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

[marc71178]

The real question here: can Barnes come any higher? Everyone else has over 120% more wickets than him and all the fast bowlers have excellent records against just about everybody.

Actually the jokes on everyone and Barnes won't be in there.

Number 1 will be someone like Darren Gough and DoG will be revealed as a Richard multi.

 

[Migara]

If given choice i doubt any one would pick Kallis or Gilchrist over Mcgrath imo.

I am thinking about both formats.

 

[Singh767]

This is incredible work, truly incredible, great fun reading this. Thank you Day of Grace . Barnes is a funny one, from what I've read about his bowling it's debatable whether or not his bowling style/speed would reap many wickets if he played in the last 30 years.

Could you also do a top 20 all rounders project as well?

 

[sunilz]

I felt Australia struggled against India without Mcgrath. Tendulkar would dominate all their bowlers except Mcgrath. Had it not been for Mcgrath , Australia would have struggled against India and WI because both Tendulkar and Lara could dominate their remaining bowlers.

And in WC , Mcgrath always used to take out opposition's main batsmen. 1999WC Lara and Sachin, 2003 Sachin in final, 2007 WC semi-final against SA.

 

[Tec15]

That and Steyn going at 32 against England compared to McGrath's worst of 27 for any team. McGrath being better away and having tougher home conditions too.

 

[Tec15]

I felt Australia struggled against India without Mcgrath. Tendulkar would dominate all their bowlers except Mcgrath. Had it not been for Mcgrath , Australia would have struggled against India and WI because both Tendulkar and Lara could dominate their remaining bowlers.

And in WC , Mcgrath always used to take out opposition's main batsmen. 1999WC Lara and Sachin, 2003 Sachin in final, 2007 WC semi-final against SA.

What about the 1999 Semi-Final? Boucher, now South Africa's main batsman.

 

[Bolo]

Actually the jokes on everyone and Barnes won't be in there.

Number 1 will be someone like Darren Gough and DoG will be revealed as a Richard multi.

I've got to go with Boucher on this one. (Away) average 6, strike rate 8. Best in comparison to peers (bowling average a little more than 5% of average of other bowlers in matches he played, SR under 5%). A WPM total only registering on the third decimal place might be a little low, but SR and average counting for 2* PPI should carry h to the top anyway.

 

[jaideep]

I've got to go with Boucher on this one. (Away) average 6, strike rate 8. Best in comparison to peers (bowling average a little more than 5% of average of other bowlers in matches he played, SR under 5%). A WPM total only registering on the third decimal place might be a little low, but SR and average counting for 2* PPI should carry h to the top anyway.

 

[sunilz]

What about the 1999 Semi-Final? Boucher, now South Africa's main batsman.

I hope u are not serious otherwise the joke is on you. Mcgrath had nearly dismissed Klusener in second last over . Paul Reifel messed an easy catch . check at 6:50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUJI4IZQZJI

 

[stephen]

What more can be said about McGrath that hasn't already been said? Thoroughbred champion is what he was. Targeted and dismissed the opposition's best batsmen.

Final five:

Warne
Barnes
Steyn
Hadlee
Murali

 

[srbhkshk]

Marshall beats McGrath on quality but is behind on career points.

I actually want a curve for career length and wickets where the gap between 200 and 100 wickets is larger than, say, 200 and 400. But I don’t know how to do that on Excel.

Simple power function can do that - Wickets ^ Alpha. (Alpha < 1). Or if you want to get funky - the logarithm will also work.

 

[smash84]

Interestingly McGrath's quality points are less than both Marshall and Imran. A little above Lillee. Marshall has very high quality points

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

I don't know if any would at first blush. There can be no reasonable suggestion that Imran, Botham or Dev in the top 100 batsmen of all time with an average of <40, while blokes like Sobers and Kallis, though prolific wicket takers, don't cut it with the ball.

Was checking ODI rankings of 80s
Kapil is the best batsman and bowler of India for 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989. Ridiculous.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

Number 1 is Murali / Barnes .. Or Warne.

 

[trundler]

Number 1 is Murali / Barnes .. Or Warne.

Taking a real risk there.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

It has to be Steyn

 

[Tec15]

I hope u are not serious otherwise the joke is on you. Mcgrath had nearly dismissed Klusener in second last over . Paul Reifel messed an easy catch . check at 6:50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUJI4IZQZJI

I'm serious. McGrath had singularly unimpressive figures of 1-51 in a relatively low scoring match in which Pollock took 5-36 and Donald 4-32, so it's not like the conditions weren't favourable for him either. It was Warne who turned the match after McGrath was easily handled by the openers, and the only wicket he wound up taking was Boucher, far from being one of South Africa's main batsmen; Contra your claim of him taking out the opposition's main batsmen in important matches.

And "nearly" only counts with horseshoes and hand grenades champ. Otherwise we would be discussing how, Klusener "nearly" won South Africa the match, with McGrath being ineffective and expensive in a must win game and choking when it mattered the most.

 

[Burner]

I'm serious. McGrath had singularly unimpressive figures of 1-51 in a relatively low scoring match in which Pollock took 5-36 and Donald 4-32, so it's not like the conditions weren't favourable for him either. It was Warne who turned the match after McGrath was easily handled by the openers, and the only wicket he wound up taking was Boucher, far from being one of South Africa's main batsmen; Contra your claim of him taking out the opposition's main batsmen in important matches.

And "nearly" only counts with horseshoes and hand grenades champ. Otherwise we would be discussing how, Klusener "nearly" won South Africa the match, with McGrath being ineffective and expensive in a must win game and choking when it mattered the most.

Ah, the age old never-have-a-bad game caveat. Truly the bane of every great.

 

[Tec15]

Ah, the age old never-have-a-bad game caveat. Truly the bane of every great.

Wasn't my point at all. Just correcting some revisionist **** fest that isn't really pertinent to the thread anyway (Seeing as it is about test cricket). Anyway carry on.

 

[ankitj]

Interestingly McGrath's quality points are less than both Marshall and Imran. A little above Lillee. Marshall has very high quality points

Interesting indeed. Imagine what dimension it adds to the debate about replacing McGrath with Imran in an ATG XI a few pages back.

@DoG – at the end of this countdown, will be great if you publish top 25 or so on different parameters like quality points, career points, peak, non-home, quality opposition etc.