David Capel's Ashes Top Ten

As part of our 50-part weekly series on Ashes heroes, we will be inviting a player, journalist or general cricket nut to share his Top Ten Ashes cricketers each week.

This week's guest writer is David Capel, the Northants head coach who played 15 Tests as an all-rounder for England in the 1980s. His best score was 98 against Pakistan in 1987 and he played two Tests against Australia, taking three wickets in Sydney in 1988 and two at the Oval a year later. This is his choice:

D. Bradman The best batsman of all time. Probably contributed more to Ashes Test cricket than any other player

S. Warne Greatest leg spinner of all time. Great competitor would get into any team.

H. Larwood Legendary fast bowler of the bodyline series. Set the standard for the rest to follow.

D. Lillee Superb champion fast bowler whose spirit epitomised the battle of the Ashes.

I. Botham Great all-rounder with many heroic deeds to his name.

A. Border Built a squad of players that began the dominance from 1989.

W. Hammond England’s master batsman that had to counter Bradman's run-scoring feats

S. Waugh Great batsman and one of the most successful Ashes captains.

D. Gower One of Englands finest, perhaps the most elegant stroke player of all time.

D. Boon Consistent gutsy performer, courageous against pace bowling and excellent short leg

Comments

[Rick S]

Vidhya
Nonetheless there were plenty of our other batsmen with double figure averages ahead of that (Botham, Gooch, Gatting, Gower, Broad, Robinson) bowlers with better batting averages (Emburey for one), batsmen with better bowling averages (Gooch again, Dilley had nearly the same batting average and he was a new ball bowler averaging 29 with the ball). Thanks for a good laugh and some memories. Rick

[BJ]

Emburey had a better batting and bowling average, as did Eddie Hemmings. Not to mention one I Botham just some of his late 1980's contemporaries.

[Vidhya]

BJ,

You have to put that in the context of the England team of the late 80s. Anyone with a bowling average in double figures was a good bowler and anyone with a double figure batting average was an excellent batsman.

[BJ]

I think describing Capel as an "All Rounder" is a bit misleading. Averaging 15 with the bat in tests and 50 with the ball places him in the "tail ender" batting status and "part-timer" in bowling.
Can we also see 10 Ashes players with a worse record than Capel?

[Freddy]

No room for yourself in there David?

[Steve]

Tim, you'll be disappointed to learn that Larwood was greatly respected by Australians. He ended up living here. It was his masters who used and then discarded him who were unpopular. Larwood merely did his duty.

[ted harrison]

There must surely be a place in the top ten for Jim Laker. 19 -90 as bowling figures against Australia. No one has taken more wickets in a game in any form of cricket.

Also Colin Cowdrey should be included above David Gower. Equally eloquent and more successful. He even came back in his 'old age' courageously to face down Lillee when the England team was falling apart.

[Richard Evans]

And those of you complaining about David Capel's credentials have played Test cricket, I presume? Reminds me of Tim Henman finally losing it after being criticised for years for not being as good as some fantasists wanted him to be when he said, "So how many of you have been the fourth best in the world at what you do?"

[Doyle]

With all respect, with which right does a man with 15 tests to his name get to decide the top 10 ashes players of all time?

And in regards to nominating Jim Laker, have one above average Ashes match hardly qualifies him for any Ashes top ten list. What about McGrath? Even Vaughan would be above having scored 3 centuries in Australia.

Even Merv Hughes would get a look in for his sledges if nothing else! Who can forget his beauty to Graeme Hick “Mate, if you just turn the bat over you'll find the instructions on the other side.”

[Surrey Confidential]

I'm with Whiteline (how's the fever?), this bloke played the annual Past vs Present game at Petersham and complained when he couldn't hit the Pete's former first grade spinner, the now dearly departed Stuart Gardner, off the square. Thought we were there for him! The legend, Les Johns, hit a hundred for the Past team and Capel was as miserable as hell for the entire day.

As for Nass, ask him how he went at Northern Districts, and whether he ever paid for the plastic chair he tried to re-arrange after he was out.

Oh, and yes, I was there. For both events.

Happy Days.

[John Stephens]

As there are normally 11 in a cricket team may I nominate Jim Laker as an off spinner to add variety to the attack.
He did quite well in at least one test match.

[Rob Cummings]

Interesting comments Whiteline!! From what i can gather, having talked to current team mates who played for Petersham first grade when Capel was there, he was there best ever overseas player! Not bad considering they also had Nasser Hussain. They told me the story when he cleaned both Waughs up for ducks in one game and bowled beautifully all season. I take it you watched Capel at Petersham?

[Tim]

Why this obsession with the Ashes? This is probably one of the reasons Indian cricket isnt so concerned about the views of England and Australia at the moment, as they think we just think about cricket in our own little bubble.. the Ashes.. and warm up games for the Ashes! The medias fault as much as the ECB!

[Rob]

Greatly pleased to see Larwood in there, if only because it's bound to annoy the hell out of a lot of Australians - and surely, that's what the contest is all about...

[Whiteline]

Gee guys - turn it up. This bloke played at Petersham in Sydney in the late 1980's and couldn't bowl a hoop down a hill and he's commenting on great players - you are killing me.

[Geetha Krishnan]

If this is the depth of insight you get, are you going to go through the entire lot of 50? Come on, Patrick. Catch hold of better thinkers, have them talk of players they have played with or watched and get some good stories from them. Look at the explanations above, utterly devoid of insight I'm afraid.