Ranking the candidates for the second best batsman after the Don. 25 contenders

[mr_mister]

11 centuries from 35 matches is still better than Joe Root though

 

[vitalogy83]

1. Gary Sobers
2. Viv Richards
3. Jack Hobbs
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Len Hutton
6. Brian Lara
7. Wally Hammond
8. George Headley
9. Ricky Ponting
10. Greg Chappell
11. Kumar Sangakkarra
12. Graeme Pollock
13. Jacques Kallis
14. Steve Waugh
15. Allan Border
16. Herb Sutcliffe
17. Sunil Gavaskar
18. Javed Miandad
19. Rahul Dravid
20. WG Grace
21. Barry Richards
22. Everton Weekes
23. Clyde Walcott
24. Victor Trumper
25. KS Ranji

 

[Red]

Not criticising the work mr_mr has done here, but I reckon if we do this again at a later date, we make it pre-Hobbs and post-Hobbs, or something.

Most people are (understandably) putting Trumper, Ranji and Grace right down the bottom, and it probably doesnt do them justice.

 

[Coronis]

Man, imagine if Hobbs started his Test career earlier than the ripe old age of 26. Though he didn't play first class even until he was 23, older than most of these guys during their test debuts.

 

[jimmy101]

Technically speaking, whoever comes out on top out of Grace/Trumper/Ranji in this exercise would probably win a 'best batsman pre-Hobbs' vote.

The best batsman pre-Hobbs is a three-horse race between those guys, with Hill, Fry, Jackson, Shrewsbury, Murdoch & Hayward on the tier beneath.

 

[harsh.ag]

Here you go:

02. WG Grace
03. Brian Lara
04. Sachin Tendulkar
05. Viv Richards
06. Jack Hobbs
07. Garry Sobers
08. Len Hutton
09. Barry Richards
10. Greg Chappell
11. Graeme Pollock
12. Allan Border
13. Sunil Gavaskar
14. Ricky Ponting
15. Kumar Sangakkara
16. Wally Hammond
17. Steve Waugh
18. Rahul Dravid
19. Jacques Kallis
20. George Headley
21. Herbert Sutcliffe
22. Everton Weekes
23. Clyde Walcott
24. Javed Miandad
25. KS Ranjitsinghji
26. Victor Trumper

 

[steve132]

My list:

1. Hobbs
2. Sobers
3. V. Richards
4. B. Richards
5. Grace
6. Tendulkar
7. Headley
8. Hammond
9. Hutton
10. Lara
11. Pollock
12. Trumper
13. Chappell
14. Weekes
15. Gavaskar
16. Ponting
17. Border
18. Sangakkara
19. Kallis
20. Sutcliffe
21. Ranji
22. Waugh
23. Walcott
24. Javed Miandad
25. Dravid

If I could add any batsman to that list it would probably be Denis Compton.

 

[marc71178]

WG Grace
Garry Sobers
Jack Hobbs
Viv Richards
Brian Lara
Len Hutton
Ricky Ponting
Wally Hammond
Allan Border
Sachin Tendulkar
Barry Richards
Rahul Dravid
Greg Chappell
Herb Sutcliffe
Jacques Kallis
Sunil Gavaskar
Kumar Sangakkarra
Steve Waugh
Graeme Pollock
Victor Trumper
George Headley
Everton Weekes
Clyde Walcott
Javed Miandad
KS Ranji

 

[fredfertang]

WG Grace
Barry Richards
Garry Sobers
Graeme Pollock
Victor Trumper
Len Hutton
Brian Lara
Wally Hammond
Jack Hobbs
Viv Richards
Greg Chappell
Ricky Ponting
Allan Border
Rahul Dravid
Sachin Tendulkar
Herb Sutcliffe
Jacques Kallis
Sunil Gavaskar
Kumar Sangakkarra
Steve Waugh
Everton Weekes
George Headley
Ranji
Clyde Walcott
Javed Miandad

 

[ma1978]

Can we ban troll / tactical votes, because this is just nonsense

WG Grace
Barry Richards
Garry Sobers
Graeme Pollock
Victor Trumper
Len Hutton
Brian Lara
Wally Hammond
Jack Hobbs
Viv Richards
Greg Chappell
Ricky Ponting
Allan Border
Rahul Dravid
Sachin Tendulkar
Herb Sutcliffe
Jacques Kallis
Sunil Gavaskar
Kumar Sangakkarra
Steve Waugh
Everton Weekes
George Headley
Ranji
Clyde Walcott
Javed Miandad

 

[Coronis]

Yeah fred get that **** outta here.

 

[jimmy101]

I'd say that's probably the first time Fred has been accused of trolling.

 

[Himannv]

Garry Sobers
Sachin Tendulkar
Wally Hammond
Viv Richards
Brian Lara
George Headley
Jack Hobbs
Len Hutton
Greg Chappell
Graeme Pollock
Allan Border
Sunil Gavaskar
Javed Miandad
Barry Richards
Steve Waugh
Ricky Ponting
Clyde Walcott
Everton Weekes
Rahul Dravid
Jacques Kallis
Victor Trumper
WG Grace
Herbert Sutcliffe
KS Ranjitsinhji
Kumar Sangakkara

 

[Himannv]

It's a bit tricky to rate these players. I might wake up tomorrow and come up with a completely different order.

 

[mr_mister]

Can we ban troll / tactical votes, because this is just nonsense

nah, its all subjective

 

[mr_mister]

up to 20 voters already. going nicely

 

[fredfertang]

Can we ban troll / tactical votes, because this is just nonsense

That's it mate, start a debate

 

[harsh.ag]

Dravid over Tendulkar is a little bonkers though

 

[ma1978]

My sarcasm may have been missed. I'm a huge fan of your articles but the list is to quote a poster, slightly bonkers

That's it mate, start a debate

 

[weldone]

Dravid over Tendulkar is a little bonkers though

unless fred only watches test cricket when it's played in England