To continue our Greatest Test XI of the last century we pick our number eight.
West Indies is regarded as the spiritual home of the fast bowler, so it is fitting that the man commonly regarded as their finest ever makes the Greatest Test XI. Malcolm Marshall was their finest quick during their 1980s heyday, seriously rapid, hostile and extremely consistent; but he complemented these gifts with subtlety and real cricketing intelligence.
He was a tremendously canny bowler, with the ability to swing the ball both ways and, later in his career, the purveyor of a fine legcutter. Though relatively small for a West Indian quick – 5ft11in – he still generated good bounce; and his mastery of the finer arts of seam-bowling ultimately separated him from his almost equally outstanding team-mates.
It speaks volumes for his adaptability that his impressive average of 22.5 against Australia was actually his highest against the five nations he played against; Marshall’s multifarious gifts were such that he simply excelled everywhere. However, it was perhaps England whom he saved his very best for, memorably claiming 7/22 at Old Trafford in 1988, on a wicket prepared for spin.
With the bat, Marshall was extremely talented; invariably willing to attack, he averaged 19 in Tests and also struck seven first-class hundreds, so he is worthy of the number eight spot in this side. The man with 376 Test wickets was, in the words of Mike Atherton, “the complete fast bowler”.
The side so far: Sutcliffe, Hutton, Bradman, Hammond, Sobers, Imran (captain), Gilchrist (wicket-keeper), Marshall
Share your views on the side by leaving a comment below.
Friday, 7 September 2007
Sixty Summers - Review
With the 2007 Test summer now packed away in the tool shed, the 0-1 in
To cricketing aficionados, the game’s ineffable charm is difficult to characterise in purely rational terms. Deep into Sixty Summers, its author evokes Tom Stoppard’s description of the sound of ball meeting bat with a “noise like a trout taking a fly”, and almost sums it up.
The pleasure derived from our famous national pastime is made up of many component parts: the feel of a hard, shiny new cherry in hand; the driven four, straight through the ‘v’; an umpire shifting stones from pocket to pocket, steadily making an over; or the gradual accretion of runs and wickets that form the statistical tale of a player’s life. Cox’s knowledge of these moments of private joy informs his project, and helps prevent any dilution of interest despite a timespan that covers more than half a century.
Appropriately for its subject matter, Sixty Summers is a thoughtful and discursive book, full of discrete episodes drawn together to create a larger, more complex picture. Rather than ball by ball, or over by over (imagine the tomes that could be filled with such Guardian-style commentary), the action is presented to the reader series by series, with Cox interweaving his chronicle of the English game with chapters on a variety of sub-topics.
Equipment and run rates, the state of the county system and the grubby world of match-fixing all fall under the microscope; but it is as a record of
In his documentation of the sport from post-war to 2005 AP (Anno Pietersen), Cox takes a linear approach, charting each encounter as the years tick by, and breaking off at appropriate moments to dip into one side issue or another. It would seem possible to get easily lost in the slew of names, events, and figures, but the book’s index is a comprehensive and blessed assistant - allowing, for instance, the separation of Edrich, Bill, (38-’55) from Edrich, John, (’63-’76) with the minimum of hold-up.
And as much as cricket is about scorecards and averages, it is also about the players: Denis Compton’s friendship with Aussie juggernaught, Keith Miller; Frank Tyson’s recovery from being knocked unconscious at Sydney in 1954 to lead England to victory over Australia - and Devon Malcolm’s parallel exaction of revenge after being struck by the South Africans forty years later; Derek Randall doffing his cap to Dennis Lillee, having ducked a bouncer in the Centenary Test.
Through West Indian ‘blackwashing’ (twice), the rebel apartheid tours, and the ever-changing LBW law, Sixty Summers offers a comprehensive look at the evolution and incidence of a sporting milieu that clearly enthralls its author as much as he hopes it will his audience. If the book were a painting, it would be right up there with one of Jack Russell’s best efforts, refusing to be harried in its musings, keen to etch a picture not only in its finest detail, but to provide splashes of colour and illumination wherever possible.
Cox notes that the 22 yard strip which still comprises the principal cricketing battleground is one of the few remaining vestiges of the game he first encountered as a child (and a “blessed relief” at that); but undaunted, he attempts to analyse the changes - the advent of one day competition, the influx of foreign players, coloured strips, increasing run rates - that have taken place during his lifetime, and given us the spectacle to which we are accustomed today. Perhaps most innovative is his home-grown method of measuring the ‘action rate’ in First Class cricket. Whilst I’ll not be drawn into revealing the method here, Cox’s system takes into account both runs and wickets, and offers some interesting observations on cricketing cultural shift.
Less successful I would suggest are the author’s attempts to forecast developments we might expect over the next fifteen to twenty years. Prediction is, of course, much more tricky than analysis, but the proposed ‘Test World Cup’ seems an unwieldy project at best, and likely to be little better an indicator of the top team in the game’s long form than the current ICC league system (Tests, after all, remain a series of duels against one opponent, rather than individual encounters against a variety). Cox’s hypothetical restructuring of the County system is much more thought-provoking; however, the apparent renaissance within the Championship currently appears to render his musings redundant. On technology, that pernicious interloper in many a traditionalist’s eyes, he is refreshingly open-minded, although blanch I certainly did at the thought of electronic transmitters embedded within balls, despite the warning.
The odd typo and printing error aside (which could surely be ironed out with a second run...), Sixty Summers is a remarkably good read, and one that would doubtless fit in nicely on any enthusiast’s shelf. Anecdotes and historical documentation are smoothly allied with the keen knowledge of personal recollection, and through his three score summers Cox’s simple pleasure in “a game of ebb and flow that can be played over three hours or five days” appears to remain undiminished. For that reason alone, it’s worth a look.
Wednesday, 5 September 2007
Greatest Test XI
To continue our Greatest Test XI of the last century we pick our number seven.
Adam Gilchrist has revolutionised cricket, scoring over 5000 Tests runs from number seven, at an average of almost 50; but, equally impressively, these have been scored at a strike-rate of 82, one of the highest in the history of Test cricket. He has been the epitome of Australian dominance, able to turn positions of weakness into great strength within a couple of hours or totally demoralise an opposition already up against it.
Over 90 Tests, he has scored centuries against every other Test nation, testament to his outstanding quality. With his bludgeoning blade, extraordinary hand-eye co-ordination and ability to attack all forms of bowling, Gilchrist has become one of the most feared batsmen in the history of the game, reducing outstanding bowlers to a state of near-helplessness.
In just his second game, he played one of the most remarkable innings, scoring 149* against a powerful Pakistani attack as Australia recovered from 124-5 to reach their victory target of 369. He has continued in much the same vein ever since, en route to his 17 Test hundreds, with his 204* against South Africa and century against England at Perth (the second fastest in Tests), particularly memorable. Yet it was his 144 in Sri Lanka, when he came in at number three with his side 80 behind in their second innings that provides enduring proof of his skills as a batsman.
As a wicket-keeper, Gilchrist is no Bob Taylor, someone whose keeping was of aesthetic value. Yet he has kept with distinction for 90 Tests, to claim 381 dismissals, just 14 away from Ian Healy’s world record. He is supremely reliable, and very seldom drops chances, while he has also been an instrumental part of Shane Warne’s success. Above all, though, he will be remembered as the consummate counter-attacking number seven.
The side so far: Sutcliffe, Hutton, Bradman, Hammond, Sobers, Imran (captain), Gilchrist (wicket-keeper)
Share your views on the side by leaving a comment below.
Adam Gilchrist has revolutionised cricket, scoring over 5000 Tests runs from number seven, at an average of almost 50; but, equally impressively, these have been scored at a strike-rate of 82, one of the highest in the history of Test cricket. He has been the epitome of Australian dominance, able to turn positions of weakness into great strength within a couple of hours or totally demoralise an opposition already up against it.
Over 90 Tests, he has scored centuries against every other Test nation, testament to his outstanding quality. With his bludgeoning blade, extraordinary hand-eye co-ordination and ability to attack all forms of bowling, Gilchrist has become one of the most feared batsmen in the history of the game, reducing outstanding bowlers to a state of near-helplessness.
In just his second game, he played one of the most remarkable innings, scoring 149* against a powerful Pakistani attack as Australia recovered from 124-5 to reach their victory target of 369. He has continued in much the same vein ever since, en route to his 17 Test hundreds, with his 204* against South Africa and century against England at Perth (the second fastest in Tests), particularly memorable. Yet it was his 144 in Sri Lanka, when he came in at number three with his side 80 behind in their second innings that provides enduring proof of his skills as a batsman.
As a wicket-keeper, Gilchrist is no Bob Taylor, someone whose keeping was of aesthetic value. Yet he has kept with distinction for 90 Tests, to claim 381 dismissals, just 14 away from Ian Healy’s world record. He is supremely reliable, and very seldom drops chances, while he has also been an instrumental part of Shane Warne’s success. Above all, though, he will be remembered as the consummate counter-attacking number seven.
The side so far: Sutcliffe, Hutton, Bradman, Hammond, Sobers, Imran (captain), Gilchrist (wicket-keeper)
Share your views on the side by leaving a comment below.
Monday, 3 September 2007
Greatest Test XI: Imran Khan
To continue our Greatest Test XI of the last century we pick our number six.
For a decade, Imran Khan dominated the Pakistani side to an extraordinary, almost unprecedented, extent. In his last 50 Tests, he averaged an astonishing 52 with the bat and 20 with the ball. Over this decade-long spell, he was perhaps the greatest cricketer in the world, and an inspirational skipper to boot.
The side he skippered are remembered, primarily, for a series of epic conflicts with one of the greatest sides of all time, the West Indies. In a trio of three-game series around the turn of the 1990s, Imran illustrated his supreme worth to Pakistan, and his incredible ability to excel himself when it mattered most; as Rob Smyth put it, “he lorded over these contests like a colossus”. His captaincy in these games was a crucial facet of Pakistan’s success; more important still was his breathtaking feats with the ball. In these nine matches, he took 45 wickets at under 15 against a fearsome batting line-up. The highlight was at Georgetown, when he recorded match figures of 11/121 en route to a spectacular victory.
Unusually for a quick bowler, Imran got better with age, peaking in his mid 30s. His reverse-swinging yorkers were devastating; Imran generated significant pace until late on in his career, and had both consistency and guile. When he made his Test debut, in 1971, he was palpably not Test class; yet developed into one of the most penetrating fast men of his era. And his bowling record is even more remarkable considering the generally docile Pakistani tracks; Imran needed tremendous nous and subtlety to thrive there.
He was a late developer, too, with the bat, but, with his sound technique, developed into the ultimate lower middle-order player, tremendously adaptable and able either to play long, dour knocks – batting five hours for 58* on the last day, to save the game against the West Indies – or taking the initiative; indeed, he averaged a phenomenal 62 at number 6. His value as a batsman was such that, during his peak years, he played even when unable to bowl at all. In this side, his presence means the side can have Sobers as a sixth bowler - so has a bowling attack ideal for virtually all conditions.
Yet, for all that, he is perhaps best remembered as a captain who galvanised Pakistan into a battle-hardened side able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the phenomenal West Indies side of the ‘80s (and won the 1992 World Cup), inspiring his side through the brilliance of his performances and the strength of his personality. And, as such, he will captain my Greatest Test XI.
The side so far: Sutcliffe, Hutton, Bradman, Hammond, Sobers, Imran (captain)
Share your views on the side by leaving a comment below.
For a decade, Imran Khan dominated the Pakistani side to an extraordinary, almost unprecedented, extent. In his last 50 Tests, he averaged an astonishing 52 with the bat and 20 with the ball. Over this decade-long spell, he was perhaps the greatest cricketer in the world, and an inspirational skipper to boot.
The side he skippered are remembered, primarily, for a series of epic conflicts with one of the greatest sides of all time, the West Indies. In a trio of three-game series around the turn of the 1990s, Imran illustrated his supreme worth to Pakistan, and his incredible ability to excel himself when it mattered most; as Rob Smyth put it, “he lorded over these contests like a colossus”. His captaincy in these games was a crucial facet of Pakistan’s success; more important still was his breathtaking feats with the ball. In these nine matches, he took 45 wickets at under 15 against a fearsome batting line-up. The highlight was at Georgetown, when he recorded match figures of 11/121 en route to a spectacular victory.
Unusually for a quick bowler, Imran got better with age, peaking in his mid 30s. His reverse-swinging yorkers were devastating; Imran generated significant pace until late on in his career, and had both consistency and guile. When he made his Test debut, in 1971, he was palpably not Test class; yet developed into one of the most penetrating fast men of his era. And his bowling record is even more remarkable considering the generally docile Pakistani tracks; Imran needed tremendous nous and subtlety to thrive there.
He was a late developer, too, with the bat, but, with his sound technique, developed into the ultimate lower middle-order player, tremendously adaptable and able either to play long, dour knocks – batting five hours for 58* on the last day, to save the game against the West Indies – or taking the initiative; indeed, he averaged a phenomenal 62 at number 6. His value as a batsman was such that, during his peak years, he played even when unable to bowl at all. In this side, his presence means the side can have Sobers as a sixth bowler - so has a bowling attack ideal for virtually all conditions.
Yet, for all that, he is perhaps best remembered as a captain who galvanised Pakistan into a battle-hardened side able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the phenomenal West Indies side of the ‘80s (and won the 1992 World Cup), inspiring his side through the brilliance of his performances and the strength of his personality. And, as such, he will captain my Greatest Test XI.
The side so far: Sutcliffe, Hutton, Bradman, Hammond, Sobers, Imran (captain)
Share your views on the side by leaving a comment below.
Championship – Week 18
In Division 1, all three games affect top and bottom: Surrey win big and look to be safe, Worcestershire don’t and are relegated while Durham are right back in contention at the top. In Division 2, Somerset are promoted, Notts thwart Middlesex’s chance, but Essex keep themselves in the hunt.
Div 1
Surrey went to Hampshire still in the relegation places. However, a first inning score of 556, with tons from Mark Ramprakash (obviously) and Mark Butcher. Hants could only make 221 in reply despite a ton from James Adams. Chris Schofield took 5-fer – his first 5 wicket haul of the season, and amazingly only the 6th of his career. Hants did a little better second time round with 298 but Surrey were finally able to take the final wicket (which survived 43 overs) for an innings victory and they are now in the relative comfort of 6th, above Kent and Warwickshire. Hampshire’s title challenge is hanging by a thread.
Kent were on top for most of their match against Lancashire, scoring 327 thanks to a Matt Walker ton. Lancs lost the services of Muttiah Muralitharan while bowling, which will see him out of action until at least after the 20:20 World Championship. Lancs replied with 317, Mark Saggers taking 5-fer and Glen Chapple hitting a rapid 88. Rob Key (182) and Walker (157) then put on a stand of nearly 300 in Kent’s second innings as they declared on 419 for 6. Lancs never looked like chasing the runs down and batted out losing just three wickets for 208 and a draw which doesn’t really help either team. Kent slip into the relegation places while Lance, now without Murali for the rest of the season, miss the chance to make up ground at the top of the table.
Worcestershire batted first at Durham and Ottis Gibson carried on his sparkling form of the year taking seven wickets to reduce the Pears to 182. The Durham innings was the epitome of the old cricketing cliché “One brings Two” as two wickets fell at 14, 86 and 171, Gareth Batty being the main thorn in Durham’s side with 6-fer. In the end Durham ended up with a lead of 115, scoring 297. Worcester scored 390 second time round, Gibson getting another 4 wickets, but Durham scored the 279 required for the loss of 5 wickets and move to second in the table. Worcestershire go back to Division 2 for next season.
Div 2
Somerset went on to their game against Glamorgan knowing that a win should see their promotion confirmed. However, they were grateful to a stand of 130 between Craig Kieswetter and Andy Caddick to see them over the 400 mark, all out for 402. Caddick then went back to what he does best as he Charl Willoughby and Stefan Jones took three wickets each to bowl Glamorgan out for 233. Somerset declared on 329 second time round, Robert Croft taking 5-fer setting Glamorgan an unlikely 498 for victory. They managed just 199 and Somerset clinched a well deserved promotion.
Second played third at Lords and Nottinghamshire batted first in the knowledge that a draw would be a good result for them. Chaminda Vaas took 5 wickets but Notts scored 473 with Stephen Fleming scoring a ton. In reply Middlesex managed one run less, with Ed Smith getting a ton. Tellingly, though, they took twenty overs more to get the runs, despite being the team most in need of victory. In their second innings Notts finished on 456 for 7 as the game ran out of time on a good Lords wicket, Samit Patel scoring a ton and ten Middlesex players having a bowl.
Essex took the chance to make up ground on the two teams directly above them on a tricky pitch at Derby. Essex scored 272 in their first inning, which was put into perspective as they then skittled Derbyshire for 139 in less than 30 overs, Andy Bichel taking 7 wickets. Second time round, Essex recovered from 28 for 4 to post 268, Ryan ten Doeschate scoring a ton and Bichel 74. This was more than enough as Derby could only muster 174 – 6 wickets for Danesh Kaneria, 4 more for Bichel and Essex move above Middlesex into third, still a fair distance behind Notts though.
Struggling Leicestshire were thankful to Claude Henderson and Paul Nixon for getting them up to 229 having been struggling at 77 for 6, Carl Greenidge doing most of the damage with 6 wickets. However, this was dwarfed by Gloucestershire’s 650 for 8, with tons for Hamish Marshall, Craig Spearman and Kadeer Ali and Steve Adshead falling one run short of being a fourth centurian. Nixon again assured some respectability in Leicester’s second innings, but they fell well short of making Gloucester bat again, scoring 270 and losing by an innings and 151.
England player watch
Andrew Strauss managed just 16 on a very good Lords wicket. However, he did bowl six overs and would have enjoyed taking the wicket of Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming.
Player of the Week
A tricky one this week. Matt Walker scored centuries in both innings of Kent’s draw with Lancashire while the Andys Caddick and Bichel both put in good all round performances in Somerset and Essex’s victories. However, for his 7th century of the season, setting up the win which should now keep Surrey up, the Player of the Week is Mark Ramprakash.
Div 1
Surrey went to Hampshire still in the relegation places. However, a first inning score of 556, with tons from Mark Ramprakash (obviously) and Mark Butcher. Hants could only make 221 in reply despite a ton from James Adams. Chris Schofield took 5-fer – his first 5 wicket haul of the season, and amazingly only the 6th of his career. Hants did a little better second time round with 298 but Surrey were finally able to take the final wicket (which survived 43 overs) for an innings victory and they are now in the relative comfort of 6th, above Kent and Warwickshire. Hampshire’s title challenge is hanging by a thread.
Kent were on top for most of their match against Lancashire, scoring 327 thanks to a Matt Walker ton. Lancs lost the services of Muttiah Muralitharan while bowling, which will see him out of action until at least after the 20:20 World Championship. Lancs replied with 317, Mark Saggers taking 5-fer and Glen Chapple hitting a rapid 88. Rob Key (182) and Walker (157) then put on a stand of nearly 300 in Kent’s second innings as they declared on 419 for 6. Lancs never looked like chasing the runs down and batted out losing just three wickets for 208 and a draw which doesn’t really help either team. Kent slip into the relegation places while Lance, now without Murali for the rest of the season, miss the chance to make up ground at the top of the table.
Worcestershire batted first at Durham and Ottis Gibson carried on his sparkling form of the year taking seven wickets to reduce the Pears to 182. The Durham innings was the epitome of the old cricketing cliché “One brings Two” as two wickets fell at 14, 86 and 171, Gareth Batty being the main thorn in Durham’s side with 6-fer. In the end Durham ended up with a lead of 115, scoring 297. Worcester scored 390 second time round, Gibson getting another 4 wickets, but Durham scored the 279 required for the loss of 5 wickets and move to second in the table. Worcestershire go back to Division 2 for next season.
Div 2
Somerset went on to their game against Glamorgan knowing that a win should see their promotion confirmed. However, they were grateful to a stand of 130 between Craig Kieswetter and Andy Caddick to see them over the 400 mark, all out for 402. Caddick then went back to what he does best as he Charl Willoughby and Stefan Jones took three wickets each to bowl Glamorgan out for 233. Somerset declared on 329 second time round, Robert Croft taking 5-fer setting Glamorgan an unlikely 498 for victory. They managed just 199 and Somerset clinched a well deserved promotion.
Second played third at Lords and Nottinghamshire batted first in the knowledge that a draw would be a good result for them. Chaminda Vaas took 5 wickets but Notts scored 473 with Stephen Fleming scoring a ton. In reply Middlesex managed one run less, with Ed Smith getting a ton. Tellingly, though, they took twenty overs more to get the runs, despite being the team most in need of victory. In their second innings Notts finished on 456 for 7 as the game ran out of time on a good Lords wicket, Samit Patel scoring a ton and ten Middlesex players having a bowl.
Essex took the chance to make up ground on the two teams directly above them on a tricky pitch at Derby. Essex scored 272 in their first inning, which was put into perspective as they then skittled Derbyshire for 139 in less than 30 overs, Andy Bichel taking 7 wickets. Second time round, Essex recovered from 28 for 4 to post 268, Ryan ten Doeschate scoring a ton and Bichel 74. This was more than enough as Derby could only muster 174 – 6 wickets for Danesh Kaneria, 4 more for Bichel and Essex move above Middlesex into third, still a fair distance behind Notts though.
Struggling Leicestshire were thankful to Claude Henderson and Paul Nixon for getting them up to 229 having been struggling at 77 for 6, Carl Greenidge doing most of the damage with 6 wickets. However, this was dwarfed by Gloucestershire’s 650 for 8, with tons for Hamish Marshall, Craig Spearman and Kadeer Ali and Steve Adshead falling one run short of being a fourth centurian. Nixon again assured some respectability in Leicester’s second innings, but they fell well short of making Gloucester bat again, scoring 270 and losing by an innings and 151.
England player watch
Andrew Strauss managed just 16 on a very good Lords wicket. However, he did bowl six overs and would have enjoyed taking the wicket of Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming.
Player of the Week
A tricky one this week. Matt Walker scored centuries in both innings of Kent’s draw with Lancashire while the Andys Caddick and Bichel both put in good all round performances in Somerset and Essex’s victories. However, for his 7th century of the season, setting up the win which should now keep Surrey up, the Player of the Week is Mark Ramprakash.
Sunday, 2 September 2007
What now for Simon Jones?
There's an interesting piece on Simon Jones by his former country skipper Steve James in today's Torygraph. Jones, of course, has endured a depressingly truncated season, taking just five wickets in all competitions - and one for 293 in four championship matches.
Many quicks have had some of their best years after 28 (Jones' current age); yet, given the multitude of injuries the Welshman has suffered, it seems possible he will never be a threat again, even at county level. He has lost much of his pace, and, understandably, his runup suggests a man fearful of yet another injury.
With his central contract soon to end, it will be interesting to see where Jones sees his future. According to James, Hampshire is a possible destination. In truth, leaving Glamorgan may be a wise choice: they have been the scene for so many of his ill-fated comebacks that a change of scene could only help. And Shane Warne could have the effect of reinvigorating the man who, fleetingly, was able to deliver reverse-swing at 90mph, and excelled in the 2005 Ashes and the 2-1 victory in South Africa the previous winter.
Yet, either way, it seems highly unlikely Jones will play for his country again. He will need a full season of county action before he can even be considered a candidate; and, equally, England's fast-bowling ranks are bursting as it is. What it will require is tremendous strength of character - and a good deal of luck. Simon Jones returned, spectacularly, from one career-threathening injuy; doing it twice appears, alas, to be proving beyond him.
Many quicks have had some of their best years after 28 (Jones' current age); yet, given the multitude of injuries the Welshman has suffered, it seems possible he will never be a threat again, even at county level. He has lost much of his pace, and, understandably, his runup suggests a man fearful of yet another injury.
With his central contract soon to end, it will be interesting to see where Jones sees his future. According to James, Hampshire is a possible destination. In truth, leaving Glamorgan may be a wise choice: they have been the scene for so many of his ill-fated comebacks that a change of scene could only help. And Shane Warne could have the effect of reinvigorating the man who, fleetingly, was able to deliver reverse-swing at 90mph, and excelled in the 2005 Ashes and the 2-1 victory in South Africa the previous winter.
Yet, either way, it seems highly unlikely Jones will play for his country again. He will need a full season of county action before he can even be considered a candidate; and, equally, England's fast-bowling ranks are bursting as it is. What it will require is tremendous strength of character - and a good deal of luck. Simon Jones returned, spectacularly, from one career-threathening injuy; doing it twice appears, alas, to be proving beyond him.
Saturday, 1 September 2007
Greatest Test XI
To continue our Greatest Test XI of the last century we pick our number five.
Garry Sobers was quite simply a cricketing phenomenon. Along with Graeme Pollock, he was the best batsman of his era; he was a superb fielder; and he was able to claim 235 Test wickets with three different types of bowling. Though his batting was clearly his strongest suit, he would probably have played at least 50 Tests for the West Indies as a bowler alone.
Sobers simply excelled at all aspects of the game; he could play all the shots, though his offside play was particularly memorable; and, much more so than other all-rounders, displayed real discipline with the bat. For instance, it would be unthinkable for Botham, Miller or Dev to have had the temperament to reach 365* in a Test; but that Sobers did, against Pakistan. In all, Sobers scored 26 Test hundreds, testament to his magisterial batting, but arguably his best knock was 254 for the Rest of the World against Australia. Uniquely, he scored at least one Test hundred everywhere from opening to number seven. When circumstances dictate, however, he was as destructive as anyone, as his sensational six sixes (for Notts against Glamorgan) in an over illustrates.
His bowling (which struggled initially in Test cricket) was almost equally impressive, and he claimed over 1000 first-class victims in all. To be able to get Test wickets with three distinct types of bowling – brisk fast-medium (he often opened the bowling), left-arm orthodox and wrist spin is perhaps unique in cricketing history and illustrates the multifarious nature of Sobers’ cricketing gifts.
Sobers would probably have made the final XI as a batsman alone; add in his brilliant fielding and incredibly versatile bowling, and he has a strong case for being the finest Test cricketer of them all.
The side so far: Sutcliffe, Hutton, Bradman, Hammond, Sobers
Share your views on the side by leaving a comment below.
Garry Sobers was quite simply a cricketing phenomenon. Along with Graeme Pollock, he was the best batsman of his era; he was a superb fielder; and he was able to claim 235 Test wickets with three different types of bowling. Though his batting was clearly his strongest suit, he would probably have played at least 50 Tests for the West Indies as a bowler alone.
Sobers simply excelled at all aspects of the game; he could play all the shots, though his offside play was particularly memorable; and, much more so than other all-rounders, displayed real discipline with the bat. For instance, it would be unthinkable for Botham, Miller or Dev to have had the temperament to reach 365* in a Test; but that Sobers did, against Pakistan. In all, Sobers scored 26 Test hundreds, testament to his magisterial batting, but arguably his best knock was 254 for the Rest of the World against Australia. Uniquely, he scored at least one Test hundred everywhere from opening to number seven. When circumstances dictate, however, he was as destructive as anyone, as his sensational six sixes (for Notts against Glamorgan) in an over illustrates.
His bowling (which struggled initially in Test cricket) was almost equally impressive, and he claimed over 1000 first-class victims in all. To be able to get Test wickets with three distinct types of bowling – brisk fast-medium (he often opened the bowling), left-arm orthodox and wrist spin is perhaps unique in cricketing history and illustrates the multifarious nature of Sobers’ cricketing gifts.
Sobers would probably have made the final XI as a batsman alone; add in his brilliant fielding and incredibly versatile bowling, and he has a strong case for being the finest Test cricketer of them all.
The side so far: Sutcliffe, Hutton, Bradman, Hammond, Sobers
Share your views on the side by leaving a comment below.
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