- Both born on Christmas Day
- Both fairly handy with a piece of wood in their hands
- Both finished their careers at 30
- Both will live in the memory beyond that point, though
- One played at Lord's, one was the Lord
- Er, one walked out while the crowds sang "Jerusalem", the other walked out with the crowds singing in Jerusalem.
OK, that's enough of my tenuous things in common for those two (although Cricinfo puts some more biblical references in
Banger's profile). Still, I'd like to pay personal tribute to Trescothick, who has served English cricket very well over the past 6 years or so. He may not have had the footwork or technique of some great batsmen, but he could hit the ball a mile and frequently did. His best innings, of 219 and 180 against South Africa at the Oval and Jo'burg, were outstanding efforts - amongst the finest by England batsmen over recent years - and his slip catching was almost faultless. I hope he has a speedy recovery from this
stress-related illness that appears to have ended his international career a few years early.
Although, of course, I'm not ruling out a miraculous comback...
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