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Harold Larwood vs Vernon Philander

Who is the better test bowler?


  • Total voters
    16

Majestic

U19 Captain
Don't know about Larwood but Philander is not an ATG.

He picked 16 wickets in 10 tests in Asia. He looked so ineffective at one point that the captain stopped even bowling him which is why his average may not look that bad in Asia.
 

ma1978

International Debutant
I rate Larwood over Philander because I wanted the ABC series Bodyline and thought he was cool - it’s an online forum where there is zero analytical basis for anyone’s assertions. Internal consistency is unecessary
 

capt_Luffy

Cricketer Of The Year
I rate Larwood over Philander because I wanted the ABC series Bodyline and thought he was cool - it’s an online forum where there is zero analytical basis for anyone’s assertions. Internal consistency is unecessary
Not really a proper answer.... But anyways, found it hysterical that you think newer players are always better than older players with similar records; but Larwood is still better than Philander, despite having much worse longevity, a much higher average and tbh; one really good series.
 

ma1978

International Debutant
Not really a proper answer.... But anyways, found it hysterical that you think newer players are always better than older players with similar records; but Larwood is still better than Philander, despite having much worse longevity, a much higher average and tbh; one really good series.
contribution to cricket history
 

ma1978

International Debutant
Apparently doesn't work for the first non English cricket superstar.....
That would be Ranji, and no I don’t consider either as they were premodern insofar as they came from an era where test cricket had not established itself as the superior form of the game. That changed by Larwoods t
 

capt_Luffy

Cricketer Of The Year
That would be Ranji, and no I don’t consider either as they were premodern insofar as they came from an era where test cricket had not established itself as the superior form of the game. That changed by Larwoods t
Ranji played for England, i.e., English. And Trumper, you call it Test, FC whatever; was clearly the best batsman of a generation. Larwood won't make a Top 100 bowler's list without considering his FC record. He averages 35 outside of Bodyline, which ofcourse, was tailor made for him.
 
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ma1978

International Debutant
Ranji played for England, i.e., English. And Trumper, you call it Test, FC whatever; was clearly the best batsman of a generation. Larwood won't make a Top 100 bowler's list without considering his FC record. He averages 33 outside of Bodyline, which ofcourse, was tailor made for him.
ranji was better than trumper and also, who cares. It’s like saying homo habilis was better the Neanderthal man
 

peterhrt

U19 Vice-Captain
6% of Larwood's first-class appearances were in Tests. 78% of Kohli's have been.

In Larwood's day and long after, many so-called Test teams were weaker than the better first-class sides. A number of batsmen developed mysterious ailments when due to play against Larwood in the county championship. They would far rather have faced another country's international bowling.

Bradman's Invincibles of 1948 were so named because they were the first touring team to go through an English first-class season unbeaten. It was a specific goal of Bradman's and had nothing to do with Test cricket.

As late as the 1980s it was believed in New Zealand that Hadlee was more committed to Nottinghamshire than his country. They certainly paid him more.

Reputations of English players in particular, but others as well, were established at least partly by what they did in first-class cricket. Test-only analysis for red ball cricket works fine for the past thirty years or so. Before that it doesn't tell the whole story.
 

capt_Luffy

Cricketer Of The Year
This would be an interesting comparison.
Do you know whether there are any question marks over Ranji's FC average of 56; as it seems to good to be true for his era. 12 runs over Trumper and 6 even more than Hobbs himself; sounds a bit....
 

peterhrt

U19 Vice-Captain
Do you know whether there are any question marks over Ranji's FC average of 56; as it seems to good to be true for his era. 12 runs over Trumper and 6 even more than Hobbs himself; sounds a bit....
Ranji and Fry (average 50) played for Sussex. Their home ground at Hove was the best batting pitch in the country.

But that doesn't explain everything. Ranji was a great batsman who excelled in various conditions and was an outstanding player of fast bowling. Fry wasn't in the same class. The Australians had his number for some time. But he knew how to cash in.

Trumper and Hobbs sometimes gave their wickets away. Fry didn't. Ranji also had the appetite for big scores. 19% of his hundreds were doubles. With Hobbs it was only 8%.
 

Coronis

International Coach
Ranji played for England, i.e., English. And Trumper, you call it Test, FC whatever; was clearly the best batsman of a generation. Larwood won't make a Top 100 bowler's list without considering his FC record. He averages 35 outside of Bodyline, which ofcourse, was tailor made for him.
Clearly my ass. Hill has almost identical stats in both tests and FC and was better in England and SA
 

capt_Luffy

Cricketer Of The Year
Clearly my ass. Hill has almost identical stats in both tests and FC and was better in England and SA
Oh please..... For the record Mohammad Yousuf and Ricky Ponting have identical stats. Hill never reached the highs of Trumper 1902; neither he had health issues like Vic.
 

Coronis

International Coach
Oh please..... For the record Mohammad Yousuf and Ricky Ponting have identical stats. Hill never reached the highs of Trumper 1902; neither he had health issues like Vic.
He had health issues after his test career lol

And that just means he never had the lows Trumper did either.
 

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