Which batsman (has) had the worst trough?

centurymaker · Oct 29, 2011

Since we always see the same old threads like "who's had the best peak" "who was the best batsman to watch at their best" "who dominated the most at their peak" etc...
how about something to the contrary....
Which batsman (has) had the worst trough??
I'd like to limit this to very good to great batsmen.

flibbertyjibber · Oct 29, 2011

Pietersen in recent years. Can't have been many players who had an average over 50 who went so long without a test ton.

Mark Taylor had a long run too without a ton in 96/97.

Ikki · Oct 29, 2011

I think Hayden went without a century for something like 16 Tests, which is a huge deal considering how often Hayden was hitting them before that and after.

robelinda · Oct 29, 2011

None can match Allan Border, he had an enormous stretch without a test ton- 1987 to 1992??

Ikki · Oct 29, 2011

Yep about 88-92. Incredibly, still averaged 45 with 20 50s in that timeframe.

Cevno · Oct 29, 2011

I think this thread was about the biggest trough in general, rather than the biggest time without a ton.

Though the 2 maybe inter - connected in some cases, i guess.

Dravid and Ponting are the first 2 to come to mind in relative recent times.

BoyBrumby · Oct 29, 2011

Didn't Steve Waugh take 20+ tests to register his maiden ton?

Hussey had a very bad trot for a year or so until he hit a ton at The Oval in 2009 too.

zaremba · Oct 30, 2011

With all due respect to Ikki, I'm chuckling at the idea of Hayden having featured already in this thread. "OMG can you believe that the great Matthew Hayden once went 16 Tests without a century?" Er, yes, I can, and quite easily actually. What's more surprising is that he managed to get as many as he did in the other games he played.

fredfertang · Oct 30, 2011

Denis Compton averaged just 7 in the 50/51 Ashes series

centurymaker · Oct 30, 2011

centurymaker · Oct 30, 2011

Long-term

S Waugh

1986-1992 (7 years, 69 innings) (perhaps being harsh as he wasn't an established player then)
Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

tendulkar-
2003-2006 (4 years, 46 innings)
Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

Viv Richards-

1982-1991 (10 years, 112 innings) (bit unfair to call the whole period a trough)
Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

Lara-
1996-2000 (5 years, 77 innings) (however he had 1 epic series against aus in 98/99)
Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

Ponting-
2007-2011 (5 years, 81 innings)
Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

Dravid-
2007-2010 (4 years, 77 innings)
Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

Can't be bothered to do anymore for now...

Ikki · Oct 30, 2011

zaremba said:
With all due respect to Ikki, I'm chuckling at the idea of Hayden having featured already in this thread. "OMG can you believe that the great Matthew Hayden once went 16 Tests without a century?" Er, yes, I can, and quite easily actually. What's more surprising is that he managed to get as many as he did in the other games he played.

You must be in the Nasser Hussain > Matthew Hayden camp.

I am not sure which it is exactly - 100s/inning or 100s/test - but Hayden is one of the most prolific century scorers of all time. He's got more 100s than 50s - 30 in 103 Tests. Prior to the trough in question, Hayden had 20 centuries in only 55 Tests - averaging 58. As a comparison, Sehwag has to score 8 more 100s in his next 14 matches just to equal him.

For someone capable of that conversion rate it really was notable trough. After 103 Tests there are no more "surprises".

Ikki · Oct 30, 2011

centurymaker - Waugh was more of an all-rounder in the beginning of his career. Only later was he really a full-fledged batting specialist.

centurymaker · Oct 30, 2011

Ikki said:
centurymaker - Waugh was more of an all-rounder in the beginning of his career. Only later was he really a full-fledged batting specialist.

fair enough. i did add this in my post "perhaps being harsh as he wasn't an established player then"

Top_Cat · Oct 30, 2011

Tubby Taylor had a decent run of outs but yeah, AB's run was phenomenal (also that he still managed to average 40+).

zaremba · Oct 30, 2011

Ikki said:
You must be in the Nasser Hussain > Matthew Hayden camp.

Nice try!

No, it's possible to think Hayden is flattered by his stats without offering an opinion on Hussain. I never much liked Hussain as a player (his outstanding 207 in 1997 notwithstanding). But I admire your ability to combine, in one short sentence, both ad hominem and straw man arguments.

No, let's face it, Hayden had some nice career stats (not least that glorious world record) but for anyone who actually watched him play, the fact that he got found out for one fairly extended period is hardly surprising. What is more surprising, to me, is that it didn't happen more often.

Ikki · Oct 30, 2011

The fact that you were "chuckling" - and the rest of your post mocking me - means the insinuation that I've lost the high-ground is funny.

Let's be clear here; one can say a player's stats flatter them and you can reference playing era and pitches and I can even agree. But that goes mostly for average/sr. Not 100s scoring. Scoring 100s at that rate takes a special talent and mentality. Scoring 100s at Test level is still hard. Hayden could be facing the worst Shield team in Australia and scoring 100s at that rate would still be hard. You also claim he got found out when he then went on scoring another 10 in his last ~30 games.

Your post suggests you weren't surprised at Hayden's trough, but you were of him scoring 100s. So the sample of 0 in 16 is more reliable for you than 30 in 87. With all due respect, that suggestion is the one that deserves some chuckling.

zaremba · Oct 30, 2011

So we're both chuckling - and everyone's happy! Seems a pretty good result if you ask me.

centurymaker · Oct 30, 2011

yes totally agree that scoring 100s is hard!!

ALL it takes is 1 ball to get out - 1 bad shot, 1 good ball, or just a bit of bad luck....

morgieb · Oct 30, 2011

Tendulkar, Dravid and Ponting come to mind here.

Actually, most good modern batsman experienced troughs to some degree.

Tugga - was pretty average for the first half of his career, and declined a fair bit after the 2001 Ashes. In between he was great, though.
Tendulkar - WC 2003-2007 was a very poor period for him, although he did suffer injuries a fair bit I guess.
Dravid - until very recently had a pretty average period post 2006.
Ponting - same, except he hadn't come out it yet.
Lara - as some said, he wasn't very good (outside the Australia series 1998/99) in the 2nd half of the 90's.
Kallis - never really had a 'slump', but wasn't so great with the bat before 1999.
Hussey - for a couple of years was going pretty poorly.
Sehwag - was not going good for a couple of years.
Hayden - ditto.

More to come when I CBA.

Which batsman (has) had the worst trough?

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