Top 5 number 6 England Test batsmen of all time

England is the oldest cricketing nation in the world and over the course of its rich history, the nation has produced some of the finest cricketers in the world. Many of them have been top class middle-order batsmen who batted at the number 6 position and helped the team in building totals throughout the course of their careers.

Batsmen at number 6 need to have a range of skills, not least the ability to bat with the tail, the gift of playing spin reasonably well and a technique that allows them to negotiate the second new ball. As one can see, it can be a tough job and over the years and England have had plenty of them. Here is a look at 5 of the very best.

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#5 Ian Botham

He is regarded as one of the best all-rounders to have ever played the game and remains one of the greatest cricketers to have represented England. In a career that spanned 15 years (1977-1992), Ian Botham played 102 Test matches and number 6 was his position of choice, having batted there in 66 Test matches.

Botham was a one of a kind batsman who played in a way that all his own and his style depended on taking on the bowlers, hitting mighty sixes and generally having fun out on the field. Throughout his career, he might not have had the inclination to tough it out in the middle and play a long innings, but he had the ability to change games fairly quickly.

That is what made Botham such a dangerous batsman. On the other hand, his attacking instincts meant that despite being England's 2nd highest run scorer at number 6 with a total of 2690 runs, he averaged only 29.23. He made 5 centuries and 14 half-centuries at number 6.

#4 Andrew Flintoff

Andrew Flintoff

For many years, England were in the search for someone who could be as good as Ian Botham and their search finally ended with the emergence of Andrew Flintoff in the late 1990s. He played in 79 Tests for England from 2000 to 2009 and batted at number 6 in 50 of them.

Flintoff wasn't a batsman who quite believed in hanging around for too long and while he did display the patience to fight it out in the middle from time to time, his primary game plan was not of counterpunching the opposition. The right-hander could hit any bowler out of the ground and was such a powerful stroke-maker that even the hardest hit shots often looked effortless.

In those 50 Tests, Flintoff made 1975 runs at an average of 31.85 and was responsible for turning plenty of Test matches on their heads. He made 3 centuries and 15 half-centuries.

#3 Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes

Although he made his Test debut for England in only 2017, all-rounder Ben Stokes is already seems destined for greatness and in the 39 Test matches that he has played so far, he has shown that his presence at number 6 is a huge plus for the team. The left-handed batsman has the technique to combat seam, swing and genuinely quick bowling, while on the other hand, he is a merciless stroke-maker.

Stokes can take on any bowling attack and tear it to shreds when he is in form and over his short career, he has decided Test matches through his scintillating batting. He has played at number 6 in 33 games and has already made 2176 runs at an average of 40.29. He has made 6 centuries and 11 half-centuries and is well placed to be England's most prolific number 6 by the time he ends his career.

#2 Ian Bell

Ian Bell

The former England batsman debuted in 2004 and over the course of his 11-year career, Ian Bell batted at multiple positions across 118 Test matches. Out of those, he batted at number 6 in 31 of them and remains one of the best batsmen to have played at that position for the country.

Bell had a superb defensive technique, he was comfortable against pace and spin and last but certainly not the least, he had a range of strokes that made it quite tough for the bowlers to pin him down. Over the course of those 31 games, Bell made 1623 runs but he averaged 60.11 and that remains the highest among England batsman to have played at number 6 in a minimum of 10 Tests. He made 6 centuries and 9 half-centuries.

#1 Tony Greig

Tony Greig

The former England captain and all-rounder played for only five years from 1972 to 1977 but Tony Greig remains one of the best number 6 batsmen to have ever played for the country. Greig had his own technique and took his stance with a raised bat, long before Graham Gooch popularised it. He was known to be particularly towards the drive and in addition to that, he was only one of the few batsmen in the world who could stand up to the might of some of the fastest bowlers in the world at the time.

Bowlers like Michael Holding, Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson often found it difficult to put him into much discomfort. On the other hand, he was an excellent player of spin and was one of England's standout performers in 1972-73. Greig remains the highest scorer at the position with an aggregate of 2741 runs at an average of 43.50. He made 7 centuries and 15 half-centuries during his career.