#17: Bruce Mitchell (60 points)
Lists featured on: 10/29
Top 5 finishes: 0
Highest finish: 8th (2)
Bruce Mitchell played 42 consecutive tests for his nation from 1929 to 1949 and truly flies under the radar when it comes to test openers - his record was really, really good.
He played 40 of his tests against top tier opposition, Australia and England and produced these results: an average of 31 from 10 tests against Australia and 54 from 30 tests against England.
His failures against Australia are what probably stopped him from reaching legend status and in two series against them couldn't produce a century. Grimmett, first with the help of Ironmonger then later with O'Reilly could certainly have been factors. England's big threats that he dealt successfully with included Tate, Larwood, Verity and Bedser after the war but on the whole it seems he was more suited to pace than spin. Like plenty of openers.
However - only 9 of his 20 innings against Australia were as an opener. For whatever reasons he played quite a few innings at 3 and even 4/5 against them. And wouldn't you know it his 2 highest scores against Australia (95 and 75) came as an opener.
So for those playing close attention this clearly leads to one conclusion - Mitchell's record as an opener was awesome. And it indeed it was. Using the criteria for min 30 innings, Mitchell's average as a test opener is the 2nd best ever behind only Herb Sutcliffe. Ahead of both Hobbs and Hutton - two relative peers. He averaged 57 as a test opener from 48 digs, quite a boost from his overall average of 48, which of course is still fantastic.
His record against England was awesome. He played six 5 test series against them and only in his first in 1929 at 20 did he not tear them up, hitting 251 runs in that encounter. For the remaining 5 series he cleared 450 runs every time. He averaged over 50 in all 5 of these and got at least 1 ton every time. The series where he got 2 was his best - and what a set of tons they were. In the final test of the 1947 series at the oval he cracked 120 in the first dig followed by 189* in the second. South Africa ended up 423/7 chasing 451 for victory when this
4 day test match concluded. What a joke! Robbed of an amazing result and amazing chance at immortality, this must have been some bloody performance from Bruce Mitchell. Oh and he was nearly 40 here.
Mitchell was the leading run scorer for his nation until re-admission in the '90s when Kirsten scraped past him, rather unconvincingly(at the time of the passing at least before Kirsten improved in the 2000s). Mitchell's omission from the 1949 test series against Australia caused a 'sensation'. Despite being 40 he had demonstrated in the prior years he was still absolutely the best man for the job and could have rectified his record against Australia. It was known at the time to be pretty shabby treatment for the man, who had given the best part of 20 years to his nation. He had the reputation as a defensive batsman which it seems was unfair as he had little in the way of support nearly his whole career so he had to dig in or his side could crumble. It's been speculated if he had been part of a stronger side he may have been able to bat more freely and really give Hobbs and Hutton a run for their money. Yes his career overlapped with Taylor and Nourse but he only had the help of one of them at a time and for a few years neither of them.
A true legend. He looks like an unassuming bloke in the picture too.
