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Graeme Smith the Test batsman

KungFu_Kallis

International 12th Man
Another super dooper, is XYZ an ATG thread... but interested to hear the consensus.

Purely as a batsman, would Graeme Smith at this stage go down as an ATG. Perhaps one of the top 10 opening batsmen of all time may be one possible yardstick. Can one name 10 better ones?

My thoughts - Depends as always how heavily your personal rating is based on aesthetics and strokeplay (questionable quality), overall batting average (relatively unspectacular) or whether one looks more at important runs under pressure, e.g. 4th innings chases, or leading from the front by setting the tone for an innings/series. I understand none of his 25 centuries have ended up in defeats.

Perhaps scoring rate could come into it as well, his usually aggressive approach and the possible demoralizing or disorientating effect on bowlers caused by his bruising, leg side biffing style. And potentially setting a solid, even inspiring platform for team mates to build upon. I'm not sure what his record is all around the world, or what his overall consistency has been vs any lean patches (don't think there's been too many). And perhaps there are other intangibles may come into it.

Your thoughts.
 

Cabinet96

Global Moderator
I rate him pretty highly. As you've mentioned his 4th innings record is remarkable and he always seems to set up series well. His side seem pretty reliant on him as well, and they often fail when he does. For me, if you're looking at whole careers, he's easily been the best of the current openers. Not sure whether I'd rate him as better than Hayden.

I don't care much for strokeplay, though. As long as you get the job down it's fine by me.
 

uvelocity

International Coach
yeah he's pretty awesome. They have never lost when he's scored a ton. Those sorts of things are important in my book, you can have all the average you want, but winning games is the important stuff.

I'm an amateur on all the dead batsmen though, seems strange to me how much argument on here over people you've never seen play.
 

Red

The normal awards that everyone else has
He sits comfortably among the ATG openers imo. Hasn't scored big numbers against Australia which is the only issue, considering for the majority of his career they have had the greatest attack (then again, that makes sense, doesn't it?) One of those weird arguments. Overall average of 50 as an opener is excellent.

Tough man though, I admire his leadership. Remember well him batting with one arm (the other busted) in the Sydney test a few years back to try to save a game.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Fat hack, tbh.

:ph34r:

Nah, seriously, great clutch player and an amazing eye. Hideous technique and a very limited range of shots (more or less no off side game at all, can't sweep, tendancy to top edge pulls), but he gets the job done.

When he's out of nick (one thinks of our 2004/05 tour) he does look utterly woeful because his usual MO is so quirky he doesn't have the basic verities to fall back on. I always marked him down slightly because, rather than face his tormentor (Hoggy was hooping it round corners back then and Fat Gray's standard bottom-handed lunge down the pitch makes him a prime LBW candidate when his eye is awry) he went and hid in the middle order.

Can't think of too many top batsman I enjoy watching less tho. Even Hayden was easier on the eye and that isn't a sentence I type lightly.
 

kingkallis

International Coach
I rate him pretty highly and even CWers like him more than Hayden.

To me, him and Hayden has been 2 modern greats. The guy usually leads from the front and his match winning knocks puts him ahead of the rest. He never lost the game when he scored a 100 says a lot as well.
 

G.I.Joe

International Coach
Hack. Never scores a century when his team loses. Only shows up when his team's winning.
 

Pup Clarke

Cricketer Of The Year
Hayden was pretty bloody good to watch I thought. His pick up shot over long on after shimmying down the pitch to the quicks was amazing.
 

KungFu_Kallis

International 12th Man
Fat hack, tbh.

:ph34r:

Nah, seriously, great clutch player and an amazing eye. Hideous technique and a very limited range of shots (more or less no off side game at all, can't sweep, tendancy to top edge pulls), but he gets the job done.

When he's out of nick (one thinks of our 2004/05 tour) he does look utterly woeful because his usual MO is so quirky he doesn't have the basic verities to fall back on. I always marked him down slightly because, rather than face his tormentor (Hoggy was hooping it round corners back then and Fat Gray's standard bottom-handed lunge down the pitch makes him a prime LBW candidate when his eye is awry) he went and hid in the middle order.

Can't think of too many top batsman I enjoy watching less tho. Even Hayden was easier on the eye and that isn't a sentence I type lightly.
I think you'll find Smith was concussed that day and came in at number 8 to try and save the game, against Doctor's orders :ph34r: And almost did with 67 not out...

Wisden - South Africa v England
 

Top_Cat

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Not quite the best of his era, let alone an all-time great. 25 Test tons, 8K runs nothing to be sneezed at, though.
 
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fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I may be misquoting Richard here, but isn't Smith the possessor of a particularly good First Chance Average, by his reckoning?
 

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