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Mark Waugh vs Damien Martyn

Who was the better player?


  • Total voters
    63

Mike5181

International Captain
Damien Martyn



Batting Average
Tests 4406 runs @ 46.37

No contemporary cricketer, Tendulkar aside, made batting look so simple as Damien Martyn. But it was not always thus. For the brash 21-year-old who waltzed into the Australian team at Dean Jones's expense, batting was an exercise in extravagance. To defend was to display weakness - a policy that backfired in 1993-94 when Martyn's airy square-drive at a crucial moment in Sydney triggered a five-run defeat by South Africa and a seven-year hitch to his own promising career. By the time Western Australia, wanting a pretty face to spearhead their marketing campaign, had made him captain at 23, Martyn looked a tormented man. All the more remarkable, then, that he blossomed into a relaxed, classical, feathery artist. He was an elastic fieldsman and an old-style batsman whose first movement was back. He played with a high elbow, a still head, a golfer's deft touch, and had all the shots, including perhaps the most brutal reverse-sweep in the game.

Mostly, though, Martyn stuck to the textbook and composed pristine hundreds which, like the feats of the best wicketkeepers, passed almost unnoticed: an observation supported by the curious fact that, despite a Test average in the fifties, he reached the age of 30 without winning a Man-of-the-Match award. He was the quiet man of the 2003 World Cup-raising side, too, playing a minor role until he spanked 88 not out in the final - with a broken finger that later kept him out of a West Indian tour. His magnificent 13-month streak of 1608 Test runs at 61 and two Man-of-the-Series prizes from March 2004 finally moved him from the dressing-room shadows to the more uncomfortable limelight. Showing his hard-earned versatility, he crafted seven centuries on surfaces ranging from raging turners in Sri Lanka and India to green seamers in New Zealand and the hard bounce of home.


Mark Waugh





Batting Average

Tests 8029 runs @41.81

The twin brother of Steve, Mark Waugh was one of the world's most elegant and gifted strokemakers. His game was characterised by an ability to drive, cut, pull and loft the ball so effortlessly that it could make him look disdainful of the talents of bowlers. Waugh made his name as a middle-order player for New South Wales in the late 1980s, twice winning the Sheffield Shield Cricketer of the Year titles as he built and maintained a first-class average in excess of fifty. Although he lived in the shadow of his more famous brother for a number of seasons, progression to international cricket was inevitable. The only sour note when his promotion eventually came, for the fourth Test of the 1990-91 series against England, was that it arrived at Steve's expense. Critics took issue with Waugh's apparent loss of concentration at times and his capacity to occasionally succumb to lazy-looking shots. The weakness was on show most evidently during his disastrous 1992-93 tour to Sri Lanka when he scored four successive Test ducks, but it would be hard to find a player more difficult to contain when in full flight. To complement his batting skills, he offered handy part-time bowling as a medium-pacer-***-offspinner and a remarkable penchant for spectacular saves and catches - he had few rivals to match his freakish brilliance in the field. His many highlights included a world-record partnership of 464 for the fifth wicket with Steve for New South Wales against Western Australia in 1990-91; his sterling 138 on Test debut; three commanding centuries as an opener at the 1996 World Cup tournament; and 126 to seal the Frank Worrell Trophy in West Indies in 1995. The lowest moment came in late 1998 when it emerged that he and Shane Warne accepted money from an Indian bookmaker during a tour of Sri Lanka four years earlier. A laconic, unassuming character, Waugh announced his retirement from international cricket without fuss in October 2002 after losing his place in the Test squad to play England. He played on for two seasons at New South Wales, but his elegant best was behind him.

So who in your opinion was the better batsman and what did you like about their respective styles?
 
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smash84

The Tiger King
Two of my favorite Aussie players but will have to go with Mark Waugh. The most stylish batsman ever IMO.
 

Teja.

Global Moderator
Much as I love Martyn and dislike Waugh as a commentator, Waugh was the better batsman IMO. Played some truly awesome knocks against quality pace bowling. His debut knock was something else too.

Another thing in favour of Waugh was that he had a longer meaningful career, Martyn became a regular in the Oz team in only 2000(iirc) and left in 2006.
 

vcs

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Marto by a hair. WAG. :wub: Will agree that the difference in averages is not an indicator of how close it is, Waugh must have faced some seriously good WI attacks early in his career.
 

Athlai

Not Terrible
Martin Crowe > both of them

Interesting argument though, Waugh should have been better but I reckon Martyn may have actually been.
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
Waugh for me. It's close though, mostly giving it to Waugh because of the longer career and the consistency. Almost half of Martyn's tons came in one awesome year, and he was overall a bit more prone to bad patches or being worked over by a particular bowler or tactical approach, whereas Mark was a bit more well-rounded.

Mark's biggest weakness was his inability to really cash in when he should have, IMO. The guy played some amazing knocks on difficult pitches against great bowlers and was clearly a very accomplished test batsman, yet he only made one score higher than 140 in 128 tests. A bit of an arbitrary statistic, but by comparison his brother made thirteen.

He definitely had bad periods where he struggled but overall he contributed a lot more frequently than a 40ish average would suggest, he just threw his wicket away too much when another player would see an easy hundred for the taking and make sure he got it.
 

vcs

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Martyn had a really good extended peak between 2000 and mid-2005. Very balanced record, and also he was the biggest contributor when Australia finally conquered the subcontinent in 2004. For a guy who grew up playing his cricket on the bouncy Perth wicket to become so adept at playing spin in the subcontinent, was a great achievement.
 

Cevno

Hall of Fame Member
Mark Waugh for me.

Had twice as long a career ,so had ups and downs within it. While Martyn almost played all his international cricket in his prime so may have come out better in terms of records.

Both very good players to watch though.
 

Ikki

Hall of Fame Member
Mark Waugh: Overrated
Damian Martyn: Underrated

Reckon Martyn was the better batsman but Waugh had the better career in terms of longevity.
 
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Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Yeah that's a fair statement Ikki. Obviously Australia overall benefitted from Waugh's career over Martyn, but as to who was the better batsman, it isMartyn for me. That 2004 year is too epic to ignore. It's unbelievable really.
 

salman85

International Debutant
Waugh.

Played a large part of his career against better bowlers than Martyn.Was also not a huge part of the invincible Australian side of the 2000s where the distance between Australia and any other side was a country mile and a half,so the competition he faced was more even.This can't be held against Martyn,since he played when Australia were so dominant but when 11 of your 20 centuries are against Wasim,Waqar,Ambrose,Walsh and Donald,then you should be a better batsman than someone who played against bowlers lesser than the ones mentioned.
 

archie mac

International Coach
Loved DMs drive, very nice:cool:

Still would watch MW every day of the week. Hard to imagine even Trumper or Ranji could have been better to watch:)
 

ankitj

Hall of Fame Member
Mark.

One gets a feeling that M Waugh finished with lesser average than his ability warranted. He did play some memorable knocks against great bowling attacks, none more so than the one he played against SA in 96-97 to win an improbable match.

Martyn was good too but he played at a time when Aussies almost always had their tails up. So giving it to Waugh by a small but decisive margin.
 
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