Better opener 1 : Boycott vs Hayden

[DrWolverine]

Pick one

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Big Dos

 

[sayon basak]

Definitely Boycott.
@shortpitched713

 

[Johan]

Gooch vs Hayden is probably closer, Boycott is pretty firmly #5 in all time openers list unless you believe in Barry Richards or something.

 

[BazBall21]

I rate Gooch ahead of Hayden.

 

[Johan]

I rate Gooch ahead of Hayden.

Me too, Maybe Cook and Smith as well

 

[BazBall21]

Me too, Maybe Cook and Smith as well

I would have Hayden over Cook but I think that's closer than Hayden v Boycott

 

[sayon basak]

Gooch vs Hayden is probably closer, Boycott is pretty firmly #5 in all time openers list unless you believe in Barry Richards or something.

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

 

[Johan]

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.

 

[sayon basak]

And Geoff boycott being the 5th (imo 6th) greatest opener just shows that there have not been many great openers.

 

[Johan]

well it's a tough job to do, a lot of the classical openers just had the job to block out deliveries and take the shine off the ball so the proper Batsmen can attack

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

And Geoff boycott being the 5th (imo 6th) greatest opener just shows that there have not been many great openers.

who are your first five?

 

[Johan]

1. Hobbs
2. Hutton
3. Sutcliffe/Gavaskar
4. Sutcliffe/Gavaskar
5. Boycott
6. Greenidge

for me

 

[sayon basak]

who are your first five?

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

 

[Johan]

smh Cook>Sehwag

 

[sayon basak]

smh Cook>Sehwag

I'm not certain about the 9th to 12th slot. Don't think Sehwag>Cook is controversial.

 

[sayon basak]

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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[capt_Luffy]

who are your first five?

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

 

[sayon basak]

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

I was going to anyway.

 

[sayon basak]

10. Bruce Mitchell
11. Bob Simpson

tbh, I forgot about their existence.