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Goddard or Barlow

Who was better?


  • Total voters
    12

ataraxia

International Coach
Goddard's better for the average team because he's a bona fide two-in-one player, but for a strong team Barlow (who is highly underrated IMO and also a good person) normally balances the side better.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Goddard's better for the average team because he's a bona fide two-in-one player, but for a strong team Barlow (who is highly underrated IMO and also a good person) normally balances the side better.
Yeah Goddard would probably make a lot of teams around the mean or lower throughout history on batting and bowling alone. Not true of Barlow but he'd make more stronger teams because he was better at actually being an opening bat which was the primary role of both.
 

Fuller Pilch

Hall of Fame Member
Both made the shortlist for Cricinfo's all time SA XI (Telford Vice, 2009) but Goddard as an allrounder and Barlow as an opener. Re allrounders, Kallis made the side as a MOB and wasn't listed in the ARs.
 
Last edited:

kyear2

International Coach
Barlow better in primary skill, Barlow also the better slip fielder, falling into that elite tier.

Goddard definitely the better bowler, but as they're both primarily openers, have to go with Barlow.

Your main job is to ultimately score runs at the top of the innings.
 

capt_Luffy

Cricketer Of The Year
Barlow better in primary skill, Barlow also the better slip fielder, falling into that elite tier.

Goddard definitely the better bowler, but as they're both primarily openers, have to go with Barlow.

Your main job is to ultimately score runs at the top of the innings.
Goddard was probably the closest thing to a perfect all-rounder, and if I have to, I will be inclined towards him being a bowling one......
 

ataraxia

International Coach
A full test standard opener, an ATG slip fielder and useful 5th bowler for me is just more valuable in this comp.
What about a full test-standard stock bowler, a marginally worse slipper, and a full test-standard opening batter?
 

Bolo.

International Captain
Goddard's better for the average team because he's a bona fide two-in-one player, but for a strong team Barlow (who is highly underrated IMO and also a good person) normally balances the side better.
I'm not so sure. Most of the outside the SC, you can just play Goddard as a replacement for a spinner, and he will do a better job than than all but a couple of spinners in history.

Particularly in a strong team, he also leaves the option of playing an extra specialist bat that Barlow doesn't. Bowls more than normal quicks anyway, and everyone else can just rotate around him. If you are playing on a road and need 5 bowlers the value of him bowling a lot would still likely outweigh the delta between his batting and Goddard's.

I'd rather play Barlow in a team like four horsemen WI, but very few others.
 

kyear2

International Coach
What about a full test-standard stock bowler, a marginally worse slipper, and a full test-standard opening batter?
I have no issue with the first two, but the problem is that he wasn't a full test standard opening batsman.
 

ataraxia

International Coach
I have no issue with the first two, but the problem is that he wasn't a full test standard opening batsman.
His standardised average is higher than Sarwan, so unless you want to pull that silliness of declaring Sarwan not a test-standard bat, then ...
 

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