DoG's Top 100 Test Bowlers Countdown Thread 100-1

[Days of Grace]

Headley was also quality but couldn’t stay on the park.

 

[Bolo]

Darren Gough has to be the biggest surprise in the list so far. My image of him was of a very good bowler for his era, but not an alltime top 50 entrant. Looking at his stats, we can see nothing truly outstanding. But his strike-rate across quality opponents and all conditions is very good. As is his points per innings (no.34 within the top 100). Maybe we underrated him (along with his English contemporaries Fraser and Caddick).

They are getting a quality boost in a number of ways.

Any rating system will always benefit those with with easy home conditions.
Using quality of opposition side rather than quality of opposition bats will give a boost to anyone from the 90s, because there were more top bowlers than bats.
England in general will play tougher opposition than most other sides because of the tendency to play 5 match series against top sides. England from the 90s get an extra boost in quality of opposition because they didn't have to play England from the 90s.

Fraser and Caddicks ranking surprise me a bit. Im probably underranking them.

It surprises me that Gough is ahead of a couple of bowlers. Easiest example is Morkel. Much longer career in years and wickets with similar other stats, with Morkel bowling in an tougher era. No way would I think a statistical analysis could put Gough on top, or even within striking distance. He is and should be though, so something is working.

 

[Starfighter]

Morkel is overrated.

 

[mr_mister]

I remember thinking on that tour here ten years ago that Morne would be the dud and Albie the star brother

 

[smash84]

England through the 90s never seemed to have a problem taking 20 wickets.

Really? That doesn't sound right. You forget the Devon Malcolm's and the Ian Salisburys

 

[ImpatientLime]

Any rating system will always benefit those with with easy home conditions.
.

interestingly gough averages higher in england than his career average.

superb record in asia although a small sample size.
6 matches
34 wickets @ 22

good record in australia too, considering the strength of the sides he faced. 41 @ 27.

gough was a g.

 

[ImpatientLime]

Really? That doesn't sound right. You forget the Devon Malcolm's and the Ian Salisburys

looking back too often england didn't get their best attack on the park together for whatever reason. a little because they were absolutely backwards with regards to selection and a little because gus fraser and darren gough had their injury woes.

gough and fraser were by far englands best seamers of the 90s. then a little way back caddick, then a little further back cork. the rest were dross for the most part.

when those guys did get on the park together it made a considerable distance. cork, gough and fraser were superb in the 98 home series win v south africa. then gough and caddick were instrumental with the new ball under nassers revolution. too often though shite like malcolm, mullally, martin, silverwood etc. were stinking the joint out.

 

[Bolo]

Morkel is overrated.

I don't think he is. He had a very good career and is rated by most as a very good bowler. You can nitpick on good/very good/excellent on either performance or perception, but I think he gets his due.

Players who are not the best bowler in their team don't tend to be overrated. See Garner, Walsh, Pollock.

Not really the point of the comparison though. It's that on traditional statistical measures (giving a pretty high weight to career wickets as a meaningful measure as this exercize does) Morkel should score extremely highly. I like the fact that Gough can finish above him, because I think he's a better bowler, but it's surprising given how far behind a simpler statistical analysis would put him.

 

[Bolo]

interestingly gough averages higher in england than his career average.

superb record in asia although a small sample size.
6 matches
34 wickets @ 22

good record in australia too, considering the strength of the sides he faced. 41 @ 27.

gough was a g.

He may not have been particularly well suited to English conditions, which seems an incredibly dumb statement at face value given the fact that he was a swing bowler.

He was a weapon though. Basically Steyn-lite. Like older Steyn, he could bowl line and length, but it wasn't his strength. Late skiddy outswing is what I remember him for, and it's not as useful in England as something like Anderson.

 

[stephen]

Really? That doesn't sound right. You forget the Devon Malcolm's and the Ian Salisburys

England used to regularly pick up tests against Australia and the West Indies. Mostly dead rubbers but enough to make me think they weren't terrible with the ball.

 

[AndrewB]

Only 1 of England's 7 wins against the WI in the 90s was a dead rubber (1 was to draw the 1991 series, the other 5 were in series either side could still win).

 

[Hicheal Michael]

Gough was a class bowler.

Bob Willis to feature soon?

 

[Days of Grace]

Gough played 44 of his 58 matches against quality opposition, which goes some way to explaining his high points per innings.

 

[mr_mister]

Remember when Slater belted him for four fours in the first over of Australias innings in the 01 ashes

 

[Days of Grace]

No.47

Colin Croft (West Indies) 732

Quality Points: 697
Career Points: 35

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_Z4lQosOjE

Career: 1977-1982
Wickets: 125
Gold Performances: 1
8/29 vs. Pakistan at Port of Spain 1977 (20.14)
Silver Performances: 3
Bronze Performances: 2

Overall Average/Strike-Rate/Points Per Innings: 23.37 (23.30) 49.81 (49.32) 4.87
50 Innings Peak Average/Strike-Rate/Points Per Innings (1977-1982): 22.56 48.01 5.01
Non-Home Average/Strike-Rate/Points Per Innings: 27.76 61.81 3.48
Quality Opposition Average/Strike-Rate/Points Per Innings: 22.99 49.14 5.03

A fast bowler with a real mean streak (his incident with New Zealand umpire Fred Goddall is one of the most infamous incidents in the history of the game), Croft was known for his angled approach and bowling wide of the crease, as can be seen in the video. Going on the rebel tour to South Africa ended his international career. Highest quality points so far. Only thing letting him down is his non-home record. Otherwise he'd be inside the top 40.

 

[morgieb]

Remember when Slater belted him for four fours in the first over of Australias innings in the 01 ashes

That sounded more like McCague (IIRC) in the 94 Ashes. Could've happened twice though.

EDIT: Internet suggested it did! Also the 94 incident was DeFreitas.

 

[NUFAN]

Gough played 44 of his 58 matches against quality opposition, which goes some way to explaining his high points per innings.

Which 11 games against non RSA and AUS counted as quality opposition? 0 Tests vs India was a surprise to me.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Which 11 games against non RSA and AUS counted as quality opposition? 0 Tests vs India was a surprise to me.

WI, I'd assume.

 

[Days of Grace]

I'll upload my test team ratings excel file one more time.

Quality opposition are teams with a rating of 100 or higher.

 

[stephen]

I don't really understand that spreadsheet but the WI were a very strong side during the 90s.