Open Mic: Lancashire County Cricket's All-Time Lineup

Below is the 11 players that I think have best served Lancashire over the years. It is not simply a list of the best players in reputation to have played for the county. They are not just the highest run scorers and leading wicket takers, they are a side I think would gel together and give Lancashire what they really want—the County Championship again.

Carl Hooper, David Lloyd, Michael Holding and Andrew Symonds, among others, were not good enough to make it, but if you think that I have missed someone out who should have been included feel free to suggest them.

1. Michael Atherton—At the red rose county from 1987-2001 all the while opening the batting, which got him the nickname "cockroach" from Australia's Steve Waugh—because he was so hard to stamp out! He scored 9,904 runs with a highest score of 268, not out in 151 matches at county level.

2. Cyril Washbrook—At Lancashire from 1933-1959, time in between was interrupted due to the Second World War. On the pitch he scored a total of 27,863 runs, including 58 hundreds and 149 fifties, with a best of 251 not out. He also represented England 45 times.

3. Ernest Tyldesley—The highest run scorer in Lancashire history started his career in 1909 and finished in 1936. He amassed 34,222 runs with a best of 256 not out scoring 90 hundreds and 166 fifties.

4. Clive Lloyd—West Indies international played at Old Trafford from 1968-1986, making 12,764 runs, including 30 centuries and 71 half-centuries, and hit a best of 217 not out. Good with the ball as well, picking up 55 wickets with a best of 4-48.  

5. Johnny Tyldesley—At Lancashire from 1895 to 1923, he is the second highest run scorer in the county's history with 31,949 runs. His highest score is 295 not out, and he hit 73 hundreds and 157 fifties. Represented England at international level, but never hit the same heights of county level despite a top score of 138.    

6. Farokh Engineer—Indian wicketkeeper batsman who spent eight years at Lancashire. In 175 matches he hit 5,942 runs, but crucially took 429 catches behind the stumps.

7. Andrew Flintoff—At Lancashire from 1995, Freddie has often been on international duty or injured so his county figures are not as impressive as they could have been. However, he is still changing games with his aggressive batting and bowling and his hands in the slips.

8. Wasim Akram—Pakistan bowler who came to Lancashire for 10 years from 1988. Took 374 wickets at 21.65 with a best of 8-30. Was handy with the bat, making a total of 3,169 runs with a highest score of 155.

9. Brian Staham—Lancashire's leading wicket taker of all time was at the club for 18 years from 1950. He dismissed 1,816 batsmen at an average of 15.12, taking five wickets in an innings a staggering 109 times and 10 wickets in a match 10 times. Stepped up to country level and took 252 wickets for England.

10. Muttiah Muralitharan—One of, if not the, best spin bowlers of all time, as he was proven with Sri Lanka, plied his trade in Manchester for a total of eight years. While he did occasionally chip in with the bat, his bowling saw 203 wickets fall at an average of 15.96. Murali, who had a best of 9-51, took five wickets in an innings 22 times, and 10 wickets in a match six times. 

11. Johnny Briggs—Lancashire spin bowler from 1879-1900 who collected 1,696 wickets for county and 127 wickets for England. His figures make impressive reading as his best was 10-55 against Worcestershire in one innings, and overall he took five wickets in an innings 161 times and 10 wickets in a match 41 times. He also scored over 10,700 runs with the bat, including a best of 186 for county and 121 for England.