Current Eng team ranked amongst the 5 greatest test teams in history

dummy_half wrote:No way should the Windies from 80 to 95 be considered as a single team, especially as the 1980 team really came together in the 5 years preceeding then. I'd say that the first incarnation (Greenidge, Haynes, Richards, Lloyd, Holding, Roberts, Garner and Croft / Marshall) was stronger (i.e more strength in depth) than the latter line-up with the likes of Richardson, Walsh, Ambrose, Bishop. The earlier team was clearly one of the two best in history (between them and the Aussies of the later 90s and 00s - a worthy debate above).

Definitely too early for the current England team to be listed as being in the top 5 - we might make it, but need to keep winning consistently for a few years to prove the greatness that we hope is there. At present though it is reasonable to say that this tean hasn't yet matched the England sides of the 50s or Illingworth's side of around 1970.

The inclusion of the South Africans of the immediate pre-boycott era is interesting, and is perhaps more a case of judging on talent and potential rather than results over a period. Based on both their limited Test records and how they subsequently performed in first class cricket, there was obvioulys abundant taklent in that side, and it was circumstances beyond their immediate control that limited their opportunities.