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Joel Garner vs Dennis Lillee

Who is the better test bowler?


  • Total voters
    33

Coronis

Hall of Fame Member
How can you see someone as a HTB and simultaneously consider them ATG
My mind is open to a wider and more wonderful reality than yours. You’ll get there.

Being a HTB doesn’t preclude someone from being ATG.

Players I would consider fairly large HTBs but also ATGs

Headley (+30.11)
Pollock (+19.24)
Sobers (+16.07)
Lara (+10.85)
Ponting (+10.57)

Muralitharan (-8.23)
Imran (-6.56)
Trueman (-6.04)
Waqar (-5.77)
Anderson (-5.42)
 

Johan

Hall of Fame Member
My mind is open to a wider and more wonderful reality than yours. You’ll get there.

Being a HTB doesn’t preclude someone from being ATG.

Players I would consider fairly large HTBs but also ATGs

Headley (+30.11)
Pollock (+19.24)
Sobers (+16.07)
Lara (+10.85)
Ponting (+10.57)
None of those are HTBs, here are some real HTBs

Jayawerdene
Warner
Williamson
 

Johan

Hall of Fame Member
Personally, if someone averages more than 10 home than away, I’d call them a HTB. 5 for bowlers.
HTB implies to me that someone has to be underwhelming/subpar away from home, if someone averages 75 at home and 55 away then I won't call them a HTB. If someone averages 75 at home and 35 away then Yeah that's a HTB, someone who needs home tracks to really excell, if someone excells without them to varying degrees anyway them I don't think they are a HTB
 

Johan

Hall of Fame Member
I think the assumption with Weekes and Walcott is that if they had better health care and got more shots they'd perform away from home too but I don't think they're unequivocally regarded as ATGs in modern times.
 

shortpitched713

Cricketer Of The Year
Tests involving both Lillee and Garner

6 matches 12 innings

Lillee 28 @ 24.35
Garner 26 @ 22.15

Notably Holding had 38 @ 17.44 in those 6 matches.

Lillee only played county once, in 1988 after Garner had retired. However, Garner did participate in the 82/83 Sheffield Shield

Garner 8 matches 15 innings 55 @ 17.74
Lillee 6 matches 11 innings 22 @ 27.50

Nobody else took 40 wickets that season, only one bowler (Rackemann 23 @ 11.91 in 3 games) averaged lower than Garner.
So Garner always outperformed Lillee in these circumstances.

That's why he's one of the GOATs of fast bowling.
 

shortpitched713

Cricketer Of The Year
Following up on this, that season the teams played 2 matches. (notably, both teams were at the very top of the ladder - unsure what the distinction between NSW making the final and SA not making it was, but NSW beat WA in the final anyway. Lillee did not play in the final, all teams played 10 games.

First match: drawn at the WACA
SA 288 (Lillee 4/72)
WA 324 (Garner 3/87)
SA 387/7d (Lillee 0/58)
WA 209/6 (Garner 4/43)

Second match: WA win at Adelaide by an innings (Garner didn’t play)
I see a trend of Garner outperforming Lillee.

And yet Lillee leads this poll. 🤔
 

shortpitched713

Cricketer Of The Year
My mind is open to a wider and more wonderful reality than yours. You’ll get there.

Being a HTB doesn’t preclude someone from being ATG.

Players I would consider fairly large HTBs but also ATGs

Headley (+30.11)
Pollock (+19.24)
Sobers (+16.07)
Lara (+10.85)
Ponting (+10.57)

Muralitharan (-8.23)
Imran (-6.56)
Trueman (-6.04)
Waqar (-5.77)
Anderson (-5.42)
You forgot Matthew Hayden and the GOAT Vernon Philander, but I'll let you off this time.
 

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