Best number 3 of all time?

[AndrewB]

Highest average at 3 (minimum 30 innings) from HowSTAT. Top 12:

Don 103.63
Ken 77.24

Barrington's record at 3 is pretty remarkable: in 40 innings he made 13 hundreds and 7 fifties. It's approaching what Bradman's figures would have been if Bradman had got bored whenever he reached about 150 (Barrington's highest score at 3 was 172; Bradman passed 200 nine times, and made 20 hundreds and 10 fifties in 56 innings).

 

[AndrewB]

Looking at the players with the highest averages (with 1000+ runs) for each batting position from 3-6, I was slightly surprised to find that Sobers was in the top 10 for all 4 positions. Smith was for 3/4/5, Barrington for 3/4, and Chanderpaul and de Villiers for 5/6.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Most 100s @ 3:

Sanga 37
Ponting 32
Dravid 28
Williamson 26
Amla 25
Bradman 20
Pujara 18
Azhar Ali 15

Hammond, R Richardson, Sarwan 14
Barrington, Boon, I Chappell, Kanhai, Younis Khan 13
V Richards, Harvey 12

 

[The Sean]

Highest average at 3 (minimum 30 innings) from HowSTAT. Top 12:

Don 103.63
Ken 77.24
Wally 74.78
George 71.17
Marnus 62.91
Viv 61.54
Sanga 60.83
Brian 60.47
Kane 58.19
Ricky 56.27
Rahul 52.88
Rohan 52.69

For what it's worth, Sangakkara's average at 3 when he wasn't 'keeping - which encompassed 140 innings - was 69.02.

 

[Days of Grace]

Here’s a question: Do you put your best batsman at number 3 or number 4 and Willy your answer be the same for both tests and ODIs?

 

[ZK$]

Are you guys answering the question of second greatest batsman, as opposed to second greatest number 3?

Smith does average 67.08 at #3, but it is a small sample size.

 

[Socerer 01]

Most 100s @ 3:

Sanga 37
Ponting 32
Dravid 28
Williamson 26
Amla 25
Bradman 20
Pujara 18
Azhar Ali 15

Hammond, R Richardson, Sarwan 14
Barrington, Boon, I Chappell, Kanhai, Younis Khan 13
V Richards, Harvey 12

100s per innings would be a better stat no?

 

[Socerer 01]

Here’s a question: Do you put your best batsman at number 3 or number 4 and Willy your answer be the same for both tests and ODIs?

depends on batsman preference. if they prefer opening then stick them there like Brathwaite for West Indies, it would still get their best

for odis 4 isn’t a good position compared to top 3 positions so i would rather have the best batsman bat in top 3

 

[Coronis]

Big Wally.

Here’s a question: Do you put your best batsman at number 3 or number 4 and Willy your answer be the same for both tests and ODIs?

I don’t really care about ODI’s so skipping that part, but it comes down to to batsman’s preference. Ideally I always thought 3 but the trend has been towards 4 in recent times.

 

[HookShot]

Hammond, Barrington, Viv Richards and Lara are all tempting, especially Lara, but they played most of their Test innings at 4/5 rather than at number 3.

Ponting, Sangakkara, Williamson are three rusted-on world class number 3s who relished playing in that position. Sangakkara by a whisker because he had so much time, and looked supercool.

 

[Zinzan]

Steve Smith

Wouldn't be able to make it as a 3.

 

[honestbharani]

Even when he is right, PEWS finds a way to be wrong.


Lara it is.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Ponting, Sangakkara, Williamson are three rusted-on world class number 3s who relished playing in that position.

I'd also add Dravid to this list.

 

[Flem274*]

For what it's worth, Sangakkara's average at 3 when he wasn't 'keeping - which encompassed 140 innings - was 69.02.

Nice.

 

[Molehill]

depends on batsman preference. if they prefer opening then stick them there like Brathwaite for West Indies, it would still get their best

It also depends on the quality of the openers. Root for example seems happier at 4 because he's not always coming in in the first over at 3. But if he had a decent pair above him (like say Ponting), I'm sure he'd have made far more of a success at 3.

 

[trundler]

Ponting flourished when he had to come in after an early wicket. Did better than this overall record in that situation. Root doesn't have the technique to be a good #3.

 

[Ashes81]

Barrington has a really top record at 3 and is a much underrated player - nowhere more so than in England.

He's never mentioned in the same terms as the likes of Hammond, May, Hutton, Hobbs and Compton.

Maybe it's due to his style of batting or the fact he was better abroad than at home but the more you analyse his stats, the more impressive a player he looks.

 

[Coronis]

Barrington has a really top record at 3 and is a much underrated player - nowhere more so than in England.

He's never mentioned in the same terms as the likes of Hammond, May, Hutton, Hobbs and Compton.

Maybe it's due to his style of batting or the fact he was better abroad than at home but the more you analyse his stats, the more impressive a player he looks.

Probably why conversely Compton (and May) are overrated - they were excellent at home and quite poor away.

 

[Flem274*]

Hard for me to rate guys I haven't seen, but Viv if you want to live rent free in opposition heads and Barrington for focusing on pure efficiency over all other considerations. Hammond is a balance between the two extremes.

Of those I have seen, Ponting has the BDE of being Big Dog in The Team. Sangakkara comfortably the best allround cricketer because he was keeping in ODIs until the very end, so you could throw him the gloves during if you wanted. Dravid the master of conservative endurance in challenging conditions.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the six. They all have superb knocks around the world in challenging conditions and circumstances.

I'm leaning Viv. He was a rare 50+ batsman in his era and he did it in a way that made the opposition think far more about him than they should have, which allowed his team to prosper.

 

[Patience and Accuracy+Gut]

Headley no.1 with Viv/Hammond close second.