Line and Length
Cricketer Of The Year
The history of Test cricket is littered with players who played 20 or fewer Tests yet whose batting averages suggested they warranted longer careers. There are several possible reasons why many of these players didn’t receive more opportunities. Injuries, bans, intervention of wars and the presence of established, well performed batsmen are all factors.
If we begin with a qualification of a batting average on excess of 45 there is a significant number of players in the list. Given that averages can be skewed by one innings, I have overlooked players who played in just a one-off test. In many cases, a check of the player’s first class career stats gives evidence as to why their Test careers were limited. From that perspective I have put a qualification that the player should have a first class batting average in excess of 40. Finally, I haven’t included players who are currently playing at a first class level.
Having imposed these restrictions I am left with 25 names (actually 24, but I couldn’t resist putting in the final candidate). In order of Test batting average they are presented below, together with their first class batting average. Members might like to suggest a batting order for the 6 players they see as the “best of” in the list. Please let me know if I have overlooked any player that should be included.
If we begin with a qualification of a batting average on excess of 45 there is a significant number of players in the list. Given that averages can be skewed by one innings, I have overlooked players who played in just a one-off test. In many cases, a check of the player’s first class career stats gives evidence as to why their Test careers were limited. From that perspective I have put a qualification that the player should have a first class batting average in excess of 40. Finally, I haven’t included players who are currently playing at a first class level.
Having imposed these restrictions I am left with 25 names (actually 24, but I couldn’t resist putting in the final candidate). In order of Test batting average they are presented below, together with their first class batting average. Members might like to suggest a batting order for the 6 players they see as the “best of” in the list. Please let me know if I have overlooked any player that should be included.
| Player | Tests | Test Batting | First Class Batting |
| Barry Richards | 4 | 508 @ 72.57 | 28,358 @ 54.74 |
| Stewie Dempster | 10 | 723 @ 65.72 | 12,145 @ 44.98 |
| Sid Barnes | 13 | 1,072 @ 63.05 | 8,333 @ 54.11 |
| Eddie Paynter | 20 | 1,540 @ 59.23 | 20,075 @ 42.26 |
| K.S.Duleepsinhji | 12 | 995 @ 58.52 | 15,485 @ 49.96 |
| Ken Weekes | 2 | 173 @ 57.66 | 1,731 @ 40.25 |
| Jack Russell | 10 | 910 @ 56.87 | 27,354 @ 41.57 |
| Brad Hodge | 6 | 503 @ 55.89 | 17,084 @ 48.81 |
| Ernest Tydesley | 14 | 990 @ 55.00 | 38,874 @ 45.46 |
| Charlie Davis | 15 | 1,301 @ 54.20 | 5,536 @ 41.32 |
| Vinod Kambli | 17 | 1.084 @ 54.02 | 9,965 @ 59.97 |
| Martin Donnelly | 7 | 582 @ 52.90 | 9,250 @ 47.43 |
| Jack Ryder | 20 | 1,394 @ 51.62 | 10,499 @ 44.29 |
| Lee Irvine | 4 | 353 @ 50.42 | 9,919 @ 40.48 |
| Phil Mead | 17 | 1,185 @ 49.47 | 55,061 @ 47.67 |
| Aftab Baloch | 2 | 97 @ 48.50 | 9,171 @ 41.68 |
| Vijay Merchant | 10 | 859 @ 47.72 | 13,470 @ 71.64 |
| Phil Jaques | 11 | 902 @ 47.47 | 16,035 @ 48.29 |
| Archie Jackson | 8 | 474 @ 47.40 | 4,383 @ 45.65 |
| Raman Subba Row | 13 | 984 @ 46.85 | 14,182 @ 41.46 |
| Martin Love | 5 | 233 @ 46.60 | 16,807 @ 49.57 |
| Rusi Modi | 10 | 736 @ 46.00 | 7,529 @ 53.02 |
| Len Baichan | 3 | 184 @ 46.00 | 4,504 @ 51.18 |
| Herbie Collins | 19 | 1,352 @ 45.06 | 9,924 @ 40.01 |
| Ranjiitsinhji | 15 | 989 @ 44.95 | 24,692 @ 56.37 |
