DoG's Top 100 Test Batsmen - The Top 25

[Captain_Cook]

DoG, after the current Ashes series does Ian Bell break into the top 100? Do Cook and Pietersen lose many places?

 

[Days of Grace]

8. Viv Richards ( West Indies) (1974-1991)

Career Length (Days): 6103
Percentage of team's matches played: 87%
Career Average: 50.23
Adjusted career average: 49.87
Adjusted away average: 51.11
Adjusted top-opposition average: 52.32
Top Tier centuries: 2
Second tier centuries: 8
Third tier centuries: 14
Significant innings: 45 (rank 9=)
Significant innings per match: 0.37

Great innings: 6
2nd Test: India v West Indies at Delhi, Dec 11-15, 1974 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 13.44
5th Test: England v West Indies at The Oval, Aug 12-17, 1976 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 13.76
4th Test: Pakistan v West Indies at Multan, Dec 30, 1980 - Jan 4, 1981 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 12.69
3rd Test: West Indies v England at Bridgetown, Mar 13-18, 1981 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 15.28
4th Test: Australia v West Indies at Melbourne, Dec 22-27, 1984 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 12.62
1st Test: India v West Indies at Delhi, Nov 25-29, 1987 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 13.97


Innings worth average: 3.59

25 Test peak adjusted average: 74.27 (1976-1980) (rank 5th)
50 Test peak adjusted average: 61.88 (1976-1984)


Quality Points: 615
Career Points: 131
Peak Points: 150 (rank 5th)
TOTAL POINTS: 896


Viv Richards is the coolest batsman to play the game and unfortunately I can't quantify his swagger and the way he tormented bowlers, otherwise he may well be in the top 3. However, his stats are still more than impressive. He has very high away and top opposition averages and he also contributed more than his fair share to the many wins the West Indies had in his era. His 25 match peak between 1976-1980 is probably the most dominate display of batting that the game has ever seen. It's too bad that he missed many matches because of WSC when at his absolute best. His overall career average may not be that high but if you look beyond that, as I have attempted to in this analysis, you will see a truly great performer.

 

[kyear2]

8. Viv Richards ( West Indies) (1974-1991)

Career Length (Days): 6103
Percentage of team's matches played: 87%
Career Average: 50.23
Adjusted career average: 49.87
Adjusted away average: 51.11
Adjusted top-opposition average: 52.32
Top Tier centuries: 2
Second tier centuries: 8
Third tier centuries: 14
Significant innings: 45 (rank 9=)
Significant innings per match: 0.37

Great innings: 6
2nd Test: India v West Indies at Delhi, Dec 11-15, 1974 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 13.44
5th Test: England v West Indies at The Oval, Aug 12-17, 1976 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 13.76
4th Test: Pakistan v West Indies at Multan, Dec 30, 1980 - Jan 4, 1981 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 12.69
3rd Test: West Indies v England at Bridgetown, Mar 13-18, 1981 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 15.28
4th Test: Australia v West Indies at Melbourne, Dec 22-27, 1984 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 12.62
1st Test: India v West Indies at Delhi, Nov 25-29, 1987 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 13.97


Innings worth average: 3.59

25 Test peak adjusted average: 74.27 (1976-1980) (rank 5th)
50 Test peak adjusted average: 61.88 (1976-1984)


Quality Points: 615
Career Points: 131
Peak Points: 150 (rank 5th)
TOTAL POINTS: 896


Viv Richards is the coolest batsman to play the game and unfortunately I can't quantify his swagger and the way he tormented bowlers, otherwise he may well be in the top 3. However, his stats are still more than impressive. He has very high away and top opposition averages and he also contributed more than his fair share to the many wins the West Indies had in his era. His 25 match peak between 1976-1980 is probably the most dominate display of batting that the game has ever seen. It's too bad that he missed many matches because of WSC when at his absolute best. His overall career average may not be that high but if you look beyond that, as I have attempted to in this analysis, you will see a truly great performer.

Fully agree, hard to quantify on how great a batsman he was and for me he is definately top three if not an outright number two.

He did miss out on test cricket during his absolute peak, but so did Bradman, Headley, Hutton, Hammond and Chappell so thats nothing unique to him. Would be interested to see how it would affect most of the greats if the WSC and ROW matches were afforded Test status and counted towards their career numbers.

Apart from the above he was the Master Blaster and for some the modern master who sadly played on way longer than he should have.

 

[bagapath]

so, the seven players above viv are bradman, sobers, hobbs, lara, hutton, hammond, headley.. hmmm

man it is so difficult for me to say this but I don't want to see this guy ranked below any of them except bradman. it kills me to even imagine that anyone could bat better than him - and i am the biggest lara fan one can imagine let me assure you.


the greatest innings he played against india was in the fourth innings chase on the final day of that first test in west indies in '83. it was a blistering knock of 60 odd runs that still echoes in the memories all cricket fans of that vintage.

 

[bagapath]

and for the ****ing record....

after 22 tests viv averaged 64 compared to headley's 60 after the same number of games (at the end of his career)...

suck on that george

 

[Expressway76]

Just looking at Viv's stats and he averaged 90 over 11 tests in 1976

 

[Howe_zat]

Just looking at Viv's stats and he averaged 90 over 11 tests in 1976

This sort of thing happens more often than you'd expect. In a year of 12 Tests from 2010-11 Ian Bell averaged 97.

It's the innings themselves that prize Viv, rather than the accumulation, I'm sure.

 

[kyear2]

so, the seven players above viv are bradman, sobers, hobbs, lara, hutton, hammond, headley.. hmmm

man it is so difficult for me to say this but I don't want to see this guy ranked below any of them except bradman. it kills me to even imagine that anyone could bat better than him - and i am the biggest lara fan one can imagine let me assure you.


the greatest innings he played against india was in the fourth innings chase on the final day of that first test in west indies in '83. it was a blistering knock of 60 odd runs that still echoes in the memories all cricket fans of that vintage.

As I said earlier, Viv for me is for me and apparently Bagapath the clear number two and best after Bradman and for me personally not that far behind either.

 

[Furball]

I didn't realise that the West Indies players missed much official cricket due to WSC.

 

[The Sean]

I didn't realise that the West Indies players missed much official cricket due to WSC.

I don't think they did - only a handful of Tests for the majority of them. Certainly not as many as most of the Australians missed.

 

[fredfertang]

He missed a series in India in which Maco took his wickets at about 80 runs each, so Viv would probably have averaged about 170

 

[smash84]

man it is so difficult for me to say this but I don't want to see this guy ranked below any of them except bradman. it kills me to even imagine that anyone could bat better than him - and i am the biggest lara fan one can imagine let me assure you.

.

So, so, agree with the above

I have seen so many batsmen come and go over the years. Have been seeing them since the early 80s. To me no one but no one comes up to his class. I so agree with you baggers, it pains me to see Viv ranked below Headley and as much as like Lara I really can't imagine him being preferred over him To me Viv is the greatest batsman to have played the game bar Bradman and the best that I have seen over the years.

 

[fredfertang]

He was a great batsman, but also a **** of the highest order

 

[smash84]

He was a great batsman, but also a **** of the highest order

He was a **** indeed but a ***y and cool **** he was, difficult not to have a man crush on him

 

[kyear2]

Really though Hammond was next. It's him I am shocked to be ahead of Sir Vivian. IVA was a much better player of fast bowling than Hammond .

 

[morgieb]

I didn't realise that the West Indies players missed much official cricket due to WSC.

From what I've read, the West Indian board was far less hostile to WSC than the likes of Australia. They did pick all of the WSC players for the 1979 World Cup.

 

[Burgey]

Viv Richards is the most devastating batsman I have ever seen. Lots of players have dominated over the years, but no one quite did it like him.

He was such a player for his times too - coming along in the 70s, on the back of the end of colonialism in the WI. He really encapsulated the swagger and self confidence of a newly independent region of the world.

I think if I could choose to watch sjust one person play again, I'd choose him. If Muhammad Ali was a cricketer, he'd be Viv. They both did it for more than just themselves.

 

[Coronis]

and for the ****ing record....

after 22 tests viv averaged 64 compared to headley's 60 after the same number of games (at the end of his career)...

suck on that george

Yes, lets use that. Lets not remember the fact that Headley did this over a much longer period of time, whilst Viv pretty much did it at his absolute peak. Lets also ignore what effect the tests after the war had on Headley's record. Lets also ignore that for his last 40 matches, Viv only averaged around 40 runs. Lets raise him up on a pedestal because you actually saw him bat and he was a crowd pleaser...

 

[bagapath]

Yes, lets use that. Lets not remember the fact that Headley did this over a much longer period of time, whilst Viv pretty much did it at his absolute peak. Lets also ignore what effect the tests after the war had on Headley's record. Lets also ignore that for his last 40 matches, Viv only averaged around 40 runs. Lets raise him up on a pedestal because you actually saw him bat and he was a crowd pleaser...

You make lots of valid points, alright. Viv himself might think Headley was superior to him, and it need not just be out of respect - George is a legend for the right reasons no doubt.

But it is undeniable that it is easier to maintain good numbers over less number of games than over 70+ tests. Not just with Headley, even with Weekes and Walcott and Worrell, Viv maintains a head to head lead if you compare his numbers with theirs at corresponding times in his career in terms of number of matches. Forget my romanticism. He could very well be the second greatest batsman of all time in every sense. Having pissed on Headley a few times I will also say that any position from 2 to 9 is interchangeable in all batting rankings. So I actually agree with the these rankings as much as anybody else.

 

[hendrix]

But it is undeniable that it is easier to maintain good numbers over less number of games than over 70+ tests.

This is only true when those numbers are above your level of class. If those numbers are a reflection of your true ability, then the average would be the same over 70 tests as they would over 20. It's only when you only play tests that coincide with your peak that this is a problem. But this is largely eliminated by the weighting that gives points to players for their 25 test peaks anyway.