DoG's Top 100 Test Batsmen Countdown Thread

[h_hurricane]

My only memory of Pollock was the World Masters Series in 1995. He was 50, looked 60 but played like a 30 year old. Full of graceful effortless strokes. Such a tragedy that his career was cut short.

 

[honestbharani]

That Masters series was all kinds of awesome. Remember some amazing hitting by Sir Viv too.

 

[Days of Grace]

Does anyone have cricketarchive and can tell me what Pollock averaged in “international” matches from 1970?

 

[h_hurricane]

Does anyone have cricketarchive and can tell me what Pollock averaged in “international” matches from 1970?

Couldn't access cricket archive either. I think you are referring to the Super tests he played in England and Australia.

Got the below information from cricinfo.

Pollock played the 5 super tests in England (Eng vs ROW) in 1970 which was a replacement series for the cancelled SA tour of Eng. He scored 250 runs in 8 innings at an average of 31.25.

In the 1971-72 Super tests held in Australia, he missed the first 2 tests, went on to play the next 3 and scored 209 runs in 5 innings, average of 41.80.

So overall, 459 runs in 8 tests at an average of 35.30. Below par for Pollock level though he scored a hundred each in both these series.

 

[Days of Grace]

Cheers for that. And then he averaged over 60 against the rebel tour teams according to wiki.

 

[Bolo.]

Does anyone have cricketarchive and can tell me what Pollock averaged in “international” matches from 1970?

Mid to late 50s iirc, including rebel and world games. Boosted a bit by Lanka, which he said he didnt regard as an 'international' game, and he was still not decrepit like the later tours.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Damn I just looked up the RoW vs England series in 1970 and Sobers was the highest runscorer and wicket-taker. Scored 588 runs@73 and picked up 21 wickets @21.5. What a beast.

 

[h_hurricane]

Damn I just looked up the RoW vs England series in 1970 and Sobers was the highest runscorer and wicket-taker. Scored 588 runs@73 and picked up 21 wickets @21.5. What a beast.

He had also scored 722 runs @ 103 and 20 wickets at 27 in the 1966 series in England What a freak of nature. Damn, I should have been born 25 years earlier.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Tbf, that RoW series isnt even that amazing for Sobers. I remember looking at the stats a while back and he was the leading runscorer and wickettaker in Sheffield shield for a full 6-7 year span in the 60s.60 with the bat and 27 with the ball or something nuts like that.

 

[Slifer]

Yes I believe Sobers was the first player in Sheffield shield history to achieve the double if 1000 runs and 50 wickets in a season. Something he did twice. Marginally missed out on doing it 3 times. Bear in mind the likes of Miller etc also played shield cricket

 

[vcs]

Hadlee also had incredible FC all round stats IIRC.

 

[ataraxia]

Hadlee also had incredible FC all round stats IIRC.

Not really that good; 18 bowling average and 31 batting. Not as good as Procter (19 vs 36). Also Benaud, Imran, and Davidson are other bowling all-rounders that average 36. Imran and Benaud had stages in their careers where they were batting all-rounders and I think Procter might have as well but I don't if Davo has an excuse. Miller was a bowling all-rounder in tests and in FC matches in a very hard era for batting... well that'll be 48 batting vs 22 bowling!

 

[Migara]

Not really that good; 18 bowling average and 31 batting. Not as good as Procter (19 vs 36). Also Benaud, Imran, and Davidson are other bowling all-rounders that average 36. Imran and Benaud had stages in their careers where they were batting all-rounders and I think Procter might have as well but I don't if Davo has an excuse. Miller was a bowling all-rounder in tests and in FC matches in a very hard era for batting... well that'll be 48 batting vs 22 bowling!

If FC stats means something lets's see this player. 48.59 with bat and 23.4 with the ball. He only entered test cricket following a debilitating back injury, that prevented him from bowling.

 

[Logan]

15000 runs with 43 centuries @ 48

357 wickets @ 23 and SR of 50

Those are unreal numbers

 

[Burgey]

DoGGo, where did Lindsay Hassett finish in this exercise please?

 

[Migara]

15000 runs with 43 centuries @ 48

357 wickets @ 23 and SR of 50

Those are unreal numbers

SL pitches are pretty crap and anyone barring a left arm spinner or a dibbly dobbly medium pacer bowling wicket to wicket struggle to take wickets. Was good enough to average ~35 with ball in test cricket, just like Sanath Jayasuriya. Former had an injury and latter was never identified as the second spinner in the side.

 

[Migara]

Here are some more notable FC performers. Kumar Dharmasena 6568 @ 36.3 with bat and 495 @ 20.8 with ball, Sajith Fernando10700 @ 38.6 and 269 @ 23.8. Former played test matches and was ordinary with bat and ball. Latter never made it to test because of political issues he had with Arjuna Ranatunga, and was class. He looked very similar to Ranatunga as well, stocky, left hander, swept and slashed a lot, but was much more tighter than Arjuna in his defensive game.

On the other hand batsmen like Sangakkara and Samaraweera averaged less in domestic circuit than in test cricket.

I think other can bring examples from their countries as well.

So, in conclusion, FC stats don't mean much in test cricket.

 

[Logan]

Greame Hick 40000+ runs at 52 with 136 centuries

Mark Ramprakash 35000+ runs at 52 with 114 centuries

Ajay Sharma 10000+ runs at 67. Fourth highest FC average behind only Bradman, Merchant and Headley.

 

[Gob]

Did Jayasuria come up?

 

[Logan]

Don’t think he will come up in the list