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Second greatest Australian batsman

Who is the second greatest Australian test batsman?

  • Victor Trumper

    Votes: 17 26.6%
  • Stan McCabe

    Votes: 3 4.7%
  • Bill Ponsford

    Votes: 3 4.7%
  • Neil Harvey

    Votes: 4 6.3%
  • Lindsay Hassett

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bob Simpson

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Greg Chappell

    Votes: 16 25.0%
  • Allan Border

    Votes: 4 6.3%
  • Steve Waugh

    Votes: 12 18.8%
  • Ricky Ponting

    Votes: 4 6.3%
  • Matthew Hayden

    Votes: 1 1.6%
  • Damien Martyn

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    64

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
At the request of SJS in the Greatest English Batsman thread, here's one for Australia, excluding Bradman who would undoubtedly finish first. Personally, my choice is Greg Chappell, by a small margin.
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
Jamee999 said:
Gilchrist :P
Haha. I knew someone would want to vote for someone I didn't put in there. I only added Damien Martyn at the last second, and nearly put Gilchrist and Langer in there too. :P
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Ooooh. No Arthur Morris or Doug Walters? Or Dean Jones? Controversial! :p

Greg Chappell was a beautifully balanced player, from the clips I've seen of him.

It's tempting to go for Victor Trumper. From what I've read he was a genuine colossus of the early game & played his greatest innings on difficult pitches.

My vote to SR Waugh tho. Just about the perfect temperament for a batter; superb concentration & ruthlessly analysed his own game more than any batter I've ever seen.
 

a massive zebra

International Captain
Charlie MacCartney, Arthur Morris, Doug Walters and Adam Gilchrist should be on that list.

Contemporary opinion would point to Trumper - no other Australian batsman bar Bradman has ever been quite so revered and regard with awe, deference, and devotion among the players and commentators of the time. The stats however would point to Chappell, Hayden or Ponting.
 

Sudeep

International Captain
It's a very difficult choice for me to make, for I've seen Australian batsman who've played only over the last 15 years and not before.

I've heard/read a lot about Greg Chappell. However, having not seen him bat, would unfortunately mean that I'm not in a position to rate him #2.

Of all the Aussie batsmen that I've seen, I'd say Ricky Ponting gets my vote as the best, although I'd call it a close race between him and Steve Waugh.

It's unfair IMO, to leave Mark Waugh out of the poll, one of the classiest batsmen I've ever watched. He didn't get the farewell he deserved.
 

Swervy

International Captain
a massive zebra said:
Charlie MacCartney, Arthur Morris, Doug Walters and Adam Gilchrist should be on that list.

Contemporary opinion would point to Trumper - no other Australian batsman bar Bradman has ever been quite so revered and regard with awe, deference, and devotion among the players and commentators of the time. The stats however would point to Chappell, Hayden or Ponting.
so in your opinion who should it be?
 

a massive zebra

International Captain
Well, Hayden has a great record but the standard of fast bowling in his time was pretty low, and a number of people accuse him of being a flat track bully. On the rare occasions he was up against a high quality fast bowler the runs appear to be harder to come by.

So, either Trumper, Chappell, Ponting or possibly Harvey would get my vote.
 

a massive zebra

International Captain
I voted Trumper because I thought other people would not (most recent is remembered most fondly syndrome), but would be perfectly happy to go for Chappell, Ponting or Harvey if pushed.
 

Swervy

International Captain
a massive zebra said:
I voted Trumper because I thought other people would not (most recent is remembered most fondly syndrome), but would be perfectly happy to go for Chappell, Ponting or Harvey if pushed.
so is that based on what ex players, cricket writers have said about Trumper or is it based on FACT (ie using averages etc)
 

SpaceMonkey

International Debutant
Greg 'under arm' Chappell for me. Steve Waugh was a great captain (but who wouldnt be with players like that at his disposal!).
 

a massive zebra

International Captain
Swervy said:
so is that based on what ex players, cricket writers have said about Trumper or is it based on FACT (ie using averages etc)
It is based on what ex players have said. Trumper's stats are comparatively modest but he played in a completely different era on dire pitches and was confronted by frequent sticky wickets so averages are pointless really.
 

Swervy

International Captain
a massive zebra said:
It is based on what ex players have said. Trumper's stats are comparatively modest but he played in a completely different era on dire pitches and was confronted by frequent sticky wickets so averages are pointless really.
but werent you one of the people who said ex players meant nothing in the face of averages
 

a massive zebra

International Captain
Swervy said:
but werent you one of the people who said ex players meant nothing in the face of averages
What I was saying is averages are a better guide than heresay if the players in question played in the same era under similar conditions. Comparing the averages of players 100 years apart is meaningless. In 1900 a bowling average of 22 was reasonable, in 2000 it was world class; in 1980 a batting average of 50 was great, now it is very good.
 

Pratters

Cricket, Lovely Cricket
I am the only one who has put down Ponting. But no one has been given more than 3 votes which suggests no clear winners.

Ponting has done little wrong in his career as a batsman and has not shown any real weakness. He has grown in stature as time has gone by. It is important to note that he is currently compared with players whose careers has been finished. Ponting has a fair way to go in his international career and boasts of a high test average and important innings in both forms of the game.

While he has not faced the bowling which G.Chappell had to encounter, Ponting has faced whatever has been offered to him as well as any one on the list could have. And he has made runs whatever be the occassion. Failed in India but is certainly no dud in the subcontinent. Ponting is not rated as highly as Dravid maybe as a test batsman by some buy I would rate him equal.

Also, having watched him right from the start most of us fail to appreciate his great talent and development as a player at the current moment. The effort in the Asia vs World match hardly deserved praise. Why? Cause it was made by Ponting who so commonly does make these runs.

Another hallmark of Ponting's high statur - people discuss more when he is out of form rather than when he is in form. It is almost a norm for him to be in form and be making those effortless runs.
 

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