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Tony Greig

Tom Flint

International Regular
Is greig thought of amongst englands atg all rounders? Averaged 40 with the bat and 32 with the ball. Bowled spin and seam adding to his all round game. Yet never seems to be in the discussion. Why did he only play 58 tests, his last test was when he was 31 which seems very young.. if he had played a few more years and continued as he did he would have scored about 8000 runs and took close to 300 wickets which would surely have been an atg level
 

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
Second only to Botham amongst England all-rounders. HIs early retirement was due to being Kerry Packer's right hand man. He was short of greatness with bat and ball but made up for it in other ways. Thinking back to that time it always feels like Greig and Knott at 6 and 7 were digging England out of a hole.
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Greigy was brilliant, the more so because all the old farts weren't keen on him for being brash, South African and combative
 

Tom Flint

International Regular
So would he then be top 15/20 all rounders of all time? His numbers suggest so. Cant think of too many that were just as good bowling spin and seam
 

Howe_zat

Audio File
He was actually one of the top wicket takers in the world during his playing career. Behind only Lillee and Underwood.
 

watson

Banned
Probably a bit controversial, but Tony Greig is probably England’s best ever ‘Batting Allrounder’ because he averaged 40 at number 5 or 6 during a tough era for batting and after two rugged series against Australia and the West Indies.
 
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fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
With the benefit of hindsight Kerry Packer did the game a great service, with one significant exception, that being that whilst we did eventually see Greig and Botham playing together for England, it was the wrong Greig
 

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
With the benefit of hindsight Kerry Packer did the game a great service, with one significant exception, that being that whilst we did eventually see Greig and Botham playing together for England, it was the wrong Greig
Botham made his debut with Greig still in the team.
 

watson

Banned
Botham made his debut with Greig still in the team.
That was 1977 under Brearley. I remember seeing Botham’s first Test victim live - Greg Chappell bowled off an inside edge by a rubbish but somehow effective ball. In other words a typical Botham delivery.

Greig was a bit off form that series as he probably had his mind else where. Did still manage a sparkling 90 though.
 

Burgey

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Greig’s Knock in Brisbane in 74/75 is one of he great test knocks. Lone hand in a losing side against one of the best and fastest new ball attacks of all time on a fast bowlers’ paradise.
 

watson

Banned
With the benefit of hindsight Kerry Packer did the game a great service, with one significant exception, that being that whilst we did eventually see Greig and Botham playing together for England, it was the wrong Greig

Actually, it’s a shame that a few of the early 70s players didn’t overlap more with some of the players from the late 70s.

This would have been a cracking side....

01. Geoff Boycott
02. Graham Gooch
03. John Edrich
04. David Gower
05. Basil D’Oliveira
06. Tony Greig
07. Ian Botham
08. Alan Knott
09. John Snow
10. Derek Underwood
11. Bob Willis
 

watson

Banned
Greig’s Knock in Brisbane in 74/75 is one of he great test knocks. Lone hand in a losing side against one of the best and fastest new ball attacks of all time on a fast bowlers’ paradise.
What makes the knock even better was that he peppered Lillee with a few bouncers in Australia’s first innings thus supposedly starting the “Bouncer War”. By the time Greigy arrived at the crease when it was England’s turn to bat Lillee was ready to kill him.

I think that it was also that innings that Greig kept signaling his own fours with a wave of the hand.

Put the whole scenario together and you either have a very brave cricketer or a suicidal maniac.
 
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Engle

State Vice-Captain
So would he then be top 15/20 all rounders of all time? His numbers suggest so. Cant think of too many that were just as good bowling spin and seam
Definitely top 15 AR, arguably top 10.

Since an AR glues the gaps of the team, then one who can bowl both spin and seam is a rare and valuable asset.

Greig comes very close to being the best well-rounded AR (as opposed to batting or bowling AR) - just a shade better in batting than in bowling.
 

Tom Flint

International Regular
Definitely top 15 AR, arguably top 10.

Since an AR glues the gaps of the team, then one who can bowl both spin and seam is a rare and valuable asset.

Greig comes very close to being the best well-rounded AR (as opposed to batting or bowling AR) - just a shade better in batting than in bowling.
Yet he wasnt included inCW's all time 18 all rounders i looked at
 

quincywagstaff

International Debutant
Agree that he's underrated as a Test cricketer and all-rounder. I reckon that's because with most top-class all-rounders they're usually clearly stronger with bat or ball so you can focus on their best performances in that field and see their other skill as being on the cream of the cake. With all-rounders who are fairly evenly skilled their consistent contributions are usually not appreciated as much.
 

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