The Reverse Sweep

An XI of Cricket Heroes

 
This week saw the publication of our 1000th post since we started The Reverse Sweep in 2009, which we suppose is cause for some mild celebration.

Cricket Heroes & Zeroes is perhaps the most prominent feature of this blog, so here is a team of our cricket heroes to muse over whilst we sip our celebratory glass of Bollinger (and no Doug, we don't mean you).

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Jack Hobbs

The Master. We were in awe of his staggering accomplishments as a youngster and we still are.

See Cricket heroes: Jack Hobbs

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Victor Trumper

The thinking man's Bradman. Stylish, effervescent and with all the strokes. The first batsman to hit a Test hundred before lunch.

See All-time Australian Ashes XI: The Openers

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Viv Richards

Sachin acolytes will doubtless disagree, but King Viv is the not only the most destructive but the best batsman we've seen in 30 plus years of watching cricket.  And what about that swagger?

See Cricket heroes: Viv Richards

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David Gower

Our first cricket memory that really resonates was our boyhood hero Gower nonchalantly dispatching his first ball in Test cricket to the boundary.

See cricket heroes: David Gower

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Douglas Jardine (Captain)

England's greatest captain and the foe of Bradman in the notorious (and ultimately successful) Ashes expedition of 1932/33.

See cricket heroes: Douglas Jardine

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Keith Miller

Flamboyant cricketer? Check. War hero? Check. Alleged dalliances with Princesses? Check. What's not to like?

See Keith Miller: Champion all-rounder, war hero & raconteur

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Ian Botham

He may divide opinion as a commentator, but for any English born, cricket loving child of the late seventies and early eighties, Beefy was the original comic book hero.

See All-time England Ashes XI - All-rounder, plus Botham's Ashes and 10 reasons why Ian Botham may have worn sunglasses at the premiere of 'From the Ashes'

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Henry Blofeld

Don't laugh. Until he lost an argument with a bus, Blofeld was a promising enough schoolboy wicketkeeper to be talked about as a future Test player. But it is Blofeld's eccentric, irreverent and unmissable commentary on Test Match Special that gets him in here.

See cricket heroes: Henry Blofeld

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Hedley Verity

England's greatest ever spinner died a hero leading his men into battle in the Allied invasion of Italy in 1943.  1956 first-class wickets at an incredible 14.90 is the ultimate evidence of Verity's genius.

See cricket heroes: Hedley Verity

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Malcolm Marshall

If Richards is the best batsman we've ever seen, then Marshall is the best bowler. Marshall had everything. Express pace, a nasty bouncer (just ask Mike Gatting and Andy Lloyd) and the ability to swing the ball both ways.

See cricket heroes: Malcolm Marshall

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Harold Larwood

Bodyline's scapegoat is reputed to have been the fastest bowler ever and he certainly executed Jardine's cunning plan to the letter. His dignified response to being ostracised by the establishment proved he was as brilliant a man as he had been the most fearsome of fast bowlers.

See All-time Ashes XI and also Bodyline and nine other Ashes controversies

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Where next?

Cricket Heroes: Graham Dilley R.I.P

Check out all our other Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Cricket XIs: A team of cricketers that died young

 
There have been many cricketers that have died young – including a number of all-time greats and others that probably would have joined this category if fate had dealt them a better hand.

Here are XII of those that left this mortal coil far too early due to a variety of tragic misfortunes including illness, war, accidents, murder, falling over on a dance floor and suicide.

1. Victor Trumper

The darling of the Golden Age was an absolute master on sticky wickets, scored the first Test hundred before lunch and was indisputably the greatest Australian batsman before Bradman. Despite ill-health he averaged over 60 in his last 68 innings, before finally succumbing to Bright’s Disease in June 1915 at just 37 years old.  

2. Arthur Shrewsbury

Rivalled Grace as the premier English batsman of the 1880’s and captained England seven times in his 23 Tests. He topped the first-class batting averages seven times including in 1902, his final season. The following spring, under the false impression that he had an incurable disease, he shot himself at his sister's home. Shrewsbury was 47.

3. Archie Jackson

The New South Wales batsman emerged at the same time as Bradman and was considered by many at the time to be the better prospect. A masterful 164 on Test debut against England in 1929 suggested that the stylish Jackson would fulfil his immense promise. But his health waned soon after and following a long battle with tuberculosis, Jackson died at the age of 23 in 1933.

4. William ‘Dodge’ Whysall

A close friend of Harold Larwood, Whysall starred in Nottinghamshire’s County Championship triumph of 1929, before being recalled to the England side for the decisive match of the 1930 Ashes series. Just two months later, at the age of 43, Whysall was dead from septicaemia caused by a fall on a dance floor where he had injured his elbow.

5. A.E.J. Collins

Collins may not have attained the status of Trumper or Jackson but he did record cricket’s highest ever individual score, smashing 628 not out as a thirteen year old in a house match at Clifton College in June 1899. Like many of his generation, Collins did not survive World War I, dying at the age of 29 at the First Battle of Ypres on 11 November 1914.

6. Claude Tozer

An immensely talented schoolboy cricketer who would have played more first-class cricket but for the demands of medical school and World War I. Tozer survived the War, had just been named as New South Wales captain and was tipped for a place in the Australian Test side to face England. But then murder most foul as his deranged mistress and patient shot him dead at the age of 30 in December 1920.

7. Norman Callaway

Like Taylor, Callaway may not be a household name but he does hold a notable cricket record. He made his first-class debut at the age of 18 in February 1915 for New South Wales against Queensland and promptly became the first man to score a double-century on his first-class debut. Cricket was then abandoned in Australia due to World War I, and by dint of Callaway being killed at the Second Battle of Bullecourt in France in 1917; he has the highest first class average on record of 207.

8. Montague Druitt

Druitt was found drowned in the River Thames at the age of 31 in 1888. A keen all-rounder, he represented Winchester College, and the Morden Cricket Club of Blackheath amongst others. But Druitt may have led a sinister double-life with many Jack the Ripper experts concluding that Druitt was the man responsible for the infamous Whitechapel murders.

9. Hedley Verity

Arguably England’s greatest ever spinner, Verity took 1,956 first-class wickets at a staggering average of 14.90 and provided the control at one end during the Bodyline series as Larwood and Voce wreaked havoc at the other. He was mortally wounded during the Eighth Army's advance on Catania in World War II and died a few days later on 31 July 1943 reportedly acknowledging that "I think I have played my last innings for Yorkshire." He was just 38.

10. Ken Farnes

A fearsome fast bowler, Farnes took 10 wickets on Test debut at Trent Bridge in 1934 and snared 60 victims in his 15 Tests. He was killed, at the age of 30, in a plane crash in October 1941 while flying with the R.A.F. over Northamptonshire.

11. Albert Cotter

One of the great early fast bowlers, Cotter played 21 Tests and took 89 wickets and once hit an aging W.G Grace with a beamer incurring the wrath of the great man and causing him to walk off the field in disgust. Cotter was another who fell in the Great War - to Turkish fire in October 1917 at the age of 32. He had a premonition of his impending doom too tossing up a cricket ball of mud and announcing "That's my last bowl, blue. Something's going to happen."

12. Ben Hollioake

Who can forget the younger Hollioake’s opening statement as an international cricketer when he hit 63 at Lord’s in an ODI against an Australian side containing Warne, McGrath and Gillespie? He never quite repeated those feats in 2 Tests and 20 ODIs, but who knows what he could have achieved if he hadn’t tragically died in a car crash at the age of just 24 in 2002. 

Where next?

Victor Trumper: All-time Australian Ashes XI - The Openers

The 30 Greatest Batsmen Ever featuring Victor Trumper: Part 1 (30-21), Part 2 (20-11), Part 3 (10-1) 

Hedley Verity: All-time Ashes XI and All-time England Ashes XI - Spinner

Heroes: Hedley Verity

Archie Jackson - The 'Other Bradman'

Heroes: Arthur Carr

Full coverage of the Ashes 2010/11 series

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep 

Ashes 100-1: 14 - The 25 Greatest Ashes Tests: Part 1 of 3

 
England and Australia have competed in 321 Test matches since the first acknowledged Test started on 15 March 1877. Australia have the edge in the oldest international sports contest with 132 wins to England's 99 and there have been 90 draws.

There have been many classic Tests in the battle for the little urn. In a three-part series, we have picked 25 of the best, which we will list chronologically.

The Oval, 28-29 August 1882 - Australia won by 7 runs: The birth of the Ashes with Australia winning a stunning victory after bowling out England for 69 having set them only 77 to win. Spofforth took 14 for 90 after declaring that "this thing can be done" and the dismissal of Grace saw England slide from 51 for two to a defeat considered so ignominious that Reginald Shirley Brook penned his mock obituary to English cricket in The Sporting Times.

1st Test,  Sydney, 14-20 December 1894 - England won by 10 runs: An amazing come-from-the-dead victory for England after following on 261 runs behind. Ward hit 117 as England recovered to set Australia 177 to win - a target they appeared to be coasting to when 130 for two. But Peel took six for 67 and Australia lost their last eight wickets for 53 as England completed an unlikely victory. England eventually won the series 3-2 by chasing down 297 in the decider at Melbourne.

3rd Test, The Oval, 10-12 August 1896 - England won by 66 runs: It was all square going into the final and deciding test of the 1896 series, but with the home side being skittled for 89 in their second innings it seemed that with Australia only needing 111 victory the tourists had regained the Ashes. But on a wet pitch, they slid to 25 for nine and ultimately 44 all out.

4th Test, Old Trafford, 24-26 July 1902 - Australia won by 3 runs: Australia retained the Ashes in a match that swung one way then another. Trumper became the first batsman to score a hundred before lunch on the first day of a Test as Australia hit 299. England recovered from 44 for five thanks to a hundred from F.S Jackson and then bowled Australia out for 86 in their second innings. But then the hapless Fred Tate took over. Having dropped a skier to reprieve Darling, Tate was last man out and the urn had gone. The test is still known as Tate's Match.

5th Test, The Oval, 11-13 August 1902 - England won by 1 wicket: The Ashes may have gone in the previous match, but that didn't stop this Test from being a classic. Set 263 to win, England slipped to 48 for five before Gilbert Jessop bludgeoned a hundred in 75 minutes. Then Hirst and Rhodes - England's last pair - came together with 15 required and 'got 'em in singles' to record a famous win.

5th Test, The Oval, 14-18 August 1926 - England won by 289 runs: After a period of utter Australian dominance following the end of World War I, the 1926 series in England was a much tighter affair. In the decider at The Oval, England were just ahead near the start of their second innings before a thunderstorm rendered the wicket as a treacherous 'sticky dog'. All seemed lost, but Hobbs and Sutcliffe thought otherwise and compiled an opening stand of 172 (Hobbs 100, Sutcliffe 161). England set Australia 415 and Rhodes and Larwood did the rest. Ashes regained.

3rd Test, Melbourne, 29 December 1928 - 5 January 1929 - England won by 3 wickets: Hobbs and Sutcliffe reprised their heroics in the next series, where with England set 332 to win on another wet wicket they compiled another century opening stand. Jardine, Hammond and then Hendren also provided sterling support to Sutcliffe who anchored the chase with 135. Despite some late wickets, England made it home by just three wickets to achieve an unassailable 3-0 series lead.

5th Test, The Oval, 16-22 August 1930 - Australia won by an innings and 39 runs: Despite the utter brilliance of Bradman, who scored 974 runs at 139.14, the series was locked at 1-1 going into the timeless decider at The Oval. England won the toss and 161 from Sutcliffe helped England compile 405 in their first innings. But with Bradman around that was never going to be enough. The Don scored 232 with Ponsford hitting 110 and Jackson 73 in a crucial 243 run partnership with Bradman as Australia made 695. It was too much for England and they folded for 251 to hand the Ashes back to Australia. 

Where next?

Heroes: Douglas Jardine

Hobbs and Sutcliffe star in the greatest test opening stand of them all

Ashes hundreds before lunch 

Ashes 100-1: 19 - A hundred before lunch

 
This week on the first day of the 1st Test between India and New Zealand at Ahmedabad, Virender Sehwag went into lunch 13 runs short of becoming only the fifth batsman in history to hit a hundred before lunch on the first day of a test match.

Other than Majid Khan, who achieved this notable feat against New Zealand at Karachi in 1976-77, all the other instances came in Ashes tests and all were achieved by Australians. And not just any Australians either, but a trio of greats in Victor Trumper, Charlie Macartney and Don Bradman.

Trumper was the first to achieve the feat at Old Trafford in the 4th Test of the classic 1902 series, but surprisingly no mention is made of this in the Wisden report of the match other than to say that Australia reached 173 for one by lunch  - Trumper was unbeaten on 103.

We found more information about Macartney's hundred before lunch on the first day of the Headingley test of 1926. Arthur Carr, the England captain, won the toss and wrongly judged that the damp pitch would be a bowlers paradise under a hot drying sun. When Warren Bardsley was out to the first ball of the match however, it looked like Carr may be right.

Then Carr's luck turned when only four balls later he dropped a simple catch at slip to reprieve Macartney. The Governer General made Carr pay and unleashed an array of strokes to reach 112 not out by lunch in an innings Carr ruefully described as "just about the most wonderful century I have ever seen."  Raymond Robertson-Glasgow described some of Macartney's outrageous late cuts as being "so late they are almost posthumous".

In the 1930 series four years later, Bradman emulated Trumper and Macartney with the most stupendous of his superhuman performances on the tour by smashing 334 at Headingley - the scene of Macartney's carnage in 1926. Like Macartney, Bradman came to the crease early following the dismissal of Archie Jackson and proceeded to launch himself into an England bowling attack that included Larwood, Tate, Tyldesley, Geary and Hammond. Characteristically, Bradman's attack wasn't as brutal as Macartney's as he rarely hit the ball in the air, but it was full of splendid strokes all the same.

Will an Australian or English batsman join this immortal triumvirate in the upcoming series? Well, given the rarity of the feat and modern day over rates, we won't be putting any money on it.

Where next?

Bradman and the summer that changed cricket

All-time Australian Ashes XI - The Openers

10 reasons why Bradman is the greatest of them all

Ashes 100-1: 29 - Don Bradman & the summer of 1930 that changed cricket

 
Don Bradman made his test match bow in the 1928/29 Ashes series, when an Australian team in transition was humbled 4-1 by an MCC side led by Percy Chapman, which was arguably the strongest that ever left English shores.

Despite the favourable impression Bradman made in that series with 468 runs at 66.85 plus the fact that he had scored the then highest first-class core of 452* for New South Wales in the 1930 season, many seasoned observers like Fender and Cardus expected the 21 year old to struggle on English pitches due to his unorthodox cross-bat style. Indeed, most pundits expected Bradman's NSW team-mate Archie Jackson to be the pick of the young Australian tyros selected for the tour.

We are currently reading 'Bradman and the Summer that changed Cricket' by Christopher Hilton. It provides a detailed and fascinating account of that 1930 tour and how Bradman transformedfrom a callow boy into a man and took the cricket world by storm. We knew the story of course, but the fact that Hilton takes you back to the time makes Bradman's feats all the more impressive. Here is how the story unfurled.

Bradman started as he meant to go on with 236 in the tour opener at Worcestershire. Hethen followed this up with centuries against Leicestershire (185*), Surrey (252*) and Hampshire (191) to become the youngest and only the fifth batsman at that time to have scored 1,000 runs by the end of May.

Amazingly many commentators at the time including Surrey captain Fender still felt that Bradman would struggle once it came to the test matches when he would face a full-strength England attack. At first it looked like Fender and the other doubters could be proved correct when Bradman played on to a low one from Maurice Tate to be dismissed for only 8 in the first innings of the first Test at Trent Bridge.

But the first slice of the biggest humble pie in cricket history was served in the second innings when The Don hit a patient 131, which whilst he was at the crease looked like it would steer Australia to their daunting 429 target. However once Bradman had gone, a relieved Chapman saw his side ease to a 93 run victory. 1-0 to England.

The 2nd Test at Lord's saw a very different story when Bradman played what he adjudged to be his finest test innings. Responding to England's 425, Bradman walloped 254 as Australia totalled 729 for six declared to continue their good run at Lord's to win by seven wickets - even then England couldn't beat Australia at HQ. 1-1.

The country boy from Bowral had well and truly arrived at the centre of the Empire, but this proved to be the mere hors d'oeuvre to what happened in the next test at Headingley. Coming in on the first morning after the early departure of Jackson, Bradman tore into the England attack to become only the third man to hit a test hundred before lunch. Given that the previous two were his great Australian predecessors Victor Trumper and Charlie Macartney, Bradman was in the finest of company. He didn't stop there either as he hit another hundred between lunch and tea and then reached his triple century before the close. At the end of the first day, Australia were 458 for three and Bradman was unbeaten on 309*. Incredible. He went on to 334 the next day but rain ensured England escaped with the draw.

In the next test at Old Trafford, Bradman showed he was at least part mortal as after struggling against leg spinner Ian Peebles and failing to pick his googly, Bradman was dismissed for only 14 in his only innings. Again rain ruined the game and it was 1-1 going into the decider at The Oval, which as it would be a timeless test meantthere had to be a victor. How many runs could Bradman score in a timeless test? 500? 1000?

So spooked were the England selectors by Bradman that they panicked and replaced the adventurous Chapman as captain with the more conservative Bob Wyatt. Wyatt did the first thing right, which was winning the toss and thanks to a big hundred from Herbert Sutcliffe, England totalled 405. Unfortunately for England, Bradman chose to unveil another masterpiece to hit a magnificent series-clinching 232 and with Jackson added 243 for the fifth wicket in the decisive partnership of the game.

Australia had regained the Ashes and Bradman had scored an incredible 974 runs at 139.14 in the series. Three of his four hundreds had been doubles and one of those a triple. This was run-scoring that had never been seen before and has never been seen since. Even Bradman, although he came close, was not able to top this in the remainder of his glittering career.

Cricket had changed for ever and a watching Douglas Jardine who witnessed a passage of play where Larwood and Hammond had Bradman and Jackson hopping around arrived at a cunning and controversial strategy aimed at wresting the Ashes back two years later.

Where next?

10 reasons why Bradman is the greatest cricketer of them all

Archie Jackson: The 'Other' Bradman

The 30 Greatest Batsmen Ever: Part 1 (30-21), Part 2 (20-11), Part 3 (10-1)

Ashes 100-1: 33 - Bodyline and nine other Ashes controversies

 
Throughout the history of the oldest and longest running international sporting contest, the Ashes have not been without their moments of controversy, most famously of course in the ‘Bodyline’ series of 1932-33 when Douglas Jardine’s leg theory strategy to nullify Bradman and his general animosity to all things Australian nearly led to a diplomatic incident between the two countries.

So to mark us reaching number 33 in our Ashes countdown, here are ten of the best Ashes controversies we’ve managed to dig out from the history books:

1. “Bodyline”

The most rancorous cricket series of them all. It slid from crisis to crisis and having at one time reached governmental level looked set to be called off. An unrepentant Jardine spoke openly of his dislike of all things Australian and there were near-riots at Adelaide. Despite overwhelming pressure the immovable Jardine refused to change his strategy and England won 4-1. The controversy ran on though and prompted rule changes, which effectively outlawed Bodyline tactics. Larwood never played for England again and Jardine’s captaincy ended before the teams next met in England in 1934.

2. Fisticuffs and withdrawals

Today’s PCB may be bad but 100 years ago the Australian Board of Control (BOC) was even worse. A meeting to confirm the touring party to England in 1912 resulted in a fight between Australia’s captain Clem Hill and BOC representative Peter McAllister. As part of the fallout Hill and five other leading players - Warwick Armstrong, Victor Trumper, Tibby Cotter, Hanson Carter and Vernon Ransford - refused to tour and Australia were soundly beaten.

3. Vandals stopped play

The last day of the third Test of the 1975 series at Headingley was evenly poised with Australia 225 for 3 chasing 420 to win the series and so retain the Ashes. However, the pitch was vandalised overnight by protesters campaigning for the release of convicted robber George Davis. Captains Tony Grieg and Ian Chappell both reluctantly agreed the game could not continue, although rain would have meant a draw in any case. Davis was freed the following year but was soon behind bars again after being caught red-handed.

4. Captain Pratt

Ricky Ponting’s frustration at England’s bowlers continually taking breaks from the field of play during the 2005 series boiled over at Nottingham when he was run out by substitute fielder Gary Pratt. As the video shows as he left the field, Ponting visibly swore and gesticulated at the England dressing room. England won a tight match by three wickets after collapsing when chasing a small target.

 

5. The Packer Affair

The 1977 series in England was completely overshadowed by the furore surrounding World Series Cricket, news of which broke as the Australian side arrived. Mike Brearley, who replaced the sacked WSC player recruiter and ringleader Tony Grieg, led England to a 3-0 win against a divided Australian side full of soon-to-be Packer players. International cricket would never be the same again.

6. The Aluminium Bat

Although not strictly an Ashes controversy due to the Ashes not being at stake in the three match 1979-80 series, the episode of Dennis Lillee’s aluminium bat is still worthy of inclusion. England captain Brearley, sporting a beard that made him look an Ayatollah, strongly objected and two proud men went toe to toe. The umpires sided with Brearley and in frustration, Lillee flung the bat across the WACA pitch. Priceless.

7. Bottles and walk-offs

After a long and drawn out series, the 1970-71 encounter went down to a decider at Melbourne. In a tight match, England’s John Snow was warned for short-pitched bowling after striking Terry Jenner on the head. The crowd didn’t like it either and Snow was grabbed by a spectator and bottles and cans were thrown at him. England captain Ray Illingworth responded by leading his side from the field. They returned after warnings from officials, and with their resolve emboldened won by 62 runs to regain the Ashes.

8. Chuckers and draggers

England were thrashed 4-0 in 1958-59, but much of their ire was reserved for what they considered the illegality of some of the bowlers they faced – throwing in the case of Ian Meckiff and dragging by the ‘Blond Giant’ Gordon Rorke. Later events would suggest that England were right where Meckiff was concerned when he was called for throwing four times in his only over in the first test of the 1963/64 home series with South Africa.

9. Gower goes to the theatre

The 1989 series was a disaster for England and captain David Gower regularly felt the heat of some pretty hostile press conferences. After a dismal third day at Lord’s in the second test, Gower answered a few questions before deciding it was all too much and stood up to announce that he had tickets for the theatre to see Anything Goes, that the taxi was waiting, and then proceeded to walk out stage left leaving a bemused press lost for words. Even though Gower returned after the rest day and scored a hundred, his reign was doomed. As were England.

10. 500-1

Our last controversy would have caused headlines across the World today, but in a more innocent 1981 rarely raised a whimper. With England crashing to seeming defeat at Headingley in 1981,Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh couldn’t resist the odds of 500/1 for the England win. Then came the heroics of Botham and Willis, which led England to the most unlikeliest of victories. Rightfully, no-one questioned the efforts of Lillee and Marsh though who both battled to the end in an attempt to lose their stake.

Where next?

Heroes: Douglas Jardine

Heroes: Dennis Lillee

Heroes: David Gower

Ashes 100-1: 61 - All-time Australian Ashes XI: The Openers

 
As we near the halfway point of our Ashes 100-1 countdown it seems an opportune time to start selecting our all-time Australian and English Ashes XIs. We start today by naming our Australian openers, with their English counterparts following tomorrow and the rest of the XIs being posted throughout the run-up to the action finally starting at Brisbane on 25th November.

Before we start, a few disclaimers. Firstly, this is a personal selection. Secondly, it is based on performances in the Ashes only and not those against the other test-playing nations. Also as our first-hand experience of watching cricket only stretches back 30 years we've also had to rely on footage, reports and statistics of the players that have graced the Ashes throughout its 100 years plus history.

So, on to our choice of the two players that will open the batting for Australia. We narrowed down the long-list as two from Victor Trumper, Mark Taylor, Matthew Hayden, Arthur Morris, Justin Langer, Bill Lawry, Bill Ponsford, Bill Woodfull and Bobby Simpson.

In our view Trumper has to be one of the two names. Forget the low average (32.79 from 40 Ashes tests) as pitches were sub-standard in Trumper's era and he invariably had to bat on uncovered sticky dogs on which he was a reputed master. Trumper is also widely acknowledged by most cricket historians including Gideon Haigh (see article by Haigh on Trumper here) as the greatest Australian batsman after Bradman. And if heis good enough for Haigh, then he is certainly good enough for us.

So who to pair with Trumper. We've discounted Ponsford and Woodfull as despite them being run machines during the period between the two world wars, they both struggled against Bodyline particularly the former. As this was one of the rare occasions that bowlers held the upper hand in that era then that perhaps puts some of their feats into context.

We've also discounted Lawry, Langer and Simpson as we don't believe they are quite in the class of Hayden, Taylor and Morris, who therefore comprise the final shortlist to pair with Trumper. Hayden was a devastating opener and he frequently destroyed English attacks during Ashes encounters in Australia where he plundered four hundreds from ten tests at an average of 57 - Nasser Hussain is probably still shaking from the brutal 197 Hayden scored after he erroneously put Australia into bat at Brisbane in 2002. But the Bully Boy was less effective in England where he struggled on both the 2001 and 2005 tours averaging only 34.50 in ten matches and scoring only the one hundred. This we have deemed not good enough for our all-time Aussie XI.

Taylor played against England in a period where there was a more equal battle between bat and ball, but still managed to plunder just four short of 2,500 runs in his 30 Ashes tests at 42.30 with six hundreds. But Morris shades it for us. As part of the 1948 Invincibles, Morris outscored Bradman having already hit three hundreds in the 1946/47 series. He scored eight hundreds in all in 24 Ashes tests at an average of 50.73 - a figure bettered by only three other Australians - Bradman, Border and Steve Waugh.

The best 30 batsmen ever - Part 3/3 (10-1)

Last year we wrote a post for World Cricket Watch, where we named our top 20 batsmen of all time. As we explained a couple of days ago, now seems a good time to revisit this. Firstly, so we can extend the list this time to 30. But secondly, because we are prepared to admit that we erred somewhat last time in placing Sachin Tendulkar behind Ricky Ponting in the all-time batting pantheon. Given that the Ashes were on at the time, we must have done it out of fear that Ponting would inspire his side to retain the little urn.

Today, in the final part we count down from 10 to 1. At this point we should add, that this exercise was just as difficult as it was last year when we wrote a similar piece for World Cricket Watch. This time, despite extending the list to 30 names, there was still no place for the likes of Jacques Kallis, Zaheer Abbas, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Frank Woolley, CB Fry, Neil Harvey, Kumar Sangakkara, Martin Crowe, Geoff Boycott, David Gower, Ted Dexter, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge, or Aravinda da Silva. Next time, we might have to go for a top 50!

If you missed our earlier posts on this subject, please check out the batsmen who filled numbers 30-21 and 20-11.

10. Victor Trumper (Australia) – 48 Tests, 8 100s, 13 50s, Average 39.04, HS 214* - Widely acknowledged as the best Australian batsman before Bradman, Trumper was both stylish and versatile with a penchant for playing match-winning innings on treacherous wet wickets. After scoring 135 not out against England at Lord’s in 1899, Grace gifted Trumper his own bat with the inscription "From the present champion to the future champion."

 

9. Brian Lara (West Indies) – 131 Tests, 34 100s, 48 50s, Average 52.88, HS 400* - The man with the highest Test and First Class scores of 400 not out and 501 not out respectively, Lara is the fourth of six West Indians on the list. When he started his career, West Indian dominance was on the wane. By the time he finished it, his side was in the doldrums and as a result he spent most of his time trying to keep the West Indies afloat making his record even more impressive. Perhaps his best achievement was in 1999 in the home series against Australia, when he single-handedly won the second and third tests with scores of 213 and 153 not out after his side had been obliterated in the first test. He scored a century too in the fourth and final test, but couldn’t prevent Australia squaring the series.

 

8. Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 166* Tests, 47 100s, 54 50s, Average 55.56, HS 248*  - The Little Master’ holds a number of prestigious Test batting records including most runs and most centuries; and he hasn’t finished yet with four hundreds in his last four tests. Other than Hobbs, Tendulkar is the only player to score ten centuries or more against Australia. Many (certainly a billion Indians) would have him higher on this list – certainly Wisden ranked him behind only Bradman as the second greatest batsman of all time in 2002.

 

7. George Headley (West Indies) – 22 Tests, 10 100s, 5 50s, Average 60.83, HS 270* - Like Brian Lara over 60 years later, Headley had to keep a struggling side afloat. He managed this scoring a staggering ten centuries in his 22 Tests with his scoring feats leading to him being dubbed the ‘Black Bradman’. Headley was noted for his phenomenal back foot play and the time he seemed to have to play the ball, with such a shrewd judge as Len Hutton declaring that he had never seen a batsman play the ball later.

 

6. William ‘W.G’ Grace (England) – 22 Tests, 2 100s, 5 50s, Average 32.29, HS 170 - Until Bradman, Grace was regarded as the greatest cricket player ever and was certainly one of the most competitive. Over the course of a 44 year career, he transcended the sport and in the words of John Arlott “created modern cricket”. Amongst other nicknames, Grace was known as “the Champion” and one of his contemporaries and fellow all-time great batsmen Ranjitsinhji said of him in the Jubilee Book of Cricket “I hold him to be not only the finest player born or unborn, but the maker of modern batting”.

 

5. Vivian Richards (West Indies) – 121 Tests, 24 100s, 45 50s, Average 50.23, HS  291-  Regarded by cricket aficionados as probably the most devastating batsman in the history of the game, King Viv was absolutely unstoppable on his day. His style was a mixture of swagger and intimidation and most bowlers seemed to visibly cower when faced with an on-song Richards. It is befitting that he is the scorer of the fastest-ever Test century, from just 56 balls against England in his home island of Antigua during the 1986 tour.

 

4. Jack Hobbs (England) – 61 Tests, 15 100s, 28 50s, Average 56.94, HS 211 - Popularly referred to as ‘The Master’, Hobbs scored more runs (61,760) and more centuries (199) than anyone else in the history of the sport – and but for the Great War these figures could have been more spectacular still. His opening partnership with Herbert Sutcliffe is considered to be the best England and maybe the game has seen. Hobbs made his first class debut against a side captained by W.G.Grace who presciently observed that "He's goin' to be a good'un". Even the learned Doctor could not have realised how ‘good’ Hobbs would become.

 

3. Walter Hammond (England) – 85 Tests, 22 100s, 24 50s, Average 58.45, HS 336* - Throughout his career, Hammond was often compared to Bradman, which is testament to what a great player he was, and he was included in the Don’s all-time XI. His seven Test double centuries has only been surpassed by Bradman and Brian Lara, and Hammond certainly had an ability to get big scores. His most notable series came on the tour of Australia in 1928-29 when he scored an incredible 905 runs at 113.12 in the five Tests. This has only been surpassed once – by Bradman, of course.

 

2. Garfield Sobers (West Indies) – 93 Tests, 26 100s, 30 50s, Average 57.78, HS 365* - Widely regarded as Cricket’s greatest all-rounder, Sobers was so good with the bat that he also ranks behind only the immortal Bradman on this list. Sobers mixed elegance with power and for a long time held the record for the highest Test score until he was usurped by his fellow West Indian Brian Lara. Perhaps his best innings though came for the Rest of the World against Australia in 1972 when Sobers played an innings of 254 which was described by Bradman as "probably the greatest exhibition of batting ever seen in Australia".

 

1. Donald Bradman (Australia) – 52 Tests, 29 100s, 13 50s, Average 99.94, HS 334 - Who else? No self-respecting list of the greatest batsmen ever could have anyone else at its head. Has anyone dominated their sport as much as Bradman? It almost defies belief that his average of 99.94 is almost 40 runs higher than the second best for 20 completed innings (Graeme Pollock at 60.97). Of his many staggering batting feats, here are three examples. First, his consecutive triple centuries at Headingley in the Ashes tests of 1930 and 1934. Second, his 974 runs in five tests during the 1930 Ashes series in England including three double centuries – both records. Finally, his second innings knock of 270 during the Third Test at Melbourne during the Ashes series of 1936/37, which was rated by Wisden as the best test match innings of all time in 2001. It enabled Australia, who were two down in the series, to win the match and they duly completed a remarkable turnaround by winning the fourth (Bradman making 212) and fifth (Bradman, 169) tests – still the only time a team has come back from two down to win a test match rubber, and Bradman was the captain of course.

 

My cricketing heroes

I've already posted this as part of my latest 'Reverse Sweep' column for Pongo Cricket and World Cricket Watch, but wanted to include it on my own blog too. I had planned it to be my 100th post since I started this blog just before Christmas, but I managed to cock that one up. So therefore, I am now celebrating my 102nd post. Hooray!

A list of my cricketing heroes

As some of you will know, the brain behind Cricket With Balls has recently embarked on Cricket Sadist, which is described as “the cricket magazine for sadists and masochists, not tragics”. Anyway, the first issue is due out on 1 April and I contributed a piece on Douglas Jardine, my all-time cricketing hero. So in order to promote the magazine and subsequently therefore ensure (I hope) that my Jardine piece makes the cut, here is a list of my all-time cricketing heroes.

Douglas Jardine – You’ll have to read Cricket Sadist to find out why Jardine (below) is at number one, if my article makes the cut that is…. 

 

Hedley Verity – England’s greatest ever spinner who tragically died prematurely as a hero in World War II. He took 7 wickets for 9 runs in what proved to be his last match for Yorkshire.

Donald Bradman – He may have been the scourge of England, but 99.94 mean no other words are necessary.

David Gower – My favourite player as a schoolboy. I even tried but failed to change my natural right handed style to be a left hander like him. And like me, also a David G.

Keith Miller – Not only a brilliant cricketer, but also a raconteur and notorious cad. What’s not to like?

Harold Larwood – Jardine’s main weapon in Australia in 1932/33 refused to apologise for Bodyline and never played for England again. I like people with strong principles.

Ian Botham – Great cricketer, crap commentator. But always a hero of mine simply because of 1981 when as a wide eyed nine year old I watched his historic feats at Headingley, Edgbaston and Old Trafford.

Viv Richards – The coolest cricketer ever? He even makes Chris Gayle look positively uncool in comparison. 

W.G.Grace  – Of all the many reasons to like Grace this is my favourite. When he was bowled once, first ball, he promptly picked up the bails and replaced them, repositioning himself to take the next ball. The umpire, not unnaturally, objected. "Don't be silly," said WG, and pointed to the crowd. "They've come to see me bat, not you umpire." Magical.

Paul Collingwood – I know. But here I’ve picked the cricketer that reminds me most of my own batting ‘style’. Well the Brigadier Block version anyway.

And I still haven't written about Victor Trumper, Imran Khan, Gary Sobers, SF Barnes... The list goes on. More cricketing heroes on the 202nd, 302nd and so on posts!

Who are the best 20 batsmen ever? - Part 2 (10-1)

Continuing from Part 1 yesterday, which counted down the best batsmen from 20-11, here are numbers 10-1 in reverse order, with an additional comment at the end for those Test countries not represented in my list:

10. Victor Trumper (Australia) – 48 Tests, 8 100s, 13 50s, Average 39.04, HS 214*

Widely acknowledged as the best Australian batsman before Bradman, Trumper was both stylish and versatile with a penchant for playing match-winning innings on treacherous wet wickets. After scoring 135 not out against England at Lord’s in 1899, Grace gifted Trumper his own bat with the inscription "From the present champion to the future champion."

9. Herbert Sutcliffe (England) – 54 Tests, 16 100s, 23 50s, Average 60.73, HS 194

Sutcliffe’s name always seems to be inexplicably left on the margins when discussions as to who is the best ever English batsman. Perhaps this is because he opened the batting with Hobbs and played in the same era as Hammond. Whatever the reasons, Sutcliffe deserves recognition in his own right - the fourth highest Test match batting average of all-time for players with at least 20 innings, a fantastic record against Australia and prodigious run scoring for country and Yorkshire alike.

8. Brian Lara (West Indies) – 131 Tests, 34 100s, 48 50s, Average 52.88, HS 400*

The man with the highest Test and First Class scores of 400 not out and 501 not out respectively, Lara is the fourth of six West Indians on the list. When he started his career, West Indian dominance was on the wane. By the time he finished it, his side was in the doldrums and as a result he spent most of his time trying to keep the West Indies afloat making his record even more impressive. Perhaps his best achievement was in 1999 in the home series against Australia, when he single-handedly won the second and third tests with scores of 213 and 153 not out after his side had been obliterated in the first test. He scored a century too in the fourth and final test, but couldn’t prevent Australia squaring the series.

7. George Headley (West Indies) – 22 Tests, 10 100s, 5 50s, Average 60.83, HS 270*

Like Brian Lara over 60 years later, Headley had to keep a struggling side afloat. He managed this scoring a staggering ten centuries in his 22 Tests with his scoring feats leading to him being dubbed the ‘Black Bradman’. Headley was noted for his phenomenal back foot play and the time he seemed to have to play the ball, with such a shrewd judge as Len Hutton declaring that he had never seen a batsman play the ball later.

6. Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 141* Tests, 38 100s, 50 50s, Average 54.79, HS 257

The outstanding batsman playing the game today, Ponting is widely acknowledged as the best Australian batsman since Bradman – high praise indeed. One of Ponting’s main strengths is his versatility in that he can score quickly, counter-attack or tough it out when the situation demands. Other strengths include his consistency and his habit of playing match winning innings.

5. Vivian Richards (West Indies) – 121 Tests, 24 100s, 45 50s, Average 50.23, HS 291

Regarded by cricket aficionados as probably the most devastating batsman in the history of the game, King Viv was absolutely unstoppable on his day. His style was a mixture of swagger and intimidation and most bowlers seemed to visibly cower when faced with an on-song Richards. It is befitting that he is the scorer of the fastest-ever Test century, from just 56 balls against England in his home island of Antigua during the 1986 tour.

4. Jack Hobbs (England) – 61 Tests, 15 100s, 28 50s, Average 56.94, HS 211

Popularly referred to as ‘The Master’, Hobbs scored more runs (61,760) and more centuries (199) than anyone else in the history of the sport – and but for the Great War these figures could have been more spectacular still. His opening partnership with Herbert Sutcliffe is considered to be the best England and maybe the game has seen. Hobbs made his first class debut against a side captained by W.G.Grace who presciently observed that "He's goin' to be a good'un". Even the learned Doctor could not have realised how ‘good’ Hobbs would become.

3. Walter Hammond (England) – 85 Tests, 22 100s, 24 50s, Average 58.45, HS 336*

Throughout his career, Hammond was often compared to Bradman, which is testament to what a great player he was, and he was included in the Don’s all-time XI. His seven Test double centuries has only been surpassed by Bradman and Brian Lara, and Hammond certainly had an ability to get big scores. His most notable series came on the tour of Australia in 1928-29 when he scored an incredible 905 runs at 113.12 in the five Tests. This has only been surpassed once – by Bradman, of course.

2. Garfield Sobers (West Indies) – 93 Tests, 26 100s, 30 50s, Average 57.78, HS 365*

Widely regarded as Cricket’s greatest all-rounder, Sobers was so good with the bat that he also ranks behind only the immortal Bradman on this list. Sobers mixed elegance with power and for a long time held the record for the highest Test score until he was usurped by his fellow West Indian Brian Lara. Perhaps his best innings though came for the Rest of the World against Australia in 1972 when Sobers played an innings of 254 which was described by Bradman as "probably the greatest exhibition of batting ever seen in Australia".

1. Donald Bradman (Australia) – 52 Tests, 29 100s, 13 50s, Average 99.94, HS 334 

Who else? No self-respecting list of the greatest batsmen ever could have anyone else at its head. Has anyone dominated their sport as much as Bradman? It almost defies belief that his average of 99.94 is almost 40 runs higher than the second best for 20 completed innings (Graeme Pollock at 60.97). Of his many staggering batting feats, here are three examples. First, his consecutive triple centuries at Headingley in the Ashes tests of 1930 and 1934. Second, his 974 runs in five tests during the 1930 Ashes series in England including three double centuries – both records. Finally, his second innings knock of 270 during the Third Test at Melbourne during the Ashes series of 1936/37, which was rated by Wisden as the best test match innings of all time in 2001. It enabled Australia, who were two down in the series, to win the match and they duly completed a remarkable turnaround by winning the fourth (Bradman making 212) and fifth (Bradman, 169) tests – still the only time a team has come back from two down to win a test match rubber, and Bradman was the captain of course.

So, there we have it. Six West Indians, six who represented England, four Australians, two Indians and one each from South Africa and Pakistan. Obviously, a number of great players failed to make the cut and as I said yesterday it was an agonising process to get down to the final 20. Indians, South Africans and Pakistanis may feel aggrieved that their nations do not have a higher representation. Rest assured that Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Dudley Nourse, Barry Richards (ruled out by the virtue of having only played four tests), Zaheer Abbas and Inzamam-ul-Haq were all there or thereabouts.

From England, no place could be found for Denis Compton, Ken Barrington, Peter May, Ted Dexter or David Gower. On the other side of the World in Australia, Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Neil Harvey, Stan McCabe and Adam Gilchrist all failed to make the cut. And those swashbuckling West Indians Frank Worrell, Gordon Greenidge and Clive Lloyd also deserve a mention.

For those countries not represented, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Aravinda da Silva were all considered from Sri Lanka, as was Andy Flower from Zimbabwe and Martin Crowe, Martin Donnelly, Glenn Turner and Bert Sutcliffe from New Zealand. Bangladesh have yet to produce a great batsman, but undoubtedly they will as they continue to improve in the Test match arena.

 

Who would your best batsmen ever be?