Rest of the Greats

[Xuhaib]

We all know Windies of the 80's and Aus of late 90's early 00's are arguably two greatest sides of all time. What are the other great sides who managed excellence over a period of time. I am looking for atleast 4 years or 20 tests.These would be some of the great sides in my time.

Pakistan 87-93

High's
Away series wins in India and England. Home any Away drawn series with an ATG Westindies side. 100% home record albeit with some umpiring support.

Low's
Lost series in Australia.

Aus 95-99

High's
First side in 15 years to beat Westindies and that too away. Away wins in Pakistan and South Africa their two closest rival in that time period. Home and Away comprehensive Ashes wins.

Low's
Away loss to India and Lanka.

England 2003-2005

Highs
Away wins in Westindies and South Africa. Home Ashes win vs an ATG Australian side.

Low's
None. A short time period stops them from being rated as an ATG side.

India 07-10

High's
Away wins in England and an away draw series with South Africa their nearest rival. Dominating home record.

Low's
Away loss to Mendis and Murali.

So what are the other great test sides over the history? and can we have a top 10 rating for all time great test sides?

 

[weldone]

a> Bradman's Invincibles

b> The South Africa side just before the ban

c> Hutton's England in the 50's

These 3 are probably the best 3 teams ever except the Lloyd's West Indies and McGrath-Warne's Australia.

 

[MrPrez]

Didn't SA beat India in India between 2007 and 2010?

 

[Xuhaib]

a> Bradman's Invincibles

b> The South Africa side just before the ban

c> Hutton's England in the 50's

These 3 are probably the best 3 teams ever except the Lloyd's West Indies and McGrath-Warne's Australia.

How many test or years they played together I know they both had one gun series where they looked unbeatable but what was their record over a stretch of time.

 

[ankitj]

Didn't SA beat India in India between 2007 and 2010?

Think that was 2006.

EDIT: Actually no, it was even earlier. Before 2004.

 

[Xuhaib]

Didn't SA beat India in India between 2007 and 2010?

drew their twice 1-1

 

[Prince EWS]

Gun thread Xuhaib.

 

[Satyanash89]

Early 70s Australia with Lillee and Thomson in their prime were fantastic iirc

Didn't SA beat India in India between 2007 and 2010?

Nah... THAT Australian team was the only one to beat us at home in the last decade or so i think...

 

[stumpski]

How many test or years they played together I know they both had one gun series where they looked unbeatable but what was their record over a stretch of time.

They had very little cricket in the sixties, due to being only able to play three opponents - and they didn't meet New Zealand after 1962.

 

[weldone]

How many test or years they played together I know they both had one gun series where they looked unbeatable but what was their record over a stretch of time.

I didn't read the OP carefully. Yes, their dominance weren't as prolonged as those two teams but the teams were seriously good. A bunch of excellent cricketers they both had. World War II and Apartheid didn't help their cause though. Hutton's England was dominant for quite a decent amount of time. So, probably they are the 3rd best side ever by that yardstick?

I just fizz at the bung at the thought of how greatly the West Indies-South Africa rivalry would have developed in the 70s and 80s iff...

 

[MrPrez]

drew their twice 1-1

Yeah fair call. But drawing at home twice in that period doesn't exactly translate to them being all dominant at home.

 

[Jono]

EDIT: Misinterpreted what you mean by "low".

 

[Athlai]

Include the key players to the teams IMO.

 

[Howe_zat]

Sobers' West Indians of 1962-67 were the first ever side not of England or Australia to conquer the world. They started by destroying India at home 5-0, and then went on to win every series they played for five years, including against Australia at home and away to England twice. In England in 1966 they won the first Test by an innings, drew the second, won the third convincingly and wrapped up the series with another innings win in the fourth Test.

They lost the dead rubber at the Oval, but after their win in the fourth Test at Leeds Wisden called them World Champions, despite the fact that no such title existed. Presumably it was just impossible not to think of them as such.

Edit: in accordance with Athers I'll post summat about the players

Overall figures
Player	        Span	        Mat 	Runs	HS	Bat Av	100	Wkts	BBI	Bowl Av	5	Ct	St	
LR Gibbs	1962-1967	23	89	15	4.23	0	107	8/38	23.52	8	15	0	
WW Hall	        1962-1967	23	468	50*	19.50	0	85	6/49	26.28	3	6	0	
JL Hendriks	1962-1967	11	239	64	18.38	0	-	-	-	-	24	3	
CC Hunte	1962-1967	23	1718	182	46.43	4	1	1/25	80.00	0	7	0	
RB Kanhai	1962-1967	23	2005	139	52.76	5	0	-	-	0	15	0	
CW Smith	1962-1962	1	16	12	16.00	0	-	-	-	-	1	1	
GS Sobers	1962-1967	23	2162	174	65.51	6	89	5/41	27.29	3	44	0	
JS Solomon	1962-1965	13	531	96	27.94	0	3	1/23	44.00	0	4	0	
SC Stayers	1962-1962	4	58	35*	19.33	0	9	3/65	40.44	0	0	0	
CD Watson	1962-1962	1	0	0	0.00	0	1	1/20	26.00	0	0	0	
FMM Worrell	1962-1963	10	474	98*	43.09	0	5	2/12	45.00	0	10	0	
EDAS McMorris	1962-1966	8	411	125	31.61	1	-	-	-	-	4	0	
IL Mendonca	1962-1962	2	81	78	40.50	0	-	-	-	-	8	2	
WV Rodriguez	1962-1965	4	96	50	16.00	0	3	3/51	65.00	0	3	0	
DW Allan	1962-1966	5	75	40*	12.50	0	-	-	-	-	15	3	
AL Valentine	1962-1962	2	18	7*	9.00	0	2	1/28	57.00	0	1	0	
SM Nurse	1962-1967	12	921	201	46.05	2	0	-	-	0	13	0	
BF Butcher	1963-1967	18	1294	209*	43.13	3	-	-	-	-	9	0	
MC Carew	1963-1966	3	59	40	11.80	0	1	1/11	11.00	0	0	0	
CC Griffith	1963-1967	18	336	54	17.68	0	70	6/36	24.68	4	11	0

 

[Arachnodouche]

Think this current SA side has fair dibs at being in there. Definitely much more than India 07-10. Incredible away record really; even the great Australian side didn't manage to a clean slate abroad for as long as six years.

 

[weldone]

Include the key players to the teams IMO.

Hmmm good call:

a> Bradman's Invincibles - key players: Donald Bradman, Keith Miller, Ray Lindwall, Don Tallon, Arthur Morris

b> South Africa before the ban - key players: Barry Richards, Graeme Pollock, Peter Pollock, Mike Procter, Trevor Goddard, Dennis Lindsay

c> Hutton's England of early 50s - key players: Leonard Hutton, Fred Trueman, Dennis Compton, Jim Laker, Peter May

 

[marc71178]

Think this current SA side has fair dibs at being in there. Definitely much more than India 07-10. Incredible away record really; even the great Australian side didn't manage to a clean slate abroad for as long as six years.

Incredible away record but if the Indian side can be questioned over 2 drawn series at home then they definitely need to actually won some home series - only 1 win out of the last 5.

 

[wpdavid]

They (SA) had very little cricket in the sixties, due to being only able to play three opponents - and they didn't meet New Zealand after 1962.

Any idea how SA went against Aus during the 1960's? I know that they won in England. My impression was that the 1970 whitewash of Aus was the culmination of steady progress throughout the decade.

Beyond that, the mid-1970s Aus side was fantastic. I know that the 1975/76 WI side was relatively inexperienced, but to demolish them 5-1 was quite something.

 

[L Trumper]

Post WWII

AUS: 1948 - 53 [Invincibles & Fast bowlers]
ENG: 1953 - 58 [Hutton-May era]
WI : 1962 - 67 [Sobers peak]
AUS : 1972 - 76 [Chappell - Lillee era]

In 80s : Hadlee's NZ, Imran's Pak

Probably mid-late 90s AUS, SA sides and India in 07-10. Once current SA side start to dominate at home they will also be up there.

 

[Daemon]

India's side definitely had an immense batting lineup, but on the bowling front they were comparatively really weak. I never felt they were dominating, just a very good side that could hold their own against anyone else in the world away while winning consistently at home.

I guess in terms of records and series results they have a right to be listed, but it just feels out of place when you look at the rest of the sides mentioned here on the bowling front.