Better opener 1 : Boycott vs Hayden

[AndyZaltzHair]

Really surprising that this many polls about openers exist. Here are a few;

Hayden vs Cook vs Sehwag

Good to see Cook getting some votes. Pretty underrated.

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Mathew Hayden vs Virender Sehwag

1 is questionable, and you cannot prove 2. Even if you could prove 2 I feel like Sehwag would be miles ahead too.

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Battle of flat track bullies - Hayden vs Sehwag

Yes, Hayden is your archetypal flat track bully. Sehwag was not a FTB at all, he was a phenomenal player of spin and a poor player of swing.

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Graeme Smith vs Matthew Hayden

Have taken @OverratedSanity’s advice and gone stubborn. Not 100% convinced by Smith.

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Im guessing most by PlayersComparisons

 

[sayon basak]

Im guessing most by PlayersComparisons

Don't think 50% is very high, but great guess nonetheless.
After all, it's his name. @PlayerComparisons

 

[Thala_0710]

Not counting Grace, Barry, Shrewsbury and Merchant (yes, I know I wasn't asked, but wanted to answer):

1. Jack Hobbs
2. Sunil Gavaskar
3. Len Hutton
4. Herbert Sutcliffe
5. Victor Trumper
6. Geoff Boycott
7. Gordon Greenidge
8. Graeme Smith
9. Matthew Hayden
10. Bruce Mitchell
11. Bob Simpson
12. Virendra Sehwag
13. Alaistar Cook
14. Bill Lawry
15. Graham Gooch
16. Arthur Morris
17. Bill Ponsford
18. Hanif Mohammad
19. Conrad Hunte
20. Garry Kirsten
21. Archie Maclaren
22. Glenn Turner
23. Saeed Anwar
24. Alec Stewart
25. Bill Woodfull
26. Roy Fredericks
27. Desmond Haynes
28. Justin Langer
29. Dennis Amiss
30. Usman Khawaja

No Gayle? I'd take him over Haynes.
Also we have the exact same top 15 with just Gavaskar/Hutton and Sehwag/Cook switched around

 

[Johan]

Trumper averages 33 odd as the opener while averaging sub 30 against England and sub 25 in England as an opener, opened in 58% of his innings, only has 3 hundreds (in 52 innings), most of his iconic innings like 214*, 135*, 185* all come when he wasn't opening. Infact when not opening he averages 48.80 and has 5 hundreds in 37 innings.

Not really seeing the case for Trumper as #5 opener of all time.

 

[capt_Luffy]

No Gayle? I'd take him over Haynes.
Also we have the exact same top 15 with just Gavaskar/Hutton and Sehwag/Cook switched around

Gayle over Haynes I maintained fairly long, before being impressed by Haynes' home record. Will definitely be in top 35 though.

 

[DrWolverine]

It’s very tough to compare batsmen who played post-1970s to someone who played in first half of 1900s.

Unless you are the GOAT like Donald George Bradman and are light years ahead of your peers and he is literally the only person who can claim that honor.

 

[Bitmap]

Not counting Grace, Barry, Shrewsbury, Barnes and Merchant (yes, I know I wasn't asked, but wanted to answer):

1. Jack Hobbs
2. Sunil Gavaskar
3. Len Hutton
4. Herbert Sutcliffe
5. Victor Trumper
6. Geoff Boycott
7. Gordon Greenidge
8. Graeme Smith
9. Matthew Hayden
10. Bruce Mitchell
11. Bob Simpson
12. Virendra Sehwag
13. Alaistar Cook
14. Bill Lawry
15. Graham Gooch
16. Arthur Morris
17. Bill Ponsford
18. Hanif Mohammad
19. Conrad Hunte
20. Garry Kirsten
21. Archie Maclaren
22. Glenn Turner
23. Saeed Anwar
24. Alec Stewart
25. Bill Woodfull
26. Roy Fredericks
27. Desmond Haynes
28. Justin Langer
29. Dennis Amiss
30. Usman Khawaja
31. Mark Taylor
32. Warren Bardsley
33. Chris Gayle
34. David Warner
35. Michael Slater

Thanks, I now know which opening batter list to refer to while making draft picks

 

[BazBall21]

Haynes is better than Gayle in tests

 

[sayon basak]

Haynes is better than Gayle in tests

Very much arguable. Gayle has much more balanced record.

 

[BazBall21]

Very much arguable. Gayle has much more balanced record.

Haynes was better outside Asia and playing in a much tougher era masks that in terms of raw averages.

In Asia, both not good.

 

[sayon basak]

Haynes was better outside Asia.

In SENA:-
Haynes= 2771 runs @37.45
Gayle= 2255 runs @47.98

In Asia, both not good.

In Asia:-
Gayle= 1215 runs @35.73
Haynes= 848 runs @24.94

playing in a much tougher era masks that in terms of raw averages.

True ig, but in the matches the played in, their opponent teams bowling average is not much different.
Hayne's opponents:-

Gayle's opponents:-

 

[capt_Luffy]

In SENA:-
Haynes= 2771 runs @37.45
Gayle= 2255 runs @47.98

In Asia:-
Gayle= 1215 runs @35.73
Haynes= 848 runs @24.94

True ig, but in the matches the played in, their opponent teams bowling average is not much different.
Hayne's opponents:-
View attachment 42404
Gayle's opponents:-
View attachment 42405

I would be much more shocked if they were similar, given the batting of the two WI teams.

 

[Coronis]

Even if you don't count Barry Richards (which is understandable), you still would have to consider Victor Trumper.

Questionable away record and record against England in general.

Questionable record actually opening the batting.

 

[sayon basak]

I would be much more shocked if they were similar, given the batting of the two WI teams.

Bowling averages of teams in their careerspan:-
Gayle:-

Haynes:-

 

[Johan]

Questionable record actually opening the batting.

I did mention it.

Trumper averages 33 odd as the opener while averaging sub 30 against England and sub 25 in England as an opener, opened in 58% of his innings, only has 3 hundreds (in 52 innings), most of his iconic innings like 214*, 135*, 185* all come when he wasn't opening. Infact when not opening he averages 48.80 and has 5 hundreds in 37 innings.

Not really seeing the case for Trumper as #5 opener of all time.

 

[kyear2]

Trumper averages 33 odd as the opener while averaging sub 30 against England and sub 25 in England as an opener, opened in 58% of his innings, only has 3 hundreds (in 52 innings), most of his iconic innings like 214*, 135*, 185* all come when he wasn't opening. Infact when not opening he averages 48.80 and has 5 hundreds in 37 innings.

Not really seeing the case for Trumper as #5 opener of all time.

This....

 

[shortpitched713]

Not considering Grace or Barry.
1. Jack Hobbs
2. Len Hutton
3. Sunil Gavaskar
4. Herbert Sutcliffe
5. Victor Trumper
6. Geoffrey Boycott
7. Gordon Greenidge
8. Graham Gooch
9. Virender Sehwag
10. Matthew Hayden
11. Graeme Smith
12. Alastair Cook

All above listed are better than Boycott, except maybe Hobbs.

 

[Johan]

All above listed are better than Boycott, except maybe Hobbs.

what????? Oh hell No, even the implication that the likes of Cook are better than Hobbs is ludricous

 

[kyear2]

what????? Oh hell No, even the implication that the likes of Cook are better than Hobbs is ludricous

He just does that for attention.

Or is genuinely off his rocker, lol