Is Ken Barrington the Kallis of his generation

[Xuhaib]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Barrington

Was having a look at his career stats and was mightily impressed but then came across this piece. "However, he was an accumulator rather than an aggressive strokemaker, and he was sometimes accused of playing excessively slowly, on one occasion being dropped immediately after scoring a century."

So is this the reason he dosen't get as much accolades as his career record deserves?

 

[Athlai]

Kallis is hardly a stone waller.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Plus people actually liked Kenny.

Barrington never seems to get accorded the respect his record should demand for him tho. Whenever the "Who is England's best post-war bastman?" question is posed his name is usually noteable by its absence. I can see how some judges might prefer the dashing stoke play of a May or a Dexter, but Boycott's name is usually mentioned and his MO was primarily the same as Kenny's.

 

[analyst]

Test cricket in the days of Ken Barrington was played at a slower pace and most people respected players of that ilk, I don't think there are very many cricket fans who really want to see Kallis protect his wicket to the extent he forgets how to bat, espescially when he is playing against the likes of Bangladesh. It was quite embarassing watching a player of his class in the recent series struggle so badly, when he has such an array of shots in his locker. Espescially if you consider the Kallis who came into international cricket was such an aggresive allrounder in every sense, bowling and batting, Hansie Cronje had a lot to do with that I think and since Graeme Smith's captaincy, he has become this exceptional batsman but almost a shadow of that ambitious batsman who had the ability to change the course of a match if he wanted to, now its as if he has limited capabilities.

 

[archie mac]

KB had quite a gap between his FC and Test average, so that might have something to do with his being down graded

Liked to bring up his 100 with a six, not a stylist or a big hitter, but very hard to get out

 

[Matt79]

Seem to recall Bobby Simpson saying that Barrington was originally a rather free-flowing shotmaker, but that after he couldn't get selected, he heeded the advice along the lines that being a Test cricketer is not about playing shots, but about setting the highest price possible on your wicket, and reinvented himself as more of a defensive accumulator. Simpson commented that it was a lamentable orthodoxy that he hoped would be overthrown and that he hoped Ken would rediscover his flair.

 

[pskov]

Barrington was a dashing strokeplayer early in his career but when he dropped by England he vowed to get back in the side by never giving his wicket away so easily ever again. Also in regards to his poor FC record, he did play for Surrey and throughout the 50s the Oval was possibly the most bowler friendly pitch in the country.

 

[Matt79]

Makes him sound a bit like the Steve Waugh of his day, to a degree...

 

[chaminda_00]

The real story is that Barrington was a dashing player until he meet Allan Davison. Changed his games and stance all because of Davo. Thats how gun Davison is, makes a player change his game just for him.

But like Berrington, Davison often gets forgotten about when people look at all time Australian sides.

 

[Matt79]

The real story is that Barrington was a dashing player until he meet Allan Davison. Changed his games and stance all because of Davo. Thats how gun Davison is, makes a player change his game just for him.

But like Berrington, Davison often gets forgotten about when people look at all time Australian sides.

Yeah, Berrington and Davison get forgotten. But Barrington and Davidson get guernseys...

 

[Richard]

Davidson at least had a relatively short career though. Kenny Barrington played 80-odd Tests FFS.

And no, I don't think Barrington is the Kallis of his generation at all. Kallis is extremely unpopular outside of South Africa, due to all sorts of false ideals and like of patronising South Africans and much besides. Barrington was actually a hugely popular man - there was a wide outpouring of grief following his terrible premature death in 1981.

Sean has already mentioned the wide disparity between Barrington's Test record and his Surrey one - people must remember that in Barrington's day it still wasn't an absolute given that all international cricket was of a higher standard than all domestic cricket. If Barrington had averaged even 50 for Surrey I don't doubt he'd have been regarded as one of the greatest players England ever produced. As it was, there remained a suspicion among some that he was vulnerable to quick seam bowling of the highest calibre - Geoff Boycott I seem to recall mentioning this.

It seems a bit far-fetched to me and I've little hesitation recognising Barrington as one of the best Test (though obviously not domestic) players this country has ever produced and one of the finest servants to the England Test team of them all. Unfortunately, he couldn't replicate his Test success domestically, and while in this day that would barely register, indeed some even try to make it out as something in a player's favour, in his day that was certainly not true at all.

 

[Migara]

Superb batsman. Averaging 55+ over 80 tests is not a joke.

 

[Prince EWS]

Davidson at least had a relatively short career though. Kenny Barrington played 80-odd Tests FFS.

And no, I don't think Barrington is the Kallis of his generation at all. Kallis is extremely unpopular outside of South Africa, due to all sorts of false ideals and like of patronising South Africans and much besides. Barrington was actually a hugely popular man - there was a wide outpouring of grief following his terrible premature death in 1981.

Sean has already mentioned the wide disparity between Barrington's Test record and his Surrey one - people must remember that in Barrington's day it still wasn't an absolute given that all international cricket was of a higher standard than all domestic cricket. If Barrington had averaged even 50 for Surrey I don't doubt he'd have been regarded as one of the greatest players England ever produced. As it was, there remained a suspicion among some that he was vulnerable to quick seam bowling of the highest calibre - Geoff Boycott I seem to recall mentioning this.

It seems a bit far-fetched to me and I've little hesitation recognising Barrington as one of the best Test (though obviously not domestic) players this country has ever produced and one of the finest servants to the England Test team of them all. Unfortunately, he couldn't replicate his Test success domestically, and while in this day that would barely register, indeed some even try to make it out as something in a player's favour, in his day that was certainly not true at all.

I've always planned on studying Barrington's domestic career in more detail but I've never actually got around to doing it. I wonder what his First Class record would look like if you only considered the games he played after reinventing himself as a stonewaller. If it was anything like his Test record I think the mystery would be solved..

 

[BoyBrumby]

I've always planned on studying Barrington's domestic career in more detail but I've never actually got around to doing it. I wonder what his First Class record would look like if you only considered the games he played after reinventing himself as a stonewaller. If it was anything like his Test record I think the mystery would be solved..

He did play tests for over 13 years and had only been in the FC arena for two years before debut, so I don't think it can be just that.

It could be that he played county championship matches with a more positive/laissez faire attitude.

 

[Ernest]

Kenny Barrington was a far better player than Kallis.. he played with a two-eyed stance and yet was still able to make that many runs at that average (on crappy uncovered wickets) against some truly great bowlers.

Don't even mention them in the same sentence. Sacreliage.

 

[Richard]

It could be that he played county championship matches with a more positive/laissez faire attitude.

I've generally presumed this is a certainly-present factor, but as I say, it could also be the simple fact that some county attacks were better than some Test ones.

 

[Prince EWS]

He did play tests for over 13 years and had only been in the FC arena for two years before debut, so I don't think it can be just that.

Didn't he debut as a strokemaker, fail, get dropped and then get brought back a few years later, though? I'd assume he'd play less county cricket whilst in the Test team, too.

It can't just be that, no, but I think it might have played a factor. I should probably actually go through it before pursuing the debate though.

 

[Goughy]

Barrington never seems to get accorded the respect his record should demand for him tho. Whenever the "Who is England's best post-war bastman?" question is posed his name is usually noteable by its absence. I can see how some judges might prefer the dashing stoke play of a May or a Dexter, but Boycott's name is usually mentioned and his MO was primarily the same as Kenny's.

Anyone answering the question you pose above with the answer 'Ted Dexter' should be shot, or at least ignored on all matters cricket related.

 

[Goughy]

Barrington will always be considered a fine player.

Its just not likely that he will be considered a concensus alltime great unless career average is the sole criteria.

The last 5 years saw him score 14 of his 20 centuries against some soft attacks on easy tracks (over half the Tests he played in this period were draws and he cashed in).

He has a great record but circumstances may mean that this is possibly slightly inflated.

 

[Ernest]

The last 5 years saw him score 14 of his 20 centuries against some soft attacks on easy tracks (over half the Tests he played in this period were draws and he cashed in).

Here is the cricinfo link on Barringtons career..

http://stats.cricinfo.com/statsguru...=1;template=results;type=batting;view=innings

His last 13 test innings were against WI & Aus which were the best teams around at the time plus on uncovered wickets in the Windies & Australia..

I'd say he is one of the very best ever. Just not fashionable enough to be put in every day language. I don't think he would care.

He is one of my favourites . I don't think anyone would have been smiling when he walked to the crease.