Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

sussexpob wrote:Sobers career average profited greatly from plundering terrible teams from Asia before they were arguably capable

That would also apply to all his contemporiyies,to be fair. Only Pakistan and India had test status then and would be formidable opponents at home. ATest batting average of 57 puts you amongst the batting greats of any era. His greatness as a bowler stemmed from being able to bowl quite devastating swing with the new ball then revert to chinaman and googlie. He certainly wasn't a great as a spin bowler.

His average against England is better than his career average. Admittedly higher at home than in England.

His average against Aus is a fair bit lower than careerly. However, much higher in As than at home.


that's as far as I looked.

Every player in every era topped their average up against someone or other. Recent players had Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

Obviously Bradman was supreme before WWII. If we make an era btween the end of the war, and the emergence of the great West Indies side in 76, we have an era in which players would have faced fairly similar opposition and be roughly contemporary with Sobers.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=batting

These are the best averages in this period. No one dominates. The West Indies players would have batted on mats for some of this time, so that would be an advantage. Sobers is up there in average, has the most runs, most tons and the highest score.

Can't see when matting stopped being used in the West Indies, but I think it was used in the fifties. Happy to be corrected.

Arthur Crabtree wrote:Can't see when matting stopped being used in the West Indies, but I think it was used in the fifties. Happy to be corrected.

England played on matting in at least 1Test on 1953-54 tour and I think that was the last time.

Thanks for that. I had a thought that I'd read Fred Trueman mention bowling on a mat in the WI in his autobiography. Or if he didn't play, discuss it happening.

Trinidad, the only draw, and a run-fest. Fred didn't play (or Sobers), but was picked for three Tests in the series.

And his alleged misbehaviour on that tour led to his exclusion, and Tyson's inclusion, in the '54-'55 Ashes-and the rest is history.

Durhamfootman wrote:who, in turn, is a giant compared to the effervescent Danny Morrison, or Ravi *modded* Shastri

At least you get a laugh out of listening to Shastri...

when he isn't shamelessly plugging the sponsors in every sentence he utters

RIP Tony Cozier.

Haven't been on much.

Joe Root voted as England ODI and Test players of the year by the uk press. Not sure if this has any history or prestige. Root seems an obvious choice. Who second? Broad for Tests and Buttler for limited overs?

Quata country should be getting banned from the sport.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/southafrica ... 16313.html

In depth article on who India might select for Zimbabwe and West Indies http://www.firstpost.com/sports/bcci-sh ... 93768.html

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci-icc/cont ... 19437.html
how can quota country even host it when they been banned from hosting any major tournament.