Top 5 Test sides ever?

[Chrish]

What would be your pick??

Mine are:

1) WI team of 75s - early 90s

2) Aus team of late 90s - 08

3) Aus team of 1945 - 52

4) England of 1951-58

Strongest English bowling attack ever consisting of of Trueman/ Statham/ Laker/ Lock/ Tyson/ Loader..

5) SA team of 06 - current

has phenomenal record away from home..

If SA team had played in late 60s - 70s, there is a very good chance they would have ended up in top 3.. We will never know.

 

[Spark]

Haha there is absolutely no way the current SA side should be spoken in anything like the same terms as the other four. Particularly from 06.

 

[Pothas]

Most of those sides are also several different teams really.

 

[Chrish]

Haha there is absolutely no way the current SA side should be spoken in anything like the same terms as the other four. Particularly from 06.

When majority of teams including Australia, India, England etc. get constantly defeated in away tours (whitewashed in many cases), this SA side has maintained an incredible record.

 

[weldone]

@Spark

Haha yes, the SA team that played 4 test series against Australia (i.e. the Barry Richards, Mike Procter team) was probably the best SA team of all-time - but unfortunately they didn't play enough

Their rivalry against Lloyd's West Indies could have been massive.

 

[fredfertang]

Sutcliffe
Wyatt
Jardine
Hammond
Leyland
Ames
Paynter
Allen
Verity
Larwood
Voce

 

[wpdavid]

Apart from what's already been said, it is really accurate to extend the Aus 1948 team after you-know-who's retirement in 1948?

 

[Chrish]

Apart from what's already been said, it is really accurate to extend the Aus 1948 team after you-know-who's retirement in 1948?

True they probably won't be at the top after 1948.. Bowling unit of Lindwall, Miller and Johnston is still one of the best that has existed though

 

[marc71178]

When majority of teams including Australia, India, England etc. get constantly defeated in away tours (whitewashed in many cases), this SA side has maintained an incredible record.

And what about their home record during that time?

For a large part of that period I'd strongly argue they weren't even the best team in the world at that point.

 

[Chrish]

And what about their home record during that time?.

What about it ???

 

[Lillian Thomson]

What would be your pick??

Mine are:

1) WI team of 75s - early 90s

The West Indies team of 75 lost 5-1 in Australia.

 

[weldone]

Sutcliffe
Wyatt
Jardine
Hammond
Leyland
Ames
Paynter
Allen
Verity
Larwood
Voce

Yes sure, but no love for Duleepsinhji?

 

[Red]

Barnes
Morris
Bradman
Hassett
Miller
Harvey/Brown
Johnson
Tallon
Lindwall
Johnston
Toshack

 

[Red]

Hayden
Langer
Ponting
M.Waugh
S.Waugh
Martyn
Gilchrist
Warne
Gillespie
Lee/Kaspa/Bichel
McGrath

 

[watson]

The England 1969-71 team remains a favourite. Here is the side that won the 4th Ashes Test in Sydney, 1971 by 299 runs. Snow took 7 for 40 in Australia's second innings.

01. Geoff Boycott
02. Brian Luckhurst
03. John Edrich
04. Keith Fletcher
05. Basil D'Oliviera
06. Ray Illingworth
07. Alan Knott
08. John Snow
09. Peter Lever
10. Derek Underwood
11. Bob Willis

 

[Jono]

Length of time is too long. You can't have a team for 15 years, players changed in that time.

 

[Coronis]

I know they never played, but I'll just put up what Mark Nicholas reckons would've been the Saffer XI in 1976.

Richards
Barlow*
Kirsten
Pollock
Lamb (even though he played for England later on)
Irvine+
Rice
Procter
Le Roux
van der Bijl
Hobson

Batting might not quite be of the same caliber outside of Pollock and Richards, but jeez, it bats deep to Le Roux. Bowling is better than the Windies tbh.

 

[OverratedSanity]

van der Bijl, le Roux and Procter is an insane attack.

 

[Coronis]

van der Bijl, le Roux and Procter is an insane attack.

Not to mention Rice, and having a good spinner.

 

[mr_mister]

Greenidge
Haynes
Fredericks
Richards
Richardson
Lara
Kallicharran
Kanhai
Lloyd
Dujon


Marshall
Holding
Roberts
Croft
Garner
Ambrose
Walsh
Bishop


all fit the criteria for TC's team. Have fun cutting that down to 11