Cricket's top ten master blasters

Tis the season to be jolly and all that malarkey and to celebrate, here is a list of my favourite master-blasters of the last 30* years: the batsmen that can take any attack apart on their day. It is also a fitting tribute to the recent exploits of Messrs Sehwag, Dilshan and Gayle.

 

(*The list is restricted to the last 30 years to only include the batsmen that The Reverse Sweep has seen live in the flesh – hence why Gary Sobers and others are not on the list)

 

1. Viv Richards – Still (just) heads the list with that 56 ball ton (the fastest ever in Tests) against England in Antigua particularly prominent in the memory banks.

2. Virender Sehwag – Audacious hitter who will probably usurp King Viv before he takes his pads off for the last time.

3. Adam Gilchrist – Either when hitting his team out of trouble or applying the gloss when they were ahead, Gilchrist was a simply devastating batsman.

4. Sanath Jayasuriya – Reinvented the role of opener when firing Sri Lanka to the World Cup in 1996 and is the template for Sehwag, Dilshan and Gayle.

5. Chris Gayle – Mr Cool may be the most laidback man in the World but when he is on fire, does anyone hit a cricket ball further?

6. Tillakaratne Dilshan – Since he started opening, Dilshan has been unstoppably brutal in all forms of the game and he has collected tons at a formidable rate

7. Matt Hayden – The Queenslander built a fearsome reputation as a bully of hapless bowlers in Tests and the 50 over game.

8. Gordon Greenidge – 344 to win in 78 overs? Not a problem for Greenidge as he smashed 214 not out against England at Lords in 1984 as West Indies cantered home.

9. Ian Botham – The only Englishman on the list simply because of the happy and nostalgic memories of the summer of 1981 as Beefy destroyed Australia.

10. Yuvraj Singh – A wonderful clean hitter of a cricket ball as the six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad testifies.

Comments

[Dave the Bard Bird]

Come on, you've GOT TO make room for Shahid "BOOM BOOM" Afridi. Just for his name. How about a list of expected bashes? You could have Shiv Chanderpaul at the top for his 70-odd ball ton vs. the Aus?

[Dave the Bard Bird]

Nice list though. Nathan Astle would also make the occasion blaster list, obviously for his 152 double ton against a terrified Matthew Hoggard.

[The Reverse Sweep]

Its true that Boom Boom has agreat name and can certainly be devastating on his day. But he is probably a little too inconsistent for this list. Maybe his nickname should be Boom Boom Damp Squib for all the times he fails too!!

[The Reverse Sweep]

Astle was certainly considered, but I just couldnt leave Botham and Yuvraj out!!

[Dino]

Delighted if youncould make a list of the top 10 Boycottesque batsman. Criteria would include low scoring rate, lack of humor and and a dash of selfishness.

[Irrefeglirl]

In my opinion it already was discussed



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