England has been one of the many successful sides of cricket. And what makes it successful is its players, from Alastair Cook to Joe Root, we have witnessed the game of some eminent English batsmen. Let’s look at the Top 10 best batsmen England has produced.
1. Sir Jack Hobbs
Sir Jack HobbsKnown as the Master, Jack Hobbs is regarded as one the greatest and respected batsmen to have graced the game. He played 61 test matches for England and represented Surrey in County. Hobbs excelled as a batsman, scoring 61,760 runs and 199 centuries in his first-class career. He made 5000 runs for England with a batting average of 56.94. The First World War inflicted his prolific career; otherwise, he would have churned out more runs.
2. Sir Graham Gooch
A prolific run-scorer across first-class and limited-overs games, Graham Gooch, is the third-highest Test Run scorer for the English side and one of the twenty-five players to have smashed over 100 centuries in first-class cricket. He is known for scoring runs against the West Indian side, which was a productive side back then. According to critics, his 154 against the West Indies in 1991 is considered one of the most remarkable tons. Gooch had that typical hard-working grinder technique; he respected good deliveries and punished anything that would miss the line.
3. Alastair Cook
Cook is responsible for scoring the most significant number of Test centuries for England. One of the most considerable opening batsmen with over 12000 runs, Cook helped England regain from ashes in Australia for the first time in 24 years by smacking 788 runs. In 2012, his three centuries helped the English side to win a test series against India in India after 28 years. Forever be remembered for his service to the game.
4. Kevin Pietersen
The most stylish English player, Kevin Pietersen, could hook, pull, drive and slice. His invincible batting and fighting spirit made him a force to reckon in the cricketing world. His 227 against the Australian side was proof of how he could vandalize a bowling attack with Warne at its peak. In his career of 104 tests, he scored 8181 runs with an aggregate of 47.28. His ability to turn the match in favor of England through his prolific batting earned him a spot on our list of most incredible batters.
5. Ian Bell
Sir Ian Bell debuted against the West Indies and hit 70 while batting at number five. Described as an “exquisite rapier,” Bell was an elegant batsman who would make you drool over his cover drive. He has 7727 test runs under his name with an average of 42.69. Bell’s masterful 235 helped England sweep India at home; he also stroked 109 on a slow track in the Ashes and not only saved England from embarrassment but also led them to retain the Ashes.
6. Sir Len Hutton
Sir Len Hutton played for Yorkshire from 1934 to 1955 and represented England in 79 test matches. His 364 against Australia is still the highest individual test score by an English batsman; he faced the lethal pace of Ray Lind wall and Keith Miller and countered the spin bowling. Hutton was also the 20th century’s first cricketer to captain England in tests after the World War. He is one of the most excellent openers produced by England; Hutton bid farewell to the game after scoring 6971 runs with an average of 56.67 in 79 matches.
7. Joe Root
Joe Root is a spectacular batsman; he will probably go down in history as the highest test run-scorer for England by the end of his career. Playing on the subcontinent brings the best out of him; he scores with an aggregate of 66. He recently scored his eight-test ton against India and joined the elite Club. In 2016, he scored a magnificent 254 against Pakistan, his highest individual test score. Be it batting or captaincy, Root loves leading from the front.
8. Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler, an explosive wicket-keeper batsman, fired the fastest England ton in just 46 balls. He plays with a strike rate of 110 in ODIs, hitting the ball into gaps and fetching runs. Buttler is a quality batsman who is assigned the role of a finisher. Buttler’s 85 against India in 2018 helped England to level the series and saved them from embarrassment at home.
9. Andrew Strauss
Former England captain Andrew Strauss was an elegant opening batsman who scored most of the runs off the back foot. His precise pull shots would make you drool. The left-handed batsman scored 7,000 runs with an average of 40, scoring a century on his debut at Lord’s; Strauss announced his arrival in the most magnificent way possible. Strauss has 4,205 ODI runs under his belt; he also became the first English batsman to go past 150 thrice in ODIs.
10. Michael Vaughan
First English captain to win an Ashes series since 1987, Michael Vaughan etched his name in the books of history. His brilliant 166 against arch-rivals Australia in 2005 Ashes got stuck in every Cricket Fans heart, not only because of the occasion it came on but also because of the Lethal bowling he had to face. His career-best scores came against India; Michael scored an incredible 195 at Oval, comprising 29 fours and some magnificent shots. In 2002 he smashed 197 against India in Nottingham, completely tiring the bowlers. Vaughan would fill the ground with an air of self-possession.
