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West Indian with best defensive technique?

England First

England First

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
Not many spring to mind really? And for saying they were the best team from 1976 until 1995 and only lost 3 home test series from 1970 until 2000.

I know Chanderpaul was nuggety player and a tough out but he was hardly Dravid, boycott, Gavaskar, tendulkar, kallis. Also Chanderpaul didn’t play in the great era.

It’s hard to believe that they could have got enough runs and so consistently to be so successful with just attacking batsmen.
 
Flem274*

Flem274*

123/5
chanderpaul. not classical but he was basically glue in human form, ergo best defensive technique for his purposes. for earlier, maybe richardson?
 
mr_mister

mr_mister

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Also Jimmy Adams batted all day once in a test and didn't even get a 100... Don't remember him being much of a stroke maker yet still averaged 40 so probably had good defense
 
England First

England First

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
Desmond Haynes? When you can only watch highlights of players and not ball by ball footage it’s hard to tell really but Desmond seemed to play it straight.

Good shout with Richie Richardson. He had a great forward defensive.
 
mr_mister

mr_mister

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
SillyCowCorner1 said:
Carl Llewellyn Hooper.

I can watch him bat all day with either Shiv or Sarwan
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Was about to correct you as in my mind he's known for being a reckless cowboy... But maybe moreso for throwing away terrific starts with a rash shot rather than any kind of poor defensive technique

Someone like Chris Gayle, Jermaine Blackwood or Shimron Hetmyer you can truly say lack good defensive technique
 
SillyCowCorner1

SillyCowCorner1

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mr_mister said:
Was about to correct you as in my mind he's known for being a reckless cowboy... But maybe moreso for throwing away terrific starts with a rash shot rather than any kind of poor defensive technique

Someone like Chris Gayle, Jermaine Blackwood or Shimron Hetmyer you can truly say lack good defensive technique
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Most of my memory of Hooper came from when he was playing for Guyana in domestic first class games. My dad used to take me to the FC games at our local club where Guyana would usually play.

Saw some classic Hooper knocks. A double century in a rain-affected game against Stuart Williams' Leewards side was the best.
Battle for first innings points, and that would get you into the final.
 
England First

England First

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
I always found hooper to hit the ball in the air and be an attacking shot player but not a great defensive minded guy.
 
honestbharani

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
England First said:
Desmond Haynes? When you can only watch highlights of players and not ball by ball footage it’s hard to tell really but Desmond seemed to play it straight.

Good shout with Richie Richardson. He had a great forward defensive.
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Was gonna say Dessy. And Jimmy Padams in India a good shout too at least with the 90s rules and umpriring. Thought Braithwaite will be in this company but his form has gone to **** in last couple of years.
 
Lillian Thomson

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
The thread title and the opening post don't seem to be asking the same question. You won't find West Indian batsman with better defensive techniques than Viv or Sir Garry. A great "technique" doesn't equate to Chris Tavare patting back half volleys for 3 hours. If the question is about batsman who were dogged accumulators of runs then the best example is possibly Larry Gomes. Obviously not in the same class as a Boycott, Dravid etc, but a decent record and by all accounts difficult to bowl to.
 
S

steve132

U19 Debutant
Lillian Thomson said:
The thread title and the opening post don't seem to be asking the same question. You won't find West Indian batsman with better defensive techniques than Viv or Sir Garry.
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Old timers whose judgment I respected insist that George Headley has never been surpassed in this regard. :)

A great "technique" doesn't equate to Chris Tavare patting back half volleys for 3 hours. If the question is about batsman who were dogged accumulators of runs then the best example is possibly Larry Gomes. Obviously not in the same class as a Boycott, Dravid etc, but a decent record and by all accounts difficult to bowl to.
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I agree entirely. The great South African opener Barry Richards had a flawless defensive technique, but at the same time he was a brilliant strokeplayer who scored his runs very quickly.
 
F

Flametree

International 12th Man
When Sarwan came onto the scene someone of note (can't remember who) predicted he'd average 60. Assume that was in part due to a decent technique.
 
Victor Ian

Victor Ian

International Coach
What good is a defensive technique that only prolongs your loss? Im reminded of that 'the best defense is a good offense' sort of quote. There is a reason the great windies and Aussie sides rarely lost and it is not all about their defenses.
 
England First

England First

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
So are you saying that in West Indies dominance for 20 years and Australia’s for 10 years they didn’t have large periods in test matches where defensive batting was needed? Dude did you ever watch Stephen Waugh bat? Australia’s best batsman in there strongest period was really quite defensive and by his own admission only tried to hit the bad balls for runs. Of course West Indies and Australian batsmen in general were attacking nobody’s said otherwise.
 
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