Langer vs Slater, who was the better opening batsman?

[biased indian]

Slater for me....

langer had a very attacking partner in Hayden..while slats had to do that job with who ever he had open the innigs.

 

[Perm]

Maybe someone could do a break down for us

Career summary

Does pretty well against everybody except India.

 

[pasag]

18-8, thought it would be alot closer at this stage tbh. I certainly haven't been able to split them, both have alot going for them in their own way.

 

[Jono]

Interesting, it should also be remembered that Slater was out a lot in the 90s so he should have scored a lot more tons

Hate to be blunt, but he didn't make those tons. Simple as that really.

Langer for mine. That knock that has been mentioned against Pakistan in 04/05 was so ridiculously good. Akhtar was bowling like a machine in that test, and the rest of the top order couldn't handle it (Gilly went alright at 7), yet Langer stood tall and batted wonderfully.

 

[JBH001]

Langer for the reasons already mentioned a number of times already.

Slats has a lot going for him: the fact that he opened in the 90's and as noted by someone, the fact that he was an attacking opener and had no Hayden at the other end.

But I close my eyes, picture both of them batting, and think who I would want opening.

And then it becomes easy enough. Langer.

 

[Top_Cat]

Slater for mine but geez it's tough. Was a game-breaker at his peak and let's not forget he played his entire career with that degenerative spine condition (anklysing spinidosis was it?). I always looked at Slater's career and reckon he could have achieved so much more had a few things not gone against him. Langer, on the other hand, should be very very happy with his achievements. Scored runs against everyone and in the last half of his career, did it in style. But I still rate Slats just above. Mostly for raw ability because on pure stats, Alfie probably has the edge.

 

[pup11]

I will go with Langer because he i think was one of the most gritty cricketers of all time and his determination to succeed at this level is what made him such a consistent and successful player for Australia, Slater had more raw natural talent and when he was on song there was nobody like him but his temperament was his weakness and i think he never realised his true potential due to that, so IMO as odd it may sound i think Slats pretty much under-achieved for a man with his sort of talent.

 

[Mister Wright]

Has to be Langer. Love the bloke. Was never a huge fan of Slater.

 

[Craig]

Michael Slater, always liked watching him bat. Sometimes I like style and IMO he had that.

 

[archie mac]

Hate to be blunt, but he didn't make those tons. Simple as that really.

Langer for mine. That knock that has been mentioned against Pakistan in 04/05 was so ridiculously good. Akhtar was bowling like a machine in that test, and the rest of the top order couldn't handle it (Gilly went alright at 7), yet Langer stood tall and batted wonderfully.

Well he was good enough to get to the 90s it is just that we have a hang up about three figures in our game, but if a team wins by 30 runs and the player scores 98, what is the big deal about the extra two?

 

[archie mac]

Slater for mine but geez it's tough. Was a game-breaker at his peak and let's not forget he played his entire career with that degenerative spine condition (anklysing spinidosis was it?). I always looked at Slater's career and reckon he could have achieved so much more had a few things not gone against him. Langer, on the other hand, should be very very happy with his achievements. Scored runs against everyone and in the last half of his career, did it in style. But I still rate Slats just above. Mostly for raw ability because on pure stats, Alfie probably has the edge.

Good post and good to see you back

 

[Mister Wright]

Well he was good enough to get to the 90s it is just that we have a hang up about three figures in our game, but if a team wins by 30 runs and the player scores 98, what is the big deal about the extra two?

Personally, I think it tells you a lot about a player and their mental ability. Considering we put so much importance on reaching three figures, I think it has become a big mental challenge to get through the 90s. Slater, batted differently when he got in the 90s.

 

[Craig]

Personally, I think it tells you a lot about a player and their mental ability. Considering we put so much importance on reaching three figures, I think it has become a big mental challenge to get through the 90s. Slater, batted differently when he got in the 90s.

Didn't Steve Waugh have a fair few 90's in his career though?

 

[Johnners]

Yes he did, but Waugh also scored more than twice the amount of centuries that Slater did.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Yes he did, but Waugh also scored more than twice the amount of centuries that Slater did.

Playing twice the number of Tests?

 

[Johnners]

I think you'll find he didn't score twice the number of 90's though (well, I'm fairly certain that's the case)

 

[Richard]

Good post and good to see you back

Well let's hope he's back anyway.

Either way, I'm astonished people would call Langer either a more "proper" opener or more consistent. Langer wasn't an opener, Slater was. Langer was woefully inconsistent, Slater only once went for that long without doing something.

Added to the obvious that Slater did something only a tiny few have ever done: successfully attacked quality new-ball bowlers. Sure, loads have done it in the last 6 years against the almost-exclusively rubbish new-ball attacks abounding, but few did it before (and two of those were West Indian). Cannot believe that anyone would think he only performed against England.

Langer was a decent middle-order, middle-of-the-road Test batsman, a bit like Damien Martyn. Slater was something a bit special. Sort of what Corey said, really.

 

[Johnners]

I think you'll find he didn't score twice the number of 90's though (well, I'm fairly certain that's the case)

According to statsguru...

In 74 tests, Slater was dismissed 9 times in the 90's. Steve Waugh, on the other hand, was dismissed 8 times in the 90's (4 of which where in his first 74 test matches), and was twice not out in the 90's, during his career of 168 tests.

 

[Matt79]

Heart says Slater - loved watching him bat. Head is slightly leaning towards Langer, although the fact Slats gorged on some terrible English attacks kinda mitigates the overall difference between the 90s and 2000s in terms of difficulty of batting.

I'll wuss and abstain.

 

[Richard]

although the fact Slats gorged on some terrible English attacks kinda mitigates the overall difference between the 90s and 2000s in terms of difficulty of batting.

He gorged on some terrible English attacks and also some decent ones.