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Who is the best allround fielder ever?

Who is the best all-round fielder ever?


  • Total voters
    67

The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
Richards, Harper, Punter and Symonds probably the four best I've ever seen. Going back further, my dad still reckons Colin Bland is the best he ever saw, and I'd add Davidson and Harvey to the list as well - both absolutely astonishing fielders by all accounts.

And those that saw him in action seem of little doubt that Learie Constantine was the best all round fieldsman ever.
 

Migara

Cricketer Of The Year
Based on the last couple of decades:

1. AB de Villiers (cover)
2. Herschelle Gibbs (mid-wicket)
3. Ricky Ponting (slip / mid off)
4. Mark Waugh (slip / mid-on)
5. Jonty Rhodes (backward point)
6. Andrew Symonds (utility)
7. Jack Russell (keeper)
8. Brett Lee (somewhere deep)
9. Shane Warne (slip)
10. Jimmy Anderson (utility)
11.

Can't think of another fast bowler OTTOMH
Add Glenn McGrath / Fanie de Villiers who were good fielders. Brian McMillan was awesome in the slips.

And there should be some room for Hashan Tillekaratne as the silly point fieldsman too. perhaps can replace Gibbs. If you go another decade back, Eknath Solkar would occupy that spot.
 

MW1304

Cricketer Of The Year
I think Collingwood was more inclined to do something spectacular, which raises peoples view of him. Dropped a fair few at slip, though. Still a great cover/backward point fielder.
 

Debris

International 12th Man
I see the myth that is Jonty Rhodes is alive and well. How a guy who is a mediocre catch, couldn't hit the stumps and had a weakish arm could be leading the poll on the best all-round fielder is beyond me. I am not denying his ability as a ball-stopper in the ring but as a fieldsman that is all he really had going for him.
 

vcs

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"Mediocre catcher" is pushing it though. And I seem to remember quite a few spectacular runouts as well, for someone with a poor arm..
 

Uppercut

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Yeah, it's kinda the default option. I don't think it's Ponting, Symonds was incredible but not for very long and he started to have major fitness problems late in his career. Collingwood's not really a good enough slipper and Gibbs, as awesome as he was, is more famous for dropping catches than taking them.

Out of those I've seen a lot of I'd go with De Villiers. I just don't know if I can really rank him ahead of someone with the legendary status of Rhodes.
 

Debris

International 12th Man
"Mediocre catcher" is pushing it though. And I seem to remember quite a few spectacular runouts as well, for someone with a poor arm..
He is a worse catch than everyone else on the list, in some cases much worse. And I seem to recall that most of his spectacular runouts involved him running over the stumps or throwing to someone at the stumps. You might as well call Mark Taylor the best all-round fieldsman because he was so good at catching the ball.
 
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smash84

The Tiger King
I see the myth that is Jonty Rhodes is alive and well. How a guy who is a mediocre catch, couldn't hit the stumps and had a weakish arm could be leading the poll on the best all-round fielder is beyond me. I am not denying his ability as a ball-stopper in the ring but as a fieldsman that is all he really had going for him.
mediocre is stretching it too far tbh

‪Jonty Rhodes Amazing Catches Video Free Videos Online Video Clips, Video Movies, Live TV More at In com‬‏ - YouTube

the video quality is not that great but some of the fielding is
 

Cevno

Hall of Fame Member
Jonty Rhodes wasn't a mediocre catcher by any means, he was a pretty good catcher in fact.

Took some astonsighing catches in his time diving everywhere, which were better than anyone in the list. Don't think you could call his arm weak too.It may not be the strongest from the deep but it wasn't really weak and a weakness where he fielded and while he may not have been the most accurate thrower he wasn't as behind Ponting at run outs as is made out.He used to stop the ball and release the ball quicker than anyone else, which in many instances made up time for not hitting direct.
 

vcs

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mediocre is stretching it too far tbh

‪Jonty Rhodes Amazing Catches Video Free Videos Online Video Clips, Video Movies, Live TV More at In com‬‏ - YouTube

the video quality is not that great but some of the fielding is
Haha, I was going to post that clip. :p Not much of Rhodes available on youtube.

Jonty Rhodes wasn't a mediocre catcher by any means, he was a pretty good catcher in fact.

Took some astonsighing catches in his time diving everywhere, which were better than anyone in the list. Don't think you could call his arm weak too.It may not be the strongest from the deep but it wasn't really weak and a weakness where he fielded and while he may not have been the most accurate thrower he wasn't as behind Ponting at run outs as is made out.He used to stop the ball and release the ball quicker than anyone else, which in many instances made up time for not hitting direct.
Agreed.
 

smash84

The Tiger King
Jonty Rhodes wasn't a mediocre catcher by any means, he was a pretty good catcher in fact.

Took some astonsighing catches in his time diving everywhere, which were better than anyone in the list. Don't think you could call his arm weak too.It may not be the strongest from the deep but it wasn't really weak and a weakness where he fielded and while he may not have been the most accurate thrower he wasn't as behind Ponting at run outs as is made out.He used to stop the ball and release the ball quicker than anyone else, which in many instances made up time for not hitting direct.
Agree with you on this

Haha, I was going to post that clip. :p Not much of Rhodes available on youtube.
Loser :p
 

vcs

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Jonty Rhodes wasn't a mediocre catcher by any means, he was a pretty good catcher in fact.

Took some astonsighing catches in his time diving everywhere, which were better than anyone in the list. Don't think you could call his arm weak too.It may not be the strongest from the deep but it wasn't really weak and a weakness where he fielded and while he may not have been the most accurate thrower he wasn't as behind Ponting at run outs as is made out.He used to stop the ball and release the ball quicker than anyone else, which in many instances made up time for not hitting direct.
The catch he took of Sachin in this match was probably the best catch I've ever seen, though he possibly grounded as he touched the ground. The entire South African team seemed to be taking turns to take stunning catches of Sachin in that tour. :@
 

Borges

International Regular
> Based on all-round fielding abilities (catching, throwing, diving, slips, infield, outfield, run outs etc) who do you regard as the best all-round fielder ever?

Based on what I've seen, Roger Harper, very closely followed by Gay Sobers. :-O

I've been told that both Learie Constantine and Colin Bland were very very special.
 
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benchmark00

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> Based on all-round fielding abilities (catching, throwing, diving, slips, infield, outfield, run outs etc) who do you regard as the best all-round fielder ever?

Based on what I've seen, Roger Harper, very closely followed by Gay Sobers.

I've been told that both Learie Constantine and Colin Bland were very very special.
:laugh:
 

kiwiviktor81

International Debutant
I voted other because of Chris Harris and Martin Guptill, but special mention has to be given to Jonty Rhodes because of the way he revolutionised fielding. He turned fielding from a defensive into an offensive art.
 

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