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Greatest Australian bowlers and batsmen of all time?

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
Don't know, but all I know is the **** wouldn't meet me and my mate because we were a) dressed as a sheep and a farmer and b) pissed.
 

howardj

International Coach
Thommo comes across as a bloody red neck, who tries to be really blunt.

Anyway, RE McGrath and Lillee...yeah well I may have been wrong about McGrath having no blemishes in his career stats, but he still has Lillee covered on every statistical measure (average, economy rate etc), and lead the attack of an all conquering team for more than a decade.
 

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
Thompson's just a wild and woolly larrikin from what I've seen/heard about him, out of the Symonds mould. If he likes you, then he'll stand up for you at any time; if he's got no time for you, then you'll know about it, and probably hate him. Lazy as, couldn't give a stuff.
 
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Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
That's a nice article on Gilly. I must say that reading his autobiography, his self-doubt at the highest level really did come through pretty clearly.

Wonderful leave by NSW to retain Fat Phil Emery instead of Big Ears. I think the same selectors have chosen the side playing ATM.
 

robelinda

International Vice-Captain
I guess it was a different era really, could you imagine a gun keeper batsman being forced to leave his state now for some plodding fat ass who will never play test cricket? And yes i know Emery played one test........
 

hang on

State Vice-Captain
not sure about that. the last part of the article linked seems to suggest that personal biases might just end up leading to a surprise.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
My take at the top 25 Aussies:

Don Bradman, Keith Miller, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Greg Chappell,
Bill O'Reilly, Dennis Lillee, Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, Steve Waugh,
Clarrie Grimmet, Adam Gilchrist, Alan Davidson, Ray Lindwall,
Charlie Turner,
Fred Spofforth, Victor Trumper, Monty Noble, Jack Gregory, Mathew Hayden,
Hugh Trumble, Stan McCabbe, Neil Harvey, Warwick Armstrong, Richie Benaud

That's a serious amount of genius coming from one country! Hope, I haven't left out anyone obvious
I was thinking about your list today. The 18 names I've bolded are certainties in my top 25, the other 7 while great, do have competition.

In the end my 25 would include Hayden, Benaud, Noble (so 21 of your 25) but I would also include Walters, Ponsford, Tallon and Morris.
 

Redbacks

International Captain
Those that won't make the top 25 with specialities in ODIs:

Bevan, Symonds and maybe Hussey.
 

robelinda

International Vice-Captain
He can't be too far off really, not many Aussies with that number of tests and a 50+ average. Most batsman goes through a form slump, i don't know why people focus on the slump for some batsman yet excuse it for others. Champion player.
 

Ikki

Hall of Fame Member
Thommo comes across as a bloody red neck, who tries to be really blunt.

Anyway, RE McGrath and Lillee...yeah well I may have been wrong about McGrath having no blemishes in his career stats, but he still has Lillee covered on every statistical measure (average, economy rate etc), and lead the attack of an all conquering team for more than a decade.
If you include WSC and World XI tests then Lillee is slightly faster taker but slightly more expensive. It's very close on that statistical front. What hinders Lillee is not playing enough in the SC and not having a nicely packaged record. Regardless, even his contemporaries call him the greatest fast bowler of all time. And Lillee, when he had the teammates, also had a fantastic winning run. Indeed, that's what many would consider a strength - that Lillee was awesome when he had partners and when he didn't.

It's just false to paint it as if McGrath is that much better than Lillee that it's not a contest. Either way, Lillee or McGrath, the difference is very very slight.


not sure about that. the last part of the article linked seems to suggest that personal biases might just end up leading to a surprise.
You'd have to be biased to the point of hatred/idol-worship to consider Warne, or anyone ever, better than The Don.
 
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Spark

Global Moderator
He can't be too far off really, not many Aussies with that number of tests and a 50+ average. Most batsman goes through a form slump, i don't know why people focus on the slump for some batsman yet excuse it for others. Champion player.
The issue with Hussey is that he was very, very lucky to be picked throughout 2009/10. Obviously good for us that he did, but he was a middle order deadweight for a fairly decent amount of time.

That his average is still well over 50 shows just how good he was outside that period, though.
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
If you include WSC and World XI tests then Lillee is slightly faster taker but slightly more expensive. It's very close on that statistical front. What hinders Lillee is not playing enough in the SC and not having a nicely packaged record. Regardless, even his contemporaries call him the greatest fast bowler of all time. And Lillee, when he had the teammates, also had a fantastic winning run. Indeed, that's what many would consider a strength - that Lillee was awesome when he had partners and when he didn't.

It's just false to paint it as if McGrath is that much better than Lillee that it's not a contest. Either way, Lillee or McGrath, the difference is very very slight.




You'd have to be biased to the point of hatred/idol-worship to consider Warne, or anyone ever, better than The Don.
Gideon Haigh would consider Warner over Bradman I think.

Lillee's WPM figures are great. Right up there iirc.
 
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The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
Actually, out of curiosity, how far do people think Hussey is from this list?
FWIW (i.e. pretty much nothing) I've just updated my own rankings of Australian cricketers and Hussey comes in at 46. For context and comparison, the blokes either side of him at 45 and 47 are Wally Grout and Mark Waugh.
 

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