Your top 10 TEST batsmen of all-time

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Are you sure that was not G. Pollock?

Nah... Definately Richards. I wouldn't even know what Graeme Pollock looks like to be honest.

 

[Perm]

You said judge them on their output which is pretty hard to do in Richards case given he was (rightly) denied of playing test cricket

That's why I don't think people can rate Barry Richards, or George Headley for that matter, in the top 10 Test batsmen of all-time, simply because they didn't play enough. I know I don't, and I'd expect others to have some sort of criteria whereby the batsmen has to play a certain amount of games or score a certain amount of runs.

 

[Fiery]

Yeah, I think you are thinking of Pollock, Heath. I remember watching that exhibition match too... but Richards was a great player too:

John Wright on Barry Richards:

"The best batter I've ever seen. The first year I was in England I watched him knocking up before a game and the ball just zinged off the blade with natural timing. Playing Derek Underwood, a great bowler, he swept him where fine leg would be so they moved slip there and he played the next one where slip had been. They say that in South Africa he played an over using the edge of his bat. Watching him bat, I felt like I was in the presence of an artist"

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

The thing with Richard is that he does have an extensive cricketing knowledge and knows alot about the game and its history. It's just he chooses output over all of that. The same can't be said about a few others...

I was actually more commenting on the fact that Richard doesn't like 'averages' as they include Bangladesh scores.

 

[Fiery]

That's why I don't think people can rate Barry Richards, or George Headley for that matter, in the top 10 Test batsmen of all-time, simply because they didn't play enough. I know I don't, and I'd expect others to have some sort of criteria whereby the batsmen has to play a certain amount of games or score a certain amount of runs.

People can rate players on simply how they look when they bat if they want, I guess

 

[archie mac]

Nah... Definately Richards. I wouldn't even know what Graeme Pollock looks like to be honest.

Okay, I can't remember Richards being here 10 years ago, but I do remember Pollock playing with Lara, Chappell and Zoe Goss and smashing the bowlers all over the park

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Yeah, I think you are thinking of Pollock, Heath. I remember watching that exhibition match too... but Richards was a great player too:

Nah, nah, nah. Definately Richards - he opened the batting with Haynes as I recall.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Okay, I can't remember Richards being here 10 years ago, but I do remember Pollock playing with Lara, Chappell and Zoe Goss and smashing the bowlers all over the park

No, this game was all veterans - no current players that I can remember. I only went as John Bracewell and Lance Cairns were playing - but Richards was a treat.

My opinions on Bracewell have changed of late.

 

[Perm]

The same can't be said about a few others...

Care to expand on this?

 

[Fiery]

Nah... Definately Richards. I wouldn't even know what Graeme Pollock looks like to be honest.

Richards would have been 52 10 years ago. Are you sure?

 

[The Sean]

Heath, I'm jealous - I saw Barry Richards bat once in an exhibition match in my hometown (Gladstone) in the late 1980s under lights, but sadly he was bowled for single figures. Would have loved to have seen him do that night what he did when you saw him play...

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Richards would have been 52 10 years ago. Are you sure?

Yes. That was the point. It was a veterans game.

EDIT: I just found the game on Cricket Archive.... and the really funny thing... Graeme Pollock was also playing!! I didn't think I'd recognise him! Ah, Jeez... you've gotta laugh at yourself sometimes.

 

[archie mac]

That's why I don't think people can rate Barry Richards, or George Headley for that matter, in the top 10 Test batsmen of all-time, simply because they didn't play enough. I know I don't, and I'd expect others to have some sort of criteria whereby the batsmen has to play a certain amount of games or score a certain amount of runs.

Not so sure about that, but just on Headley, he scored 10 of the first 20 centuries scored by WIs batsman, with no one else scoring two. Suggests he was great in a very average side

 

[Perm]

People can rate players on simply how they look when they bat if they want, I guess

They can, sure. I just don't think that's a very accurate way of measuring how good a player is/was.

 

[Fiery]

Yes. That was the point. It was a veterans game.

ok

 

[Perm]

Not so sure about that, but just on Headley, he scored 10 of the first 20 centuries scored by WIs batsman, with no one else scoring two. Suggests he was great in a very average side

I've no doubt he was. I rate him incredibly highly, but his lack of Test matches really hurts him.

 

[The Sean]

As for this exercise...should we do the honourable thing and give Braddles the top spot, then vote for our NEXT ten? With the good Doctor excluded due to the Test criteria, is there anyone (other than Heath) who is seriously going to nominate anyone other than The Don as number 1?

 

[Fiery]

They can, sure. I just don't think that's a very accurate way of measuring how good a player is/was.

What does "good" mean though?

 

[Days of Grace]

Richards would have been 52 10 years ago. Are you sure?

Richards is now 55 years old. Therefore, he would have been 45 10 years ago.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

I'll give the Don one thing, he looked to be a pretty good batsman on Celluloid.