County champions

As seems to be the theme these days, we have been compiling more lists for Times Online: this time, it is the best county cricket XIs. Eighteen of our writers were invited to pick the greatest players to have represented their favourite counties - and then to pick their favourite players.

It was easy to feel inadequate as an Essex fan when I saw lists that began "Sutcliffe, Hutton, Vaughan..." or had a bowling attack featuring "Marshall, Roberts, Warne", but I discovered that my own county had some pretty fantastic players and not just from the past 25 years of success. Even unfashionable counties have XI excellent ambassadors: Gloucestershire can boast Grace, Hammond, Jessop, Abbas; the Northants selector was able to leave out Lillee, Ambrose and Hussey.

Read my introduction here and then go to your favourite counties to see whether you agree or leave comments here.

Comments

[Stuart George]

This will have to be brief, as I'm on my lunch hour...My best Warwickshire XI.

1 Dennis Amiss
2 Andy Moles (averaged 40 in First Class cricket)
3 Brian Lara
4 Martin Donnelly
5 MJK Smith
6 Dermot Reeve (C)
7 Keith Piper (W)
8 Tom Cartwright
9 Lance Gibbs
10 Allan Donald
11 Bob Willis (even if he held back in county cricket...)