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Greatest finisher and clutch player ever?

Jumno

U19 Captain
In no order

Ben Stokes

-84 2019 WCF, I remember him hitting decisive 4's down to midwicket when 11 RR needed off the last 4, 22 off 9, 15 off 4, probably the most nerve wrecking under pressure knock of all time
-Ashes hundred

Bevan

-96 run chase vs WI
-96 WC SF vs WI
-99 WC SF vs SA
-2001 last odi in India
-2002 102 vs NZ
-Vs Eng 2003 WC
-Vs NZ 2003 WC
-His 180 odd vs Asia XI in 2000, I think he almost hit 19 in the last over to win

Dhoni

-91 WCF 2011
-183 vs Sri L
-His Adelaide knock vs Aus
-His knock vs Sri L
-Staying at the crease till almost the end in 15, 19 WCSF

Klusenar

-99 WCSF
-99 overall WC
-2003 WC first round game vs WI

Who in your opinion is the best two? Or you could name

Shane Warne

-96 WC SF
-99 WC SF
-99 WCF
-Many test matches

Grant Elloit

-2015 CWCSF
-2015 WCF

Laxman

-281 vs Aus 2001
-Aussie in India

Steve Waugh

-99 WCSF
-99 WCQF 120*
-Many tests

De Silva

-96 WCSF
-96 WCF
 
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SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
grant elliott
I know the rest of the world will scoff a bit, but Elliott is next level clutch. The knock at Eden Park was other-worldly, when he basically had no form in that tournament at all. Then he goes and makes 83 off 82 balls in a World Cup final with the rest of the side crumbling around him.

Dhoni definitely a good shout, Stokes loves the big moments, Bevan was the king at it, another smokey would be Andy Bichel - he had some massive moments in the clutch in ODIs.
 

Bolo.

International Vice-Captain
I dont think clutch players really exist in the sense many people are defining them in this thread.

Players coast to massively varying degrees in low stakes situations. You wont find a test player taking gully cricket seriously. But for a real world test example, see Miller allegedly shouldering up to a straight one on purpose on account of the stakes vs Bradman willing to get as many as he could vs. even the weakest opposition.

At the other end of the scale, everyone feels the pressure, and some players wilt worse than others when the stakes are extremely high. Guys like Bevan and Dhoni were defs some of the best at not wilting under pressure, but the fact that their names are coming up is more a result of them being some of the best bats ever and batting in positions that, one way or another, put the nail in the result. They were both as good up the order, when we attach less of a clutch lable to a performance, cos there is always a chance a player down the order can win it. And they were both great outside of key games
 

indiaholic

International Captain
Don't really think this is a thing. Most likely a fluke thing for batsmen batting down the order. Good players will turn out to be clutch over representative sample sizes.
 

Daemon

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Don't really think this is a thing. Most likely a fluke thing for batsmen batting down the order. Good players will turn out to be clutch over representative sample sizes.
It's defs a thing that some people deal with pressure better than others. What's harder is to say who's actually good at it based on a couple of performances. Lyon for example is a suspected bottler. That fumble at headingly was ATG bad. However he could've easily had Stokes LBW or caught on the boundary like 3-4 times and then he'd be the hero and Stokes wouldn't have played a clutch knock.

You get a good nut in the final and get out for 10 doesn't mean you got out because of the pressure. Likewise, just because you performed under pressure doesn't mean it was your mental toughness or whatever that made you do well, it could just be down to luck/skill/the opposition playing poorly/stars aligning.

The best you can do is make educated guesses and that's what the point of this thread is.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Don't really think this is a thing. Most likely a fluke thing for batsmen batting down the order. Good players will turn out to be clutch over representative sample sizes.
It's 100% a thing. Yes, people down the order will get to be clutch more often. And good players sometimes, mostly, whatever deliver big moments. But there are great, middle order batsmen who are not clutch. And there's average, above average players who are clutch. Bichel being one. Grant Elliott another. Arjuna Ranatunga was clutch. In pressure situations, they stood up the most.

Like for example, Martin Guptill is an ATG in ODI cricket for NZ. But he's not clutch. Elliott is not an ATG and his record is only OK, but he delivered in some MASSIVE moments. Corey Anderson was a good hitter, but I don't recall him finishing games. Michael Bevan was great, and he had a calm head and a superb knack for icing games. He was clutch.
 

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