Who were the worst ever England bowlers?

Noey Khan't is taking a fair amount of stick at the moment, same goes for the selection of Pattinson last summer (though the way it's going he will be back soon). But it's nothing new, despite a few decent performers we've had more than our fair share of dross over the years. Jon Lewis FFS, Martin Saggers, Chris Schofield, Min Patel, just a few that come to mind from the last 10-15 years. And there must have been more looking further back.

So, who were the bagest bowlers, the most terrible TAYPOCers, who have ever been selected as "specialist" bowlers by England over the years? Some names from a very long way back would be particularly interesting...

Martin McCague, David Capel, Derek Pringle, Alan Igglesden have also been slated on this or the predecessor forum as below ordinary. There are others.

But looking at THIS, you wonder whether it's that important.

Ian Salisbury simply has no competition.

He managed to stretch his carpness over an amazing 15 tests, averaging in the 70's!

Paul Taylor

Simon Brown

Peter Martin.

Richard Dawson.

Paul Jarvis.

James Kirtley.

Dello wrote:Peter Martin.

A poor mans Angus Fraser, but not the worst surely?

17 wickets @ 34

and ODI's 27@ 29

JKLever wrote:

Dello wrote:Peter Martin.

A poor mans Angus Fraser, but not the worst surely?

17 wickets @ 34

and ODI's 27@ 29

Blimey, when did that happen? Don't recall ever seeing him take more than a single wicket in an innings.

James Ormond.

Shame on Dello. Pete Martin was a county stalwart.

And no Lancashire Pete is ever entirely bad.

Peter Lever
Peter Marron
Pete Postlethwaite
me

I'm still not sure how John Mortimore got to play Tests.

Ken Shuttleworth? Phil Newport? Tim Munton?

Eddie Hemmings?

Steve Harmison?

JKLever wrote:Ian Salisbury simply has no competition.

He managed to stretch his carpness over an amazing 15 tests, averaging in the 70's!

he gets my vote!

Dello wrote:Paul Jarvis.

Ah, Paul Jarvis bowling to Steve Waugh at Lords.

Good times.

Has anyone mentioned the snorting Ed Giddens?

Think he got 5 fer against Zimbabwe and never played again!

Did he never play against anyone proper? Seem to remember he got found out a bit.

Nope.

8 of his 12 test wickets of Zimbots

JKLever wrote:Did he never play against anyone proper? Seem to remember he got found out a bit.

One Test against WI in 2000 after his success against Zimbabwe, no wickets which was obviously enough to convince them he wasn't up to it. The Anthony McGrath of bowlers I guess, he looked decent against Zimbabwe as well...

Also memorable as a truly awful batsman in the Chris Martin/Monty Panesar league, and part of the infamous Mullally/Giddins/Tufnell tail we once had - 7 down, all out!

Didn't Richard Johnson get a 5fer against the Zimmers? he's another one.

Just to defend a few of them- Peter Martin was a solid if unspectacular competitor. Remember an opening spell of 7-7-0-2 he bowled against South Africa back in the mists of time. FFS Lewis actually has a very commendable ODI record. Kirtley chucked England to a win against South Africa with a six for at Trent Bridge.

It's like there's people on the thread who haven't got an autistic recall of every single England bowling performance of the last 20 years.

Chris Schofield was the nearest England have got to a bona-fide club bowler.

Ashley Giles was pretty bad for someone who played 50-odd Tests. His crapness to Tests it took for him to be dropped ratio puts him right up there.

Chris Schofield also played in 2 against the Zimbas in 2000 (as well as being awarded an ECB contract before stepping out on the pitch). In the first match at Lord's Hussain displayed such confidence in him that he did not ask him to bowl in either Zimba innings. When England batted he made 0 (out of a total of 415) coming at No.8. In the second match at Trent Bridge he did at least make second top-score in England's 1st innings with 57 out of a total of 374 but proved less successful with the ball with figures of 18-2-73-0.

Although losing his Lancashire contract at the end of 2004 he was re-engaged by Surrey in 2006 and surprisingly returned to England colours in 4 T20 matches in the inaugural World Cup T20 competition in South Africa in 2007 where he took 4 wickets at the respectable average of 23 including 2-15 in his debut T20 international against, you've guessed it, Zimbabwe.

Augustus wrote:Ashley Giles was pretty bad for someone who played 50-odd Tests. His crapness to Tests it took for him to be dropped ratio puts him right up there.

Well we didn't really have many better spin options at the time! Think he often got more stick than he deserved, he was nothing special in terms of international cricket but did the job asked of him most of the time. Although his recall in place of Panesar for the 06-07 Ashes does rank among English cricket's worst decisions, as probably does putting him on the selection panel!

Not entirely true - Swanny was available for selection throughout almost the entirety of Giles' international career, but Fletcher had his card marked and that was that.