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Mark Waugh vs Graham Thorpe

Better Test Batsman?


  • Total voters
    17
  • Poll closed .

mr_mister

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Despite being known as inconsistent/not doing justice to his talent and ending up with a lower test average than a lot of his australian 90s peers it can't be forgotten how good Junior was. Essential in many ashes campaigns, played some amazing knocks against peak SA in 97/98, there was the cruical 126 against the windies that got overshadowed by his brothers 200 and a very impressive 153* in India, a place where not many Australians have ever been able to get big daddy hundreds

153 being your highest of 20 tons(and only 150+ score) was always going to mean he short changed himself on his average.

However, his frequency of match winning knocks was nearly par with his brother during the period their test career overlapped. His overall ratio of tons to tests was only slightly behind him and his overall ratio of 50+ scores to tests actually a bit better. Steven converting nearly half of his tons into 150+ scores (14 of 32, half of them unbeaten) was the big difference maker in their averages and why one is remembered retrospectively as far superior. I suppose rightly so as that's a really impressive stat, though almost surplus to requirements in that era where you could bank on several batsmen to ton up multiple times a series.

Having occasional moments where he just forgot how to bat (he had 4 series where he averaged under 15) is also a bit damning for Junior, but he didn't go missing as often as the modern narrative pushes. At least after 1993 or so

But yeah, better than Thorpe
 
Last edited:

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Unashamedly biased towards Thorpey, who was like a shaft of light from heaven illuminating the stygian darkness of late 90s/early 00s English batting orders.

I'm still dirty on his behalf that he was ditched ahead of the 05 Ashes because Ding Dong filled his boots against the sub-prime Banglas.
 

Arachnodouche

International Captain
Two of the most elegant batsmen of the 90s. My dad very randomly used to think Thorpe a really handsome man.

I used to tune in just to watch Mark Waugh though. He'll always be my absolute favorite.
 

flibbertyjibber

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Probably my two favourite players of the 90's and completely contrasting styles. Thorpe just edges it on national bias but if I was a crim i'd be saying Waugh.
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
After his return to the fold in 2003 (or was it 2004? I forget) until his retirement Thorpe was more important to the England test team than Waugh ever was to Australia's.
 

Gob

International Coach
After his return to the fold in 2003 (or was it 2004? I forget) until his retirement Thorpe was more important to the England test team than Waugh ever was to Australia's.
Easy to be more important when you are half decent in a **** side tbh
 

harsh.ag

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Would MWaugh have been more prolific had Australia had a weak batting line-up? Anybody's guess. Wouldn't bet against it.
 

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