DoG's Top 100 Test Batsmen - The Top 25

[Days of Grace]

24. Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies) (1994-present day)

Career Length (Days): 6943
Percentage of team's matches played: 78%
Career Average: 51.81
Adjusted career average: 49.84
Adjusted away average: 45.38
Adjusted top-opposition average: 49.80
Top Tier centuries: 8 (rank 7=)
Second tier centuries: 3
Third tier centuries: 12
Significant innings: 39
Significant innings per match: 0.26

Great innings: 3
3rd Test: West Indies v India at Bridgetown, Mar 27-31, 1997 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 16.35
1st Test: Australia v West Indies at Brisbane, Nov 23-25, 2000 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 14.05
1st Test: West Indies v Australia at Georgetown, Apr 10-13, 2003 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 15.87


Innings worth average: 3.61

25 Test peak adjusted average: 68.98 (2007-2010)
50 Test peak adjusted average: 64.18 (2006-present day)

Quality Points: 566
Career Points: 100
Peak Points: 138
TOTAL POINTS: 805


A modern-day George Headley, Chanderpaul has the classic stats of a great batsman in a struggling team, i.e. a high innings worth average, but a low percentage of significant innings per match. At age 38, he is still in his peak period, and it would be nice to see him contributing to some West Indian wins in the next year or so as the team itself seems to be much stronger and more unified than in recent years.

 

[smash84]

knew it .....

 

[kyear2]

Here are my top ten based on no criteria at all!

- Bradman
- Sobers
- Viv
- Hutton
- Tendulkar
- G. Chappell
- Lara
- Gavaskar
- Headley
- Hammond
- Trumper

Missed Hobbs?

 

[kyear2]

My Top 10

Bradman
Richards
Sobers
Hobbs
Tendulkar
Lara
Headley
Chappell
Pollock
Hutton

 

[Burgey]

Neil Harvey Rants ‏@NeilHarveyRants 6 Aug

In My Day if the Ashes were lost because of rain "The Don" would - oh I don't know it never happened In My Day #Bloodyhopeless

 

[benchmark00]

Great prediction from bagapath on Harvey. Outstanding.

 

[Spikey]

chanders too low

 

[bagapath]

Great prediction from bagapath on Harvey. Outstanding.

hahahahaha. Yeah, thanks. I have also predicted Don Bradman would be number 1.

 

[Coronis]

Am I the only one who loves his stance?

 

[NZTailender]

Chanders? Nah I'm a fan too.

 

[bagapath]

Am I the only one who loves his stance?

Chanders? Nah I'm a fan too.

that makes it a total of five

the two of you
chanderpaul himself
chanders' mum
his dog

besides these extremists, not even his wife likes his stance

 

[marc71178]

Missed Hobbs?

Give him a chance, he's already squeezed 11 people into his top 10, maybe he felt 12 would just be taking the piss?

 

[Days of Grace]

23. Graeme Pollock (South Africa) (1963-1970)

Career Length (Days): 2281
Percentage of team's matches played: 92%
Career Average: 60.97
Adjusted career average: 59.06
Adjusted away average: 47.96
Adjusted top-opposition average: 59.46
Top Tier centuries: 1
Second tier centuries: 6
Third tier centuries: 0
Significant innings: 12
Significant innings per match: 0.52 (rank 3)

Great innings: 3
2nd Test: England v South Africa at Nottingham, Aug 5-9, 1965 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 17.60
2nd Test: South Africa v Australia at Cape Town, Dec 31, 1966 - Jan 5, 1967 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 16.77
2nd Test: South Africa v Australia at Durban, Feb 5-9, 1970 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 16.32


Innings worth average: 4.15 (rank 3)

Quality Points: 688 (rank 3)
Career Points: 52
Peak Points: 75
TOTAL POINTS: 814

If quality was the only criteria for this ratings exercise, Pollock would be one of the top 3 batsmen of all-time. Some say he is just that. And one can see why just by glancing at his stats. Let alone those powerful cover drives. A brief career of seven years, the shortest of anyone in the top 50, hurts Pollock's overall rating. Which is a great shame. In fact, it could be argued that he is lucky to be ranked this high, since a lot of his runs came against a fairly weak English attack in the 1964/65 series in South Africa.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlKvulsSebs

 

[Coronis]

Not hard to guess the two ahead of him in quality, significant innings per match and innings worth average. Marvellous player, a great pity the world was deprived of seeing more of his talent.

 

[The Sean]

I was going to say that this is a real shock and that I would have expected him a lot higher (as I'm sure many others would have), but looking at the criteria it makes sense: immense talent and quality, but too short a career - relatively speaking - to be ranked right near the very top. Fair enough when you look at it that way.

 

[Spikey]

Great innings: 3
2nd Test: England v South Africa at Nottingham, Aug 5-9, 1965 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 17.60
2nd Test: South Africa v Australia at Cape Town, Dec 31, 1966 - Jan 5, 1967 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 16.77
2nd Test: South Africa v Australia at Durban, Feb 5-9, 1970 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo 16.32

Graeme Pollock BALL BY BALL 89 (71) vs Bradmans XI 1994/95 - YouTube a cruel exception

 

[Howe_zat]

When this is done I'd really like to see a list done by Innings Worth Average. After all that's what a standard batting average is, but it just assumes more runs = worth more.

 

[smash84]

This is a good list although I can't imagine Kallis coming in at number 2 since DoG places a lot of emphasis on runs coming in victories Lara and Richards would be higher

Bradman
Sobers
Lara
Richards
Ponting
Tendulkar
Dravid
Inzy
Hobbs
Headley

to round out the top 10

Next up would be Chanders, Weekes, Border and Pollock. In no particular order.

 

[fredfertang]

I'm beginning to think that none of DRJ, Derek Randall or Graeme Fowler are going to figure in this - flawed methodology imo

 

[MW1304]

Could look a fool when Inzamam turns up next, smiley.