Nightwatchgirl's Ashes Top Ten part 2

While I'm away, the blogger Nightwatchgirl offers her second list of Ashes heroes. This time, she has gone for cricketers who were not born in the country they represented. Oddly, Freddie Brown, the second-most famous Peruvian immigrant to England after Paddington Bear, escaped her attention, but he did captain England more than 30 years before she was born.

"This list," Nightwatchgirl writes, "proves that birthplace can mean nothing at all when it comes to cricket. Stay in a country long enough or have parents/grandparents who are willing to give you a passport and dreams can be realised, or in some cases crushed. International cricket does not care where a player comes from, only if he can hold a bat and throw a ball. Equality, at last."

1. Andrew Symonds, birthplace: England. Born in Birmingham, Symonds decided it best to move to Queensland, Australia. Not only is the fishing out of this world, but the national cricket team is also quite handy. Sensible. Although Nightwatchgirl can guarantee he was questioning his decision in 2005, the 5-0 whitewash a year later probably helped. But England would never stand their cricketers to wander off during an important time to play in the water (fredalo, anyone?).

2. Geraint Jones, birthplace: Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea is not known for its cricketing strength, which was probably why Geraint Jones decided that his Welsh parentage would come in very useful. Picked for the 2005 Ashes, it was his catch that won the Edgbaston Test.

3. Kevin Pietersen, birthplace: South Africa. KP left South Africa after claiming he was not being picked because of positive discrimination, and then he came to play for England with a dodgy haircut, similar to that of a badger. Has since risen to the high stakes of captaining England, marrying a 'pop star' and being friends with Frank Lampard.

4. Andrew Strauss, birthplace: South Africa. Extremely useful cricketer, apart from a few dodgy spells here and there. Had the greatest slip catch of all time, adopting the Superman position and using all his yoga skills, plucked the ball out of the very edges of space and time.

5. Matthew Hoggard, birthplace: Yorkshire. No, Nightwatchgirl has not gone mad, although her geography has never been that reliable, she does realise Yorkshire is in England. He is included here because he remains the greatest bowler England has ever had, and any list that Nightwatchgirl would compile would have to include him. Whatever the subject. No arguments.

6. Douglas Jardine, birthplace: India. Captain of the England side made famous due to the aggressive Bodyline controversy. Stuck to his guns when accused of bringing cricket in to disrepute and is solely responsible for Ricky Ponting getting hit in the face by Steve Harmison at Lord's in 2005 and forever being scarred. Well, ok, probably didn't have that much to do with it, but Nightwatchgirl loves any excuse to bring it up again.

7. Nasser Hussein, birthplace: India. Had the unfortunate task of presiding over England when Australia were unbeatable. Scored a whopping 207 at Edgbaston in 1997 and one of the few English players with a higher batting average playing in Australia than England.

8.Tony Greig, birthplace: South Africa. Yes, Nightwatchgirl knows, another South African. But this one was particularly helpful, and scored ten half-centuries and took 44 wickets during his career against Australia. Now spends his time commentating for Australia and having his vocal twin rip the proverbial in Twelfth Man.

9. Andrew Caddick, birthplace: New Zealand. Known for more than just his ears, he turned in to a bowler that stuck around, did the job and grafted. Managed to collect four five-wicket hauls and an impressive 7-94 at Sydney in 2003.

10. Allan Lamb, birthplace: South Africa. Destined to be partnered in advertising for ever with Beefy Botham, Lamb was also pretty useful with the bat. During his Ashes career scored 1138 runs and seven medium-rare half-centuries.

Comments

[Peter McGuinness]

Just a good competitive, entertaining cricket pitch for once. 214 proved a well good enough first innings score in the conditions.

Interesting that thanks to the 'bowler killer' ODI highways presented in Tests these days, 1st innings scores of under 500 are considered dicey.

I don't buy into eulogising Australian cricket thanks to insane selections against India in India (hard enough as is). I get the feeling you may be a Queenslander Rusty? If so, did you go to the game? If you did, you would no doubt have taken my point about Watto. Couldn't get the ball moving even in the humidity and on a green top. Adequate containment bowler in an ODI or T20. Wasting a spot in Tests.

Mind you, Hilditch and Co are considering dropping Clark, (YES CLARK!) for Siddle (YES SIDDLE!) in Adelaide. We're in strife Rusty. No bullshit. We could end up kicking out one of the world's best bowlers, to make way for a bloke who has Watto's lack of shape, but without the pace or ability to bat in the middle order. Or the Shield record of about 10 blokes ahead of him either.

The reason? Siddle is a 'reverse specialist' according to selectors and that is - in Adelaide - is more important than being an established and highly successful Test Match opening bowler coming off a 4 for. They've said this publicly trust me...I could not invent this other-worldly psychotic crap!

There's a new process in town which says that bowlers will be picked to 'suit conditions', whatever that means. Picking the best bowlers in Australia has gone out the window unfortunately. Too simple. Our three top bowlers are now clearly in the firing line too, regardless of how they bowl. It's WHERE they bowl that counts. Good news for the Poms.

We won in an absolute canter. NZ bowled beautifully at our top order when there was lateral movement off the new seam. Other than that, nothing. Poor buggers. It was a priviledge to watch Vetorri live in action. A perfectly straight arm and a genuine master of flight and subtle variety. Not to mention an imaginative captain who wrings the best out of his modest resources.

[Rusty]

I never realised how many Saffers have been holding up English cricket, til Nightwatchgirl pointed this out.

So Jardine was born in India - that figures.

Peter, Vettori has 10 players helping him - they are called the Australian cricket team.

[Peter McGuinness]

A list of players who have played for England who are not English.

More economical to list Englishmen who have played for England.

Had a relative born in the Old Dart anytime after Agincourt? Well anywhere in Great Britain will do. Hold a bat can you? Right - you're in.

The whole odd dynamic begs the question: 'Where do all the Test Match quality English players go?'. We could do with another legitimate Test Playing nation. I suggest shunned Poms should emigrate to Geraint Jones's Papua New Guinea and get cracking.

Alternatively, New Zealand could use 10 players to help Vettori.