Hall of Fame

Introduction

It is always a subject that raises many names and differences of opinion when the debate is held as to who have been Warwickshire’s “Greatest Ever” players.

Everyone has favourites and will argue the respective merits on behalf of their personal choice, although often it can only be through the record book and passed down memories of some of the long departed former greats. Any historian will say that comparing and judging any player from one era against another is almost meaningless when playing conditions, equipment, comparative opposition strengths etc. etc. are made.

This section looks at just a few of those that may be considered to be included in “Warwickshire’s “Hall of Fame” and taking the modern game with greater player transience into account, providing that player enjoyed the semblance of a career at Edgbaston, he qualifies as a “Warwickshire Great”. Thus such “overseas” greats as Brian Lara, Rohan Kanhai and Lance Gibbs join Allan Donald.

It will be our intention to continue to update this section but it must be noted that this is not a definitive listing for all Warwickshire players and cricket lovers can continue to debate this topic.

If you have your own thoughts do not hesitate to post them in the discussion forum or debate the issue in the chat room.

Dennis Amiss

Between 1960 and 1987, Amiss established himself as Warwickshire's best ever home grown batsman. At his retirement aged 44 he had scored the most runs (35146) and most centuries (78) for the county. Twenty times he had scored 1000 runs in a season to make him equal record holder with WG Quaife, and uniquely for a Warwickshire player had scored at least one century, and more than 1000 runs against every other first-class county. At Test level Amiss scored 3612 runs, average 46.30, with 11 centuries. His 1379 runs in Test matches in 1974 remains a record for an English batsman in a calendar year.

Billy Quaife

Billie QuaifeWarwickshire's "WG" did not open on a regular basis but one feels that the diminutive run machine would put up as good a show as any. The determined and correct defence, twinkling feet and neatly stroked cuts and dabs saw him amass 33862 runs, a county record for many a year until finally bettered by Amiss, the batsman who also narrowly beat his 71 centuries and equalled his 20 times 1000 runs in a season. Unlike Amiss however Quaife also took 900 wickets with his mixed spinners and was still skirting around the boundary in his fifties. Quaife played 7 Tests. His record was undistinguished but he hardly had a fair run.

Brian Lara

Brian Lara had only two seasons at Edgbaston and in the first, 1994, the diminutive West Indian left hander produced some of the most sensational batting seen in world cricket. In Championship cricket during this season Lara averaged 89.82, scored 2066 runs, with 9 centuries, and reached a stupendous peak against Durham with a record first-class score of 501 not out. Since Lara also held the world Test record, 375, the rest of his career has inevitably been something of an anti-climax, yet nothing and no-one can remove his almost miraculous twin-peaks.

Rohan Kanhai

Rohan Kanhai arrived in 1968 as a thirty-two year old and long a star member of the West Indies Test team. He was a right hand batsman with a reputation for audacity yet his batting was built upon a basic frame of orthodoxy and soundness, which ensured this most brilliant of batsmen was also among the most consistent. Between 1968 and 1977 Kanhai scored 11615 first-class runs for Warwickshire and his average, 51.62, is the highest for any batsman with a lengthy service with the county. Kanhai made 79 Test appearances for West Indies and his record of 6227 runs, average 47.53, still places him 7th among all-time Windies runscorers.

Mike Smith

Mike Smith was a most unselfish cricketer. He scored 27672 first-class runs for the county to place him third on the all-time list while his career average of 43.10 puts him second among those Warwickshire batsmen with any sort of a career. Yet for much of the time MJK was burdened by the cares of captaincy and the expectation that he would set the example when quick runs were needed. The unselfishness he showed for his county led to him being England skipper on 25 occasions. Only 3 defeats and 5 wins suggest that he put difficulty to beat top of his priorities, but among his players he was one of the most respected of all modern Test skippers.

Frank Foster

FR Foster, a dashing batsman and left arm paceman was just 25 when war ended his career in 1914. However with 6548 runs, and 718 wickets, two "doubles" of 100 runs and 100 wickets in a season, a then county record score of 305 not out in 1914 and leadership of Warwickshire's first title winning side in 1911, he had won a reputation which remains unchallenged. He is still Warwickshire's finest all-rounder. There were fewer opportunities for Test cricket but 45 wickets in 11 Tests, mostly against Australia, suggests top class. Foster's later years were clouded by domestic and health problems yet the boy from Deritend is still revered among those who talk Warwickshire cricket.

"Dick" Lilley"

In 1896 Lilley was the first Warwickshire "Brummie" to win an England cap and when his 35 Test career was finished in 1909 his 92 dismissals put him near the top of the tree. An average of 2.63 dismissals per Test still looks good. For Warwickshire Lilley was automatic choice as 'keeper for more than 20 years, and when finally giving best to the young "Tiger" Smith remained a good enough batsman in his forties to be worth a place. In all Lilley scored 12813 runs for his county, averaging 27.37, while his average of 2.36 dismissals per match is unbeaten by any Warwickshire 'keeper in a full career. He even found time to take 40 wickets with his right arm "hopefuls".

Tom Cartwright

Cartwright began his county career as a teen-aged batsman who stroked the ball around with great style and aplomb but rarely seemed to beat the field. Only when his medium paced bowling began to develop was he able to secure a guaranteed place and when he performed the "double" in 1962 batting and bowling were about equal. As swing and seam were continuously refined the bowling took top billing and by the time he took 147 wickets in 1967 the batting was regarded as "rugged and useful". So complete a metamorhposis is rare but when his Warwickshire career was concluded 10781 runs, 1058 wickets saw the only Warwickshire all-rounder to add 1000 wickets to 1000 runs. In a handful of Tests he was useful. Here was the ideal county player.

Allan Donald

The athletic South African arrived in England in 1987, unknown and unannounced. The surprise choice as "second" overseas man was quick but raw and it took a year or two to see potential convert to achievement. Happily, Warwickshire stuck with Donald and at his county retirement in 2000 he was regarded as one of the best of all overseas imports. His first-class county record, 536 wickets, average 20.82 was highly impressive, his 245 limited overs wickets, at 19.09 almost equally so. A superb sight when flat out at his peak he was like a knife through butter. Even those able to fend him off could not score and as for the celebrities who skuttled off to square leg..... The first South African to take 300 Test wickets is rightly revered as a Warwickshire "Great".

Lance Gibbs

Gibbs was well through a distinguished West Indies Test career when signed up in 1967 and the lanky off spinner initially showed uneven form. He enjoyed one marvellous season however, 1971 seeing Gibbs take 131 wickets average 18.89, the best figures by a spinner since Hollies at his peak. It was not Gibbs' fault that a late run for the championship just failed to achieve its goal but he played his part the following season when the county did top the list. Gibbs soon left the county scene but his prancing run up, his well spun off breaks, his fine fielding and almost indescribable batting had left an indelible mark at Edgbaston. As a Test bowler his 309 wickets made him the leading Test spinner until Shane Warne rewrote the script.

Eric Hollies

Black countryman Hollies made an anonyomous start to his county career in 1932, yet at final retirement in 1957 his 2201 wickets, average 20.45 were not only the Warwickshire record but nearly 1000 more wickets than the county's second most prolific bowler. Hollies' record was astounding. 14 times he exceeded 100 wickets in a season (next best is 7) and uniquely for the county took 50 wickets in a month three times. His career best 10 for 49 in an innings against Notts in 1946 needed no help from his fielders (7 bowled, 3 lbw). Never treated well by England's selectors, 13 Tests and 44 wickets in no way reflect his potential, but he did achieve immortality when bowling Bradman for a "duck" in the latter's last Test and ruining his three figure average.

Dougie Brown

Enthusiastic, committed and never one to accept defeat, Dougie Brown took over 500 wickets and scored 8,000 runs for Warwickshire in first-class cricket after moving south from Stirling, he made his County Championship debut in 1992.

On the edge of the triple winning side of 1994 Dougie played a significant part in the Warwickshire double winning side the following year and his performances were rewarded with a call-up to the England One-Day side in 1997/8.

As an all-rounder, he made 10 centuries for the Bears and had 17 five wicket hauls, a career best 203 against Sussex in 2000 and 1,000 first-class runs in 2003.

More success came as part of the 2002 Benson and Hedges Cup winning side and he collected another County Championship winner’s medal in 2004 as a key member of Nick Knight’s unbeaten side.

Brown coached Namibia at the 2003 World Cup and played for Scotland in the 2007 World Cup.

Ever popular with the Bears’ supporters he was recently appointed as Academy Director on the Warwickshire coaching staff.

Ashley Giles

“The King of Spain” as he became affectionately known, came to Warwickshire as a fast bowler before changing his style to left-arm spin playing in six matches during the 1995 County Championship winning season.

In 1997 Ashley gained his first of 62 One-Day International caps, and then in 1998 made the first of his 54 appearances for England in Test cricket.

Throughout his tenure as England’s number one spinner, he had to justify his selection at almost every moment throughout his early International career and in early 2004 he came close to retirement after a modest tour of the Caribbean. However after a match winning nine-wicket haul at Lord's later that summer, he continued to contribute vital performances - with both ball and with bat - culminating in his career-best 59 at The Oval, an innings which helped seal England's first Ashes victory for 18 years.

Missing much of the 2006 season after a hip operation, he was included in the 2006 Ashes squad to Australia playing in the opening two Tests but after battling to recover from a further hip operation in 2006/7 a recurrence of the problem forced him to announce his retirement towards the end of the 2007 season.

Within weeks he had been appointed as Warwickshire's director of cricket.

Nick Knight

Nick joined the Bears for the 1995 Championship winning season, a year that also saw him make the first of his seventeen Test appearances.

A prolific scoring left-hand opening batsman, Nick played in 100 One-Day International matches for England after his debut in 1996, with his final match being against Australia in the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

A danger to any side in the first fifteen overs of the innings, Nick was always prepared to hit over the top or play his trade mark drive through the point or cover area, but his flamboyant approach in the shorter form of the game was inexplicably never quite matched at Test Match level.

Many believed his International career in both forms of the game had come to a premature end after he announced the end of his One-Day International career but this loss was to be to Warwickshire’s gain as he made more than a thousand first-class runs in each of the remaining four seasons before retirement.

Taking over the captaincy in 2004, Nick lead the Bears to their sixth County Championship title that season before standing down at the end of the 2005 campaign.

Now a SKY Sports commentator he retains his interest and involvement with Edgbaston and Warwickshire cricket.