Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

What the oleaginous Mark Nicholas would call the engine room. These are heavy hitters, so the minimum runs qualification for the list is set at 4500 (ignoring runs against BD and Zimbabwe). These are runs scored from 4-6 in Tests. A little surprisingly, Greg Chappell leads the way.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=batting


Setting the base so high meant Andy Flower wasn't included, even though he was in the top five averages for those scoring over 4000 runs, and he wouldn't have had equal opportunity to play so many games as other players. But I figured he was much more likely to get votes among the keepers. Other fine players aren't included, like Martin Crowe, Mahela Jayawardene and Clive Lloyd, but they can be selected in the thread.

If I'd just had runs scored at 4&5, Laxman and Malik would have gone, and Thorpe and Azharuddin come in.

A few hours left if you've not voted for the openers.

viewtopic.php?f=31&t=20726

And a few days to vote for the number three.

viewtopic.php?f=31&t=20730

I've gone for the obvious two I'm afraid.

Lara was the best, and you can't ignore Sachin's runs, longevity, as well as style. Add to that the pressure he was always under, and you have to say, he done alright.

M Crowe was a boyhood hero of mine. The first real classy player I saw who toured our shores, but he just wasn't as good as some of the others.

Border and Miandad would be my next choice.

Lara and Border for me, the latter being my skipper. I'm hoping Steve Waugh can get in among the sixes. Border feels like the founding father of modern Australian cricket, more than just a batter. And Lara is as near genius as batting gets. Tough to leave out Kallis and Tendulkar. JK lacks a bit of star wattage, and SRT perhaps hasn't got the key indelible innings needed to make it. From my perspective. All of these, for long periods (save perhaps Chappell, Malik and Laxman) when playing England, had that quality of seeming impossible to dismiss.

Miandad never seems to get the credit his figures suggest he should get. Sort of a Border type. Brilliant and incredible unyielding. But massively lacking in any glamour! And someone you hardly felt you got to know. Absolutely no window dressing.

I see King Viv's average dips a little, when batting at four/five.

Arthur Crabtree wrote:Miandad never seems to get the credit his figures suggest he should get. Sort of a Border type. Brilliant and incredible unyielding. But massively lacking in any glamour! And someone you hardly felt you got to know. Absolutely no window dressing.

A bat for your life type of batsman. Himself, Viv, and Border were the best three middle order players of the 80's.

Gingerfinch wrote:I see King Viv's average dips a little, when batting at four/five.

My link is 4-6. But he batted at 5/6 towards the end. His peak was at three of course, where he leads the averages since 65. I suppose it indicates how the end of your career damages your record, to be taken into account when considering ABDV.

Surprising Bell's record isn't better given he batted so well at 5 and 6.

Arthur Crabtree wrote:

Gingerfinch wrote:I see King Viv's average dips a little, when batting at four/five.

My link is 4-6. But he batted at 5/6 towards the end. His peak was at three of course, where he leads the averages since 65. I suppose it indicates how the end of your career damages your record, to be taken into account when considering ABDV.

Surprising Bell's record isn't better given he batted so well at 5 and 6.

Didn't Bell score a few against Bangladesh?

Gingerfinch wrote:

Arthur Crabtree wrote:Miandad never seems to get the credit his figures suggest he should get. Sort of a Border type. Brilliant and incredible unyielding. But massively lacking in any glamour! And someone you hardly felt you got to know. Absolutely no window dressing.

A bat for your life type of batsman. Himself, Viv, and Border were the best three middle order players of the 80's.

An intimidating batting line up there.

Might be worth nodding at Graeme Pollock, though I never saw him, and he didn't play after 1970. Not the eighties, but generally.

Gingerfinch wrote:

Arthur Crabtree wrote:

Gingerfinch wrote:I see King Viv's average dips a little, when batting at four/five.

My link is 4-6. But he batted at 5/6 towards the end. His peak was at three of course, where he leads the averages since 65. I suppose it indicates how the end of your career damages your record, to be taken into account when considering ABDV.

Surprising Bell's record isn't better given he batted so well at 5 and 6.

Didn't Bell score a few against Bangladesh?

Yes, but I wouldn't expect it to damage his figures that much.

Bell is the most overrated batsman ever.
never really performed barring a gun 18 month period.
averages low 30 in vast majority of his career.

Just for the record, runs scored against BD and Zimbabwe.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=batting

Bell averages 160 with three tons v BD. To be fair to Bell's stats, classy players like JK,SRT and Sanga got a lot of tons v BD/Zim. And Iron Steve Waugh averaged 250.

Most overrated player ever! That's a good way to start an argument!

Sussex might wanna see him with a M Waugh!