Cricket, a gentle man’s game was invented a long time ago. Since then there are many players who represented their respective countries and some players even managed to get their name in the history. Of the many facets presented by the game of cricket, most men will agree that batting is the one most distinctly enjoyable and delightful. Few players have managed to etch their name in list of top 10 greatest batsman of all time in cricket. Here let’s take a look at the top 10 greatest batsman of all time.
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
1. Sachin Tendulkar (India)
Who else would be given the no.1 position in our list for Top 10 Greatest Batsman of All Time other than the God himself Sachin Tendulkar?
Started playing cricket at a tender age of 16, Sachin holds the majority of batting records in cricket history. He is considered the second best behind Don Bradman in tests and in ODI’s, he is considered the greatest cricketer ever. He was the first to score 10,000 runs in ODI’s and has totally scored 18,426 runs when he retired from ODI’s. In tests, he has accumulated 15645 runs at an average of approximately 54. He was also the first batsman to score a 200 in ODI, score 100 international centuries and 50 centuries in tests. He has faced the most lethal bowlers during his playing days which included the likes of Waqar, Wasim, Akthar, Warne, Muralitharan, McGrath, Lee, Donald and many more. His straight drive is a delight to watch for and his innings against Australia in Sharjah which is also known as desert storm should be considered as one of the greatest innings in cricket history. Tendulkar has added several modern and unorthodox strokes into his repertoire, including the paddle sweep, the scoop over short fine leg and the slash to third man over the slips’ heads, over the last decade.
” First man in the planet to score a double hundred and its the superman from India, SACHIN RAMESH TENDULKAR”- Ravi Shastri on commentary when Sachin scored 200 against the Proteas in an ODI.
“I’ll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for a six. I don’t think anyone apart from Don Bradman is in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar. He is just an amazing player.” – Shane Warne, Legendary Aussie Leg Spinner.
2. Sir Donald Bradman ( Australia)
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| Sir Don Bradman is in number 2 in our list of top 10 greatest batsman of all time |
Sir Donald Bradman is at number 2 spot in our list of top 10 greatest batsman of all time. Don Bradman was an Australian Legendary cricketer who is widely acknowledged as the greatest Test batsman of all time. Bradman’s career Test average of 99.94 is statistically recorded as the greatest achievement by any sportsman in sporting history. With just 4 runs needed in his final innings to hold an average of 100.00 in tests, Bradman got out for a duck. He favoured cut shots, pull and hook shots to deal with the bounce and devised a unique grip on the bat handle that would accommodate these strokes without compromising his ability to defend. Employing a side-on stance at the wicket, Bradman kept perfectly still as the bowler ran in. He “used the crease” by either coming metres down the wicket to drive, or playing so far back that his feet ended up level with the stumps when playing the cut, hook or pull. He temporarily adapted his technique during the Bodyline series, deliberately moving around the crease in an attempt to score from the short-pitched deliveries. He was given the Knighthood in 2009. He is undoubtedly one of the top 10 greatest batsman of all time. The only reason why Bradman was given the number 2 in our list for Top 10 Greatest Batsman of All Time is because he has scored his majority of his runs against England and during his days the bowlers were not aggressive enough to trouble the batsmen.
“The greatest phenomenon in the history of cricket, indeed in the history of all ball games”- Wisden
3. Sir Vivian Richards (West Indies)
Sir Vivian Richards is one of the all time greatest batsmen of the game.
Vivian Richards was a former West Indian player who refined the term Aggressive Batting in cricket. Richards was a very powerful right-handed batsman with an extremely attacking style and is often regarded as the most devastating batsman that ever played the game by cricketers, journalists and others. His fearless and aggressive style of play, and relaxed but determined demeanor made him a great crowd favorite and a nightmare for opposition bowlers all over the world and makes him one of the top 10 greatest batsman of all time. The word “swagger” is frequently used to describe his batting style. In his Test career, he scored 8,540 runs in 121 Test matches at an average of 50.23 and holds the record for scoring the fastest-ever Test century, from just 56 balls against England. Given the Knighthood in 1999, Richards is in number 3 in our list for Top 10 Greatest Batsman of All Time.
“His game embraced a contempt for his fate, a foaming fury, because to him cricket was a game of kill or be killed, a street fighter in which it was left to the umpires to keep peace” – Late. Peter Roebuck, renowned Cricket Columnist.
4. Sir Garfield Sobers (West Indies)
Garfield Sobers is a former West Indian cricketer who played cricket between 1954 and 1974 is widely considered one of cricket’s greatest all-rounder and one among the top 10 greatest batsman of all time. In 1958, he created a record for the highest individual score in an innings, which was not broken for 36 years until Lara scored 375 in 1994. Sobers was given the honourable “Knighthood” by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the game. Sobers became the first player ever to hit six sixes in a single over of six consecutive balls. This tally of 36 runs in an over. In 2000 Sobers was named by a 100-member panel of experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of thethe greatest all-round cricketer the world has seen” has been given the number 4 position in our list for Top 10 Greatest Batsman of All Time.
“I suppose I can gain some consolation from the fact that my name will be permanently in the record books” – Malcolm Nash after being hit for six sixes in an over by Gary Sobers in 1968
5. Sunil Gavaskar (India)
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| Sunil Gavaskar is in number 5 in our list of top 10 greatest batsman of all time |
“It’s my approach, my view that Sunny Gavaskar is the greatest batsman I have come across. He has opened the innings against genuine fast bowlers like Holding, Roberts, Croft and Garner. He has made more runs away from India – in the West Indies, Australia and England,” Gary Sobers, Former West Indies All-Rounder.
6. Brain Lara (West Indies)
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| Brian Lara is in number 6 in our list of top 10 greatest batsman of all time |
Brian Charles Lara, is a former West Indian international cricketer. He is generally regarded as one of the top 10 greatest batsman of all time. Lara also holds the record for the highest individual score in a test innings after scoring 400 not out against England at Antigua in 2004. He is the only batsman to have ever scored a hundred, a double century, a triple century, a quadruple century and a quintuple century in first class games in his career. Lara also holds the test record of scoring the highest number of runs in a single over in a Test match, when he scored 28 runs off an over by South Africa’s Robin Peterson. So he is undoubtedly one of the top 10 greatest batsman of all time. A test average of 52.88 and an ODI average of 41 shows how good a player he was for West Indies during his days. He was also the only person in his era who was compared to the Legendary Sachin Tendulkar. He also had the record for most runs in test cricket which was later broken by Sachin. Being inducted into ICC Hall of fame in January 2012, Brain Lara takes the number 6 position in our list for Top 10 Greatest Batsman of All Time.
“Playing against him was a good test of your skills. Brian Lara is probably the only other guy in world cricket that pushed me like Tendulkar” – Brett Lee,Former Aussie Fast Bowler.
7. Ricky Ponting (Australia)
Ricky Thomas Ponting is the former Australian captain who is considered one of the best batsman of his era and one among the top 10 greatest batsmen of all time as well. Ponting is an aggressive competitor, as manifested in his on-field conduct. According to former Australian captain Allan Border, what you see with Ponting is what you get, and “he wears his heart on his sleeve. He is one among the top 10 greatest batsman of all time. Despite being widely renowned as the best player of the hook and pull shots in the world, Ponting is equally adept on both the front and back foot. After being involved in over 160 Tests and 370 ODIs, Ponting is Australia’s leading run-scorer in Test and ODI cricket. He is one of only four players in history to have scored 13,000 Test runs. As a player he is also the only cricketer in history to be involved in 100 Test victories. Nicknamed Punter, Ponting takes away the number 7 spot in our list for Top 10 Greatest Batsman of All Time. You may love him or you may hate him but you can never ignore his name from the list of top 10 greatest batsmen of all time.
“Ricky Ponting RETIRES…. ONE OF THE GREATS! I always got excited playing AUS, so I could watch him bat up close. Well done Punter!” -England Batsman on Ponting’s Retirement.
8. Rahul Dravid (India)
This unbreakable wall occupies the 8th rank in our list of top 10 greatest batsmen of all time.
Rahul Sharad Dravid is known for his technique, and had been one of the best batsmen for the Indian cricket team. In the beginning, he was known as a defensive batsman who should be confined to Test cricket, and was dropped from the ODI squad due to a low strike rate. However in a period of his career, he began consistently scoring runs in ODIs as well, earning him the name THE WALL of Indian Cricket. Dravid has scored 36 centuries in Tests at an average of 53.19 and in one-dayers, he has an average of 39.49. He is one of the few players whose Test average is better at away than at home, averaging almost five runs more in foreign pitches. Everyone praises Sachin Tendulkar. He may be a genius in his own right, but , Rahul Dravid is an artist. One can’t get a better pleasure than watching Dravid’s defence tactics, his strokes, his cuts. Known for his calmness, Dravid made number 3 position in the Indian Test side as his own with his ability to play a long innings and holding an innings together. In 2011 test series against England, he opened the batting in place of injured Gautam Gambhir and carried his bat throughout the innings. Due to some poor performances, he called it a day in 2012. But there is no denial to the fact that he is one of the top 10 greatest batsman of all time. The youngsters of this Twenty20 generation should learn how to be patient and to build an innings from Dravid. He deserve a place in anybody’s list of top 10 greatest batsman of all time. This gives “Jammy” the number 8 spot in our list for Top 10 greatest batsman of all time.
“It does not get better than what Rahul Dravid did in this Test (the 2003 Test at Adelaide where he scored 233 and 72*). His batting was outstanding. Everyone has already exhausted superlatives so I would not bother myself with any additional praise but you could be sure my admiration for him has grown tremendously” – Allan Border, Former Aussie Skipper on Dravid’s match winning knocks in 2003 Adelaide Test.
9. Jacques Kallis (South Africa) one of the top 10 greatest batsman of all time
Jacques Henry Kallis, a complete All-Rounder is the only cricketer in the history of the game to hold more than 13,000 runs and 250 wickets in both one day and Test match cricket. Nobody can ignore him if you are asked to compile a list of top 10 greatest batsmen of all time. Kallis has played over 150 Tests and boasts a batting average of just under 57 runs per innings. Being a consistent performer in all formats, Kallis is regarded as the only threat for Sachin Tendulkars’s batting records in tests. He is undoubtedly one of the top 10 greatest batsman of all time. He has scored 44 test tons just 7 behind the Master Blaster and trails him by just 2500 runs with the latter has played 34 matches more than Kallis. At 37, he is still rock solid and consistent in all departments. That makes him number 9 in our list for Top 10 Greatest Batsman of All Time.
“Whether on the front or back foot, he plays well on the on and off-side. He is not Brain Lara or Ricky Ponting in terms of aggression or flair but he is rock solid and, added to that, has every shot in the book. Also his cover drive, straight drive and flick off the hip are right up there in terms of execution and attractiveness” – Micheal Vaughan, Former England Captain
10. Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka)
Sanath Jayasuriya is ranked 10th in our list of top 10 greatest batsman of all time. Sanath Teran Jayasuriya, revolutionized One Day International batting with his aggressive tactics , a strategy they first tried on the preceding tour of Australia. The tactic used was to take advantage of the early fielding restrictions by smashing the opening bowlers to all parts of the cricket ground, particularly by lofting their deliveries over the mandatory infielders, rather than the established tactic of building up momentum gradually. He has torn apart almost every bowler in his era and he was named the Player Of the Tournament during the 1996 World Cup which was won by Lanka. The strange fact is that he made his international debut for Sri Lanka as a Slow Left arm Orthodox bowler and a middle order batsman in the year 1989 and retired as a successful opening batsman across all formats in the year 2011. Even though his career average both in Tests and ODI’s are on the lower side, he can give his team a blistering start to their innings and that gives him a place in our Top 10 Greatest Batsman of All Time. And it is quite justified to include his name in the list of top 10 greatest batsman of all time.“It is always a massive compliment to someone to say they changed the game, and his storming innings in the 1996 World Cup changed everyone’s thinking about how to start innings”- Glenn McGrath on Jayasuriya’s approach during 1996 World Cup.
Life as a village cricketer
Unfortunately this season did not quite pan out as I had hoped. I have only been able to play in four games since the end of June and, alas, not one of them was a win. I did manage a few ugly runs with the bat, however, to end up with a season average of 11.29. It might not sound a lot (probably because it is not), but it was, remarkably, an improvement on 2013!
The final four games of my league season in the Fullers Brewery Surrey County League 2nd XI Division 3 started at home to Sheen Park 2nd XI. I won the toss, as had become a happy knack during the season – one of the few bright spots personally, and opted to bowl. Sheen promptly made 279/9 dec, taking just 39 overs to do so.
Regular readers will know that this was way beyond our limited capabilities in the Englefield Green 2nd XI. I opened up, failing to lay bat on ball during my two ball stay, being given lbw second ball of our reply. Honestly, who gives their captain out second ball?!
There was more resistance down the order, though, and we clung on for an ugly heroic draw, finishing on 151/8 from 58 overs.
It was during this fixture that I decided to resign myself from the captaincy of the side. I was, owing to work commitments, finding decreasing time to take care of the administrative side of things (the league are very particular over most elements of record keeping). On top of that, my team mates had started to ignore my instructions and took up setting their own fields. It was time to relinquish the responsibility.
My final game as captain came the following week at home to Effingham 2nd XI. We had suffered a narrow one wicket defeat to them earlier in the season and were keen to avenge this. It was not to be.
I again won the toss and again opted to bowl. We started well enough, but their middle order got it together to post 229/9 dec from 46 overs. We lost wickets at regular intervals and, opening up, I tried to grimly hang on to save the draw. I managed to hang around for 29 overs, covering two hours 20mins and 80 deliveries faced. I scored nine. It was not what the makers of my Slazenger V600 had in mind when packing the bat with a huge middle and the broadest of edges, but it was a useful in tool in getting in behind the ball and keeping it out!
I was out at 80/5 and we subsided to 121 all out, four overs short of saving the draw. It was a game everyone was pleased to walk away from.
After a week off, we travelled to Long Ditton. I notched my previous season best against them in an opening day defeat, and bettered it in another defeat here. I batted at five, arriving at the crease with the score at 21/3. Two balls later, it was 21/4.
A rebuilding job was on the cards and after a period of bedding in, I attempted a few shots – much more what the V600 was designed for… My timing through the off side was not perfect, but a couple of clips off my pads to the boundary restored some confidence, before later kissing a few off the face of the bat down to third man. My 67 ball occupation was brought to a premature close by a very poor decision from their club umpire. Having wilfully missed a number of obvious front-foot no-balls from one of their bowlers, I was triggered having hit the ball into my pads. That, unfortunately, is the game, but I was delighted with the 27 runs.
From 21/4 we somehow put on 176/9 from 52 overs. Some poor fielding, a number of refused lbw shouts and a clean bowled off a no-ball (guess the umpire) let Long Ditton cruise to a straightforward win. They would have won anyway, but some decisions do linger in the memory.
The final league outing of the season was a visit to play Sheen, against whom this article began. Back on the limited overs format, they batted first and piled on 288.
We were always up against it and were 11/2 at the end of the first over of our chase. I arrived at 23/3, with the light fading and the clouds gathering. From one end of the ground it was near impossible to pick the ball out of the bowler’s hand. Rather than offering a sporting alternative, their captain offered to bat for me.
Two overs later the heavens opened and we headed off. Their captain stood there bemused, shouting at us and his team mates for leaving the field in ‘a drizzle’. We didn’t get back on for another two hours. It’s sad, but some people don’t seem to have much else in their lives.
At the resumption we were left needing about 87 from six overs. On a damp wicket, this was a tough task for even the most competent of batting units. They were lucky we resumed at all. Owing to the conduct of their skipper I wouldn’t have resumed. Just as well I’m no longer captain. There was support for this view from a number of the team, but I’m glad we did the right thing and finished the game – we didn’t deserve anything from it based upon the cricket played.
So the season concluded with a hefty defeat under grey clouds. Fitting, in a way. The following week our final league opponent, Hook & Southborough, withdrew from the fixture as they could not get a team together. Having beaten them earlier in the season, this was something of a shame, but the walkover meant we got the 20 points awarded to the victors, leaving us to finish third bottom in the table.
Given that we were expecting a really tough ride as this league was a step up from last season (we got stuffed regularly last season), we can be pleased with our efforts. Onwards and upwards for 2015 and Englefield Green 2nd XI!
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