style of the Allan Border Medal - the Barrington Medal.

Drawn or lost match
Best player - 3 points
2nd best player - 2 points
3rd best player - 1 point

Won match
Best player - 5 points
2nd best player - 3 points
3rd best player - 2 points
4th best player - 1 point

Standings
1. Dean Headley - 3 points (+3)
=. Alan Mullally - 3 points
=. Paul Nixon - 3 points (+2)
=. Alec Stewart - 3 points
=. Graham Thorpe - 3 points (+1)
6. Craig White - 2 points
7. Graeme Hick - 1 point
 
:aus: Australia (0) vs (0) England :eng: - Fourth Test at The MCG

Australian XI
:aus: :bat: Mark Taylor :c:
:aus: :bat: Michael Slater
:aus: :bat: Justin Langer
:aus: :bat: Mark Waugh
:aus: :bat: Steve Waugh
:aus: :bat: Darren Lehmann
:aus: :wk: Ian Healy
:aus: :bwl: Damien Fleming
:aus: :bwl: Matt Nicholson
:aus: :bwl: Stuart MacGill
:aus: :bwl: Glenn McGrath

English XI
:eng: :bat: Michael Atherton
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick :c:
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe
:eng: :ar: Craig White
:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon
:eng: :ar: Ben Hollioake
:eng: :bwl: Dean Headley
:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell
:eng: :bwl: Alan Mullally

- - -

Australia win the toss and choose to bat

- - -

After three Tests and three draws, both teams were beginning to consider the possibility that they might have to do something a little bit more to eke a result out of one of these Tests. For Australia, that meant bringing in Darren Lehmann for Ponting in the middle-order, and Matt Nicholson to make his Test debut as the third seamer. For England, it meant turning to the charismatic Ben Hollioake to try to make something exciting happen with bat and/or ball.

Despite losing the toss, England absolutely could not have asked for anything more from the opening session. First, Headley and Mullally combined for a relentless opening spell; the spoils there went to Mullally who claimed the wickets of both Slater and Langer for six each. Then, once they were tired out, Ben Hollioake was thrown the ball and his extra pace was enough to prise out both Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh before the lunch break - an interval that Australia reached on a shocking 47 for four. The rebuilding job fell to Mark Waugh and the inexperienced Lehmann, and the pair applied themselves well. Despite their best efforts, neither Headley, nor Mullally, nor Hollioake could break the partnership. Instead, that achievement fell to the golden arm of captain Hick, who trapped Waugh LBW with a straight dart. But from there, things only went worse for England: Lehmann went big to post his first-ever Test double-century, while Ian Healy managed to record his fourth Test century at the other end. Somehow, despite only three batters making over 20, the home side created an imposing total of 456.

England simply couldn't stand up to that kind of scoreboard pressure. Against the mighty Glenn McGrath, their batting simply folded all the way from Michael Atherton's three-ball duck in the first over to Alan Mullally's four-ball duck in the 80th, there was little that the English batting seemed able to do to stop the rot. Craig White put in yet another defiant contribution for an unbeaten 41, but as Stuart MacGill spun through the tail it mattered little - he ran out of partners before so much as reaching 50, and the still-fresh Australians would ask England to bat again.

They immediately crumbled to 36 for three as Stewart, Knight and Hick all fell cheaply. With England still so far behind in the game, it was going to take something truly remarkable to turn the game around. A defiant partnership of 157 between Atherton and Thorpe got them most of the way to parity, but the game remained all but lost. Craig White again offered his best resistance, this time recording a sparkling 60 before mistiming a drive back to MacGill to be caught-and-bowled. The last man standing between Australia and their inevitable victory was Ben Hollioake. The England number eight played with his usual freedom, and a crucial dropped catch from Healy at slip also gave him a lifeline. His dashing 45 was enough to finally avoid the innings defeat as England were bowled out for a second time with a slender lead of 76.

Someone forgot to tell Dean Headley that the game was over though. He properly worked over opener Michael Slater with a world class spell of new-ball bowling before the New South Welshman was finally pinned LBW to be the third man to fall. For nought. With the score on only three. All three wickets had fallen to Headley, and from nowhere there was belief in the English ranks and fear amongst the Australians. The Waugh brothers applied themselves well to the repair job, with Steve dominating a crucial 42-run partnership before Mark got another snorter from Headley to be clean bowled. Then Alan Mullally chipped in by getting Steve to edge behind to Nixon for 34. Surely though, at 61 for five it was too little too late?

The following over, Dean Headley claimed his fifth wicket by dismissing first-innings centurion Healy for a duck.

Then Damien Fleming nicked off against Mullally and the Australians were somehow reeling at 65 for seven. Still only eleven runs to win, but a scary position all the same.

With Nicholson dead-batting, it looked certain that Lehmann would get them over the line, but Headley somehow found the energy to bang in a bouncer that Lehmann gloved to Knight at short leg. 72 for eight.

Five runs to win, two wickets left. At this point, the two fast men could barely stand and Hick took the brave decision to instead throw the ball to Tufnell. Immediate rewards came as MacGill was trapped LBW by a spinning ball for just one. 74 for nine.

McGrath blocked out the two remaining balls from Tufnell and Nicholson faced up to the exhausted Dean Headley.

Three runs to win. One hit would do it. Headley ran in and bowled a huge in-swinger. Nicholson went to turn it into the vacant leg-side. He missed, and was rapped on the front knee-roll. Umpire Bucknor paused for a moment. Considered... and raised his finger.

England had won the greatest Ashes Test since 1981, with a truly improbably comeback from absolutely nowhere. And despite never being on top at any point in the match - nay, the series - England had retained the Ashes.

1652865785690.png

I'm also adding a Player of the Season award in the style of the Allan Border Medal - the Barrington Medal.

Drawn or lost match
Best player - 3 points
2nd best player - 2 points
3rd best player - 1 point

Won match
Best player - 5 points
2nd best player - 3 points
3rd best player - 2 points
4th best player - 1 point

Standings
1. Dean Headley - 8 points (+5)
2. Alan Mullally - 6 points (+3)
3. Graham Thorpe - 4 points (+1)
=. Craig White - 4 points (+2)
5. Paul Nixon - 3 points
=. Alec Stewart - 3 points
7. Graeme Hick - 1 point
 
:aus: Australia (0) vs (1) England :eng: - Fifth Test at The SCG

Australian XI
:aus: :bat: Mark Taylor :c:
:aus: :bat: Michael Slater
:aus: :bat: Justin Langer
:aus: :bat: Mark Waugh
:aus: :bat: Steve Waugh
:aus: :bat: Darren Lehmann
:aus: :wk: Ian Healy
:aus: :bwl: Shane Warne
:aus: :bwl: Stuart MacGill
:aus: :bwl: Colin Miller
:aus: :bwl: Glenn McGrath

English XI
:eng: :bat: Michael Atherton
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick :c:
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe
:eng: :ar: Craig White
:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon
:eng: :ar: Graeme Swann (debut)
:eng: :bwl: Dean Headley
:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell
:eng: :bwl: Alan Mullally

- - -

Australia win the toss and choose to bat

- - -

Just days on from that paradigm-shifting afternoon in Melbourne, Australia had clearly arrived in Sydney with a plan. It was evidenced by the changes made to their team, which now included no fewer than three spinners: MacGill, Colin Miller (who would presumably open the bowling) and a fit-ish Shane Warne, called back from his rehabilitation to try to undo the embarrassment of the Boxing Day Test. England saw the conditions and handed a debut to the teenaged Swann as a second spinner, in place of Ben Hollioake at number eight. At the toss, Australia also got the exact outcome they must have been looking for: Taylor won the toss and chose to bat first, giving the battalion of spinners last use of the Sydney surface.

The Australian effort started poorly as the struggling Slater was bowled yet again by Alan Mullally, but Taylor and Langer would have no such struggles. The pair compiled a near-200 run partnership for the second wicket that lasted for well over two full sessions. Finally, the partnership was broken by spin: Tufnell, so often a passenger on this tour, elicited a false shot from Taylor immediately after he had celebrated his century. Perhaps his concentration had momentarily wavered. There followed a magical moment for the youngest member of the England squad, as Graeme Swann took his first Test wicket late on the first day with a ball that drifted into Langer to be caught at bat-pad. On the second day, only Mark Waugh (78) looked truly comfortable with bat in hand: everyone else was putty in the hands of Mullally and Tufnell as Australia toppled to 343 all-out - but on a fast-deteriorating track, that could be more than enough.

And indeed it would have been - if not for an astonishing unbeaten double-century by Alec Stewart. Nobody else in the England line-up managed to pass 50 (although Atherton made exactly 50 and the debutant Swann fell for a shot-a-ball 49), but for almost ten hours of batting Stewart simply refused to get out. He laced that innings with 21 boundaries, most of them coming through mid-wicket and square-leg off the Australian spinners. He made one of the best spin attacks ever assembled look utterly ordinary despite the spin-friendly conditions. Truly a performance worthy of securing an Ashes series victory.

Even an unbeaten 178 from Steve Waugh in Australia's second innings did little to help push for a victory because it all came too slowly, and from too far behind in the game. Taylor's declaration was also very late for a moment where there was little option other than to try to create a Test match win from somewhere. Playing out the last 50 overs of the Test was little challenge for the England batters, even against McGrath and Warne.

Thus, Graeme Hick secured another Ashes series victory as captain, and chose this as a moment to step down at a high point. His 43-game reign as England captain has included 21 wins to only 10 losses, as well as a prolonged period as the number one team in the world. It remains to be seen what more the almost 33-year-old has to offer the England team as a player, and indeed who will succeed him - but these are questions for another time.

1652868451761.png

I'm also adding a Player of the Season award in the style of the Allan Border Medal - the Barrington Medal.

Drawn or lost match
Best player - 3 points
2nd best player - 2 points
3rd best player - 1 point

Won match
Best player - 5 points
2nd best player - 3 points
3rd best player - 2 points
4th best player - 1 point

Standings
1. Dean Headley - 8 points
2. Alan Mullally - 8 points (+2)
=. Alec Stewart - 6 points (+3)
4. Graham Thorpe - 4 points
=. Craig White - 4 points
6. Paul Nixon - 3 points
7. Graeme Hick - 1 point
=. Phil Tufnell - 1 point (+1)

After the two English pacemen tied on points for the Barrington Medal, the decision was made to award it to George Headley in recognition of his two seven-wicket hauls in this Ashes. He finished the series with 19 wickets at 26.16 runs apiece, with innings hauls of 7 for 55 at Adelaide and 7 for 47 at Melbourne in that historic win.

1652868418586.png
 
Aislabie said:
World Test Rankings, as of 31 Mar 1999
Minumum qualification: 5 series

RankTeamRating
1:aus: Australia750
2:saf: South Africa700 *
3:eng: England700 *
4:pak: Pakistan563
5:wi: West Indies536
6:ind: India438
7:nzf: New Zealand281 *
8:sri: Sri Lanka281 *
9:zim: Zimbabwe167
*If two teams are level on points, their head-to-head against each other is taken into consideration

Opp.HomeAway
:eng:L (1-0)D (2-2)
:ind:W (4-0)L (2-1)
:nzf:W (2-0)D (1-1)
:pak:W (2-1)W (1-0)
:saf:W (1-0)W (2-1)
:sri:W (3-0)W (1-0)
:wi:W (3-2)D (2-2)
:zim:--
Opp.HomeAway
:aus:D (2-2)W (1-0)
:ind:W (2-0)W (2-1)
:nzf:W (1-0)W (2-0)
:pak:L (2-1)L (1-0)
:saf:L (3-1)L (2-1)
:sri:W (1-0)W (1-0)
:wi:W (3-1)W (4-0)
:zim:-W (3-0)
Opp.HomeAway
:aus:W (2-1)L (4-0)
:eng:L (2-1)L (2-0)
:nzf:W (1-0)L (1-0)
:pak:L (1-0)D (0-0)
:saf:W (2-1)L (2-0)
:sri:D (0-0)D (0-0)
:wi:D (1-1)L (1-0)
:zim:W (1-0)W (1-0)
Opp.HomeAway
:aus:D (1-1)L (2-0)
:eng:L (2-0)L (1-0)
:ind:W (1-0)L (1-0)
:pak:L (1-0)D (1-1)
:saf:L (1-0)L (2-1)
:sri:W (2-0)L (1-0)
:wi:L (1-0)L (1-0)
:zim:W (2-0)D (0-0)
Opp.HomeAway
:aus:L (1-0)L (2-1)
:eng:W (1-0)W (2-1)
:ind:D (0-0)W (1-0)
:nzf:D (1-1)W (1-0)
:saf:L (1-0)D (1-1)
:sri:W (1-0)D (0-0)
:wi:W (3-0)L (2-0)
:zim:L (1-0)W (1-0)
Opp.HomeAway
:aus:L (2-1)L (1-0)
:eng:W (2-1)W (3-1)
:ind:W (2-0)L (2-1)
:nzf:W (2-1)W (1-0)
:pak:D (1-1)W (1-0)
:sri:W (2-0)W (1-0)
:wi:W (4-0)L (1-0)
:zim:-W (1-0)
Opp.HomeAway
:aus:L (1-0)L (3-0)
:eng:L (1-0)L (1-0)
:ind:D (0-0)D (0-0)
:nzf:W (1-0)L (2-0)
:pak:D (0-0)L (1-0)
:saf:L (1-0)L (2-0)
:wi:D (0-0)L (1-0)
:zim:W (2-0)D (0-0)
Opp.HomeAway
:aus:D (2-2)L (3-2)
:eng:L (4-0)L (3-1)
:ind:W (1-0)D (1-1)
:nzf:W (1-0)W (1-0)
:pak:W (2-0)L (3-0)
:saf:W (1-0)L (4-0)
:sri:W (1-0)D (0-0)
:zim:--
Opp.HomeAway
:aus:--
:eng:L (3-0)-
:ind:L (1-0)L (1-0)
:nzf:D (0-0)L (2-0)
:pak:L (1-0)W (1-0)
:saf:L (1-0)-
:sri:D (0-0)L (2-0)
:wi:--

South Africa are the Bannerman Shield holders

Champion Team as of 29 Jan 1975: :wi: West Indies
Champion Team as of 21 Apr 1994: :eng: England
Champion Team as of 25 Aug 1996: :pak: Pakistan
Champion Team as of 27 Oct 1997: :saf: South Africa
Click to expand...
Aislabie said:
Records

Highest Innings Score
for :eng: 589 for 6 dec vs South Africa, Headingley 1994
vs :eng: 571 all out, Australia, Adelaide Oval 1991

Lowest Innings Score
for :eng: 74 all out vs Australia, The WACA 1995
vs :eng: 62 all out, India, Trent Bridge 1996

Highest Innings
for :eng: 294, Graham Gooch vs West Indies, The Oval 1991
vs :eng: 239*, Brian Lara, West Indies, Kensington Oval 1994

Best Innings Bowling
for :eng: 8 for 47, Peter Such vs India, Calcutta 1993
vs :eng: 8 for 79, Javagal Srinath, India, Lord's 1996

Best Match Bowling
for :eng: 12 for 173, Phil Tufnell vs Sri Lanka, Colombo, 1993
vs :eng: 12 for 152, Javagal Srinath, India, Lord's 1996

All-Time Record for Most Runs in a Series
1016 - Graham Gooch vs West Indies, 1991

Tied Test Match
:aus: Australia vs England :eng:, The WACA 1995

Partnerships
1. 323 - Mike Atherton & Alec Stewart vs India :ind: 1996
2. 262 - Graham Gooch & Mike Atherton vs New Zealand :saf: 1994
3. 325 - Graham Gooch & Robin Smith vs West Indies :wi: 1991
4. 247 - Robin Smith & Graeme Hick vs Pakistan :pak: 1992
5. 176 - Graeme Hick & Jack Russell vs West Indies :wi: 1991
6. 137 - Mike Atherton & Chris Lewis vs South Africa :saf: 1994
7. 174 - Chris Lewis & Phillip DeFreitas vs Australia :aus: 1993
8. 110 - Jack Russell & Dominic Cork vs South Africa :saf: 1995
9. 95 - Robin Smith & Dominic Cork vs Australia :aus: 1995
10. 61 - Graham Thorpe & Peter Such vs West Indies :wi: 1994

Most Test Runs for England
1. :eng: :bat: Graham Gooch - 11,242 runs @ 48.04 (28 centuries, best 294)
2. :eng: :bat: David Gower - 8,506 runs @ 42.96 (15 centuries, best 215)
3. :eng: :bat: Geoffrey Boycott - 8,114 runs @ 47.72 (22 centuries, best 246*)

Most Test Wickets for England
1. :eng: :ar: Ian Botham - 400 wickets @ 28.13 (27 5WI, best 8/34)
2. :eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell - 379 wickets @ 29.01 (26 5WI, best 8/114)
3. :eng: :bwl: Bob Willis - 325 wickets @ 25.20 (16 5WI, best 8/43)

Honours Board
:bat:
:wi: vs :eng:, 1989-90
Graham Gooch - 112
Robin Smith - 101
Robin Smith - 112
Graham Gooch - 100

:eng: vs :nzf:, 1990
Graham Gooch - 127
Rob Bailey - 196

:eng: vs :ind:, 1990
none

:aus: vs :eng:, 1990-91
Robin Smith - 110
Graham Gooch - 170

:eng: vs :wi:, 1991
Robin Smith - 127
Graham Gooch - 175*
Graeme Hick - 108*
Graham Gooch - 165
Graham Gooch - 294
Robin Smith - 145

:eng: vs :sri:, 1991
Alec Stewart - 166
Graeme Hick - 100

:nzf: vs :eng:, 1991-92
Alec Stewart - 126*
Graham Gooch - 124
Graeme Hick - 107

:eng: vs :pak:, 1992
Graham Gooch - 103
Robin Smith - 132
Graeme Hick - 147
Graham Gooch - 150*

:ind: vs :eng:, 1992-93
Graham Gooch - 132
Alec Stewart - 151*
Mike Atherton - 147
Robin Smith - 137

:sri: vs :eng:, 1992-93
Alec Stewart - 137
Robin Smith - 102*

:eng: vs :aus:, 1993
Alec Stewart - 132
Alec Stewart - 111
Graham Gooch - 139
Chris Lewis - 114*

:wi: vs :eng:, 1993-94
Graham Gooch - 143
Alec Stewart - 156
Graham Gooch - 167
Mike Atherton - 127
Graham Thorpe - 111

:eng: vs :nzf:, 1994
Mike Atherton - 117
Alec Stewart - 132
Mike Atherton - 105
Robin Smith - 191

:eng: vs :saf:, 1994
Graham Gooch - 241
Graham Gooch - 175
Mike Atherton - 242
Graeme Hick - 101
Graeme Hick - 131

:aus: vs :eng:, 1994-95
Robin Smith - 106
Alec Stewart - 159
Robin Smith - 134
Alec Stewart - 115
Mike Atherton - 157*
Robin Smith - 100
Graham Gooch - 205
Robin Smith - 204

:eng: vs :wi:, 1995
Alec Stewart - 162
Graham Gooch - 117
Graham Gooch - 135
Robin Smith - 129*
Alec Stewart - 115
Graham Gooch - 159
Mark Ramprakash - 100*

:saf: vs :eng:, 1995-96
Robin Smith - 118*
Michael Atherton - 109
Graeme Hick - 106
Graham Thorpe - 107*
Michael Atherton - 108
Graeme Hick - 113
Graham Thorpe - 114*

:eng: vs :ind:, 1996
Alec Stewart - 200
Mike Atherton - 129
Robin Smith - 117*

:eng: vs :pak:, 1996
Alec Stewart - 149
Alec Stewart - 153
Robin Smith - 104*

:zim: vs :eng:, 1996-97
Nick Knight - 247
Graham Thorpe - 106

:nzf: vs :eng:, 1996-97
Graeme Hick - 110
Craig White - 104*

:eng: vs :aus:, 1997
Graham Thorpe - 116
Graeme Hick - 126*
Graeme Hick - 172*

:wi: vs :eng:, 1997-98
Graeme Hick - 115
Graham Thorpe - 100
Alec Stewart - 159*
Michael Atherton - 107
Graeme Hick - 135
Graeme Hick - 100*

:eng: vs :saf:, 1998
Graeme Hick - 132
Nick Knight - 119
Nick Knight - 115
Graeme Thorpe - 111

:eng: vs :sri:, 1998
Graeme Hick - 133

:aus: vs :eng:, 1998-99
Alec Stewart - 131
Graham Thorpe - 104
Alec Stewart - 202*

:bwl:
:wi: vs :eng:, 1989-90
Angus Fraser - 5 for 47
Gladstone Small - 5 for 72
Chris Lewis - 6 for 70

:eng: vs :nzf:, 1990
none

:eng: vs :ind:, 1990
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 116
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 72

:aus: vs :eng:, 1990-91
Angus Fraser - 5 for 116
Devon Malcolm - 6 for 75

:eng: vs :wi:, 1991
Steve Watkin - 5 for 56
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 138
Devon Malcolm - 5 for 47
Angus Fraser - 5 for 86

:eng: vs :sri:, 1991
none

:nzf: vs :eng:, 1991-92
Angus Fraser - 5 for 51
Phil Tufnell - 7 for 57

:eng: vs :pak:, 1992
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 100
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 31
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 45

:ind: vs :eng:, 1992-93
Phil Tufnell - 8 for 114
Peter Such - 8 for 47
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 72
Phil Tufnell - 6 for 167
Phil Tufnell - 7 for 171

:sri: vs :eng:, 1992-93
Phil Tufnell - 6 for 102
Phil Tufnell - 6 for 71

:eng: vs :aus:, 1993
Phil Tufnell - 7 for 105
Phillip DeFreitas - 5 for 19
Phillip DeFreitas - 5 for 62

:wi: vs :eng:, 1993-94
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 141
Peter Such - 6 for 119
Angus Fraser - 5 for 21
Phillip DeFreitas - 5 for 98

:eng: vs :nzf:, 1994
Darren Gough - 5 for 50
Phillip DeFreitas - Hattrick
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 71

:eng: vs :saf:, 1994
Phil Tufnell - 7 for 124
Phil Tufnell - 6 for 117

:aus: vs :eng:, 1994-95
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 79
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 122
Phil Tufnell - 6 for 96

:eng: vs :wi:, 1995
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 97
Devon Malcolm - 7 for 86
Devon Malcolm - 5 for 68
Devon Malcolm - 5 for 46

:saf: vs :eng:, 1995-96
Devon Malcolm - 6 for 76
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 79
Angus Fraser - 6 for 68

:eng: vs :ind:, 1996
none

:eng: vs :pak:, 1996
Andy Caddick - 5 for 69
Darren Gough - 5 for 117

:zim: vs :eng:, 1996-97
Alan Mullally - 6 for 94
Andy Caddick - 7 for 53
Craig White - 7 for 63

:nzf: vs :eng:, 1996-97
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 83

:eng: vs :aus:, 1997
Dean Headley - 5 for 75
Dean Headley - 5 for 49
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 92

:wi: vs :eng:, 1997-98
Ben Hollioake - 5 for 53
Ben Hollioake - 5 for 74
Robert Croft - 5 for 117
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 38
Dominic Cork - 5 for 59

:eng: vs :saf:, 1998
Dean Headley - 5 for 112
Dean Headley - 5 for 106
Dean Headley - 5 for 119

:eng: vs :sri:, 1998
Alan Mullally - 6 for 70

:aus: vs :eng:, 1998-99
Alan Mullally - 6 for 84
Dean Headley - 7 for 55
Alan Mullally - 5 for 76
Dean Headley - 7 for 47
Click to expand...
Aislabie said:
Career Statistics
Includes all players who debuted before 1990 and played from that date onwards either in real life or in this universe.

Cap Numbers
Player#DebutLast Test
:eng: :bat: Graham Gooch461:eng: v :aus: (1), 1975:eng: v :wi: (5), 1995
:eng: :ar: Ian Botham474:eng: v :aus: (3), 1977:eng: v :ind: (3), 1990
:eng: :bat: Mike Gatting477:pak: v :eng: (3), 1977-78:ind: v :eng: (2), 1992-93
:eng: :bat: David Gower479:eng: v :pak: (1), 1978:eng: v :wi: (2), 1991
:eng: :ar: John Emburey480:eng: v :nzf: (3), 1978:eng: v :aus: (4), 1989
:eng: :bat: Wayne Larkins484:aus: v :eng: (3), 1979-80:eng: v :ind: (1), 1990
:eng: :bat: Allan Lamb494:eng: v :ind: (1), 1982:wi: v :eng: (4), 1989-90
:eng: :ar: Derek Pringle495:eng: v :ind: (1), 1982:eng: v :aus: (6), 1989
:eng: :bwl: Eddie Hemmings497:eng: v :pak: (1), 1982:wi: v :eng: (5), 1989-90
:eng: :bwl: Neil Foster502:eng: v :nzf: (3), 1983:eng: v :pak: (1), 1992
:eng: :bat: Tim Robinson511:ind: v :eng: (1), 1984:eng: v :wi: (5), 1991
:eng: :bwl: Gladstone Small521:eng: v :nzf: (2), 1986:eng: v :sri:, 1991
:eng: :ar: Phillip DeFreitas522:aus: v :eng: (1), 1986-87:saf: v :eng: (1), 1995-96
:eng: :bat: Neil Fairbrother525:eng: v :pak: (1), 1987:nzf: v :eng: (3), 1987-88
:eng: :ar: David Capel526:eng: v :pak: (3), 1987:eng: v :aus: (6), 1989
:eng: :bwl: Paul Jarvis527:nzf: v :eng: (1), 1987-88:eng: v :pak: (5), 1992
:eng: :bat: Robin Smith530:eng: v :wi: (4), 1988:eng: vs :aus: (5), 1997
:eng: :bat: Rob Bailey531:eng: v :wi: (5), 1988:eng: v :wi: (4), 1991
:eng: :bat: Matt Maynard532:eng: v :wi: (5), 1988only Test
:eng: :bwl: Syd Lawrence534:eng: v :sri:, 1988:eng: v :sri:, 1991
:eng: :bwl: Phil Newport535:eng: v :sri:, 1988:eng: v :aus: (1), 1989
:eng: :wk: Jack Russell536:eng: v :sri:, 1988:eng: v :saf: (5), 1998
:eng: :bwl: Angus Fraser537:eng: v :aus: (3), 1989:eng: vs :sri:,1998
:eng: :bat: Mike Atherton538:eng: v :aus: (5), 1989:aus: vs :eng: (5),1998-99
:eng: :bwl: Devon Malcolm539:eng: v :aus: (5), 1989:eng: v :pak: (3), 1996
:eng: :bwl: Alan Igglesden540:eng: v :aus: (6), 1989only Test
- - - - - - - - - -- - -- - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart542:wi: v :eng: (1), 1989-90:aus: vs :eng: (5),1998-99
:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell543:wi: v :eng: (1), 1989-90:aus: vs :eng: (5),1998-99
:eng: :ar: Chris Lewis544:wi: v :eng: (4), 1989-90:eng: v :pak: (3), 1996
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick545:wi: v :eng: (5), 1989-90:aus: vs :eng: (5),1998-99
:eng: :bwl: Martin Bicknell546:eng: v :ind: (3), 1990:nzf: v :eng: (4), 1991-92
:eng: :bwl: Steve Watkin547:eng: v :wi: (1), 1991:eng: v :wi: (2), 1991
:eng: :bwl: Peter Such548:eng: v :wi: (3), 1991:zim: v :eng: (3), 1996-97
:eng: :bwl: Ian Salisbury549:ind: v :eng: (1), 1992-93only Test
:eng: :bat: Mark Ramprakash550:ind: v :eng: (2), 1992-93:wi: vs :eng: (4), 1997-98
:eng: :ar: Dermot Reeve551:ind: v :eng: (3), 1992-93only Test
:eng: :bwl: Andy Caddick552:eng: v :aus: (2), 1993:aus: vs :eng: (2),1998-99
:eng: :bat: Nasser Hussain553:eng: v :aus: (3), 1993:eng: vs :sri:,1998
:eng: :bwl: Mark Ilott554:wi: v :eng: (4), 1993-94only Test
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe555:wi: v :eng: (4), 1993-94:aus: vs :eng: (5),1998-99
:eng: :bwl: Darren Gough556:eng: v :nzf: (1), 1994:aus: vs :eng: (3),1998-99
:eng: :ar: Dominic Cork557:eng: v :nzf: (2), 1994:eng: v :saf: (2), 1998
:eng: :wk: Richard Blakey558:eng: v :nzf: (3), 1994:zim: v :eng: (3), 1996-97
:eng: :ar: Glen Chapple559:aus: v :eng: (4), 1994-95:zim: v :eng: (1), 1996-97
:eng: :bwl: Richard Johnson560:eng: v :wi: (2), 1995only Test
:eng: :ar: Mark Alleyne561:eng: v :wi: (5), 1995:zim: v :eng: (3), 1996-97
:eng: :ar: Robert Croft562:saf: v :eng: (5), 1995-96:eng: v :saf: (4), 1998
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight563:saf: v :eng: (5), 1995-96:aus: vs :eng: (5),1998-99
:eng: :bat: Mark Butcher564:zim: v :eng: (1), 1996-97:wi: vs :eng: (3), 1997-98
:eng: :bwl: Alan Mullally565:zim: v :eng: (1), 1996-97:aus: vs :eng: (5),1998-99
:eng: :bat: John Crawley566:zim: v :eng: (2), 1996-97:eng: vs :sri:,1998
:eng: :bwl: Dean Headley567:zim: v :eng: (2), 1996-97:aus: vs :eng: (5),1998-99
:eng: :ar: Craig White568:zim: v :eng: (2), 1996-97:aus: vs :eng: (5),1998-99
:eng: :ar: Ben Hollioake569:eng: vs :aus: (3), 1997:aus: vs :eng: (4),1998-99
:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon570:wi: vs :eng: (5), 1997-98:aus: vs :eng: (5),1998-99
:eng: :ar: Andrew Flintoff571:eng: vs :sri:,1998only Test
:eng: :bat: Mal Loye572:eng: vs :sri:,1998only Test
:eng: :ar: Graeme Swann573:aus: vs :eng: (5),1998-99only Test

Captains
PlayerMatWTDLFirstLast
:eng: :bat: Graham Gooch552211616:eng: v :wi: (5), 1988:aus: v :eng: (5), 1994-95
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick432101210:ind: v :eng: (2), 1992-93:aus: vs :eng: (5),1998-99
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight11000:eng: vs :sri:,1998only Test

Batting & Fielding
PlayerMatInnNORunsAvg100s50sBestCtSt
:eng: :ar: Mark Alleyne4729519.00-156*4-
:eng: :bat: Michael Atherton :slvo:7113511519941.93102724246-
:eng: :bat: Rob Bailey1528181530.191219615-
:eng: :bwl: Martin Bicknell4406516.25--482-
:eng: :wk: Richard Blakey48216627.67-150*11-
:eng: :ar: Ian Botham (RET)1081767565633.471425208135-
:eng: :bat: Mark Butcher510017417.40-1554-
:eng: :bwl: Andy Caddick2226329913.00--37*3-
:eng: :ar: David Capel (RET)1118029316.27-2984-
:eng: :ar: Glen Chapple3517318.25--301-
:eng: :ar: Dominic Cork1723544524.72-2728-
:eng: :bat: John Crawley58020926.13-1611-
:eng: :ar: Robert Croft67019928.43-1541-
:eng: :ar: Phillip DeFreitas :slvo::slvo:3656678615.72-1827-
:eng: :ar: John Emburey (RET)608918154021.49-87533-
:eng: :bat: Neil Fairbrother44051.25--33-
:eng: :ar: Andrew Flintoff1202010.00--171-
:eng: :bwl: Neil Foster (RET)39601260012.50--42*13-
:eng: :bwl: Angus Fraser5980116779.81--3410-
:eng: :bat: Mike Gatting (RET)7012114403737.7391920753-
:eng: :bat: Graham Gooch :slvo::slvo::slvo: (RET)131244101124248.042860294147-
:eng: :bwl: Darren Gough27381138614.30--35*4-
:eng: :bat: David Gower (RET)12421517850642.96154721575-
:eng: :bwl: Dean Headley :slvo::slvo:203282249.33--244-
:eng: :bwl: Eddie Hemmings (RET)1319333220.75-1954-
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick :slvo:8215111587441.961629172*122-
:eng: :ar: Ben Hollioake1118238223.86-26010-
:eng: :bat: Nasser Hussain1119147126.17-26820-
:eng: :bwl: Alan Igglesden (RET)1112---2*1-
:eng: :bwl: Mark Ilott12226---25*--
:eng: :bwl: Paul Jarvis (RET)1015418917.18--35*1-
:eng: :bwl: Richard Johnson11011.00--1--
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight17320144445.123724722-
:eng: :bat: Allan Lamb (RET)601059322433.58912137*53-
:eng: :bat: Wayne Larkins (RET)1019034818.31--435-
:eng: :bwl: Syd Lawrence (RET)22063.00--4--
:eng: :ar: Chris Lewis (RET)569012197325.2917114*61-
:eng: :bat: Mal Loye1209547.50-192--
:eng: :bwl: Devon Malcolm3750132336.30--21*11-
:eng: :bat: Matt Maynard120136.50--10--
:eng: :bwl: Alan Mullally2126101318.19--223-
:eng: :bwl: Phil Newport (RET)2307023.33--361-
:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon711234238.00-384171
:eng: :ar: Derek Pringle (RET)2136351215.51-2667-
:eng: :bat: Mark Ramprakash18342104732.7219100*1-
:eng: :ar: Dermot Reeve (RET)120126.00--6--
:eng: :bat: Tim Robinson (RET) :slvo:41716236236.3341217514-
:eng: :wk: Jack Russell (RET)9415635395432.68121128*24327
:eng: :bwl: Ian Salisbury1102121.00--21--
:eng: :bwl: Gladstone Small (RET)2026738220.10-2592-
:eng: :bat: Robin Smith :slvo::slvo: (RET)8215217666249.32193420420-
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart :slvo::slvo:741458641646.831824202*17-
:eng: :bwl: Peter Such12157475.88--14*5-
:eng: :ar: Graeme Swann1104959.00--492-
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe :slvo:407211287247.0881211622-
:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell :slvo::slvo:81104195035.92--3622-
:eng: :bwl: Steve Watkin2405513.75--27--
:eng: :ar: Craig White :slvo:21388112437.4718104*4-

Bowling
PlayerMatOvrRunsWktsAvgEcon5WI10WMBest
:eng: :ar: Mark Alleyne41093071030.702.8--2/27
:eng: :bat: Michael Atherton :slvo:711445001338.463.9--3/32
:eng: :bat: Rob Bailey1543175287.504.1--1/0
:eng: :bwl: Martin Bicknell41914691142.632.5--3/72
:eng: :wk: Richard Blakey4--------
:eng: :ar: Ian Botham (RET)10837791122340028.133.02748/34
:eng: :bat: Mark Butcher52515.002.0--1/0
:eng: :bwl: Andy Caddick2289825207434.052.82-7/53
:eng: :ar: David Capel (RET)112096281252.333.0--2/13
:eng: :ar: Glen Chapple3128398666.333.1--3/99
:eng: :ar: Dominic Cork1761617804936.332.91-5/59
:eng: :bat: John Crawley5--------
:eng: :ar: Robert Croft62106641544.273.21-5/117
:eng: :ar: Phillip DeFreitas :slvo::slvo:361324353010433.942.7415/19
:eng: :ar: John Emburey (RET)602371510513836.992.16-7/78
:eng: :bat: Neil Fairbrother4290-4.5---
:eng: :ar: Andrew Flintoff1331041104.003.2--1/80
:eng: :bwl: Neil Foster (RET)391451390211533.932.7518/107
:eng: :bwl: Angus Fraser592400592917733.492.55-6/68
:eng: :bat: Mike Gatting (RET)70125317479.252.5--1/14
:eng: :bat: Graham Gooch :slvo::slvo::slvo: (RET)1313067401743.532.4--2/12
:eng: :bwl: Darren Gough27107629367937.162.72-5/50
:eng: :bat: David Gower (RET)124620120.003.3--1/1
:eng: :bwl: Dean Headley :slvo::slvo:2089624378827.692.7717/47
:eng: :bwl: Eddie Hemmings (RET)1351314543146.902.8--4/90
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick :slvo:822649451949.743.8--3/38
:eng: :ar: Ben Hollioake1134010713035.703.22-5/53
:eng: :bat: Nasser Hussain11--------
:eng: :bwl: Alan Igglesden (RET)137146348.673.9--2/91
:eng: :bwl: Mark Ilott1381271127.003.3--1/106
:eng: :bwl: Paul Jarvis (RET)1035910692641.123.0--4/50
:eng: :bwl: Richard Johnson1441550-3.5---
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight17--------
:eng: :bat: Allan Lamb (RET)60523123.004.6--1/6
:eng: :bat: Wayne Larkins (RET)10--------
:eng: :bwl: Syd Lawrence (RET)268223455.753.3--2/74
:eng: :ar: Chris Lewis (RET)561580426612334.682.71-6/70
:eng: :bat: Mal Loye1--------
:eng: :bwl: Devon Malcolm371292419513730.623.26-7/86
:eng: :bat: Matt Maynard1--------
:eng: :bwl: Alan Mullally2184920307925.702.4416/70
:eng: :bwl: Phil Newport (RET)292339937.663.7--4/87
:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon7--------
:eng: :ar: Derek Pringle (RET)2162518074837.642.92-5/95
:eng: :bat: Mark Ramprakash18120-2.0---
:eng: :ar: Dermot Reeve (RET)114390-2.8---
:eng: :bat: Tim Robinson (RET) :slvo:41100-0.0---
:eng: :wk: Jack Russell (RET)94--------
:eng: :bwl: Ian Salisbury113760-5.9---
:eng: :bwl: Gladstone Small (RET)2078419806033.002.53-5/48
:eng: :bat: Robin Smith :slvo::slvo: (RET)82--------
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart :slvo::slvo:74--------
:eng: :bwl: Peter Such1257216695033.382.92-8/47
:eng: :ar: Graeme Swann148130526.002.7--3/88
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe :slvo:4012360-3.0---
:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell :slvo::slvo:8137801110137929.012.92658/114
:eng: :bwl: Steve Watkin264223544.603.51-5/56
:eng: :ar: Craig White :slvo:2165418565335.022.81-7/63

​
Click to expand...
Rankings, records and stats are updated.

I can't believe how far we've got with this - only two more series left in the 90s
 
New Zealand Tour of England, 1999

Itinerary
01 Jul 1999 - :eng: England vs New Zealand :nzf: - First Test at Edgbaston - England won by 4 wickets
22 Jul 1999 - :eng: England vs New Zealand :nzf: - Second Test at Lord's - New Zealand won by 244 runs
05 Aug 1999 - :eng: England vs New Zealand :nzf: - Third Test at Old Trafford - New Zealand won by 2 wickets
19 Aug 1999 - :eng: England vs New Zealand :nzf: - Fourth Test at The Oval - England won by 3 wickets

England Squad

:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart :c:

:eng: :bat: Michael Atherton
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight
:eng: :bat: Mal Loye
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe

:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon
:eng: :wk: Robert Turner :redo:

:eng: :ar: Andrew Flintoff
:eng: :ar: Ben Hollioake
:eng: :ar: Graeme Swann
:eng: :ar: Craig White

:eng: :bwl: Andy Caddick
:eng: :bwl: Darren Gough
:eng: :bwl: Dean Headley
:eng: :bwl: Alan Mullally
:eng: :bwl: Alex Tudor :redo:

:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell

After such a traumatic World Cup, this otherwise inconsequential Test series against New Zealand has taken on a bit of extra significance: a convincing win here could save this 1999 home season for England. There is somewhat of a new look in the England squad which started at the very top when it was announced that ODI captain Alec Stewart would be taking over as Test captain too. At 36 years of age, this likely won't be a long-term appointment even though he remains the fittest man in the England squad. As a result of this, he has eschewed his former secondary role of reserve wicket-keeper and Somerset's Robert Turner has been called up instead as a back-up to Paul Nixon. On the bowling front, Kevin Dean - who was not selected to make his Test debut in Australia - misses out on selection as he continues to be unavailable due to injury. Instead, Alex Tudor gets his maiden call-up and will likely get the chance to show off his extra yard of pace.
 
Last edited:
:eng: England vs New Zealand :nzf: - First Test at Edgbaston

English XI
:eng: :bat: Michael Atherton
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart :c:
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe
:eng: :ar: Craig White
:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon
:eng: :ar: Andrew Flintoff
:eng: :bwl: Dean Headley
:eng: :bwl: Alan Mullally
:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell

Kiwi XI
:nzf: :bat: Roger Twose
:nzf: :bat: Matt Horne
:nzf: :bat: Stephen Fleming :c:
:nzf: :bat: Nathan Astle
:nzf: :bat: Craig McMillan
:nzf: :ar: Chris Cairns
:nzf: :wk: Adam Parore
:nzf: :ar: Dion Nash
:nzf: :ar: Daniel Vettori
:nzf: :bwl: Simon Doull
:nzf: :bwl: Geoff Allott

- - -

New Zealand win the toss and choose to bat

- - -

As the newest England captain, Alec Stewart picked up where his predecessor had left off: by losing the toss. To the surprise of nobody, Stephen Fleming chose to bat first on a dry Edgbaston pitch that looked absolutely certain to deteriorate as the Test went on - something that would doubtless play into the hands of 20-year-old Daniel Vettori, especially in the fourth innings.

It was therefore all-important that the tourists post a good total in the first innings, and their captain absolutely led by example here: a sublime innings of 136 from Stephen Fleming laid down a marker that this touring New Zealand team had plans to do more than just roll over and get beaten. Despite his limited support (the other batters were far less able to deal with the skill of the red-hot Mullally), Fleming managed to haul his team kicking and screaming to a competitive total. That was until Mullally bowled an over that had a greater impact on the Test match than almost any other in recent memory. For the first ball of the over, Mullally sent down a bouncer at the lanky Vettori: the left-hander swivelled inside the line to try to hook it, but managed only to be struck on the wrist. He went down like a sack of spuds, and would take no further part in the match. Then, after a short delay and a single to Simon Doull, Mullally managed to angle one through the gate of the left-handed Fleming. In mere minutes, he had cut the Kiwi total down to what would end up being a very manageable 325.

In reply, England put together a decent opening partnership of 84 between Atherton and Stewart, only for that excellent platform to be broken apart by an excellent period of play from the touring bowlers. Indeed, the innings folded all the way down to 163 for six with Nixon and Flintoff the last two recognised batters. Neither was prepared to go down without a fight though, and Flintoff in particular went on the counterattack. The big Lancastrian launched into the bowling, scoring his Test-best 89 almost entirely in front of the wicket, including no fewer than 14 boundaries. Nixon meanwhile became the second man in the innings (after Stewart) to be dismissed for 49, and their efforts were enough to bring the home side up to virtual parity.

With so much momentum going into the game's third innings, there was no stopping England. Both Mullally and Headley have proven themselves to be top-class Test bowlers, and they added another chapter to the story of their bowling partnership with this excellent performance. They shared eight New Zealand wickets between them at a cost of just 128 runs: only Chris Cairns even vaguely came to terms with their skills as he scored a virtuoso 70, but even he eventually fell victim to the man quickly establishing himself as England's best left-arm quick since - or indeed including - Bill Voce.

This left England with a mid-range target, one which might have been a real challenge if Daniel Vettori was still able to bowl. Instead, they got to face an all-seam attack on a wicket that was a bit up and down. Still no gimme, but also not insurmountable. Nick Knight posted a very disciplined 56, and got the team to within touching distance with five wickets still in hand. Craig White took on the senior role when it really mattered to steer England home with a minimum of fuss, his unbeaten 69 yet another reminder that he belongs at Test level. Just one more wicket would have got New Zealand into the tail, so Daniel Vettori's injury leaves this Test match under the cloud of a massive "what if?"

1652876926541.png

I'm also adding a Player of the Season award in the style of the Allan Border Medal - the Barrington Medal.

Drawn or lost match
Best player - 3 points
2nd best player - 2 points
3rd best player - 1 point

Won match
Best player - 5 points
2nd best player - 3 points
3rd best player - 2 points
4th best player - 1 point

Standings
1. Alan Mullally - 5 points (+5)
2. Craig White - 3 points (+3)
3. Andrew Flintoff - 2 points (+2)
4. Dean Headley - 1 point (+1)
 
:eng: England (1) vs (0) New Zealand :nzf: - Second Test at Lord's

English XI
:eng: :bat: Michael Atherton
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart :c:
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe
:eng: :ar: Craig White
:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon
:eng: :ar: Andrew Flintoff
:eng: :bwl: Dean Headley
:eng: :bwl: Alan Mullally
:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell

Kiwi XI
:nzf: :bat: Matthew Bell
:nzf: :bat: Matt Horne
:nzf: :bat: Stephen Fleming :c:
:nzf: :bat: Nathan Astle
:nzf: :bat: Roger Twose
:nzf: :bat: Craig McMillan
:nzf: :ar: Chris Cairns
:nzf: :wk: Adam Parore
:nzf: :ar: Dion Nash
:nzf: :bwl: Brooke Walker
:nzf: :bwl: Geoff Allott

- - -

New Zealand win the toss and choose to bat

- - -

After a stunning win in the first Test, England arrived at Lord's unchanged. New Zealand, on the other hand, had two changes - one forced and one voluntary. Firstly, Simon Doull made way for the extra batting of Matthew Bell, who would open the batting alongside Matt Horne. And secondly, the injured Daniel Vettori made way for reserve spinner Brooke Walker, a young debutant who may or may not be the Kiwi answer to Iain Salisbury. The tourists again won the toss and again chose to bat first on a very green-looking pitch.

Though they seemed unexpectedly comfortable against the bowling of Headley and Mullally with the new ball, the Kiwi top order always has the potential to perform origami. So it proved this time when Craig White emerged from the lunch break and delivered one of his white-hot spells. In the space of a few overs, he dismissed both openers and captain Stephen Fleming to put a completely different complexion on the match. Although Astle and McMillan tried to rebuild - and indeed did so with a half-century each - they could only do so until the second new ball was called for. When Headley and Mullally got that in their hands, they tore through the bottom half of the batting order like it wasn't even there. They claimed five quick wickets between them before Craig White was thrown the ball again for the last over of the first day, and duly brought the innings to a close by pinning Allott in front of his stumps.

The second morning dawned gloomy and grey for the English openers, conditions that would certainly favour the touring bowlers. Sure enough, Nash and Cairns had an immediate impact - the English batting was decimated with Captain Stewart helplessly stuck at the non-strikers end. He and number six Craig White would have to rebuild the innings from an ignominious 33 for four. They tried, but would shortly fall to the same two Kiwi seamers as the batting collapse resumed. One unlikely player would offer a bit of fight: Alan Mullally smote 21 runs from an unusually high number ten position, only to be bounced out of the game by a fired-up Kiwi fast-man: two broken fingers on his bowling hand signal the end of his series in the most frustrating way.

Despite a flashing 30 from Nixon, New Zealand had an 87-run first-innings lead to cash in on and a depleted bowling attack to do it against. Their only disadvantage was that the conditions were still excellent for bowling in. Flintoff and Headley, both evidently angered by the tactic of trying to bounce out Mullally, bowled faster than they have all series and were rewarded with early wickets: Horne, Fleming and Astle all gone before the lead reached 100. However, former Englishman Roger Twose put everything on the line for his adopted country, batting with monastic patience to grind out a terribly dull unbeaten 160 that saw England's depleted attack face a stiff workload. Things got so bad that the part-time medium-pace of Graham Thorpe was even called upon - bizarrely, it was he who would ultimately take the final wicket of Allott.

A run-chase of 422 was never a realistic target, so instead England faced the challenge of batting out four-and-a-half sessions for the draw. This was seemingly one thing that Mullally's absence would not affect - that is unless he could have stayed with the stranded Graham Thorpe for the three hours of play that were still left when England ran out of batting and lost the Test match. The fifth-day Lord's pitch was truly treacherous, with uneven bounce and enough turn that debutant Walker was able to claim Atherton and Stewart as his first two Test wickets.

The series returned to parity, and England would have to try to win it without the services of the controversially wounded Mullally.

1652878787202.png

I'm also adding a Player of the Season award in the style of the Allan Border Medal - the Barrington Medal.

Drawn or lost match
Best player - 3 points
2nd best player - 2 points
3rd best player - 1 point

Won match
Best player - 5 points
2nd best player - 3 points
3rd best player - 2 points
4th best player - 1 point

Standings
1. Craig White - 6 points (+3)
2. Alan Mullally - 5 points
3. Andrew Flintoff - 2 points
=. Alec Stewart - 2 points (+2)
5. Dean Headley - 1 point
=. Graham Thorpe - 1 point (+1)
 
:eng: England (1) vs (1) New Zealand :nzf: - Third Test at Old Trafford

English XI
:eng: :bat: Michael Atherton
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart :c:
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight
:eng: :bat: Mal Loye
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe
:eng: :ar: Craig White
:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon
:eng: :ar: Graeme Swann
:eng: :bwl: Alex Tudor (debut)
:eng: :bwl: Dean Headley
:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell

Kiwi XI
:nzf: :bat: Matthew Bell
:nzf: :bat: Matt Horne
:nzf: :bat: Stephen Fleming :c:
:nzf: :bat: Nathan Astle
:nzf: :bat: Roger Twose
:nzf: :bat: Craig McMillan
:nzf: :ar: Chris Cairns
:nzf: :wk: Adam Parore
:nzf: :ar: Dion Nash
:nzf: :ar: Chris Harris
:nzf: :bwl: Brooke Walker

- - -

England win the toss and choose to bat

- - -

With grey weather forecast and a playing surface that already has visible footmarks on it, both teams have made some quite bold selection decisions. England left out former captain Graeme Hick - so out of sorts that he has made only 19 runs in the first two Tests - in favour of Mal Loye. Graeme Swann also replaces Flintoff to strengthen the bowling, while Alex Tudor comes in as a necessary replacement for the injured Mullally. For New Zealand, meanwhile, Geoff Allott was left out in favour of the very dibbly-dobbly-wibbly-wobbly qualities of Chris Harris, who will bat all the way down at number ten despite his stellar first-class batting record.

For the first time in his fledgling career as England Test captain, Alec Stewart won the toss and immediately took the opportunity to bat first. This blew up in his face almost immediately as the batting collapsed yet again, crumbling all the way to 46 for four before lunch. Stewart did his very best to shoulder the team's entire batting fortunes, only to suffer a dramatic misunderstanding when he turned for two and ended up at the same end as non-striker Paul Nixon. Both players blamed each other, but Nixon did take on the responsibility to not give away any other wickets. He ended up with an unbeaten 47 that at least edged England past the bare minimum 200-mark.

The New Zealanders rode a tricky initial period as Tudor and Headley bowled with great hostility. Indeed, Tudor's maiden Test wicket took him only four balls as he sent a searing yorker straight through the defences of Matt Horne. Fortunately for them, they had some big hitters tucked away in the lower middle-order: Craig McMillan and Chris Cairns' partnership of 103 took only 20 overs to compile; they particularly plundered the spinners and single-handedly put New Zealand slightly ahead in the game.

Not only did Chris Cairns play a game-changing innings, but he then delivered a match-defining spell of seven for 67. His victims included Stewart (33), Atherton (16), Thorpe (8), Swann (9), Tudor (20), Nixon (35) and Tufnell (4). Yet again the home side only barely managed to breach the 200 barrier, thanks mostly to a composed but ultimately insufficient 52 from Nick Knight. A target of only 164 was never likely to be a huge obstacle for a New Zealand batting order that stretched all the way down to Chris Harris at number ten.

Despite the odds, England ran them very close indeed. Yet another set of top-order failures was precipitated by a fearsomely fast Tudor spell with support from Dean Headley at the other end. Headley though was also noticeably down on pace compared to the first innings and appeared to be holding his back between deliveries. To make things worse, Craig McMillan repeated his trick from the first innings by belting a 37-ball 46 that took New Zealand to within touching distance of the win. Chris Cairns then followed that up with a similarly aggressive 21, and even the very best efforts of Tufnell and Swann couldn't turn the game around. A few late wickets made the game look closer than it was, but New Zealand were always in control thanks to a historic performance from Chris Cairns.

1652882854531.png

I'm also adding a Player of the Season award in the style of the Allan Border Medal - the Barrington Medal.

Drawn or lost match
Best player - 3 points
2nd best player - 2 points
3rd best player - 1 point

Won match
Best player - 5 points
2nd best player - 3 points
3rd best player - 2 points
4th best player - 1 point

Standings
1. Craig White - 6 points
2. Alan Mullally - 5 points
3. Dean Headley - 4 points (+3)
4. Andrew Flintoff - 2 points
=. Alec Stewart - 2 points
=. Alex Tudor - 2 points (+2)
7. Graham Thorpe - 1 point
=. Phil Tufnell - 1 point (+1)

And although the England management wouldn't know it at the time, this back injury marked the end of Dean Headley's professional career.

1652882983669.png

:eng: :bwl: Dean Headley (cap #567)
Debut: :zim: v :eng: (2), 1996-97
Last Test: :eng: v :nzf: (3), 1999
23 Test matches, 2 Barrington Medals (:slvo: 1998, :slvo: 1998-99)

:bat: 250 runs @ 8.93 (best 24)
:bwl: 105 wickets @ 26.99 (8 5WI, best 7/47)
:wk: 5 catches
 
:eng: England (1) vs (2) New Zealand :nzf: - Fourth Test at The Oval

English XI
:eng: :bat: Michael Atherton
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart :c:
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe
:eng: :ar: Craig White
:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon
:eng: :bwl: Alex Tudor
:eng: :bwl: Darren Gough
:eng: :bwl: Andy Caddick
:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell

Kiwi XI
:nzf: :bat: Matthew Bell
:nzf: :bat: Matt Horne
:nzf: :bat: Stephen Fleming :c:
:nzf: :bat: Nathan Astle
:nzf: :bat: Roger Twose
:nzf: :bat: Craig McMillan
:nzf: :ar: Chris Cairns
:nzf: :wk: Adam Parore
:nzf: :ar: Dion Nash
:nzf: :bwl: Brooke Walker
:nzf: :bwl: Shayne O'Connor

- - -

New Zealand win the toss and choose to bat

- - -

The English Test XI started the season in good health, straight off the back of a narrow victory in an away Ashes series. Now, it is in relative disarray. Only Alec Stewart out of the entire top six has averaged over 30 this series, and his highest score is a deeply average 56. Graeme Hick is back into the side after his replacement Mal Loye did even worse than he'd been doing to get himself dropped. The two best seamers in the squad are unavailable with injuries, leading to yet another recall for each of Caddick and Gough. New Zealand, meanwhile, are doing a very solid job of things, simply shuffling around the identity of their third bowler. Even Brooke Walker has had an unexpectedly strong debut series so far with six wickets at 23.5 apiece.

The New Zealand batters - claiming first use of the facilities yet again - started in their typical shaky fashion before another very impressive recovery from the lower-order. This time, that recovery was powered by a dominant century from Chris Cairns and a very measured 87 from Adam Parore. Andy Caddick and Phil Tufnell were the pick of the bowlers, claiming seven of the ten wickets to fall between them. Gough on the other hand struggled for impact, taking only one wicket despite bowling more overs than anyone else in his tireless effort to have some (any) impact. Their total of over 400, an innings that stretched into the third day thanks to several rain delays, left England barely any time to push for a win.

Stewart had however promised that they would do exactly that. He was the dominant partner in an opening stand of 146 with Michael Atherton, who would go on to record his first century since the West Indies tour. He played in his usual restrained fashion, which wasn't really ideal for the team - when Graham Thorpe was run out chasing some quick runs before Tea on Day Four, Stewart declared the innings with deficit of 91 much to the surprise of the TMS commentators.

To get more than a draw out of the Test match, it would take something truly remarkable from at least one English player. Amazingly, that one player was someone whose cricketing life started out in New Zealand, and whose 22-Test career had previously produced only 74 wickets at 34 apiece. That player was Andy Caddick, whose introduction into the bowling attack when the touring team were on 70 for one prompted an immediate batting collapse. Not only did he claim the wickets of Bell and Fleming on the fourth evening, but on the fifth morning he continued bowling and claimed the wickets of McMillan, Cairns, Nash, Walker and O'Connor in the space of about half an hour. New Zealand were all out for 166; Caddick had taken seven wickets for 26 and England had a slight chance to halve the series.

Credit to him, Alec Stewart delivered on his promise that England would go for the win. The captain himself set the tone with a run-a-ball 33 at the top of the order, and Graham Thorpe's 58 (plundered mostly from the bowling of Brooke Walker) took them to within 80 runs of the target at the tea break on the fifth day. Getting the rest of the way there would depend on White, Nixon and Tudor as the sum total of the remaining English batting. Unfortunately, Nixon was swiftly clean-bowled by Shayne O'Connor to leave the team in a real bind. Alex Tudor managed to biff a quick 28 before succumbing to Walker's leg-spin, and all of a sudden England were just close enough to be within range of a few big hits from a tail-ender.

That tail-ender was Darren Gough, and he thumped three fours through the leg-side off poor Walker to take England home. Even so, a 2-2 draw was not what England will have been looking for at the start of the year.

1652886187303.png

I'm also adding a Player of the Season award in the style of the Allan Border Medal - the Barrington Medal.

Drawn or lost match
Best player - 3 points
2nd best player - 2 points
3rd best player - 1 point

Won match
Best player - 5 points
2nd best player - 3 points
3rd best player - 2 points
4th best player - 1 point

Standings
1. Craig White - 6 points
2. Andy Caddick - 5 points (+5)
=. Alan Mullally - 5 points
4. Dean Headley - 4 points
=. Alec Stewart - 4 points (+2)
6. Michael Atherton - 3 points (+3)
7. Andrew Flintoff - 2 points
=. Alex Tudor - 2 points
=. Phil Tufnell - 2 points (+1)
10. Graham Thorpe - 1 point
1652886030564.png

Against all the odds, Craig White wins his second Barrington Medal largely on the back of his performance in the first Test of the summer. He finished the season with 186 runs @ 37.20 and 10 wickets @ 31.40 from the four Tests this summer. Not a bad haul, but far from headline-grabbing.
 
Aislabie said:
World Test Rankings, as of 31 Mar 1999
Minumum qualification: 5 series

RankTeamRating
1:saf: South Africa700
2:aus: Australia679
3:eng: England667
4:pak: Pakistan563
5:wi: West Indies536
6:ind: India438
7:sri: Sri Lanka344
8:nzf: New Zealand313
9:zim: Zimbabwe167
*If two teams are level on points, their head-to-head against each other is taken into consideration

Opp.HomeAway
:eng:L (1-0)D (2-2)
:ind:W (4-0)L (2-1)
:nzf:W (2-0)D (1-1)
:pak:W (2-1)W (1-0)
:saf:W (1-0)W (2-1)
:sri:W (3-0)L (1-0)
:wi:W (3-2)D (2-2)
:zim:--
Opp.HomeAway
:aus:D (2-2)W (1-0)
:ind:W (2-0)W (2-1)
:nzf:D (2-2)W (2-0)
:pak:L (2-1)L (1-0)
:saf:L (3-1)L (2-1)
:sri:W (1-0)W (1-0)
:wi:W (3-1)W (4-0)
:zim:-W (3-0)
Opp.HomeAway
:aus:W (2-1)L (4-0)
:eng:L (2-1)L (2-0)
:nzf:W (1-0)L (1-0)
:pak:L (1-0)D (0-0)
:saf:W (2-1)L (2-0)
:sri:D (0-0)D (0-0)
:wi:D (1-1)L (1-0)
:zim:W (1-0)W (1-0)
Opp.HomeAway
:aus:D (1-1)L (2-0)
:eng:L (2-0)D (2-2)
:ind:W (1-0)L (1-0)
:pak:L (1-0)D (1-1)
:saf:L (1-0)L (2-1)
:sri:W (2-0)L (1-0)
:wi:L (1-0)L (1-0)
:zim:W (2-0)D (0-0)
Opp.HomeAway
:aus:L (1-0)L (2-1)
:eng:W (1-0)W (2-1)
:ind:D (0-0)W (1-0)
:nzf:D (1-1)W (1-0)
:saf:L (1-0)D (1-1)
:sri:W (1-0)D (0-0)
:wi:W (3-0)L (2-0)
:zim:L (1-0)W (1-0)
Opp.HomeAway
:aus:L (2-1)L (1-0)
:eng:W (2-1)W (3-1)
:ind:W (2-0)L (2-1)
:nzf:W (2-1)W (1-0)
:pak:D (1-1)W (1-0)
:sri:W (2-0)W (1-0)
:wi:W (4-0)L (1-0)
:zim:-W (1-0)
Opp.HomeAway
:aus:W (1-0)L (3-0)
:eng:L (1-0)L (1-0)
:ind:D (0-0)D (0-0)
:nzf:W (1-0)L (2-0)
:pak:D (0-0)L (1-0)
:saf:L (1-0)L (2-0)
:wi:D (0-0)L (1-0)
:zim:W (2-0)D (0-0)
Opp.HomeAway
:aus:D (2-2)L (3-2)
:eng:L (4-0)L (3-1)
:ind:W (1-0)D (1-1)
:nzf:W (1-0)W (1-0)
:pak:W (2-0)L (3-0)
:saf:W (1-0)L (4-0)
:sri:W (1-0)D (0-0)
:zim:--
Opp.HomeAway
:aus:--
:eng:L (3-0)-
:ind:L (1-0)L (1-0)
:nzf:D (0-0)L (2-0)
:pak:L (1-0)W (1-0)
:saf:L (1-0)-
:sri:D (0-0)L (2-0)
:wi:--

South Africa are the Bannerman Shield holders

Champion Team as of 29 Jan 1975: :wi: West Indies
Champion Team as of 21 Apr 1994: :eng: England
Champion Team as of 25 Aug 1996: :pak: Pakistan
Champion Team as of 27 Oct 1997: :saf: South Africa
Click to expand...
Aislabie said:
Records

Highest Innings Score
for :eng: 589 for 6 dec vs South Africa, Headingley 1994
vs :eng: 571 all out, Australia, Adelaide Oval 1991

Lowest Innings Score
for :eng: 74 all out vs Australia, The WACA 1995
vs :eng: 62 all out, India, Trent Bridge 1996

Highest Innings
for :eng: 294, Graham Gooch vs West Indies, The Oval 1991
vs :eng: 239*, Brian Lara, West Indies, Kensington Oval 1994

Best Innings Bowling
for :eng: 8 for 47, Peter Such vs India, Calcutta 1993
vs :eng: 8 for 79, Javagal Srinath, India, Lord's 1996

Best Match Bowling
for :eng: 12 for 173, Phil Tufnell vs Sri Lanka, Colombo, 1993
vs :eng: 12 for 152, Javagal Srinath, India, Lord's 1996

All-Time Record for Most Runs in a Series
1016 - Graham Gooch vs West Indies, 1991

Tied Test Match
:aus: Australia vs England :eng:, The WACA 1995

Partnerships
1. 323 - Mike Atherton & Alec Stewart vs India :ind: 1996
2. 262 - Graham Gooch & Mike Atherton vs New Zealand :saf: 1994
3. 325 - Graham Gooch & Robin Smith vs West Indies :wi: 1991
4. 247 - Robin Smith & Graeme Hick vs Pakistan :pak: 1992
5. 176 - Graeme Hick & Jack Russell vs West Indies :wi: 1991
6. 137 - Mike Atherton & Chris Lewis vs South Africa :saf: 1994
7. 174 - Chris Lewis & Phillip DeFreitas vs Australia :aus: 1993
8. 110 - Jack Russell & Dominic Cork vs South Africa :saf: 1995
9. 95 - Robin Smith & Dominic Cork vs Australia :aus: 1995
10. 61 - Graham Thorpe & Peter Such vs West Indies :wi: 1994

Most Test Runs for England
1. :eng: :bat: Graham Gooch - 11,242 runs @ 48.04 (28 centuries, best 294)
2. :eng: :bat: David Gower - 8,506 runs @ 42.96 (15 centuries, best 215)
3. :eng: :bat: Geoffrey Boycott - 8,114 runs @ 47.72 (22 centuries, best 246*)

Most Test Wickets for England
1. :eng: :ar: Ian Botham - 400 wickets @ 28.13 (27 5WI, best 8/34)
2. :eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell - 394 wickets @ 29.37 (26 5WI, best 8/114)
3. :eng: :bwl: Bob Willis - 325 wickets @ 25.20 (16 5WI, best 8/43)

Honours Board
:bat:
:wi: vs :eng:, 1989-90
Graham Gooch - 112
Robin Smith - 101
Robin Smith - 112
Graham Gooch - 100

:eng: vs :nzf:, 1990
Graham Gooch - 127
Rob Bailey - 196

:eng: vs :ind:, 1990
none

:aus: vs :eng:, 1990-91
Robin Smith - 110
Graham Gooch - 170

:eng: vs :wi:, 1991
Robin Smith - 127
Graham Gooch - 175*
Graeme Hick - 108*
Graham Gooch - 165
Graham Gooch - 294
Robin Smith - 145

:eng: vs :sri:, 1991
Alec Stewart - 166
Graeme Hick - 100

:nzf: vs :eng:, 1991-92
Alec Stewart - 126*
Graham Gooch - 124
Graeme Hick - 107

:eng: vs :pak:, 1992
Graham Gooch - 103
Robin Smith - 132
Graeme Hick - 147
Graham Gooch - 150*

:ind: vs :eng:, 1992-93
Graham Gooch - 132
Alec Stewart - 151*
Mike Atherton - 147
Robin Smith - 137

:sri: vs :eng:, 1992-93
Alec Stewart - 137
Robin Smith - 102*

:eng: vs :aus:, 1993
Alec Stewart - 132
Alec Stewart - 111
Graham Gooch - 139
Chris Lewis - 114*

:wi: vs :eng:, 1993-94
Graham Gooch - 143
Alec Stewart - 156
Graham Gooch - 167
Mike Atherton - 127
Graham Thorpe - 111

:eng: vs :nzf:, 1994
Mike Atherton - 117
Alec Stewart - 132
Mike Atherton - 105
Robin Smith - 191

:eng: vs :saf:, 1994
Graham Gooch - 241
Graham Gooch - 175
Mike Atherton - 242
Graeme Hick - 101
Graeme Hick - 131

:aus: vs :eng:, 1994-95
Robin Smith - 106
Alec Stewart - 159
Robin Smith - 134
Alec Stewart - 115
Mike Atherton - 157*
Robin Smith - 100
Graham Gooch - 205
Robin Smith - 204

:eng: vs :wi:, 1995
Alec Stewart - 162
Graham Gooch - 117
Graham Gooch - 135
Robin Smith - 129*
Alec Stewart - 115
Graham Gooch - 159
Mark Ramprakash - 100*

:saf: vs :eng:, 1995-96
Robin Smith - 118*
Michael Atherton - 109
Graeme Hick - 106
Graham Thorpe - 107*
Michael Atherton - 108
Graeme Hick - 113
Graham Thorpe - 114*

:eng: vs :ind:, 1996
Alec Stewart - 200
Mike Atherton - 129
Robin Smith - 117*

:eng: vs :pak:, 1996
Alec Stewart - 149
Alec Stewart - 153
Robin Smith - 104*

:zim: vs :eng:, 1996-97
Nick Knight - 247
Graham Thorpe - 106

:nzf: vs :eng:, 1996-97
Graeme Hick - 110
Craig White - 104*

:eng: vs :aus:, 1997
Graham Thorpe - 116
Graeme Hick - 126*
Graeme Hick - 172*

:wi: vs :eng:, 1997-98
Graeme Hick - 115
Graham Thorpe - 100
Alec Stewart - 159*
Michael Atherton - 107
Graeme Hick - 135
Graeme Hick - 100*

:eng: vs :saf:, 1998
Graeme Hick - 132
Nick Knight - 119
Nick Knight - 115
Graeme Thorpe - 111

:eng: vs :sri:, 1998
Graeme Hick - 133

:aus: vs :eng:, 1998-99
Alec Stewart - 131
Graham Thorpe - 104
Alec Stewart - 202*

:eng: vs :nzf:, 1999
Michael Atherton - 119

:bwl:
:wi: vs :eng:, 1989-90
Angus Fraser - 5 for 47
Gladstone Small - 5 for 72
Chris Lewis - 6 for 70

:eng: vs :nzf:, 1990
none

:eng: vs :ind:, 1990
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 116
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 72

:aus: vs :eng:, 1990-91
Angus Fraser - 5 for 116
Devon Malcolm - 6 for 75

:eng: vs :wi:, 1991
Steve Watkin - 5 for 56
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 138
Devon Malcolm - 5 for 47
Angus Fraser - 5 for 86

:eng: vs :sri:, 1991
none

:nzf: vs :eng:, 1991-92
Angus Fraser - 5 for 51
Phil Tufnell - 7 for 57

:eng: vs :pak:, 1992
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 100
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 31
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 45

:ind: vs :eng:, 1992-93
Phil Tufnell - 8 for 114
Peter Such - 8 for 47
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 72
Phil Tufnell - 6 for 167
Phil Tufnell - 7 for 171

:sri: vs :eng:, 1992-93
Phil Tufnell - 6 for 102
Phil Tufnell - 6 for 71

:eng: vs :aus:, 1993
Phil Tufnell - 7 for 105
Phillip DeFreitas - 5 for 19
Phillip DeFreitas - 5 for 62

:wi: vs :eng:, 1993-94
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 141
Peter Such - 6 for 119
Angus Fraser - 5 for 21
Phillip DeFreitas - 5 for 98

:eng: vs :nzf:, 1994
Darren Gough - 5 for 50
Phillip DeFreitas - Hattrick
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 71

:eng: vs :saf:, 1994
Phil Tufnell - 7 for 124
Phil Tufnell - 6 for 117

:aus: vs :eng:, 1994-95
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 79
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 122
Phil Tufnell - 6 for 96

:eng: vs :wi:, 1995
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 97
Devon Malcolm - 7 for 86
Devon Malcolm - 5 for 68
Devon Malcolm - 5 for 46

:saf: vs :eng:, 1995-96
Devon Malcolm - 6 for 76
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 79
Angus Fraser - 6 for 68

:eng: vs :ind:, 1996
none

:eng: vs :pak:, 1996
Andy Caddick - 5 for 69
Darren Gough - 5 for 117

:zim: vs :eng:, 1996-97
Alan Mullally - 6 for 94
Andy Caddick - 7 for 53
Craig White - 7 for 63

:nzf: vs :eng:, 1996-97
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 83

:eng: vs :aus:, 1997
Dean Headley - 5 for 75
Dean Headley - 5 for 49
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 92

:wi: vs :eng:, 1997-98
Ben Hollioake - 5 for 53
Ben Hollioake - 5 for 74
Robert Croft - 5 for 117
Phil Tufnell - 5 for 38
Dominic Cork - 5 for 59

:eng: vs :saf:, 1998
Dean Headley - 5 for 112
Dean Headley - 5 for 106
Dean Headley - 5 for 119

:eng: vs :sri:, 1998
Alan Mullally - 6 for 70

:aus: vs :eng:, 1998-99
Alan Mullally - 6 for 84
Dean Headley - 7 for 55
Alan Mullally - 5 for 76
Dean Headley - 7 for 47

:eng: vs :nzf:, 1999
Dean Headley - 5 for 62
Andy Caddick - 7 for 26
Click to expand...
Aislabie said:
Career Statistics
Includes all players who debuted before 1990 and played from that date onwards either in real life or in this universe.

Cap Numbers
Player#DebutLast Test
:eng: :bat: Graham Gooch461:eng: v :aus: (1), 1975:eng: v :wi: (5), 1995
:eng: :ar: Ian Botham474:eng: v :aus: (3), 1977:eng: v :ind: (3), 1990
:eng: :bat: Mike Gatting477:pak: v :eng: (3), 1977-78:ind: v :eng: (2), 1992-93
:eng: :bat: David Gower479:eng: v :pak: (1), 1978:eng: v :wi: (2), 1991
:eng: :ar: John Emburey480:eng: v :nzf: (3), 1978:eng: v :aus: (4), 1989
:eng: :bat: Wayne Larkins484:aus: v :eng: (3), 1979-80:eng: v :ind: (1), 1990
:eng: :bat: Allan Lamb494:eng: v :ind: (1), 1982:wi: v :eng: (4), 1989-90
:eng: :ar: Derek Pringle495:eng: v :ind: (1), 1982:eng: v :aus: (6), 1989
:eng: :bwl: Eddie Hemmings497:eng: v :pak: (1), 1982:wi: v :eng: (5), 1989-90
:eng: :bwl: Neil Foster502:eng: v :nzf: (3), 1983:eng: v :pak: (1), 1992
:eng: :bat: Tim Robinson511:ind: v :eng: (1), 1984:eng: v :wi: (5), 1991
:eng: :bwl: Gladstone Small521:eng: v :nzf: (2), 1986:eng: v :sri:, 1991
:eng: :ar: Phillip DeFreitas522:aus: v :eng: (1), 1986-87:saf: v :eng: (1), 1995-96
:eng: :bat: Neil Fairbrother525:eng: v :pak: (1), 1987:nzf: v :eng: (3), 1987-88
:eng: :ar: David Capel526:eng: v :pak: (3), 1987:eng: v :aus: (6), 1989
:eng: :bwl: Paul Jarvis527:nzf: v :eng: (1), 1987-88:eng: v :pak: (5), 1992
:eng: :bat: Robin Smith530:eng: v :wi: (4), 1988:eng: vs :aus: (5), 1997
:eng: :bat: Rob Bailey531:eng: v :wi: (5), 1988:eng: v :wi: (4), 1991
:eng: :bat: Matt Maynard532:eng: v :wi: (5), 1988only Test
:eng: :bwl: Syd Lawrence534:eng: v :sri:, 1988:eng: v :sri:, 1991
:eng: :bwl: Phil Newport535:eng: v :sri:, 1988:eng: v :aus: (1), 1989
:eng: :wk: Jack Russell536:eng: v :sri:, 1988:eng: v :saf: (5), 1998
:eng: :bwl: Angus Fraser537:eng: v :aus: (3), 1989:eng: vs :sri:,1998
:eng: :bat: Mike Atherton538:eng: v :aus: (5), 1989:eng: vs :nzf: (4), 1999
:eng: :bwl: Devon Malcolm539:eng: v :aus: (5), 1989:eng: v :pak: (3), 1996
:eng: :bwl: Alan Igglesden540:eng: v :aus: (6), 1989only Test
- - - - - - - - - -- - -- - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart542:wi: v :eng: (1), 1989-90:eng: vs :nzf: (4), 1999
:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell543:wi: v :eng: (1), 1989-90:eng: vs :nzf: (4), 1999
:eng: :ar: Chris Lewis544:wi: v :eng: (4), 1989-90:eng: v :pak: (3), 1996
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick545:wi: v :eng: (5), 1989-90:eng: vs :nzf: (4), 1999
:eng: :bwl: Martin Bicknell546:eng: v :ind: (3), 1990:nzf: v :eng: (4), 1991-92
:eng: :bwl: Steve Watkin547:eng: v :wi: (1), 1991:eng: v :wi: (2), 1991
:eng: :bwl: Peter Such548:eng: v :wi: (3), 1991:zim: v :eng: (3), 1996-97
:eng: :bwl: Ian Salisbury549:ind: v :eng: (1), 1992-93only Test
:eng: :bat: Mark Ramprakash550:ind: v :eng: (2), 1992-93:wi: vs :eng: (4), 1997-98
:eng: :ar: Dermot Reeve551:ind: v :eng: (3), 1992-93only Test
:eng: :bwl: Andy Caddick552:eng: v :aus: (2), 1993:eng: vs :nzf: (4), 1999
:eng: :bat: Nasser Hussain553:eng: v :aus: (3), 1993:eng: vs :sri:,1998
:eng: :bwl: Mark Ilott554:wi: v :eng: (4), 1993-94only Test
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe555:wi: v :eng: (4), 1993-94:eng: vs :nzf: (4), 1999
:eng: :bwl: Darren Gough556:eng: v :nzf: (1), 1994:eng: vs :nzf: (4), 1999
:eng: :ar: Dominic Cork557:eng: v :nzf: (2), 1994:eng: v :saf: (2), 1998
:eng: :wk: Richard Blakey558:eng: v :nzf: (3), 1994:zim: v :eng: (3), 1996-97
:eng: :ar: Glen Chapple559:aus: v :eng: (4), 1994-95:zim: v :eng: (1), 1996-97
:eng: :bwl: Richard Johnson560:eng: v :wi: (2), 1995only Test
:eng: :ar: Mark Alleyne561:eng: v :wi: (5), 1995:zim: v :eng: (3), 1996-97
:eng: :ar: Robert Croft562:saf: v :eng: (5), 1995-96:eng: v :saf: (4), 1998
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight563:saf: v :eng: (5), 1995-96:eng: vs :nzf: (4), 1999
:eng: :bat: Mark Butcher564:zim: v :eng: (1), 1996-97:wi: vs :eng: (3), 1997-98
:eng: :bwl: Alan Mullally565:zim: v :eng: (1), 1996-97:eng: vs :nzf: (2), 1999
:eng: :bat: John Crawley566:zim: v :eng: (2), 1996-97:eng: vs :sri:,1998
:eng: :bwl: Dean Headley567:zim: v :eng: (2), 1996-97:eng: vs :nzf: (3), 1999
:eng: :ar: Craig White568:zim: v :eng: (2), 1996-97:eng: vs :nzf: (4), 1999
:eng: :ar: Ben Hollioake569:eng: vs :aus: (3), 1997:aus: vs :eng: (4),1998-99
:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon570:wi: vs :eng: (5), 1997-98:eng: vs :nzf: (4), 1999
:eng: :ar: Andrew Flintoff571:eng: vs :sri:,1998:eng: vs :nzf: (2), 1999
:eng: :bat: Mal Loye572:eng: vs :sri:,1998:eng: vs :nzf: (3), 1999
:eng: :ar: Graeme Swann573:aus: vs :eng: (5),1998-99:eng: vs :nzf: (3), 1999
:eng: :bwl: Alex Tudor574:eng: vs :nzf: (3), 1999:eng: vs :nzf: (4), 1999

Captains
PlayerMatWTDLFirstLast
:eng: :bat: Graham Gooch552211616:eng: v :wi: (5), 1988:aus: v :eng: (5), 1994-95
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick432101210:ind: v :eng: (2), 1992-93:aus: vs :eng: (5),1998-99
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight11000:eng: vs :sri:,1998only Test
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart42002:eng: vs :nzf: (1), 1999:eng: vs :nzf: (4), 1999

Batting & Fielding
PlayerMatInnNORunsAvg100s50sBestCtSt
:eng: :ar: Mark Alleyne4729519.00-156*4-
:eng: :bat: Michael Atherton :slvo:7514311551741.80112824248-
:eng: :bat: Rob Bailey1528181530.191219615-
:eng: :bwl: Martin Bicknell4406516.25--482-
:eng: :wk: Richard Blakey48216627.67-150*11-
:eng: :ar: Ian Botham (RET)1081767565633.471425208135-
:eng: :bat: Mark Butcher510017417.40-1554-
:eng: :bwl: Andy Caddick2326329913.00--37*3-
:eng: :ar: David Capel (RET)1118029316.27-2984-
:eng: :ar: Glen Chapple3517318.25--301-
:eng: :ar: Dominic Cork1723544524.72-2728-
:eng: :bat: John Crawley58020926.13-1611-
:eng: :ar: Robert Croft67019928.43-1541-
:eng: :ar: Phillip DeFreitas :slvo::slvo:3656678615.72-1827-
:eng: :ar: John Emburey (RET)608918154021.49-87533-
:eng: :bat: Neil Fairbrother44051.25--33-
:eng: :ar: Andrew Flintoff36113827.60-1893-
:eng: :bwl: Neil Foster (RET)39601260012.50--42*13-
:eng: :bwl: Angus Fraser5980116779.81--3410-
:eng: :bat: Mike Gatting (RET)7012114403737.7391920753-
:eng: :bat: Graham Gooch :slvo::slvo::slvo: (RET)131244101124248.042860294147-
:eng: :bwl: Darren Gough28391240214.89--35*4-
:eng: :bat: David Gower (RET)12421517850642.96154721575-
:eng: :bwl: Dean Headley (RET) :slvo::slvo:233792508.93--245-
:eng: :bwl: Eddie Hemmings (RET)1319333220.75-1954-
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick :slvo:8515711591740.531629172*130-
:eng: :ar: Ben Hollioake1118238223.86-26010-
:eng: :bat: Nasser Hussain1119147126.17-26820-
:eng: :bwl: Alan Igglesden (RET)1112---2*1-
:eng: :bwl: Mark Ilott12226---25*--
:eng: :bwl: Paul Jarvis (RET)1015418917.18--35*1-
:eng: :bwl: Richard Johnson11011.00--1--
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight21400164341.083924727-
:eng: :bat: Allan Lamb (RET)601059322433.58912137*53-
:eng: :bat: Wayne Larkins (RET)1019034818.31--435-
:eng: :bwl: Syd Lawrence (RET)22063.00--4--
:eng: :ar: Chris Lewis (RET)569012197325.2917114*61-
:eng: :bat: Mal Loye24010125.25-1921-
:eng: :bwl: Devon Malcolm3750132336.30--21*11-
:eng: :bat: Matt Maynard120136.50--10--
:eng: :bwl: Alan Mullally2328121589.88--223-
:eng: :bwl: Phil Newport (RET)2307023.33--361-
:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon1118352234.80-384312
:eng: :ar: Derek Pringle (RET)2136351215.51-2667-
:eng: :bat: Mark Ramprakash18342104732.7219100*1-
:eng: :ar: Dermot Reeve (RET)120126.00--6--
:eng: :bat: Tim Robinson (RET) :slvo:41716236236.3341217514-
:eng: :wk: Jack Russell (RET)9415635395432.68121128*24327
:eng: :bwl: Ian Salisbury1102121.00--21--
:eng: :bwl: Gladstone Small (RET)2026738220.10-2592-
:eng: :bat: Robin Smith :slvo::slvo: (RET)8215217666249.32193420420-
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart :slvo::slvo:781538678446.791827202*17-
:eng: :bwl: Peter Such12157475.88--14*5-
:eng: :ar: Graeme Swann2305919.67--493-
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe :slvo:448012304244.7481311622-
:eng: :bwl: Alex Tudor2306822.67--28--
:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell :slvo::slvo:85109205406.06--3625-
:eng: :bwl: Steve Watkin2405513.75--27--
:eng: :ar: Craig White :slvo::slvo:254611131037.4319104*4-

Bowling
PlayerMatOvrRunsWktsAvgEcon5WI10WMBest
:eng: :ar: Mark Alleyne41093071030.702.8--2/27
:eng: :bat: Michael Atherton :slvo:751445001338.463.9--3/32
:eng: :bat: Rob Bailey1543175287.504.1--1/0
:eng: :bwl: Martin Bicknell41914691142.632.5--3/72
:eng: :wk: Richard Blakey4--------
:eng: :ar: Ian Botham (RET)10837791122340028.133.02748/34
:eng: :bat: Mark Butcher52515.002.0--1/0
:eng: :bwl: Andy Caddick2394726458431.492.8317/26
:eng: :ar: David Capel (RET)112096281252.333.0--2/13
:eng: :ar: Glen Chapple3128398666.333.1--3/99
:eng: :ar: Dominic Cork1761617804936.332.91-5/59
:eng: :bat: John Crawley5--------
:eng: :ar: Robert Croft62106641544.273.21-5/117
:eng: :ar: Phillip DeFreitas :slvo::slvo:361324353010433.942.7415/19
:eng: :ar: John Emburey (RET)602371510513836.992.16-7/78
:eng: :bat: Neil Fairbrother4290-4.5---
:eng: :ar: Andrew Flintoff3101295473.752.9--3/78
:eng: :bwl: Neil Foster (RET)391451390211533.932.7518/107
:eng: :bwl: Angus Fraser592400592917733.492.55-6/68
:eng: :bat: Mike Gatting (RET)70125317479.252.5--1/14
:eng: :bat: Graham Gooch :slvo::slvo::slvo: (RET)1313067401743.532.4--2/12
:eng: :bwl: Darren Gough28111130368037.952.72-5/50
:eng: :bat: David Gower (RET)124620120.003.3--1/1
:eng: :bwl: Dean Headley (RET) :slvo::slvo:231054283410526.992.7817/47
:eng: :bwl: Eddie Hemmings (RET)1351314543146.902.8--4/90
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick :slvo:852659501950.003.8--3/38
:eng: :ar: Ben Hollioake1134010713035.703.22-5/53
:eng: :bat: Nasser Hussain11--------
:eng: :bwl: Alan Igglesden (RET)137146348.673.9--2/91
:eng: :bwl: Mark Ilott1381271127.003.3--1/106
:eng: :bwl: Paul Jarvis (RET)1035910692641.123.0--4/50
:eng: :bwl: Richard Johnson1441550-3.5---
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight21--------
:eng: :bat: Allan Lamb (RET)60523123.004.6--1/6
:eng: :bat: Wayne Larkins (RET)10--------
:eng: :bwl: Syd Lawrence (RET)268223455.753.3--2/74
:eng: :ar: Chris Lewis (RET)561580426612334.682.71-6/70
:eng: :bat: Mal Loye2--------
:eng: :bwl: Devon Malcolm371292419513730.623.26-7/86
:eng: :bat: Matt Maynard1--------
:eng: :bwl: Alan Mullally2393322228924.972.4416/70
:eng: :bwl: Phil Newport (RET)292339937.663.7--4/87
:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon11--------
:eng: :ar: Derek Pringle (RET)2162518074837.642.92-5/95
:eng: :bat: Mark Ramprakash18120-2.0---
:eng: :ar: Dermot Reeve (RET)114390-2.8---
:eng: :bat: Tim Robinson (RET) :slvo:41100-0.0---
:eng: :wk: Jack Russell (RET)94--------
:eng: :bwl: Ian Salisbury113760-5.9---
:eng: :bwl: Gladstone Small (RET)2078419806033.002.53-5/48
:eng: :bat: Robin Smith :slvo::slvo: (RET)82--------
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart :slvo::slvo:78--------
:eng: :bwl: Peter Such1257216695033.382.92-8/47
:eng: :ar: Graeme Swann258169628.172.9--3/88
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe :slvo:441236136.003.0--1/0
:eng: :bwl: Alex Tudor260245830.624.0--3/56
:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell :slvo::slvo:8539481157039429.372.92658/114
:eng: :bwl: Steve Watkin264223544.603.51-5/56
:eng: :ar: Craig White :slvo::slvo:2576121706334.442.81-7/63

​
Click to expand...
Rankings, records and stats have been updated.

A huge series coming up next - a Bannerman Shield series against the world number one team - and a chance for Phil Tufnell to become England's highest-ever wicket taker. What a decade it's been
 
England Tour of South Africa, 1999-00

Itinerary
25 Nov 1999 - :saf: South African vs England :eng: - First Test at Johannesburg - South Africa won by 10 wickets
09 Dec 1999 - :saf: South African vs England :eng: - Second Test at Port Elizabeth - England won by 2 wickets *
26 Dec 1999 - :saf: South African vs England :eng: - Third Test at Durban - Match drawn
02 Jan 2000 - :saf: South African vs England :eng: - Fourth Test at Cape Town - South Africa won by 9 wickets
14 Jan 1999 - :saf: South African vs England :eng: - Fifth Test at Centurion - Match drawn

England Squad

:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart :c:

:eng: :bat: Michael Atherton
:eng: :bat: John Crawley
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick
:eng: :bat: Nasser Hussain
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe

:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon
:eng: :wk: Chris Read :redo:

:eng: :ar: Ben Hollioake
:eng: :ar: Graeme Swann
:eng: :ar: Craig White

:eng: :bwl: Andy Caddick
:eng: :ar: Dominic Cork
:eng: :bwl: Alan Mullally
:eng: :bwl: Dr Julian Thompson :redo:
:eng: :bwl: Alex Tudor

:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell

This winter's tour is a huge one for England: not only is it the last Test series of the 20th Century, but it's a Bannerman Shield series against the world's number one Test cricket team. England will have to do it without one of their very best bowlers as Dean Headley's back injuries have made him a non-option for this tour, but they will still have a strong-looking attack to call on: Alan Mullally's 89 wickets have so far come at less than 25 apiece, Andy Caddick is fresh off the back of a stunning ten-wicket match haul and dominant county season, and Phil Tufnell now has a strong case to be considered England's greatest ever spinner. There are also a couple of recalls and a couple of first-time call-ups: Dominic Cork, John Crawley and Nasser Hussain return to the squad after strong county seasons, while Chris Read and Julian Thompson receive their first ever England selections. Read is rated as the best young gloveman in England although some questions remain about his batting, while the South African-born Thompson, a qualified medical doctor, was Kent's player of the season with 64 Championship wickets at 19.76 apiece. It will be an incredible story if he gets a debut in the country of his birth.
 
Last edited:
:saf: South Africa vs England :eng: - First Test at Johannesburg

South African XI
:saf: :bat: Gary Kirsten
:saf: :bat: Herschelle Gibbs
:saf: :ar: Jacques Kallis
:saf: :bat: Daryl Cullinan
:saf: :bat: Hansie Cronje :c:
:saf: :bat: Jonty Rhodes
:saf: :ar: Lance Klusener
:saf: :ar: Shaun Pollock
:saf: :wk: Mark Boucher
:saf: :bwl: Allan Donald
:saf: :bwl: Paul Adams

English XI
:eng: :bat: Michael Atherton
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart :c:
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight
:eng: :bat: Graeme Hick
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe
:eng: :ar: Craig White
:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon
:eng: :bwl: Alex Tudor
:eng: :bwl: Andy Caddick
:eng: :bwl: Alan Mullally
:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell

- - -

England win the toss and choose to bat

- - -

Well that is a very scary-looking South African team. The closest thing to a weak link in there is the "frog in a blender" Paul Adams and he's far from bad - he's just no Allan Donald. England on the other hand start the series with a pretty settled team: their regular top seven remains in place despite Hick's shocking form, while Tudor and Caddick have been chosen alongside Alan Mullally after their strong performances against New Zealand. Alec Stewart will be hoping that winning the toss and batting first might be able to make the difference for this England team.

Long story short, it did not. Even on a sunny first morning, the fast bowling of Donald, Pollock and Kallis (who shared nine wickets between them) was too much for the English batters to handle. Only Nick Knight (23 off 46) and last man out Paul Nixon (34 off 78) managed to hang on for more than an hour against a relentless barrage from the world's best bowling attack. Moments before the tea break, Paul Adams took the final English wicket to bowl the away side out for just 154.

With so few runs to defend, the English bowlers did for the most part do an excellent job - but as has so often been the case in the last year, an superb bowling effort was able to run through the top order, only to run out of steam against an unusually strong lower order. In this case, Shaun Pollock was the partner that the in-form Cullinan had needed all along, and the pair of them were able to add over 150 for the seventh wicket. A Test match that had been in the balance hand swung irrevocably towards the home side, especially when the English team watched Alex Tudor fail to complete his run-up and hobble off the ground injured. Mullally and Tufnell took on his workload and managed to claim the last of the South African wickets, but not before their lead had crossed 200.

The one South African seamer who hadn't turned up in the first innings was Lance Klusener, but he absolutely stood up to be counted in the second. He took out the entire English top three, then returned later in the innings to dismiss Graham Thorpe whose 68 was the only innings of substance by any English player in the match. There was quite simply a visible difference in ability between the two teams, and England were not on the good side of it. The one small win that they did manage was in managing to eke out enough runs to make South Africa bat again (but only just).

Anyway, South Africa won by 10 wickets. Ouch.

1652956118507.png

I'm also adding a Player of the Season award in the style of the Allan Border Medal - the Barrington Medal.

Drawn or lost match
Best player - 3 points
2nd best player - 2 points
3rd best player - 1 point

Won match
Best player - 5 points
2nd best player - 3 points
3rd best player - 2 points
4th best player - 1 point

Standings
1. Graham Thorpe - 3 points (+3)
2. Paul Nixon - 2 points (+2)
3. Alan Mullally - 1 point (+1)
 
:saf: South Africa (1) vs (0) England :eng: - Second Test at Port Elizabeth

South African XI
:saf: :bat: Gary Kirsten
:saf: :bat: Herschelle Gibbs
:saf: :ar: Jacques Kallis
:saf: :bat: Daryl Cullinan
:saf: :bat: Hansie Cronje :c:
:saf: :bat: Jonty Rhodes
:saf: :ar: Lance Klusener
:saf: :ar: Shaun Pollock
:saf: :wk: Mark Boucher
:saf: :bwl: Allan Donald
:saf: :bwl: Nantie Hayward

English XI
:eng: :bat: Michael Atherton
:eng: :bat: Alec Stewart :c:
:eng: :bat: Nick Knight
:eng: :bat: Graham Thorpe
:eng: :bat: Nasser Hussain
:eng: :ar: Craig White
:eng: :wk: Paul Nixon
:eng: :ar: Dominic Cork
:eng: :bwl: Andy Caddick
:eng: :bwl: Alan Mullally
:eng: :bwl: Phil Tufnell

- - -

South Africa win the toss and choose to bat

- - -

Turning up to see a green seamers' pitch at Port Elizabeth must have been somewhat worrying for England, and all the more so when Stewart was handed the South African teamsheet to see that Nantie Hayward had been brought in to add yet another top-quality pace option. England meanwhile have offered a recall to Nasser Hussain in place of the horribly out-of-form Hick, and have replaced the injured Tudor with Dominic Cork who the team will be hoping is able to take full advantage of these seam-friendly conditions. They might have rathered win the toss and bat first though.

But it was Cronje who won the toss, and the South African top-order who would have best use of the batting conditions. The entire top five managed to at least somewhat deliver: although nobody scored more than Cullinan's 86 - a fact that showed how persistent the English bowlers were in refusing to stop fighting for wickets - no top-five player scored fewer than Kallis' 43 either. As a result of this qualified success, South Africa reached quarter-to-six on 311 for five. Alan Mullally had other ideas though: in a stunning over of left-arm fast bowling, he managed to draw the outside edge of Jonty Rhodes' bat. One ball later, he drew a thin edge from Shaun Pollock, safely pouched by Paul Nixon behind the stumps. And then, from the hat-trick ball, Boucher too could get only a faint touch on an angled ball, and became the third victim in a superb Test hat-trick for Mullally. The left-armer's eventual six-wicket haul restricted South Africa to only 337 all out.

This fightback was then continued by the batting efforts of Stewart (78), Knight (70), Thorpe (76) and Nixon (82), around whom England were able to build a first-innings total in excess of 400 for the first time since the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney. The Leicestershire wicket-keeper in particular has been a revelation since he was first selected for the England team, a calm and reliable hand at number seven in the batting order. And now the 73-run lead that he has helped the England team to reach may prove decisive as they seek to level this Bannerman Shield series.

The South African second innings was yet another lesson in the benefits of having batting all the way down to number nine; despite only one notable innings (57 from Hansie Cronje), none of the South African top nine failed to reach 20. As a result of that, they managed to claw their way to a second-innings total of 322 that must have left Alec Stewart and his charges extremely frustrated. When Alan Mullally finally clean-bowled Mark Boucher to end the innings, the English top three batters immediately turned and ran from the ground, evidently desperate to make the most of every minute available to them to chase down the target of exactly 250.

A big part of chasing down a difficult score is picking the right bowler to try to attack for runs. The English batters (aside from Atherton, who may be constitutionally incompatible with attacking cricket) chose to target Nantie Hayward. For some of them it worked - Graham Thorpe took him for more than a run a ball including several boundaries - but for others it didn't - Nasser Hussain was just one of three top-five batsman to lose their wicket to the right-armer.

By this point though, the English batters were attacking from a position of strength, having built a platform that left them needing 130 runs from the final 30 overs of the game, with their last eight wickets in hand. Even as the wickets started to tumble, England did not stop attacking. Dominic Cork and Andy Caddick still had a lot of work to do, but they peppered the boundary during a dramatic 52-run eighth-wicket partnership.

When the final over rolled around, Hansie Cronje surprisingly threw the ball to Hayward. Despite being comfortably the most expensive South African bowler, he was also the most. For his 21st and final over, he had only six runs to defend. His first ball was short and wide, and thumped by Cork to deep point for one. The second was full and straight, attacking Mullally's stumps - the tail-ender managed to get the very bottom corner of his bat down on it, and Cork hassled through for the quickest of singles. The third was short and wide again. Cork stepped across and slapped it straight back past the bowler for four.

Against all the odds, England had achieved a shocking win - but why did Hayward bowl so much with so few runs to play with?

1652958618178.png

I'm also adding a Player of the Season award in the style of the Allan Border Medal - the Barrington Medal.

Drawn or lost match
Best player - 3 points
2nd best player - 2 points
3rd best player - 1 point

Won match
Best player - 5 points
2nd best player - 3 points
3rd best player - 2 points
4th best player - 1 point

Standings
1. Alan Mullally - 6 points (+5)
=. Graham Thorpe - 6 points (+3)
3. Paul Nixon - 4 points (+2)
4. Dominic Cork - 1 point (+1)

OOC: I absolutely didn't do anything to make that weirdness happen with the run-chase and Nantie Hayward, but I do intend to use it as Cronje's match-fixing moment for the sake of the storyline.
 
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