DoG's Top 100 Test Batsmen Countdown Thread

[ataraxia]

All good choices, I seem to recall last time DoG’s ratings of individual innings helped put Lara higher up the list. He has more high class innings than the likes of Tendulkar iirc

Yeah I once read that thread and thought the same about Viv when I was making that list.

 

[Gob]

Has Marto in yet?

 

[ataraxia]

No. 84.

 

[Bolo.]

No. 84.

Clearly at least 85 places too low, which obviously proves that this whole ranking system is a farce, specifically engineered to underrate players I like.

 

[Days of Grace]

No.38

Michael Clarke (Australia) 773

Quality Points: 709
Career Points: 64

Career/Runs: 2004-2015, 8599 (rank 35)

Overall average/Runs per innings/Strike-rate: 46.48 (49.41) 41.27 (43.87) 50.89 (55.91) (rank 58)
50 Innings Peak Average/Runs per innings/Strike-rate (2011-2013): 64.21 57.79 56.81 (rank 22)
Non-Home Average/Runs per innings/Strike-rate: 38.01 34.27 48.93 (rank 154)
Quality Opposition Average/Runs per innings/Strike-rate: 49.18 43.79 53.56 (rank 32)

Michael Clarke burst onto the scene as the young "pup" of the Australian team that finally won a series in India in 2004. In time he became Australian captain and he makes the top 40 thanks mainly to his outstanding peak which included a majestic losing ton in South Africa followed by triple and double centuries against India and South Africa at home. He benefited from batsmen-friendly home wickets, hence his non-home record is not up there with the true greats. He retired after a poor Ashes series in 2015, his back issues having the final say.

 

[trundler]

Flower definitely a class above the 'not exactly true great' tier imo. I'm including Clarke, Jayawardena and Inzi in that category.

 

[Coronis]

Flower definitely a class above the 'not exactly true great' tier imo. I'm including Clarke, Jayawardena and Inzi in that category.

His quality points being higher than Clarke’s would seem to support that, however not having played as much, its harder to judge peak and decline.

 

[Logan]

Flower definitely a class above the 'not exactly true great' tier imo. I'm including Clarke, Jayawardena and Inzi in that category.

Flower suffered from playing in a bad team and not playing enough.

 

[Spark]

A Clarke with an actual back would probably only have retired last summer and probably been second only to Ponting in most cumulative Aus batting records.

 

[Days of Grace]

No.37

Clive Lloyd (West Indies) 775

Quality Points: 707
Career Points: 68

Career/Runs: 1966-1984, 7515 (rank 27)

Overall average/Runs per innings/Strike-rate: 45.68 (46.67) 42.03 (42.94) 61.92 (59.40) (rank 44)
50 Innings Peak Average/Runs per innings/Strike-rate (1980-1984): 57.19 50.33 55.54 (rank 56)
Non-Home Average/Runs per innings/Strike-rate: 46.12 42.28 62.04 (rank 37)
Quality Opposition Average/Runs per innings/Strike-rate: 45.13 41.70 63.52 (rank 45)

Clive Lloyd was never the best batsmen in his team, having played alongside both Sir Garfield Sobers and then Viv Richards. However, he seemed to get better with age, his last 50 innings being his best. He was a very attacking batsman for his time and he has a very consistent looking record over 18 years, his worst ranking for any measure being no.56. He was superb in India, averaging 75.50 (unadjusted) in 22 innings. An underrated batsman.

 

[honestbharani]

The SuperCat

 

[aussie tragic]

Nice to see Lloyd above Clarke, sounds right.

 

[Burgey]

Clarke had a gear sometimes I haven’t even seen in Lara. Was just a waste of time bothering to bowl when he went into God mode. It all just came the same to him

 

[_00_deathscar]

Flower has the highest 50 innings peak out of the batsmen that have appeared so far?

 

[OverratedSanity]

Clarke had a gear sometimes I haven’t even seen in Lara. Was just a waste of time bothering to bowl when he went into God mode. It all just came the same to him

The double against SA where he started spanking Morkel around like it was park cricket was hilarious viewing.

 

[Spark]

Doesn't seem to be any uploads of that innings on Youtube, but it does at least have this shot: https://youtu.be/3QH1tDOH_6E?t=137

Morkel was actually bowling quite well IIRC. Clarke treated him like a park bowler.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Clive Lloyd was brilliant. Great captain, exciting yet dogged batter. Many top knocks in difficult times.

 

[honestbharani]

Clarke had a gear sometimes I haven’t even seen in Lara. Was just a waste of time bothering to bowl when he went into God mode. It all just came the same to him

I would say Lara had the same gear but yeah, when they decided to go into that mode and were in the zone, it was some of the best batting to watch.

 

[stephen]

A Clarke with an actual back would probably only have retired last summer and probably been second only to Ponting in most cumulative Aus batting records.

We wouldn't have gotten the Smith captaincy so early and nor would we have gotten sandpapergate.

Clarke's bad back has a lot to answer for.

 

[harsh.ag]

Lloyd always below the radar.

Clarke's peak was around the time I was barely watching cricket. But caught his spanking of India. It was better than Ponting's spankings from the noughties.