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Best ODI innings ever?

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
Swervy said:
this is why jusy going off scorecards is dangerous, I saw both innings in question here (Richards and Gibbs)....no matter what the circumstances, there is no denying that Gibbs' batting from about his score being 70, was about as dominating performance as you will ever see (bar the odd lapse of concentration)...

Richards innings was just great for other reasons. I suspect over time, Richards innings will be judged the best, but I dont think the acheivements of Gibbs (and Ponting) should be diminished simply because it was a flat track
I'm not suggesting that Gibbs' batting wasn't dominant, or anything of the sort. Where did I say that? I'm not even saying that Richards dominated the bowling more than Gibbs, I'm saying that Gibbs dominating the bowling as he did isn't as impressive as Richards managing to score 189 out of a team score of 272 despite facing a decent attack and carrying his team through a batting collapse.

Gibbs and Pontings innings were magnificent, and among the best any of us will ever see. Nevertheless, it was about as easy as batting ever gets.

Had Gibbs stayed there until the end of the innings and carried South Africa home for 200+ not out, I think his innings would have been the greatest ever. Getting out as he did meant South Africa still could have lost the match, and means his innings, while great, isn't the best ever in my opinion.
 

Swervy

International Captain
FaaipDeOiad said:
I'm not suggesting that Gibbs' batting wasn't dominant, or anything of the sort. Where did I say that? I'm not even saying that Richards dominated the bowling more than Gibbs, I'm saying that Gibbs dominating the bowling as he did isn't as impressive as Richards managing to score 189 out of a team score of 272 despite facing a decent attack and carrying his team through a batting collapse.

Gibbs and Pontings innings were magnificent, and among the best any of us will ever see. Nevertheless, it was about as easy as batting ever gets.

Had Gibbs stayed there until the end of the innings and carried South Africa home for 200+ not out, I think his innings would have been the greatest ever. Getting out as he did meant South Africa still could have lost the match, and means his innings, while great, isn't the best ever in my opinion.
I guess I am going off the actual batting itself, as opposed to the effect the batting had....and I dont think anyone could have hit the ball more effectively than Gibbs did, sure the bowling was poor, but I think Gibbs was in a state of mind whereby anything was going

I see your point about if gibbs had have continued on to victory....and Bracken did drop a sitter as well...so yeah maybe Gibb' innings is not the greatest ever, but I will say both his and Pontings was the best I have seen for..ooh...2 years!!!!:laugh:
 

BlackCap_Fan

State Vice-Captain
Swervy said:
because you need to see it to judge...
Well, by that account, you'd have to have seen Vincent's 170 odd, Turner's 182 ( I think it was), Anwars 190 odd etc, because it's not fair to discard them if you havn't seen them.
 

Swervy

International Captain
BlackCap_Fan said:
Well, by that account, you'd have to have seen Vincent's 170 odd, Turner's 182 ( I think it was), Anwars 190 odd etc, because it's not fair to discard them if you havn't seen them.
well yeah, you are right...although I am not sure Turners big score would really count (vs East AFrica and all that)
 

BlackCap_Fan

State Vice-Captain
Swervy said:
well yeah, you are right...although I am not sure Turners big score would really count (vs East AFrica and all that)
Yeah. I was just pulling out big scores out of the top of my head. Also, Vincent's 170 odd was against Zimbabwe when NZ toured there last year, so that wasn't exactly strong opposition.
 

ciskr

Cricket Spectator
both sides don't exactly have enviable attacks at the moment, bar brett lee and makaya ntini who run hot and cold..
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
I couldn't begin to say which was definitely the best ever, but my personal favourite is Lloyds century in the 1975 WC final, against Lillee, Thomson, Gilmour & Walker after WI had lost 3 quick wickets. His run rate doesn't look special by today's standards, but it was staggering for the time.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
IMO Gibbs' is definitely in the top 5 (probably top 3 for me personally), but why do people see it as denigration of Gibbs' knock (or Ponting's or whomever) just to suggest that its not the best ever? Just like there are people who claim that anything that happened back in the 'old days', say 20-30 years ago is better, there are those who believe that anything that has happened in recent times immediately trumps anything from the past (which they generally haven't seen). Both equally stupid.

IMO Viv's knock is the best ever, with Gibbs' 2nd best and Bevan's 78 not out in 1996 3rd. I imagine Thierry Henry will not be happy with any of us actually praising Viv and claiming something of his happens to be the best, despite him definitely being one of the 3 best ODI batsman ever.

Here are the Wisden Top 100 ODI Innings of all time, obviously done before Gibbs' knock as well as Ponting's knock yesterday and his WC final knock as well as Dhoni's 183 not out. It was released in Feb 2002.

http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2002/feb/15bat100.htm
 
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Smudge

Hall of Fame Member
I was there that day, Jono. It was the first time all day we removed our hands from our gloves and winter coats for something other than hot chips.
 

Demolition Man

State Vice-Captain
For starters I thought in terms of strokeplay pontings innings was much better than gibbs and ponting WAS NOT DROPPED !!!

People get a bit carried away when they see a recent match but serioulst it was a flat track and the batsmen really did not have to work hard for their runs. Not to mention the mediocre attack both sides faced.

Ohhh has got to be the man Michael Bevan.

But lets not forget the great Sir Viv
I might Add it is not possible to compare certain innings but surely Vivs 189* AWAY FROM HOME, when all his team crumbled around him was a truly special innings.

1. Australia v West Indies 1 Jan 1996, Sydney ,
Bevan's innings at the SCG on New Year's Day, 1996, is perhaps the thing that he is most remembered for, On that night, Bevan singlehandedly carried the team from five for 40 to a successful chase of 196. He needed to hit a four off the last ball to win, and that he did, before throwing his arms up in jubilation, and embracing Glenn McGrath.


Or another miracle from bevan
http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/...BS/SCORECARDS/AUS_NZ_VBS_ODI10_29JAN2002.html

There are plenty more in his dossier.

In terms of the big ocassion Aus vs SA, 1999, Headingley.Mr S Waugh played a bit of a blinder.
 
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Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Bevan's a freak really. He, Sachin and Viv are comfortably the 3 best ODI batsman ever. The innings those 3 have managed to pull off so consistently throughout their careers is truly phenomenal.
 

Top_Cat

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Best I've actually seen; Bevo's 78* against the WI at the SCG, 1997.
Best I've seen highlights of/read about/know something about the circumstances surrounding: Viv 189* 1984.
 

Demolition Man

State Vice-Captain
Jono said:
Bevan's a freak really. He, Sachin and Viv are comfortably the 3 best ODI batsman ever. The innings those 3 have managed to pull off so consistently throughout their careers is truly phenomenal.
Interestingly enough all three were somewhat different players

- Bevan, the finisher , with his calculator for a brain and ice in his veins, he seemed to never let his side down when they needed him most. ( although the world cup final of 96 he may wish to forget)

- Viv - the master blaster, pure power and awe at the top of the innings. Rampant on his day, which was most days.

- Sachin- the little master, consistently the best ODI player. peels off tons at a silly rate. Flashy when needed but also capable in defence. He was somewhere in between bevan and richards.
 

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