The best test batsman to average Under 61, 50, 40 and 30 IYO?

[mr_mister]

Had to make it 61 so I could include everyone except Bradman.


I'm still thinking about mine, but under 40 is definitely Athers :P

 

[Red]

Under 61: Sobers, G. Pollock, B. Richards, Sachin

Under 50: Peter May, Worrell, Kanhai, Greenidge

Under 40: Trumper, Stewart, Miller, Woolley

Under 30: T. Bailey, Rod Marsh

 

[Red]

Ridic that Alec Stewart doesn't even have an average of 40. Firmly believe had he not been made to keep and had been allowed to be an opening batsman his whole career he'd have averaged near 50.

 

[Zinzan]

I'm still thinking about mine, but under 40 is definitely Athers :P

It's just not. Athers gets so ridiculously overrated it's not funny.

Of the top of my head, Stewart, Astle & Hussain all > Atherton.

Martin Crowe would have to be one of the best between 45-50 given the era he played in and bowling attacks he faced.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Trumper and Grace the best under 40

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Trumper and Grace the best under 40

This absolutely, guys like Miller, Athers, or anyone else basically, while they may have deserved better averages or something, aren't the same level as Trumper or Grace imo

I also rate Don Tallon's batting quite highly. So even as low as his average is, I think I'll put his name up for the under 30 bracket. Had some good knocks in FC before the war

 

[harsh.ag]

Under 61: Sobers, G. Pollock, B. Richards, Sachin

Under 50: Peter May, Worrell, Kanhai, Greenidge

Under 40: Trumper, Stewart, Miller, Woolley

Under 30: T. Bailey, Rod Marsh

Agree mostly.

Under 40 - Grace.
Under 30 - KL Rahul Guppy and Grant Flower probably.

 

[The Sean]

Percy McDonnell or Syd Gregory for the sub-30 crew.

 

[AldoRaine18]

Procter for under 30?

 

[Red]

This absolutely, guys like Miller, Athers, or anyone else basically, while they may have deserved better averages or something, aren't the same level as Trumper or Grace imo

Firmly believe Miller would've been a 50 averaging batsman without a pace bowling workload. Sublimely talented with the bat.

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

Firmly believe Miller would've been a 50 averaging batsman without a pace bowling workload. Sublimely talented with the bat.

But then noone would really know nor care who he was and would not be discussing him.

Plus he only averaged 30-32 overs per match more or less evenly spread over 2 innings. Hardly the greatest workload ever faced.

3 wickets per test. C'mon. He was hardly used as the leader of the attack for the majority of his career.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

Under 61: Sangakkara
Under 50: Williamson
Under 40: Stewart
Under 30: Guptill

 

[kiwiviktor81]

Actually it's kind of cheating to have Williamson and Guptill because I think they are both much better than their averages, which will likely go over 50 and 30 respectively.

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

Ridic that Alec Stewart doesn't even have an average of 40. Firmly believe had he not been made to keep and had been allowed to be an opening batsman his whole career he'd have averaged near 50.

Firmly believe smart captains would have opened with a spin bowler against him.

 

[AldoRaine18]

But then noone would really know nor care who he was and would not be discussing him.

Plus he only averaged 30-32 overs per match more or less evenly spread over 2 innings. Hardly the greatest workload ever faced.

3 wickets per test. C'mon. He was hardly used as the leader of the attack for the majority of his career.

I like your division skills.

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

I like your division skills.

Well I'm no Moses but cricinfo stats are not really comparative to the red sea.

 

[Zinzan]

Under 61: Sangakkara
Under 50: Williamson
Under 40: Stewart
Under 30: Guptill

C'mon mate, with respect, Williamson already better than the likes of Michael Clarke, KP, Geoff Boycott, Neil Harvey, Peter May, Martin Crowe, Gordon Greenidge to name a few? He may well go on to surpass these guys, but give him some time, he's not there yet.

Also as OS pointed out above, Grace & Trumper are much better contenders than Stewart in the under 40s.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

Trumper and Grace the best under 40

Trumper what a beast. Classic case of where stats can be misleading. Trumper's adjusted average shoots up high too I think

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

He may well go on to surpass these guys, but give him some time, he's not there yet.

What does this sentence mean to you?

He averaged over 70 odd for the last 1.5 years? If he averages less, say 60 for the remainder of his career, he will go back from where he is now, and yet surpass these people you name. So, in the future, when looked backed with hindsight he could have already been there yet, no?

 

[kiwiviktor81]

C'mon mate, with respect, Williamson already better than the likes of Michael Clarke, KP, Geoff Boycott, Neil Harvey, Peter May, Martin Crowe, Gordon Greenidge to name a few? He may well go on to surpass these guys, but give him some time, he's not there yet.

Also as OS pointed out above, Grace & Trumper are much better contenders than Stewart in the under 40s.

If the OP had asked for the greatest Test batsman I would definitely not have chosen Williamson. But as for best I think he is better than all of those others. His biggest rival is Cook imo.

It's a semantic thing that might be worthy of its own thread - the difference between good and great. Williamson and Bond are the best NZ batsman and bowler I have ever seen, Crowe and Hadlee the greatest.