• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Who are your 10 greatest cricketers of the 19th Century?

ankitj

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
My knowledge of 19th century Cricket is patchy at best. I will like to hear from more knowledgeable members of CW on who they think are the 10 greatest 19th century cricketers, and their reasons. Here is my attempt at selecting a top 10:

  1. W.G. Grace. The father of cricket. Other than Bradman, no batsman dominated his peers to the extent that Grace did. And then there was a small matter of almost 3000 FC wickets.

  2. George Lohmann. No one who has taken more than 50 test wickets has a better bowling average than Lohmann. Scaled a peak in terms the ICC ratings points that was bettered by only Sydney Barnes

  3. Alfred Mynn. They say Mynn was to the first half of 19th century what Grace was to the second half. One of the earliest great fast bowlers, and a very good batsman too. A giant of the game in every sense

  4. John Wisden. A great all-rounder who holds the record of taking all 10 wickets out bowled in an innings. Founded the famous Wisden Cricket Almanac

  5. William Lillywhite. The bowler who played a crucial role in popularizing the round-arm bowling. Has the best FC bowling average of them all in the history of the game.

  6. J.J. Ferris. One of the great left-arm fast bowlers. Statistically right up there with the very best ever to play test cricket. Formed a deadly fast bowling pair with Charlie Turner and destroyed England for 45 in his first ever test appearance.

  7. Charlie Turner. Known also as terror, he remains one of the greatest fast bowlers produced by Australia. Formed a formidable bowling pair with J.J. Ferris.

  8. Fred Spofforth. Contrary to his nick of 'Demon', Spofforth relied more on accuracy than out and out pace. First bowler to take a hattrick in test cricket. To this day, he has the second best bowling figures in a test for Australia

  9. Arthur Shrewsbury. Grace's words - "Give me Arthur" - forever immortalized this legendary opening batsman

  10. Stanely Jackson. With test batting average of 48.79 in an age when bowl totally dominated the bat, Jackson was possibly the first great test batsman statistically before Hobbs and others arrived on the scene. Also bowled well enough to pick 700+ wickets in FC cricket.
 
Last edited:

archie mac

International Coach
My knowledge of 19th century Cricket is patchy at best. I will like to hear from more knowledgeable members of CW on who they think are the 10 greatest 19th century cricketers, and their reasons. Here is my attempt at selecting a top 10:

  1. W.G. Grace. The father of cricket. Other than Bradman, no batsman dominated his peers to the extent that Grace did. And then there was a small matter of almost 3000 FC wickets.

  2. George Lohmann. No one who has taken more than 50 test wickets has a better bowling average than Lohmann. Scaled a peak in terms the ICC ratings points that was battered by only Sydney Barnes

  3. Alfred Mynn. They say Mynn was the first half of 19th century what Grace was to the second. One of the earliest great fast bowlers, and a very good batsman too. A giant of the game in every sense

  4. John Wisden. A great all-rounder who holds the record of taking all 10 wickets out bowled in an innings. Founded the famous Wisden Cricket Almanac

  5. William Lillywhite. The bowler who played a crucial role in popularizing the round-arm bowling. Has the best FC bowling average of them all in the history of the game.

  6. J.J. Ferris. One of the great left-arm fast bowlers. Statistically right up there with the very best ever to play test cricket. Formed a deadly fast bowling pair with Charlie Turner and destroyed England for 45 in his first ever test appearance.

  7. Charlie Turner. Known also as terror, he remains one of the greatest fast bowlers produced by Australia. Formed a formidable bowling pair with J.J. Ferris.

  8. Fred Spofforth. Contrary to his nick of 'Demon', Spofforth relied more on accuracy than out and out pace. First bowler to take a hattrick in test cricket. To this day, he holds the record for the second best bowling figures in a test for Australia

  9. Arthur Shrewsbury. Grace's words - "Give me Arthur" - forever immortalized this legendary opening batsman

  10. Stanely Jackson. With test batting average of 48.79 in an age when bowl totally dominated the bat, Jackson was possibly the first great test batsman statistically before Hobbs and others arrived on the scene. Also bowled well enough to pick 700+ wickets in FC cricket.
Good effort that:) I will have a go later as well
 

Magrat Garlick

Rather Mad Witch
Great idea. I have little to contribute here (though Tom Richardson is said to have been a splendid bowler, 1,005 FC wickets in four years bowling seam-up) but I suspect there will be some cracking stories in this thread soon.
 

ankitj

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Great idea. I have little to contribute here (though Tom Richardson is said to have been a splendid bowler, 1,005 FC wickets in four years bowling seam-up) but I suspect there will be some cracking stories in this thread soon.
Missed Tom Richardson. He was one of the 6 cricketers of Wisden century (first 100 years of Wisden's existence).
 

hang on

State Vice-Captain
oh. i thought that most of his cricket, especially tests, was played before. at least his best years.
 
Last edited:

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Excellent idea for a thread

For once in such matters I won't participate, but that's only because you will know my views soon anyway as I have written a feature selecting an XI from those whose careers began before 1864, and indeed with one exception had finished before that date
 

Teja.

Global Moderator
Hmm, really doubt Lillywhite had a bowling average of 1.54.
There were some games in which the runs conceded by him individually weren't recorded but the wickets taken by him were recorded. The way 1.54 is derived is by assuming that he conceded 0 runs in all matches where his runs conceded weren't recorded but still counting his wickets towards his average.
 

Top