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Jack Hobbs vs Garry Sobers

Who is the better test batsman?

  • Total voters
    20
L Trumper

L Trumper

State Regular
When it comes to tests Hobbs is undisputed second after Bradman.

It is tricky to rate Sobers on just his batting ability though, he rarely played just as a batter.
 
capt_Luffy

capt_Luffy

International Coach
Coronis said:
Inherently if you rank something yourself and then call it undisputed all of them are undisputed.

Should I start saying that Viv is undisputedly not a top 10 batsman in test cricket?
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I see a little differently. To me, Grace is the undisputed 2nd Greatest Cricketer. Many many say Sobers was ahead, and I don't think they are wrong for that, but there's no dispute in my mind. Now say a comparison between Root and Barrington. There's dispute, I can go either way and won't feel too wrong about it.
 
Johan

Johan

International Captain
capt_Luffy said:
I see a little differently. To me, Grace is the undisputed 2nd Greatest Cricketer. Many many say Sobers was ahead, and I don't think they are wrong for that, but there's no dispute in my mind. Now say a comparison between Root and Barrington. There's dispute, I can go either way and won't feel too wrong about it.
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use Kallis at place of Barrington and that'd make Coronis madder
 
kyear2

kyear2

International Coach
There are many factors that goes into how players are rated, peer / pundit rating, production, eye test etc etc, but for me and at the very top of the pantheon where these two and the two titans reside it comes down to two areas.

Dominance and rating over peers in era and quality of bowlers faced.

By the first metric Hobbs is the undisputed no. 2 all time. Based purely on his pre WWI record he's closer to Bradman than to no. 3 in this regard.

By the 2nd metric he's 4th in my opinion and below Sobers.

As I've said in the past, both are enshrined into the top 5 and are both in the best after Bradman conversation, but depending on metric, and it changes, I have Hobbs either 2nd or 5th and Sobers is kind of a consistent 4th.

Overall it's close, but for this and my over rankings Sobers is 4th and he's faced everything from Lindwall to Lillee and the difference in quality isn't close to be double up worthy.
 
DrWolverine

DrWolverine

International Debutant
kyear2 said:
Dominance and rating over peers in era and quality of bowlers faced.

By the first metric Hobbs is the undisputed no. 2 all time. Based purely on his pre WWI record he's closer to Bradman than to no. 3 in this regard.

By the 2nd metric he's 4th in my opinion and below Sobers.
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Agreed

Really?
 
Johan

Johan

International Captain
kyear2 said:
Hutton travelled more, faced considerably tougher pitches and better bowlers.
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sure, but Hobbs could dominate, was just as much of a monster on tough wickets and was destroying pacers near 50 when Hutton was finished at 40.
 
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