Top 50 Greatest test batters

[Johan]

I've already shown you, he is very consistent away overall. Only one poor and one mid series. WSC is simply too brilliant a series to ignore.

But the people I was subtly critiquing with my original post do turn a blind eye to WSC lol. And Yes, consistent but not spectacular, by just tests, David Gower had a better away record.

 

[DrWolverine]

Ricky Ponting
Great peak. Very dominant at that time. Should have done better later considering it was a batting era.

 

[Johan]

I'm pretty sure Michael Colin Cowdrey is rated higher in the English pantheon than Barrington ngl, def deserved to be on the top 50.

 

[DrWolverine]

Was Colin Cowdrey really rated higher than the legendary Ken Barrington?

The English have a tendency to rate performances against Aus much higher and his record was average.
27 Tests. 1618 runs. Avg of 35. 4 centuries.

Ken Barrington was just extraordinary.
Best post war record by England batsman in Ashes.
23 Tests. 2111 runs. Avg of 63. 5 centuries.

 

[sayon basak]

Was Colin Cowdrey really rated higher than the legendary Ken Barrington?

Yes.

 

[DrWolverine]

Surprising

Is it because his batting style was slow & boring?

 

[sayon basak]

Surprising

Is it because his batting style was slow & boring?

Yeah probably.

He has the longevity too. Personally rate Ken in the top 22, Cowdrey somewhere in the top 50.

 

[Johan]

Surprising

Is it because his batting style was slow & boring?

You have to remember, the critics at the time did not have internet and phones, they couldn't just pull up statsguru and look at numbers, so they judged by quality of knocks and memorable performances. Barrington made heaps of runs but most of his runs were on pitches specifically made for draws, Cowdrey has the more memorable performances in Ashes test.

Cowdrey, when 22 years old, made a 100 in Melbourne so good that Bill O Reilly thought it was the best inning he ever saw, he made 102 runs against Ray Lindwall/Keith Miller/William Johnston/Richie Benaud/Ronald Archer on an impossible pitch where England were out for 191. Cowdrey made 102, Rest made 80 runs for 9 wickets. This resulted in an English victory

in 1958-59, everything went wrong for England in Australia but it was Cowdrey who made a hundred against the Australians to allow England to save a game and not lose 0-5.

or in 1962-1963, In Trueman's game at Melbourne, Cowdrey and Dexter made 113 and 93 together coming in at 2-19 against a very strong Australian bowling to take England to 300+ and then both came and made 50s to chase down 240 on the final day, resulting in an English win.

meaning that Cowdrey has two match winning performances in Australian Ashes, and one match saving, the first being maybe top 10 hundreds ever. This is what people remembered mainly.

He had many such performances, he made 154 at Lords against a good Windies bowling coming in at 3-34 to win a game, he had a classic twin hundred performance against Wes Hall on a very fast pitch etc.

Though, that being said, Statistically they are not close at all, during the duration of Barrington's career, from 1959~ to 1968~, During Barrington's career

Barrington: 59.76
Cowdrey: 50.48
Dexter: 50.51

away from home

Barrington: 69.18
Cowdrey: 62.07
Dexter: 58.02

at home

Barrington: 52.30
Cowdrey: 42.50
Dexter: 43.62

 

[subshakerz]

But the people I was subtly critiquing with my original post do turn a blind eye to WSC lol. And Yes, consistent but not spectacular, by just tests, David Gower had a better away record.

Consistent is better than mediocre which is what you were using to describe it. And franky it's better or at least equal to Gavaskar.

And yeah its better than Gower too.

And no we don't need to restrict to test only.

 

[capt_Luffy]

Consistent is better than mediocre which is what you were using to describe it. And franky it's better or at least equal to Gavaskar.

And yeah its better than Gower too.

And no we don't need to restrict to test only.

Umm...... The only Country with any degree of challenge whatsoever he toured in Tests were the English. He averages the same there as Gavaskar, and England is considered Gavaskar's worst country.

 

[Johan]

Consistent is better than mediocre which is what you were using to describe it. And franky it's better or at least equal to Gavaskar.

And yeah its better than Gower too.

And no we don't need to restrict to test only.

Gower has a better away test record than Chappell lol.

I always discussed WSC and how the majority of people who turn a blind eye to Chappell's away record don't consider it.

 

[subshakerz]

Gower has a better away test record than Chappell lol.

I always discussed WSC and how the majority of people who turn a blind eye to Chappell's away record don't consider it.

I have always considered WSC with tests. You know that.

Chappell effectively isn't weak anywhere and is very consistent away moreso than Gower.

The only thing you can argue in Gowers favor is volume otherwise I don't see him superior anywhere except England. Even in WI considering Chappells WSC performance there is ATG level.

 

[Johan]

I have always considered WSC with tests. You know that.

Chappell effectively isn't weak anywhere and is very consistent away moreso than Gower.

The only thing you can argue in Gowers favor is volume otherwise I don't see him superior anywhere except England. Even in WI considering Chappells WSC performance there is ATG level.

It's same level but not the same, if you realised my comment about people ignoring Chappell's away record is not a reference to you.

bruh what? Gower is better in Australia than Chappell in England, Gower's Pakistan tour destroys anything Chappell did outside the big three of the time and Gower's TEST record in West Indies is above Chappell's.

 

[subshakerz]

Umm...... The only Country with any degree of challenge whatsoever he toured in Tests were the English. He averages the same there as Gavaskar, and England is considered Gavaskar's worst country.

Oh yeah you forgot Chappell did better against Hadlee in NZ than Gavaskar.

And I would take Chappell against the WI over Gavaskar.

Chappell simply was a better player of top pace than Gavaskar.

However, given that Gavaskar was also elite against spin and had the added burden of opening I consider him a slightly better bat.

 

[subshakerz]

It's same level but not the same, if you realised my comment about people ignoring Chappell's away record is not a reference to you.

bruh what? Gower is better in Australia than Chappell in Australia, Gower's Pakistan tour destroys anything Chappell did outside the big three of the time and Gower's TEST record in West Indies is above Chappell's.

Gower is nowhere near Chappell in Aus. If you meant Chappell in Eng, honestly it's not a big difference. Both mixed records but essentially par.

Gowers Pak tour was against a weak attack without Imran.

Gower with tests, yes is better in WI. With WSC, it's Chappell.

 

[Johan]

Gower is nowhere near Chappell in Aus. If you meant Chappell in Eng, honestly it's not a big difference. Both mixed records but essentially par.

Gowers Pak tour was against a weak attack without Imran.

Gower with tests, yes is better in WI. With WSC, it's Chappell.

When comparing away records, I usually go to the opponent's home wickets, IE It would be Gower in Australia vs Chappell in England, and Gower easily wins that.

Doesn't really matter, Chappell's tour had only the first wicket as challenging and Chappell made 20 and 13, he made 235 on a road where Imran didn't bowl a single ball and then twin 50s on another road. Gower had one hundred on a road but made twin fifties on a genuine rank turner where no other English bat crossed 30, and his 173* came on a genuine turner where Abdul Qadir got 194/10. Chappell has nothing of note comparatively away from home against quality spin bowling.

Nice, glad we agree.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Gowers Pak tour was against a weak attack without Imran.

He made runs there on genuine turners unlike Chappell.

 

[capt_Luffy]

Oh yeah you forgot Chappell did better against Hadlee in NZ than Gavaskar.

And I would take Chappell against the WI over Gavaskar.

Chappell simply was a better player of top pace than Gavaskar.

However, given that Gavaskar was also elite against spin and had the added burden of opening I consider him a slightly better bat.

Chappell played very early career Hadlee, when he was merely Good. He mostly plundered hopeless attacks in NZ.

It's Fine to be Wrong.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Chappell played very early career Hadlee, when he was merely Good. He mostly plundered hopeless attacks in NZ.

It's Fine to be Wrong.

This was a great innings against a Hadlee in prime form

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/australia-tour-of-new-zealand-1981-82-61403/new-zealand-vs-australia-3rd-test-63310/full-scorecard

 

[subshakerz]

Chappell played very early career Hadlee, when he was merely Good. He mostly plundered hopeless attacks in NZ.

It's Fine to be Wrong.

No you are wrong. He played Hadlee in 82 and scored well against him.