The English cricket team is one of the oldest and finest cricket teams in the world. England is regarded as the originator of the sport of cricket and is the naissance nation of both versions of the game - Test cricket as well as One-day international. England was first nation to play in the first Test match against Australia in Melbourne in 1877, and also the first one-day international against Australia in 1971, this too at Melbourne. The England Cricket Team represents England and Wales, operating under the patronage of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
The England cricket team is one of the most demanding and leading cricket teams in the world, at present ranking second after Australia in the ICC Test cricket ratings. The team has done rationally well in all cricket world cups, and reached to finals on three occasions in 1979, 1989 and 1992 but missed the cup by slight margins. The England cricket team has played some of the world's most exceptional players like Jim Laker, Mike Denness, Tony Greig, David Gower, Ian Botham, Graham Gooch, Alec Stewart, Graeme Hick, Allan Lamb, Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussian to name a few. The current English team plays some of the leading cricketers of the world, including the captain Michael Vaughan, Paul Collingwood, Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Flintoff and Andrew Strauss. |