i think lakers was englands best bowler... I still remember him taking 19 wickets in a match

Trueman?
Willis?

Has to Beefy still.

S. F. Barnes

"i think lakers was englands best bowler... I still remember him taking 19 wickets in a match"

How old are you Viru?

England's best ever?

Night watchman, yes!
Bowler, not so sure.

Do you remember seeing S.F.Barnes Hoggy, was he as good as some say he was?

kash, i have seen the video of that 19 wickets... i wasnt alive back then....

So I'm the only one here who saw Jim Laker take his 19 wickets on a 9" black and white TV screen. Everyone hoping Lock wouldn't spoil the party.

Don't lie Hope.
You were there sipping a pint of Bitter.

Would I lie Ginger.

He is a good bowler, but lets remember he has only shown true consistency in the last few years.

Still to answer questions on the sub continent.

Also dropped during the world cup.

Still averages over 30 I believe... Hmmm, just a good bowler for me. By the time his test career ends, he might be a great bowler.

Greatest bowling fielder ever? Maybe.

for me its trueman as well i just wanted to ask the question to see what people though i think in another 5 he could be up there especially if he takes 400

We've had some wonderful fast bowlers over the tears but I'm sure we've never had as strong a group as we have today.
Perhaps the quartet of Harmison, Hoggard, Flintoff and Jones were better but only briefly so.

Over the years I intended to write but over the tears must have been a Freudian slip as there were often tears shed.

"comment by hopeforthebest (U3251) posted 20 minutes ago

We've had some wonderful fast bowlers over the tears but I'm sure we've never had as strong a group as we have today."

Maybe in the late 70s early 80s, with the likes of Willis, Botham, Hendricks, Old, Lever, Dilley, Foster Etc.?
Probably not though.

I don't necessarily look at the wickets, more the average or impact. Anderson averages about 30 but has loads of wickets but there are more games nowadays.

I also take impact into account. For example, Flintoff deserved better figures in tests, yet was rightly the go to man.

no. botham is englands best ever fast bowler, and hadley veriy is englands best ever spinner.

Maybe in the late 70s early 80s, with the likes of Willis, Botham, Hendricks, Old, Lever, Dilley, Foster Etc.?
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foster came a bit after the others i think you'll find.


anderson ? dont make me laugh.

since ive been watching cricket (25 years), the following have been better :

botham
fraser
jones
harmison at his best
flintoff
tremlett ?

and this has been about the barest period in england's history.

anderson would be lucky to make the top 20 i would guess.

Harmison as his best? on you mean the 2 and half games??Ive been watching cricket since around the mid 90s so that takes in the entierity of Harmisons career. And from what i saw he was average at best.. Anderson is far better bowler. And better then Flintoff who gave everything but bowled far to short to take the wickets hes should have done..

flintoff's low amount of wickets is about the most freakish stat in the game. he was a top class bowler. when fit he was able to turn it on when it mattered, and put the ball on the spot at pace and in a hostile manner. anderson has never had the consistency of flintoff and is much more reliant on the conditions being right, than flintoff ever was.

for 2 years harmison was the best bowler in the world by some distance. england havent had such an outstanding bowler in comparison with his contemporaris for 40 years.

Isn't using his > 30 average a little harsh, given the high scoring nature of modern Test Cricket...

That said, imo he's definitely "very good" but not a "great"

The reason Flintoff didnt take the wickets he should have is simple the lenght..he may have been accurate but the bowlers left the lenght.. Anderson finds the egde because hes slightly fuller. As for Harmsion he had a weird action that caused him to bowl down the leg side which he often did.. Oh and to wide of the offstump.Sure he had purple patch. Thats where "the harmison at his best comes in" from my memory of seeing countless of test matches he was never the bowler Anderson as become..

Sorry the batsmen left the lenght of Flintoff that should have said...

As for Harmsion he had a weird action
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do you mean looking at the stumps as he bowls rather than under his armpit ?