“O, live sword, I fall on thee!”

It appears the ECB are trying to see if the ‘put Strauss in charge of everything’ plan will actually work.

Love the features like this by the way. The first article I remember reading on this website was the one about which country’s all-time leading wicket-takers make up the best bowling attack. Little did we know then that Yasir Shah would soon play a better innings in Australia than any England player bar Jonny Bairstow (and Heather Knight) could manage.

Well remembered, BS. But Bracewell was a member of the 1000/100 test club, so qualifies as an all-rounder. he had several 1st class tons.

You remember his hundred as being slow but Bracewell would no doubt be horrified to hear his ton thus described. His strike rate of 55 was one of the highest in that match:

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/new-zealand-tour-of-england-1986-62082/england-vs-new-zealand-2nd-test-63436/full-scorecard

Different times, the 1980s.

It did lead me to the remarkable stats of 19th century player Johnny Briggs. He has a low average of 18 and FC average to match, but scored 10 centuries in FC. This is because despite dying at age 39 he played 535 FC matches (or about 25 a year)! Did these guys do absolutely nothing else but play cricket back in the 19th century? I wonder if they complained about the packed schedule back then as well.

I must admit it was the Gillespie double-ton that popped into my head when I started reading the article – I still think that the fact that he made a double-hundred is problematic. It possibly counts double towards Gillespie’s claim, but possibly it disallows his claim, because he has, sort of, scored two test hundreds…just both of them in the same innings. I’ll take that “cog dis” to bed with me tonight – hopefully I will still be able to sleep.

I had completely forgotten (or perhaps had never twigged) that Jerome Taylor once scored a test ton. That does in itself sort of elevate his claim to an unassailable top spot.

Well writ, KC.

Which presumably means Harrison has decided the buck stops literally anywhere else.

To be fair, he wouldn’t have been at the top of this list anyway, and he didn’t make the wicket qualification. But I’m still irritated about it so I mention it anyway.