Dean Jones or David Boon in tests? Who was better?

[mr_mister]

The two best batsmen for the Aussies after Border between Chappell retiring and Steve Waugh reaching his prime, in that dark period of 80s/early 90s cricket for Australia. These 2 seem pretty ripe for comparison to me.

Both debuted in '84, but Jones was dropped in '92 while Boonie lasted til '96

Boonie played about twice the amount of tests and got about twice the amount of runs and centuries, but Jones averaged 46 to his 43. They both had similar home/away differences and Jones was slightly better in Asia, no doubt helped by that famous 210

Jones had the reputation for going missing in series til the dead rubber final tests but I'm not sure how true that actually was, haven't looked into it

 

[_00_deathscar]

They were both basically English.

 

[BoyBrumby]

They were both basically English.

Boonie is quite possibly the most Australian man ever, surely?

 

[mr_mister]

maybe he meant their solid records in England?

 

[Himannv]

Boon in Tests.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Great memories from the Oval in 93 of the barmy army singing "He's fat, he's round, he bounces on the ground, David Boon".

 

[Jayro]

Boon for a) he batted at a more difficult position, and for b) that he sustained for double the numbers of Jones, he had this formidable opening partnership with Marsh I think and was more value to that Aussie side than Deano.

 

[Camo999]

Both absolutely fantastic players. Early 90s Jones was prob the best ODI bat in the world and Boon close to best test bat. So would prob go Boon in tests. I seem to recall Boon being ranked no 1 for a while and I think at one stage Curtly Ambrose called him his toughest opponent.

 

[trundler]

Boonie was reputed to be a tough nut, as evidenced by his excellent record against WI while Deano was supposedly soft and a dead rubber bully. Based on hearsay, it would have to be David Boon. Averaging only 2 runs less while batting in the top 3 over twice as many games should swing it his way too.

 

[The Sean]

Jones had the reputation for going missing in series til the dead rubber final tests but I'm not sure how true that actually was, haven't looked into it

Deano didn't exactly go missing and played some brilliant live-rubber knocks, but he definitely improved statistically once the series had been decided. From this article:

Australian middle-order batsman Dean Jones' Test average drops to below 40 if you exclude dead Tests. He averaged 87.54 and scored four centuries in eight of them while averaging 39.82 in live games. In fact, four of his top six Tests scores - 216 against West Indies, 184 versus England, 150 against India, and 122 against England - came in the final Tests after the series had been decided.

 

[honestbharani]

Boon.

 

[robelinda]

No contest at all

BOON all the way, absolute rock of the top 3 for so many years, one of the hardest nuts there was at the time, had huge respect from the opposition

 

[Victor Ian]

Boonie, and I'm a Jones fan.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

If in doubt, go for the non-Victorian.

The keg on legs it is then

 

[Burgey]

Boon. By a substantial margin

 

[Raz0r6ack]

Everyone's saying Boon but after watching footage of both of them I prefer Dean Jones. Looked like such a great batsmen to watch compared to his comtempories.

I was too young to remember either one of them but I felt like Jones was good enough to average 50 and his Test career was shafted because of selection issues.

Maybe I'm completely off but that's the sense I got reading about Jones' career several years ago. Someone else might be able to shine a better light on his career.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Boon and Robin Smith had the most withering of square-cuts at the time I started watching cricket, Greenidge having retired. I always found Boon's batting quite stylish too despite his Kinder Joy appearance, especially those flowing drives down the ground.

This must've been some knock on a quick Sabina Park pitch with Ambrose and Patterson at their nastiest.

 

[Burgey]

Everyone's saying Boon but after watching footage of both of them I prefer Dean Jones. Looked like such a great batsmen to watch compared to his comtempories.

I was too young to remember either one of them but I felt like Jones was good enough to average 50 and his Test career was shafted because of selection issues.

Maybe I'm completely off but that's the sense I got reading about Jones' career several years ago. Someone else might be able to shine a better light on his career.

Jones played the vast majority of his substantial knocks in dead rubbers of losing series, and was basically an excellent player of mediocre bowling. Awesome LO player obviously, but not in Boon’s class as a test player imho.

 

[Gob]

David Boo

Read that in Max Walker's voice

 

[Gob]

Taylor
Slater
Boon
Waugh
Border
Waugh

Vintage