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Cricket's great all-rounders

watson

Banned
Re: Barlow

If you use the 'Advanced Filter' and plug in 'Opener' as the 'Batting Position', '1-20' wickets as the 'Wickets Taken', 'Bowling Formats' as the Format, then the 'Filtered' results are;

Matches = 8
Wickets = 19
Bowling Ave = 20.1
SR = 38.2
BBI = 5/85

Which implies that Barlow was more deadly than Malcolm Marshall as a bowler when he also opened the batting lol.

If you select 'Batting Formats' instead then the 'Filtered' results are;

Matches = 28
Runs = 2290
100s= 5
50s = 14
Batting Ave = 45.80

Which implies that I'm going for a beer because none of that makes sense.
 

Jager

International Debutant
I think his batting figures would be irrelevant when talking about his bowling, because you can just use his overall record, right? Whereas bowling has a lot to do with how your captain played you.
 

Marius

International Debutant
Two other South African all-rounders besides Barlow, Goddard, Faulkner, Procter, S.Pollock and Kallis are Clive Rice and Brian McMillan.

If Rice could have played test cricket during isolation there is no doubting he would have been up there with the best.

McMillan prob the best all-rounder in the world for a period in the mid 90's.
Yeah, was just about to say that.

Agreed. Always liked McMillan but I think he was a bit of an underachiever, when he wanted to hit the ball he could, but he so seldom let his aggression take over.

And Clive Rice would have been considered one of the great '80s allrounders along with Hadlee, Imran, Botham, and Kapil if he had played Tests.

Fact.
 

SeamUp

International Coach
Yeah, was just about to say that.

Agreed. Always liked McMillan but I think he was a bit of an underachiever, when he wanted to hit the ball he could, but he so seldom let his aggression take over.

And Clive Rice would have been considered one of the great '80s allrounders along with Hadlee, Imran, Botham, and Kapil if he had played Tests.

Fact.
We've also got to remember that McMillan only got his test debut at the age of 29 in 1992. So could have achieved more in the range from 24 to 29 years of age. His bowling was always steady and like Kallis and Barlow they used to chip in with wickets and hit the bat hard (ie heavy ball). If I'm honest....one of the best slip fielders to have graced the game as well. 'Big Mac' had buckets for hands. Averaged 39.36 with the bat and 33.82 with the ball which is still pretty good.

Ricey was the full package and like Barlow they were born with the ability to lead. The years of success in the teams he played for was no coincidence. Top cover fielder as well as a proper batsman and a proper bowler.
 
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Marius

International Debutant
Batting average of 32 (in 108 tests) surely qualifies?

And he didn't need to scare many people with Donald operating from the other end.
Yeah an average of 32 after 100 tests with 2 hundreds and a 99*?

Yeah, he musta been really rubbish and lucky 8-)

He was better than half the guys who batted for England at No. 3 in the 1990s.

Cough Jason Gallian Cough
 
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Marius

International Debutant
We've also got to remember that McMillan only got his test debut at the age of 29 in 1992. So could have achieved more in the range from 24 to 29 years of age. His bowling was always steady and like Kallis and Barlow they used to chip in with wickets and hit the bat hard (ie heavy ball). If I'm honest....one of the best slip fielders to have graced the game as well. 'Big Mac' had buckets for hands. Averaged 39.36 with the bat and 33.82 with the ball which is still pretty good.

Ricey was the full package and like Barlow they were born with the ability to lead. The years of success in the teams he played for was no coincidence. Top cover fielder as well as a proper batsman and a proper bowler.
And he had a period of batting No 3 for SA for a while.

I think Bob Woolmer said that he had the best batting technique in the South African side, when he had been coaching them.
 

Dan

Hall of Fame Member
Re: Barlow

If you use the 'Advanced Filter' and plug in 'Opener' as the 'Batting Position', '1-20' wickets as the 'Wickets Taken', 'Bowling Formats' as the Format, then the 'Filtered' results are;

Matches = 8
Wickets = 19
Bowling Ave = 20.1
SR = 38.2
BBI = 5/85

Which implies that Barlow was more deadly than Malcolm Marshall as a bowler when he also opened the batting lol.

If you select 'Batting Formats' instead then the 'Filtered' results are;

Matches = 28
Runs = 2290
100s= 5
50s = 14
Batting Ave = 45.80

Which implies that I'm going for a beer because none of that makes sense.
That's what I got too - and I'm pretty confident Barlow opened in almost all of his matches, not 8.

Massive WTF.
 

SeamUp

International Coach
And he had a period of batting No 3 for SA for a while.

I think Bob Woolmer said that he had the best batting technique in the South African side, when he had been coaching them.

Yeah, I definitely remember that. Bob was a superb coach.

That was the period where were waiting for a Jacques Kallis to come along.

Wessles had retired and Cullinan was the number 4 and Cronje who was given opportunities at 3 was always a better 5 or 6 like Jonty was so they decided to put Big Mac up to 3 at times because of his technique.

Because they did try players like John Commins and other players that had been on the first class scene and done well but they really were looking for a youngster to balance the age of the side out.
 

Marius

International Debutant
Yeah, I definitely remember that. Bob was a superb coach.

That was the period where were waiting for a Jacques Kallis to come along.

Wessles had retired and Cullinan was the number 4 and Cronje who was given opportunities at 3 was always a better 5 or 6 like Jonty was so they decided to put Big Mac up to 3 at times because of his technique.

Because they did try players like John Commins and other players that had been on the first class scene and done well but they really were looking for a youngster to balance the age of the side out.
Yeah, you're right, that was one of the Achilles Heels of SA for a long time, the lack of a dependable No 3.

Hansie couldn't cut the mustard at No 3, you're right, he was way better at No 5 or so.

Rudi Steyn had a run at No 3 as well I think in that period.
 

Rasimione

U19 Captain
It always takes me back at how highly Shaun pollock's batting, in particular, is rated on this forum. Surely has the most inflated batting statistics to actual ability ratio in the world. Was nothing more than a lower order player who was good for a bit of nuisance value on his day in my eyes.

And as a bowler he didn't scare me as an opposition supporter, but there's no doubting he was a very good operator.
what a load of rubbish.
 

SeamUp

International Coach
Yeah, you're right, that was one of the Achilles Heels of SA for a long time, the lack of a dependable No 3.

Hansie couldn't cut the mustard at No 3, you're right, he was way better at No 5 or so.

Rudi Steyn had a run at No 3 as well I think in that period.
The number 3 position did trouble us because the classy but old Peter Kirsten assumed the role after re-admission and and Kepler then took over and when they were both gone we struggled to find someone for the number 3 role.

Eventhough Cronje (forgetting scandal) and Rhodes were boy-hood heroes for so many because of their excitement factor and Cronje's captaincy and Jonty's fielding they never really had sound proof techniques but they did have fight. In a strong era for bowling averaging 36 and 35 isn't that bad I suppose because they weren't mugs. I remember them playing some great innings. ODI cricket was their strength.

I remember Rudi Steyn, think he is involved with Knights/Free State cricket still. Can't remember if he batted 3 or opened when he was given his chance.
 

Marius

International Debutant
The number 3 position did trouble us because the classy but old Peter Kirsten assumed the role after re-admission and and Kepler then took over and when they were both gone we struggled to find someone for the number 3 role.

Eventhough Cronje (forgetting scandal) and Rhodes were boy-hood heroes for so many because of their excitement factor and Cronje's captaincy and Jonty's fielding they never really had sound proof techniques but they did have fight. In a strong era for bowling averaging 36 and 35 isn't that bad I suppose because they weren't mugs. I remember them playing some great innings. ODI cricket was their strength.

I remember Rudi Steyn, think he is involved with Knights/Free State cricket still. Can't remember if he batted 3 or opened when he was given his chance.
Yeah, in the 1990s we didn't really have any world-class batsmen, although Jonty and Hansie played some great innings.

I was at Centurion the day Hansie hit Murali for 3 (I think) consecutive sixes to get, what was at the time, the second fastest 50 in Test history.

Hmm, the two best South African batsman of the '90s were probably Gary Kirsten and Darryl Cullinan.
 

SeamUp

International Coach
Yeah, in the 1990s we didn't really have any world-class batsmen, although Jonty and Hansie played some great innings.

I was at Centurion the day Hansie hit Murali for 3 (I think) consecutive sixes to get, what was at the time, the second fastest 50 in Test history.

Hmm, the two best South African batsman of the '90s were probably Gary Kirsten and Darryl Cullinan.
Gibbs and Kallis both debuted 96 and 95 respectively as well so they did play a fair chunk of 90's.

But definitely G. Kirsten and Cullinan were the standout of their generation because we were going through a generation change really after isolation. With great batsman of the 80's all pushing on like Cook, Wessels, McEwan, P.Kirsten and missing the boat really due to isolation. Robin Smith had joined Lamb in moving to England.

Hudson in a way was like Rhodes and Cronje. They played the most majestic of innings at times but weren't consistent enough to have average of over 40. I would pay to watch a Hudson hundred anyday of the week! He just loved facing quick bowling. Alviro Petersen currently reminds me of Hudson.

But considering all that we still were a real force in the 90's. Hardly losing series thanks to our bowling. Likes of Donald, Pollock, Fanie, Schultz (disappointingly few test matches), Ntini and Adams when he was around.
 
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SeamUp

International Coach
There were big questions why Barry Richards didn't play in the 66/67 series. Barlow and Goddard formed a reliable opening pair and Barry was surprisingly snubbed there.

In the 69/70 series when Goddard was over the hill, in the couple of games he played he first of all batted 9 but then out of nowhere opened with Barry next game and Barlow decided to drop to bat number 5 and scored a 100.
 

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