DoG's Top 100 Test Batsmen: 50-26

[Days of Grace]

So, we have counted down from 100-51. A reminder of the list so far:

51 AN Cook 744
52 C Hill 744
53 GA Faulkner 739
54 MC Cowdrey 738
55 MEK Hussey 738
56 B Mitchell 736
57 KP Pietersen 736
58 JL Langer 735
59 VVS Laxman 734
60 GP Thorpe 733
61 G Kirsten 731
62 ME Waugh 727
63 WM Lawry 725
64 MD Crowe 724
65 HW Taylor 723
66 VT Trumper 723
67 DI Gower 719
68 SJ McCabe 718
69 MA Taylor 711
70 Hanif Mohammad 711
71 VS Hazare 707
72 RB Richardson 700
73 CG Macartney 700
74 DJ McGlew 695
75 GR Viswanath 691
76 AL Hassett 691
77 CS Dempster 690
78 Saleem Malik 690
79 M Azharuddin 690
80 PA de Silva 689
81 DL Haynes 686
82 IR Redpath 685
83 WH Ponsford 684
84 DJ Cullinan 684
85 AR Morris 683
86 SM Nurse 681
87 TT Samaraweera 681
88 AJ Stewart 679
89 E Paynter 679
90 M Leyland 676
91 DC Boon 676
92 AI Kallicharran 675
93 IJL Trott 674
94 DB Vengsarkar 674
95 Zaheer Abbas 674
96 BF Butcher 672
97 IM Chappell 672
98 EH Hendren 669
99 R Abel 667
100 PR Umrigar 666


So, may I present, the esteemed top 50, starting with the highest ranking opening batsmen for the West Indies and Pakistan respectively.

50. Gordon Greenidge (West Indies) (1974-1991)

Career Average: 44.72
Adjusted career average: 43.42
Adjusted away average: 41.93
Adjusted top-opposition average: 40.59
Top Tier centuries: 0
Second tier centuries: 7
Third tier centuries: 12
Significant innings: 35
Significant innings per match: 0.32

Great innings: 6
3rd Test: England v West Indies at Manchester, Jul 8-13, 1976 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 20.06
1st Test: India v West Indies at Kanpur, Oct 21-25, 1983 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 14.32
2nd Test: England v West Indies at Lord's, Jun 28-Jul 3, 1984 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 15.66
4th Test: England v West Indies at Manchester, Jul 26-31, 1984 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 14.14
2nd Test: New Zealand v West Indies at Auckland, Feb 27-Mar 3, 1987 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 16.04
4th Test: West Indies v Australia at Bridgetown, Apr 19-24, 1991 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 14.84

Innings worth average: 2.97

25 Test peak adjusted average: 58.86 (1981-1984)
50 Test peak adjusted average: 53.32 (1976-1984)


Quality Points: 502
Career Points: 119
Peak Points: 125
TOTAL POINTS: 746




49. Saeed Anwar (Pakistan) (1990-2001)

Career Average: 45.52
Adjusted career average: 46.79
Adjusted away average: 47.61
Adjusted top-opposition average: 46.53
Top Tier centuries: 4
Second tier centuries: 1
Third tier centuries: 4
Significant innings: 24
Significant innings per match: 0.44 (rank =8)
Great innings: 3
2nd Test: South Africa v Pakistan at Durban, Feb 26-Mar 2, 1998 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 14.69
1st Test: Pakistan v Australia at Rawalpindi, Oct 1-5, 1998 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 15.66
1st Match: India v Pakistan at Kolkata, Feb 16-20, 1999 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 20.10

Innings worth average: 3.48

25 Test peak adjusted average: 56.05 (1997-2000)
50 Test peak adjusted average: 48.80 (1990-2000)


Quality Points: 561
Career Points: 66
Peak Points: 120
TOTAL POINTS: 747

 

[NUFAN]

Two terrific openers to start the top 50. Its interesting though as if I was to guess which of the pairs adjusted average would go up and which would go down, I would have chosen the opposite.

 

[ankitj]

Two terrific openers to start the top 50. Its interesting though as if I was to guess which of the pairs adjusted average would go up and which would go down, I would have chosen the opposite.

Understandable because Greenidge has many more "great" innings.

 

[NUFAN]

Understandable because Greenidge has many more "great" innings.

But that doesn't justify it at all. Greenidge adjusted career average has gone down, while Anwar's adjusted average is higher than his actual average. I'm assuming Anwar's excellent record against Australia has helped him heaps with the top tier centuries and the fact that he is equal 8th in significant innings.

 

[Days of Grace]

Almost every bowling attack during the 1990s, even Zimbabwe for a brief period, were of a very good quality. Hence, the averages of almost every batsmen who played the majority of their careers in the 1990s have been adjusted upwards.

Also worth remembering that Greenidge faced some pretty weak England, Australian, and Indian bowling attacks during the mid-1980s when he was at his peak. The "difficult pitches and great bowling attacks of the 1980s" belief is somewhat of a myth if you look closely enough at the teams barring West Indies, Pakistan, and New Zealand at home before 1988.

 

[fredfertang]

Back in 1965 Gordon Greenidge, a Reading lad, played for Berkshire under-15's - They had four matches and he got three centuries and the other game was rained off.

The following season a bloke I know took his place and opened the batting with the guy who had opened with GG the previous year - his proudest achievement was that on one of those three occasions when GG got a century he had managed to get to 20 before GG passed 100! The first time he had only just got into double figures and on the other occasion he went for about 3, just before GG got to fifty

At that time GG also only used to wear one pad, and apparently also took some convincing that he needed to wear a box given how rare it was for the ball to pass his bat

 

[Red]

Greenidge was always a real favourite of mine. Loved watching him and Haynes open for the WIs when I was a kid.

 

[watson]

Just been going through the Series Averages of Greenidge and noticed that he had an ordinary time against England in 1980 (ave = 20.66) and 1981.

Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

That 1980 series with Botham as captain must have been some match-up.

Results | Global | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[kyear2]

Surprised how low GG is rated. My hero growing up.

 

[watson]

Surprised how low GG is rated. My hero growing up.

Can't help but feel that Greenidge should have averaged more than 44.72 given his obvious talent and the general overall strength of the West Indian team. But perhaps I'm being overly picky.

 

[bagapath]

Can't help but feel that Greenidge should have averaged more than 44.72 given his obvious talent and the general overall strength of the West Indian team. But perhaps I'm being overly picky.

40 was considered special in the 80s IIRC. only gavaskar, g.chappell, richards, miandad and border averaged above 50. greenidge too had an average of 50 after 60 tests, which is long enough to be considered a full career by any yardstick. it dropped below 46 only in the last couple of series until he finished with a double century and retired as one of the top 5 openers of all time up to that point in history.

 

[chasingthedon]

Thanks for adding the innings links, Steve.

 

[NUFAN]

Mick Clarke and Adam Gilchrist must be up very shortly.

 

[Days of Grace]

48. Damien Martyn (Australia) (1992-2006)

Career Average: 46.37
Adjusted career average: 45.23
Adjusted away average: 45.68
Adjusted top-opposition average: 45.07
Top Tier centuries: 3
Second tier centuries: 5
Third tier centuries: 5
Significant innings: 34
Significant innings per match: 0.51 (rank 4)
Great innings: 2
3rd Test: New Zealand v Australia at Hamilton, Mar 31-Apr 3, 2000 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 14.24
2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Australia at Kandy, Mar 16-20, 2004 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 14.08

Innings worth average: 3.13

25 Test peak adjusted average: 54.94 (1994-2002)
50 Test peak adjusted average: 52.36 (1994-2005)


Quality Points: 542
Career Points: 79
Peak Points: 127
TOTAL POINTS: 748



47. Graeme Smith (South Africa) (2002-present day)

Career Average: 48.63
Adjusted career average: 43.65
Adjusted away average: 47.45
Adjusted top-opposition average: 41.02
Top Tier centuries: 5
Second tier centuries: 6
Third tier centuries: 3
Significant innings: 41
Significant innings per match: 0.37
Great innings: 3
2nd Test: England v South Africa at Lord's, Jul 31-Aug 3, 2003 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 12.55
3rd Test: New Zealand v South Africa at Wellington, Mar 26-30, 2004 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 13.46
3rd Test: England v South Africa at Birmingham, Jul 30-Aug 2, 2008 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 18.70

Innings worth average: 2.99

25 Test peak adjusted average: 55.75 (2008-2010)
50 Test peak adjusted average: 47.61 (2008-2013)


Quality Points: 532
Career Points: 99
Peak Points: 118
TOTAL POINTS: 749

 

[uvelocity]

ha. one of the most elegant and one of the least

 

[Days of Grace]

Smith's average takes the biggest hit of any one in the top 50. Nonetheless, you have to admire the man.

 

[Riggins]

what did his hundred at perth rate?

 

[Cabinet96]

Must have been pretty close to great. His great innings count should be higher anyway. WAG.

 

[Days of Grace]

what did his hundred at perth rate?

10.45

 

[MartinB]

40 was considered special in the 80s IIRC. only gavaskar, g.chappell, richards, miandad and border averaged above 50. greenidge too had an average of 50 after 60 tests, which is long enough to be considered a full career by any yardstick. it dropped below 46 only in the last couple of series until he finished with a double century and retired as one of the top 5 openers of all time up to that point in history.

You are correct in 40+ was an excellent average for the 80's. If I remember correctly, only 4 batsmen (Miandad, Border, G Chappel and Clive Lloyd) managed to score 1000 runs at 50+ during the 1980's, Mark Taylor almost made the group (a little short of runs). Its an interesting group, Miandad and Border where 2 of the toughest batsmen ever, all 4 often get overlooked when discussing great batsmen.