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Hobbs vs Sutcliffe

Burgey

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Played for longer and traversed at least two eras of test cricket, imo. Sheer volume of runs maybe? Dunno, both greats, no doubt about it.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Played for longer and traversed at least two eras of test cricket, imo. Sheer volume of runs maybe? Dunno, both greats, no doubt about it.
Pretty much. There was more to invite awe about Hobbs than there was about Sutcliffe, beyond question. Longevity, skill on wet (sometimes sticky) pitches - both had it by the bucketload. Hobbs, however, had this AND he was something of a revolutionary. Not anywhere near to the level that WG Grace had been, but almost undoubtedly the second most significant figure where the evolution of batsmanship is concerned.

However, Hobbs and Sutcliffe were both magnificent batsmen and two of England's best (arguably THE two best, though Hammond and Hutton too have a fair case there). Sutcliffe, almost certainly, does not get the credit he deserves as he happened to be playing (for much of his career) at the same time as the one opening-batsman England have produced who was better. Had Sutcliffe debuted a decade later (and, of course, we'd then have to assume not lost years to the war) he'd probably get the accolades he deserves. As it is, he's not all that often heard without "Hobbs and" preceding his name, which, while quite fair enough in the same way you'd never rate Haynes better than Greenidge, is something of a shame.
 

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