Yorkshire recently secured their second successive Division One County Championship with over two games to spare, reigniting the question: “England vs the White Rose, who would win?”

“I think it would be a good game,” said former England player and now Yorkshire director of cricket Martyn Moxon, speaking after the White Rose completed their title defence on day one against Middlesex.

That their eventual defeat at Lord’s was their first of this season, and just their fourth defeat in 62 Championship matches under Jason Gillespie, victory over Hampshire means they have reached a record points haul in Championship cricket history.

This achievement is even more impressive given the increase in both injuries and England call-ups compared to last season — factors causing Yorkshire president Dickie Bird to tell me earlier this summer that he felt his team would fall short.

Considering Bird was speaking as Yorkshire were playing at Nottinghamshire without seven first-team players, most of whom were wearing bibs in the West Indies but not playing any actual competitive cricket, his pessimism seemed understandable.

Though Dickie sat on the fence regarding the fantasy cricket “Yorkshire v England” question, Geoffrey Boycott suggested the White Rose would triumph.

The former opening batsman was speaking in reaction to Alistair Cook, who said: “That’s a Yorkshireman for you... they’re quite happy to talk a good game,” regarding ECB chairman Colin Graves, comments Boycott called “out of order.”

A Yorkshireman defending his own. Hardly anything new there then. But could Boycott be right, could a full Yorkshire side be better than an England side denied their White Rose talent?

That Lancastrians Michael Atherton and David Lloyd both seriously posited this question on TV even last summer shows its legitimacy, by fantasy cricket standards.

Yorkshire spent the vast majority of the summer without England golden boy Joe Root, and Gary Ballance, who many have quickly forgotten was one of the quickest English batsman ever to reach 1,000 Test runs.

Meanwhile, Jonny Bairstow averaged over 100 in the Championship this season before joining the Test side, while Adam Lyth remains a highly talented batsman despite a difficult Test summer.

Bowling all-rounders Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid have both impressed in One-Day International cricket this summer and could become future Test regulars, though both would feature for Yorkshire in this potential fantasy cricket match.

Without the county having overseas players here is how it could look:

Yorkshire: Adam Lyth, Alex Lees, Gary Ballance, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Andrew Gale, Adil Rashid, Tim Bresnan, Liam Plunkett, Ryan Sidebottom, Jack Brooks.

England: Alistair Cook, Alex Hales, Ian Bell, James Taylor, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James Anderson, Steven Finn.

Those line-ups appear to make for a competitive fixture — Brooks, Lees and Andrew Gale are the only three Yorkshire players to not yet make their England debut.

It is entirely plausible that Lees, Lyth, Root, Bairstow, Balance, Rashid and Plunkett could have successful future England Test careers, while Ryan Sidebottom and Bresnan already have.

Were this fixture played 10 times, the White Rose may well win once or twice but England appear overwhelmingly stronger, first through having James Anderson and Stuart Broad, both world-class swing bowlers.

And Stokes, Wood and Finn all showed themselves to be able Test bowlers in their own right during the victorious Ashes series.

Yorkshire opening bowler Brooks shares the knack of Broad at taking wickets in clusters, seen by a superb spell to secure victory over Worcester early this season, though he strongly favours Headingley’s conditions.

Evergreen Sidebottom has recently secured his fifth County Championship, while all-rounder Bresnan was ranked as Yorkshire’s most valuable player in the PCA rankings — both have matured with age.

However, as Plunkett is the only Yorkshire seam bowler close to reaching the Test side currently, England must run out clear winners here, particularly through having Zafar Ansari available as a second spinner.

That Yorkshire attack would have to take on England captain Cook, the national side’s all-time leading Test run-scorer, with over 12,000, while Hales has averaged over 50 in red-ball cricket this summer.

Middlesex opener Nick Compton can consider himself unfortunate to not be touring the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the national team, while Taylor was excellent across the recent one-day international series against Australia, hitting his maiden England ton.

Bell is a four-time Ashes winner while Stokes, Ali and Ansari are all genuine all-rounders, giving England superior batting depth, though Buttler faces pressure from Yorkshire gloveman Bairstow after a disappointing summer.

For Yorkshire, opener Lees has been a hugely impressive leader since recently taking over the limited-over captaincy from Gale, with many already considering him a future England captain.

Balance and Root both have excellent Test records, arguably giving Yorkshire a slight edge in the middle order, though skipper Gale could drop himself for Jack Leaning in this team.

It was fitting to see Gale finally lift the County Championship trophy after the unfortunate situation in 2014 but the Yorkshire skipper has dropped himself before, though both he and Leaning are fine players.

Rashid should finally get his Test chance on the turning pitches of the UAE but in this game would find it difficult to outbowl the combination of Ali and Ansari, even with Root giving capable back-up.

In summary the top-six batting of both teams appears to be a dead heat but it is the bowling attacks where England have a clear advantage due to their greater quality and strength in depth.

However, the very fact this is even being posited by the Lancastrians shows that a strong Yorkshire, if we did not know it already, really is a strong England.