Thilan Samaraweera: a victim of black magic?

[chaminda_00]

15 months later, where does Samaraweera rank for you now.

Stats wise he is Sri Lankan's 3rd best batsmen after Sangakkara and Jayawardene. Though anyone with half brain knows Aravinda De Silva is better.

Away from the sub continent is average is still only 31, but away from home was 38 prior to this Test, so it may increase above 40.

Minnow basher maybe, but he has a decent record against all side bar Australia, England and South Africa (only 2 Tests).

Reckon he done enough to be ranked 5th all time for Sri Lanka behind; Sangakkara, Jayawardene, De Silva and Atapattu.

Your thoughts?

 

[Lostman]

Reckon he done enough to be ranked 5th all time for Sri Lanka behind; Sangakkara, Jayawardene, De Silva and Atapattu.

Your thoughts?

Ranatunga and Tillekeratne were better than Samaraweera. I have seen him score only once in tough conditions against decent opposition, which was the first test in Pakistan in 05.

 

[chaminda_00]

Ranatunga no doubt scored runs in tough conditions more often and was a better rounded player. He wasn't as dominate as Samaraweera for mine, when he got going. Though for him and Jayasuriya I can see a case for being better players.

But for Tillakaratne when did he ever score runs in tough conditions. Most of his big runs were at home or in flat conditions away from home. There was about two innings his whole career against Australia and South Africa, where he score runs away from the sub continent and against decent attacks.

 

[NUFAN]

I tend to think that Jayasuriya is still ahead of Samaraweera and Atapattu is also only narrowly ahead, so he'd be in 6th place for mine. So he's behind Kumar, Mahela, Aravinda, Sanath and Marvan.

Hashan, Asanka and Arjuna follow.

 

[Lostman]

Ranatunga no doubt scored runs in tough conditions more often and was a better rounded player. He wasn't as dominate as Samaraweera for mine, when he got going. Though for him and Jayasuriya I can see a case for being better players.

But for Tillakaratne when did he ever score runs in tough conditions. Most of his big runs were at home or in flat conditions away from home. There was about two innings his whole career against Australia and South Africa, where he score runs away from the sub continent and against decent attacks.

omg completely forgot Jayasuriya
yea he was definitely a better test player than Samaraweera.

Tillekeratne actually did quite good in the early 90's. Actually when both Samaraweera and Tillekeratne played/batted together from 2001-2004 I thought that Tillekeratne was the slightly better batsmen. Quite close though.

Looking back at SL's batting its a shame that Gurasinghe retired so early, he could have accomplished so much more.

 

[Lostman]

my list of SL best test batsmen would be,

Sanga
Mahela-Aravinda (cant pick one)
Attapatu
Jayasuriya
Ranatunga
Tillekeratne
Samaraweera

 

[Something_Fishy]

but you don't take 348 first class wickets @ 23.34 bowling rubbish. quote]

Seems as though he doesn't bowl at all anymore, his first class wickets tally has been improved in 18 months.
Glad to see him (hopefully - he's 180* now) notch up a double against this Pakistani team.

 

[lionheart]

I must confess to being a long time hater of Samaraweera. Recently my opinion of him has improved but I loathe to rate him above Jayasuriya, Atapattu, Ranatunga or even Tillakaratne. Tillakaratne remember scored some wonderful hundreds in Perth, Centurion and Dunedin as well as in Pakistan when conditions there were far more hostile. Moreover these players faced some serious bowling attacks. Ranatunga made his debut in 1982 at age 19.

Samaraweera, though statistically impressive, has done little out the subcontient and has mainly imposed himself on weak bowling attacks.

I would still put folks like Dias, Mendis and Gurusinha above Samaraweera in the pantheon of Sri Lankan bastmen.

For mine Sangakkara and Jayawardene are still behind Aravinda De Silva. They have much still to prove and as much time to do it in.

 

[Flem274*]

He's absolutely gun on ICC 2006 as well.

AWTA.

Remember an oDI where I was feeling quite ****y after dispatching Murali for 30 off five overs, then on comes Samaraweera...

 

[Dazza_20]

Never saw them bat before but my Dad rates Anura Tennekoon and Michael Tissera as two of the best batsmen produced by Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, this was before Sri Lanka got Test status.

 

[Migara]

Never saw them bat before but my Dad rates Anura Tennekoon and Michael Tissera as two of the best batsmen produced by Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, this was before Sri Lanka got Test status.

Sorry to say that your dad is entirely wrong.

SL's best batsmen (test and FC)

Sangakkara
De Silva
Sathasivam
--- day light ---
Jayawardane
Tillekaratne
Ranatunga
Samaraweera


In ODIs

Jayasuriya
De SIlva
-- daylight --
Ranatunga
Atapattu
-- broader daylight--
And the rest.

 

[Xuhaib]

Sorry to say that your dad is entirely wrong.

SL's best batsmen (test and FC)

Sangakkara
De Silva
Sathasivam
--- day light ---
Jayawardane
Tillekaratne
Ranatunga
Samaraweera


In ODIs

Jayasuriya
De SIlva
-- daylight --
Ranatunga
Atapattu
-- broader daylight--
And the rest.

Jayawardena ahead of De silva for me in tests.

 

[Migara]

Jayawardena ahead of De silva for me in tests.

If you could remeber the era that de Silva used to take Imran, Wasim and Waqar by horns, and showed the way to belt reverse swing, you would have had different ideas of him.

 

[chaminda_00]

Sorry to say that your dad is entirely wrong.

SL's best batsmen (test and FC)

Sangakkara
De Silva
Sathasivam
--- day light ---
Jayawardane
Tillekaratne
Ranatunga
Samaraweera

Yet you have Sathasivam in your list. There is a lot of romance given to players from Sri Lanka pre Test Status. Though a lot of later guys still played ODIs and their records in that form weren't a class above the current lot. At best on par and many below the current guys. Then you have someone like Sathasivam who yeah averaged 40 odd against touring sides at home. But how is that different from Dilshan for averages 40 odd in Tests and 45 at home.

I rate the guys that played prior to Test status as much as anyone. But I think sometimes romance gets in the way of true facts.

 

[0RI0N]

If you could remeber the era that de Silva used to take Imran, Wasim and Waqar by horns, and showed the way to belt reverse swing, you would have had different ideas of him.

de silva then mahela.
The 80's were a tough time to bat. There were great bowlers in most teams.Add to that SL was new to test cricket.De Silva didnt give a damn about reputation,he took them all on imran,wasim,kapil.the whole lot.They didnt call him Mad Max for nothing.

Favourite Aravinda innings:WC Semi Final vs India.

 

[Migara]

Yet you have Sathasivam in your list. There is a lot of romance given to players from Sri Lanka pre Test Status. Though a lot of later guys still played ODIs and their records in that form weren't a class above the current lot. At best on par and many below the current guys. Then you have someone like Sathasivam who yeah averaged 40 odd against touring sides at home. But how is that different from Dilshan for averages 40 odd in Tests and 45 at home.

I rate the guys that played prior to Test status as much as anyone. But I think sometimes romance gets in the way of true facts.

Sathasivam was a master. And the test players of that era has a very high regards for him. , Sathasivam hit 96 against commonwealth XI, which has Sobers, Worrel, and Ghulam Ahmed, out of a total of 150 on a minefield. And his double century against Tamil Nadu in less than 4 hours is also very well documented.

His tussels against Visitng teams is very well documented. Sobers, Ahmed, Worrel and few others definietly believed he was one of the best they had ever seen.

It's hard to judge what he would have done in test cricket. But I think he's good enough player to average 40+ in test cricket and a legend in ODI cricket.

He's possibly the best ever batsman not to be born in a test country.

 

[Precambrian]

Wow thread.

Was about to post a similar thread on Samara, but couldn't have dreamt of the first post.

 

[Prince EWS]

Wow thread.

Was about to post a similar thread on Samara, but couldn't have dreamt of the first post.

Especially since I posted it 18 months ago when he wasn't even in the team.

 

[Precambrian]

Sathasivam was a master. And the test players of that era has a very high regards for him. , Sathasivam hit 96 against commonwealth XI, which has Sobers, Worrel, and Ghulam Ahmed, out of a total of 150 on a minefield. And his double century against Tamil Nadu in less than 4 hours is also very well documented.

His tussels against Visitng teams is very well documented. Sobers, Ahmed, Worrel and few others definietly believed he was one of the best they had ever seen.

It's hard to judge what he would have done in test cricket. But I think he's good enough player to average 40+ in test cricket and a legend in ODI cricket.

He's possibly the best ever batsman not to be born in a test country.

So true. t's real pity he;s hardly talked about in recent days. Would have been a top class test performer in any country.

 

[Precambrian]

Especially since I posted it 18 months ago when he wasn't even in the team.

Makes it all the more PEWSY.