Nathan Astle or Stephen Fleming. Who was the better batsman?

[mr_mister]

The two contenders for best NZ bat in the immediate post-crowe era. Which was better though?

 

[smash84]

Not an easy question.

Fleming the grittier batsman. Nathan Asshole the more attacking one.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

Reckon Fleming had more class and better technique, but Astle had easily the greater natural talent and hand-eye.

 

[Zinzan]

The two contenders for best NZ bat in the immediate post-crowe era. Which was better though?

Tests, ODIs or overall? Should stipulate on here because it's generally assumed to be tests unless otherwise stated.

Anyway. Tests, Fleming marginally, ODIs Astle, comfortably. Overall probably about even since I place a higher weighting towards test matches.

 

[NZTailender]

ODIs: Astle
Tests: Fleming
Both were attractive to watch, but Fleming Steve Waugh'd for NZ while Astle Mark Waugh'd.

 

[NZTailender]

In b4 gnske/jedibrah/aussiecoterie "they were both ****"

 

[thierry henry]

Fleming comfortably enough imo. Astle a liiiiittle bit overrated in ODIs. One of those guys where the stats aren't that good, and people tell you to look past the stats, and they're only partly right.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Not an easy question.

Fleming the grittier batsman. Nathan Asshole the more attacking one.

I don't know if this is a genuine typo or another one of smali's 'jokes'

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Fleming for me even though he didn't score anywhere near the amount of hundreds a player with his talent should have. Always felt with Astle he was about to have a brainfart and give it away whether he was just in or set.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Reckon Fleming had more class and better technique, but Astle had easily the greater natural talent and hand-eye.

but would they make an Oceania all-time XI?

 

[Black_Warrior]

Tests or ODIs?

Please specify

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Talent-wise Craig McMillan was better than both of them. I wonder how much the diabetes affected him.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

Talent-wise Craig McMillan was better than both of them. I wonder how much the diabetes affected him.

I always used to wonder if the 'beetus led to McMillan getting rushes of low or high blood sugar, because he seemed to make astonishingly and inexplicably poor batting decisions. Agree that he was probably the most talented batsman we had between Crowe and Taylor. Also probably the most disappointing.

 

[Spikey]

ODIs: Astle
Tests: Fleming
Both were attractive to watch, but Fleming Steve Waugh'd for NZ while Astle Mark Waugh'd.

doesnt fleming's conversion rate kill him here

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Fleming comfortably enough imo. Astle a liiiiittle bit overrated in ODIs. One of those guys where the stats aren't that good, and people tell you to look past the stats, and they're only partly right.

Nah what was expected of an ODI batsmen in those days was totally different. His stats WERE good in the context. Not great, mind you, but good.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

Astle had 16 ODI tons. He was not overrated.

 

[Moss]

Fleming comfortably enough imo. Astle a liiiiittle bit overrated in ODIs. One of those guys where the stats aren't that good, and people tell you to look past the stats, and they're only partly right.

Equally, thought Astle was a little bit underrated in tests, and I would look past the stats (his record is actually pretty decent for someone with such hard hands and a loose technique). Quite a few of those 11 hundreds (not just the 222) were backs-to-the-wall-efforts, and the century while unwell at Ahmedabad in 2003 when NZ could've been cleaned out sticks in the mind. Astle dropped off a bit in his last couple of years while Fleming got better with time.

 

[Dan]

Tastle.

 

[Flem274*]

Fleming

 

[wellAlbidarned]

quick someone make a multi called Astle222