“Who'd be in your all-time eleven?” As pub conversation starters go, it's right up there with who you reckon would win in a fight between a tiger, a lion and a shark with lasers.

So to have a little fun during the opening exchanges of the NatWest T20 Blast, I thought I'd trawl my memories and the fascinating trove of knowledge at the Trent Bridge History site to come up with the all-time Trent Bridge T20 XI.

Rules were few. Selected cricketers could have played when Queen Victoria was on the throne or when Margaret Thatcher was in No. 10 – the only rule is that their cricket predates T20. Sorry, Huss.

Quite a few legends have walked down the Trent Bridge pavilion steps, so most of the names on this list are less-than-surprising choices. I did, however, try to throw in a few less-predictable names as well. But the important question is: Who's in your first XI? 

Sir Garfield Sobers.

Honestly, where else would this list start? You could almost make a case that Sir Garfield helped invent T20 decades before anybody even came up with the name. Stylish yet belligerent, he would dominate and entertain.In the T20 era there have been a handful of six-6 overs. But Sir Garfield got there first. 

Sir Richard Hadlee.

Another name that can't be left off any Notts best-of list. As a bowler, he matched his speed with brains – a trait that has become more valued in T20 the more the new form has been studied. A positive batsman and a defiantly individualistic cricketer, he would fit right in on the T20 landscape.    

Chris Broad.

His kid is pretty good at the whole T20 thing, so we'd give Chris a go. But seriously, what's not to like about a tall, strong left-hander? Red-ball openers don't always translate to the best T20 players, but I reckon Chris could do it. 

Clive Rice.

Clive is another Notts legend who you could say was a T20 cricketer before there was such a way. A fearsome bowler, a fighter, an antagonist, he was a thoroughly modern cricketer at a time when the game was changing. He manipulated and adapted his game; it would have been fun to see him in the T20 cauldron. 

Reg Simpson.

Style, inventiveness, flair – Reg was a modern mid-century batsman with the sort of skills that would flourish in any era.Capable of dazzlingly quick bursts of run-scoring, he could attack great fast bowlers like few others. And crucially for T20, he was also a brilliant fielder. In the 1953 Trent Bridge Ashes Test, he made a catch in the deep to remove Don Tallon that Don Bradman called the most spectacular of its kind he ever saw. 

Arthur Carr.

No telling how many runs the between-the-wars Notts and England captain would have scored. But if T20 is a sport to be played with a certain style and panache, Carr's your man. The stereotypes paint him as a bit Toad of Toad Hall – and stories of his penchant for drink are too numerous and vivid to be entirely false. But this true Notts character also led the legendary 1929 Notts side to the Championship. 

George Parr.

The Victorian batsman who captained Notts and early iterations of the England side was a prolific run-scorer. His All-England Eleven teammate, the Surrey man William Caffyn, wrote that “As a leg-hitter Parr will always be best known. His method was to reach out with the left leg straight down the wicket, bending the knee, and to sweep the ball round in a sort of half-circle.”A born T20 man if ever there was one. 

Benjamin Lilley.

An outstanding wicketkeeper who also batted well in an era when that was less of a requirement, Benjamin had several thousand-run seasons in his career. He was also the man behind the stumps for most of Larwood and Voce's Notts careers – and thus, someone possessed of the boldness and bravery required for T20. 

Franklyn Stephenson.

The slower ball. So useful at times, so very unhelpful at others. Deployed properly though, it can be a dangerous weapon. And Franklyn Stephenson delivered his with guile and precision. Also, it helped that the fast one sizzled in like it did. Oh, and he was a solid mid-order batsman who in one 1988 match against Yorkshire scored hundreds in both innings while taking 11 wickets in the match. Useful. 

Harold Larwood.

Oh, hello Mister Big-shot T20 Batsman. Going to stroll down the pitch and whack one into the Radcliffe Road Upper, are you? This is Harold. He's not particularly big. But he's got some different ideas about your plan. 

Eddie Hemmings.

You need a solid spinner in T20. And if down-the-order batting heroics are needed, well, lest we forget the 1989 NatWest Trophy final. Anyone who can hit John Lever for a match-winning 4 on the final ball will do just fine in T20. Actually, come to think of it, Eddie played into his mid-40s – a mere two decades ago - and remains a fixture around Trent Bridge. Never hurts to have another spinner. Anyone got his number?

Notts Outlaws NatWest T20 Blast fixture and ticket information:

v Worcestershire Rapids – Friday 23 May 6pm BUY TICKETS
v Durham Jets – Friday 30 May 6pm BUY TICKETS
v Birmingham Bears – Friday 13 June 6pm BUY TICKETS
v Derbyshire Falcons – Friday 20 June 6pm BUY TICKETS
v Yorkshire Vikings – Saturday 28 June 2.30pm BUY TICKETS
v Leicestershire Foxes – Sunday 20 July 2.30pm BUY TICKETS

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