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Steve Smith vs George Headley

Steve Smith vs George Headley

  • Steve Smith

    Votes: 14 60.9%

  • George Headley

    Votes: 9 39.1%
  • Total voters
    23
S

Silver Line

U19 Debutant
George Headley 1930-39 (67 Avg)
George Headley also played 3 further games till 1954 (aged 38,39 and 45) where he couldnt perform and brought his career’s test average down to (61)

headley’s FC career has a 70 avg with 10K runs

Steve Smith initially started from 2010, but only started scoring at a healthy average from 2014.
Steve Smith 2014-2023* (64.5 Avg)
Steve Smith overall average (59)

smith FC career avg 56 with almost 14K runs

both worthy of being the second greatest batsman in quality after Bradman, discuss
 
Silver Silva

Silver Silva

International Regular
Has to be Steven Smith , longer career against better bowling attacks , unfortunately there isn't a lot of information on Headley , he only played 22 Tests and his career was severely disrupted by War .
 
Slifer

Slifer

International Captain
Coronis said:
Not really. The English teams he faced for most of his career weren’t exactly full strength but hey, thats not his fault. Averaged 37 on his one tour of Australia - still scored 2 tons in his 5 matches there.
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But he did well vs the full strength English attacks he did face. Still Smith takes this one.
 
Slifer

Slifer

International Captain
Coronis said:
Not really. The English teams he faced for most of his career weren’t exactly full strength but hey, thats not his fault. Averaged 37 on his one tour of Australia - still scored 2 tons in his 5 matches there.
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The only minnows during George's time were NZ, WI, India, and RSA. He only played India in one test when he was well past it. Imagine if like Hammond and Bradman, he got to play India, RSA or NZ on his prime....Bradman didn't actually play NZ, but the point still stands.
 
Silver Silva

Silver Silva

International Regular
Slifer said:
The only minnows during George's time were NZ, WI, India, and RSA. He only played India in one test when he was well past it. Imagine if like Hammond and Bradman, he got to play India, RSA or NZ on his prime....Bradman didn't actually play NZ, but the point still stands.
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I only recognize Verity from those scorecards as bowlers who has been debated among Englands best ever , the rest don't really have long enough test careers to gauge their quality and like you said most of the nations which played cricket at the time were minnows ..NZ , WI , SA , India would have left only England and Australia ..Pakistan became a Test nation in the 50's I think , bowlers like Bowes , Copson they have impressive FC stats indeed but we are talking about a time before the professional era of cricket where amateurs could play cricket at a high level so can't really go by that ..

Steven Smith has far more credibility to his record as a batsman I feel .
 
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Slifer

Slifer

International Captain
Silver Silva said:
I only recognize Verity from those scorecards as bowlers who has been debated among Englands best ever , the rest don't really have long enough test careers to gauge their quality and like you said most of the nations which played cricket at the time were minnows ..NZ , WI , SA , India would have left only England and Australia ..Pakistan became a Test nation in the 50's I think , bowlers like Bowes , Copson they have impressive FC stats indeed but we are talking about a time before the professional era of cricket where amateurs could play cricket at a high level so can't really go by that ..

Steven Smith has far more credibility to his record as a batsman I feel .
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Headley played against Voce and Wilfred Rhodes on 1930 as well but that wasn't a full strength English team. Voce was one of the Bodyline English fast bowlers fwiw.

That the England bowlers outside Verity and Rhodes didn't have long careers and therefore aren't recognizable is not George's fault. Those said bowlers played vs Australia as well. Smith is better or had a better career but George being a minnow basher is a myth.
 
Silver Silva

Silver Silva

International Regular
Slifer said:
Headley played against Voce and Wilfred Rhodes on 1930 as well but that wasn't a full strength English team. Voce was one of the Bodyline English fast bowlers fwiw.

That the England bowlers outside Verity and Rhodes didn't have long careers and therefore aren't recognizable is not George's fault. Those said bowlers played vs Australia as well. Smith is better or had a better career but George being a minnow basher is a myth.
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Thanks for sharing ,it was very informative
 
P

Patience and Accuracy+Gut

State Vice-Captain
Slifer said:
The only minnows during George's time were NZ, WI, India, and RSA. He only played India in one test when he was well past it. Imagine if like Hammond and Bradman, he got to play India, RSA or NZ on his prime....Bradman didn't actually play NZ, but the point still stands.
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Bradman and Headley were actually of same age when they faced off against India.Headley got the relatively weaker English team compared to what Bradman was facing so I think the averages of both greats are perhaps fair other than Headley’s last match in 1954.
 
CricAddict

CricAddict

Cricketer Of The Year
Steve Smith competes with Sachin, Hobbs, Sobers and Viv for the mantle of second best batsman of all time. I don't think Headley does.
 
Slifer

Slifer

International Captain
Patience and Accuracy+Gut said:
Bradman and Headley were actually of same age when they faced off against India.Headley got the relatively weaker English team compared to what Bradman was facing so I think the averages of both greats are perhaps fair other than Headley’s last match in 1954.
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We can agree to disagree. Because Headley faced both india and England in all of one test. Now imagine him facing RSA or NZ in his prime in 5 tests or getting a shot at home vs Australia. He's not comparable to the Don but I'm thinking he'd dominate those two minnows and do well at home vs Oz. I mention NZ because Hammond did gorge himself on them.
 
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