Greatest opener of the last 20 years?

[Hooksey]

Going to steer this convo back to openers.


Re: Hayden, I reckon I underrated him somewhat for a few years since he's generally hated on CW (bullying nature of batting etc.) and then the 2005 Ashes was just such a burning memory of him. It definitely influenced my opinion for a few years. Also the fact he's a dickhead.

But the more I think about it the more I may have him in my "all-time players I've watched XI" as opener. He's not a lock, don't get me wrong. But FMD the **** was good.

Hayden was a gun. His record clearly demonstrates that. Who cares if a few keyboard warriors don't like him?

 

[Jono]

Of course, obviously he was a gun Hookesy. Even his haters that aren't named Richard will acknowledge that.

I am saying he's possibly even better than that.

 

[Riggins]

Going to steer this convo back to openers.


Re: Hayden, I reckon I underrated him somewhat for a few years since he's generally hated on CW (bullying nature of batting etc.) and then the 2005 Ashes was just such a burning memory of him. It definitely influenced my opinion for a few years. Also the fact he's a dickhead.

But the more I think about it the more I may have him in my "all-time players I've watched XI" as opener. He's not a lock, don't get me wrong. But FMD the **** was good.

Look I went to the cricket once and asked him to sign my bat. He didn't, and I've hated the **** ever since. **** him. He's a **** player because of that, got it?

 

[Red]

I'm not a Hayden fan, but I certainly acknowledge how good he was. Always thought that really good pace bowlers squared him up and got him edging too often, and I didn't like the fact that he'd often fall over himself trying to play to leg and get bowled/LBW. I never liked him much as a personality either, but I obviously have a superficial impression!

I loved Langer though. Went from a guy I couldn't stand early in his career to a guy I just loved watching open the batting at the end. Cover drive off quick bowling to die for. Mark Nicholas said once "Langer might be the most improved cricketer on the planet", and while Nicholas is prone to the odd bit of hyperbole, I agreed with that assessment at that time.

 

[watson]

Jim Maxwell, who I quite like as a commentator/broadcaster, chose Hayden and Langer when Cricinfo asked him to chose his ATG Aussie XI. And he would have seen more live cricket in the last 40 years than all us put together;

Jim Maxwell - The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's most experienced cricket commentator XI: Hayden, Langer, Bradman, Ponting, G.Chappell, Miller, Gilchrist, Warne, Lillee, McGrath, O'Reilly

All-time XI | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[Coronis]

Ponting is about the 7th best Australian middle order bat ever.

I know we're talking about openers, but just had to laugh at this.

Definitely agree with Hayden being underrated on here generally. Deserves far more credit than he's given.

 

[Red]

Ponting is about the 7th best Australian middle order bat ever.


Says more about how good Australia is at producing cricketing greatness that Pontings ability

Just curious, who are the six above him?

 

[Jono]

Look I went to the cricket once and asked him to sign my bat. He didn't, and I've hated the **** ever since. **** him. He's a **** player because of that, got it?

Prob cos you didn't refer to the fact he's a member of the order of Australia.

 

[Red]

Or the fact that it was a bat, and not one of his cookbooks.

 

[Hooksey]

Jim Maxwell, who I quite like as a commentator/broadcaster, chose Hayden and Langer when Cricinfo asked him to chose his ATG Aussie XI. And he would have seen more live cricket in the last 40 years than all us put together;



All-time XI | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

Solid arguments that can be made for Hayden & Langer being our greatest ever opening pair. Statistics certainly support the idea.

 

[Red]

Solid arguments that can be made for Hayden & Langer being our greatest ever opening pair. Statistics certainly support the idea.

They were good. Reckon others with claims are Simpson & Lawry and Taylor & Slater.

 

[watson]

They were good. Reckon others with claims are Simpson & Lawry and Taylor & Slater.

Statistically speaking, Simpson/Lawry sit below Hobbs/Sutcliffe on the All-Time list, and are Australia's most successful opening pair, Taylor/Slater and Hayden/Langer are pretty much tied with not much between them at 5 & 6 on the list;

(the cut-off is 3000 runs)


Stats from the past: The opening salvo | Highlights | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[Adders]

Look I went to the cricket once and asked him to sign my bat. He didn't, and I've hated the **** ever since. **** him. He's a **** player because of that, got it?

I always thought cricketers that wouldn't sign autographs were ****s too..........but I changed my mind on that when I saw that dead set tosser at one of the Ashes tests call KP over for an autograph, KP had to go out of his way to go to him and the ****head pulled his bat (or bit of paper) away at the last moment......Johnny Nobody thought it was the fumiest thing ever.

So after that if KP refuses to sign any more autographs who is the ****.....KP or Johnny Nobody??

Perhaps Hados had something similar to happen to him that day.

 

[harsh.ag]

The short answer to this thread is Matthew Hayden. The long answer is that I would loved watching Hayden and Langer bat together on a sunny morning. Probably the most exciting cricketing times of the 2000s If only India had their own Langer to go with Sehwag!

And there aren't six middle order bats above Ponting. Get you head out of your ass. There are 9. Bradman, Chappell, Chappelli, Border, Waugh, Harvey, McCabe, Jackson, and Trumper.

 

[watson]

The short answer to this thread is Matthew Hayden. The long answer is that I would loved watching Hayden and Langer bat together on a sunny morning. Probably the most exciting cricketing times of the 2000s If only India had their own Langer to go with Sehwag!

And there aren't six middle order bats above Ponting. Get you head out of your ass. There are 9. Bradman, Chappell, Chappelli, Border, Waugh, Harvey, McCabe, Jackson, and Trumper.

Chappelli? Probably not.

McCabe? Probably not.

Jackson? Definitely not (unless you live in Cloud ****oo Land).

 

[Coronis]

Trumper is interesting, taking a look at his overall career stats. 32 matches and 52 innings opening for 1650 runs at 33.00 with 3 centuries. From 3-7, 22 matches and 35 innings for 1496 at 49.86 with 5 centuries.

 

[harsh.ag]

Chappelli? Probably not.

McCabe? Probably not.

Jackson? Definitely not (unless you live in Cloud ****oo Land).

WhoooosshHH ! ! !

 

[watson]

WhoooosshHH ! ! !

*ducks*

 

[fredfertang]

Chappelli? Probably not.

McCabe? Probably not.

Jackson? Definitely not (unless you live in Cloud ****oo Land).

Location updated

 

[ohnoitsyou]

Just curious, who are the six above him?

As allways bugger all seperating most of them and ponting at his peak would probably be about third

Bradman

Daylight

Chappell
Harvey
Border

Waugh

Make that 6th best then.