Strauss

His batting stance seems to be much more open - his front leg's more to the on-side as the bowler reaches delivery stride nowadays. I don't know what this actually achieves, but it makes him look awfully similar to Alastair Cook at the other end. The point being that it's annoying.

Strauss is pretty rubbish against the likes of Vaughan and Trescothick, in my opinion. He makes batting look really ugly and is a bit of a flat-track bully. A decent opener but you wouldn't pick him ahead of either of them when all three were at their best.

Augustus wrote:His batting stance seems to be much more open - his front leg's more to the on-side as the bowler reaches delivery stride nowadays. I don't know what this actually achieves, but it makes him look awfully similar to Alastair Cook at the other end. The point being that it's annoying.

Strauss is pretty rubbish against the likes of Vaughan and Trescothick, in my opinion. He makes batting look really ugly and is a bit of a flat-track bully. A decent opener but you wouldn't pick him ahead of either of them when all three were at their best.

Gary Kirsten looked pretty ugly but he would have walked into a lot of test teams.

When did Thicko become Victor Trumper?!?!

The crab NEVER used his feet and the fact he made a Test ton indicates how crap the bowling attacks where in his day.

JKLever wrote:Got to admit, thought the old Strauss was done for at test level

Likewise.

Despite his protestations to the contrary you do wonder just what effect being (scandalously) overlooked for the captaincy for the last Ashes tour had on his frame of mind, and whether that impacted on his overall confidence in his game.

Yeah, he's playing straighter in this game, even though his scoring shots were similar to usual. He looked good, on a flat deck. But is definitely a nailed on place in the England team.

Purely as openers:

Gooch > Vaughan > Stewart > Strauss > Tres > Atherton

Strauss has a better average than Tres abroad.

Gooch > Vaughan > Stewart > Strauss > Tres > Atherton

Hmmm....

Very difficult to do in a linear fashion like that.

I think Stewart could have topped the pile had he been allowed to carry on opening unfettered rather than being burdened with the gloves.

Also very difficult to compare the likes of Athers and Tres because of the different qualities that they brought - a gritty, determined obdurate versus a more vulnerable but free scoring stroke maker...you could almost say the same about Strauss Mk I and Strauss Mk II.

Had Trescothick been well enough to continue his career over the last 3 years or so, I do think that he would have been more valuable to the side than Strauss or Vaughan during that period - the 2002/3 Vaughan excepted.

Athers is under-rated. He had a good career considering the debilitating back problem.

Big_Bad_Bob wrote:Very difficult to do in a linear fashion like that.

I think Stewart could have topped the pile had he been allowed to carry on opening unfettered rather than being burdened with the gloves.

Also very difficult to compare the likes of Athers and Tres because of the different qualities that they brought - a gritty, determined obdurate versus a more vulnerable but free scoring stroke maker...you could almost say the same about Strauss Mk I and Strauss Mk II.

Had Trescothick been well enough to continue his career over the last 3 years or so, I do think that he would have been more valuable to the side than Strauss or Vaughan during that period - the 2002/3 Vaughan excepted.

It's difficult, as you say Bob and I totally agree about Stewart - IMO none better at playing pace, allied with the new ball, at the time. Gooch obviously would be up there with them. Atherton would, in my mind, be averaging approximately 45 in this generation at least, he had trouble with a few greats, I'd surmise that so would many others with a better average in this day and age.

Which leads us onto the rest, of them I'd say that Vaughan was easily the most talented - think the captaincy and his drop to 3 didn't help him in this cause though I'd put Trescothick alongside him because of the fact he tried to get the innings going and at times failed but that's what happens when you're not trying to shoulder arms to every ball you can.

Strauss, the jury's out, I'd say he's made some really good, match-contributing tons against good attacks at bad times however.

Strauss < / > Strauss

Apples and oranges again. (All right, I know we always compare, as a sort of conjecture.)

It´s just good to see the guy playing freely and with some confidence again. If that sounds partisan, maybe it is. I have to say though that to see any batsman play pretty well is heartening to see (unless it´s your arch enemy, perhaps, or you are bowling). Similarly, to see ANYONE on any side crabbing and snicking and shitting it is depressing to the spirit - and must be banned by the ICC forthwith.

Who knows if this will lead anywhere - even to some sort of contest for the Ashes .... it´s just "good on old Johann" for the time being.

Taking direct comparisons of talent aside, so much of a batting lineup is all about having the right blend at the right time.

This is where I think Bangers would have come into his own over the last 3 years, with MPV in an injury / form hell hole and Strauss having lost form, been dropped and then returned having pared down his game so much.

We've been bogged down by a rash of crabs with only KP playing in a positive manner. Tres would as often as not having given the innings (in both forms of the game) some much needed momentum, and thus may have dragged, to a lesser extent, some of the others along with him.

Big_Bad_Bob wrote: Tres would as often as not having given the innings (in both forms of the game) some much needed momentum, and thus may have dragged, to a lesser extent, some of the others along with him.

much overlooked part of 2005 by some

Big_Bad_Bob wrote:Since the 1st Test against the Kiwis in March last year when Strauss was recalled.

Strauss : 1163 runs @ 50.57
KP : 1121 runs @ 50.95

KP needs a half century in this innings to keep his nose in front during that period both in terms of aggregate and average.

It's like he's been reading the forum...

Rob I wrote:Purely as openers:

Gooch > Vaughan > Stewart > Strauss > Tres > Atherton

Strauss has a better average than Tres abroad.

Almost heresy there. Agree with Gooch at the top the pile, the rest though-

Vaughan- world class for a year and a half, just decent-ish for the rest of his career and often not even opening a lot of the time.

Stewart- not a huge sample size of matches as an opener, although very good against quality quicks but poor against spin.

Strauss- bit of a work in progress but a fine temperament and was world class for a year or two (people forget his tour to SA)

Tres- Stonking on his day but inconsistent.

Athers- Jesus facing the devil's lapdogs.

So s/b Gooch > Athers > Stewart > Strauss > Tres > Vaughan