Opening Batsmen

Who is the Greatest Opening Batsman of all time?

Is it even possible to realistically compare any batsman, say pre 1940's, to the players of today?
What do you reckon?

(Nice to have a list where England players actually feature)

They don't merely feature, they dominate.

England has the trifecta here.

Who are the sad numpties who voted for Sehwag?

Basil wrote:Who are the sad numpties who voted for Sehwag?

We seem to have reached consensus (excluding the numpty) on Hobbs

tac wrote:

Basil wrote:Who are the sad numpties who voted for Sehwag?

We seem to have reached consensus (excluding the numpty) on Hobbs

Only because Rick Darling isn't on the list ya numpty

Sehwag isn't the greatest opening batsman of all time, but he'd be a pretty handy partner to the likes of Hobbs, Sutcliffe, or Hutton in an all time world XI, imo.

i thought hilditch and jaques would have made the list

The Sehwag supporters are as weak as gnats piss: they should come and tell us why he is better than someone who was at the top of his game against all-comers for nigh on 30 years, and who is considered by some to be the better batsman on all types of pitches than Bradman

Basil wrote:The Sehwag supporters are as weak as gnats piss: they should come and tell us why he is better than someone who was at the top of his game against all-comers for nigh on 30 years, and who is considered by some to be the better batsman on all types of pitches than Bradman

It's only ONE person at the moment = 12%

Demelza wrote:

Basil wrote:The Sehwag supporters are as weak as gnats piss: they should come and tell us why he is better than someone who was at the top of his game against all-comers for nigh on 30 years, and who is considered by some to be the better batsman on all types of pitches than Bradman

It's only ONE person at the moment = 12%

In terms of worth of opinion, don't 3 subis = 1 anglo though

G.Wood wrote:

Demelza wrote:

Basil wrote:The Sehwag supporters are as weak as gnats piss: they should come and tell us why he is better than someone who was at the top of his game against all-comers for nigh on 30 years, and who is considered by some to be the better batsman on all types of pitches than Bradman

It's only ONE person at the moment = 12%

In terms of worth of opinion, don't 3 subis = 1 anglo though

I say, steady on old chap!

Basil wrote:

G.Wood wrote:

Demelza wrote:

Basil wrote:The Sehwag supporters are as weak as gnats piss: they should come and tell us why he is better than someone who was at the top of his game against all-comers for nigh on 30 years, and who is considered by some to be the better batsman on all types of pitches than Bradman

It's only ONE person at the moment = 12%

In terms of worth of opinion, don't 3 subis = 1 anglo though

I say, steady on old chap!

I was being kind, I know in reality it is more like 5

G.Wood wrote:

Basil wrote:

G.Wood wrote:

Demelza wrote:

Basil wrote:The Sehwag supporters are as weak as gnats piss: they should come and tell us why he is better than someone who was at the top of his game against all-comers for nigh on 30 years, and who is considered by some to be the better batsman on all types of pitches than Bradman

It's only ONE person at the moment = 12%

In terms of worth of opinion, don't 3 subis = 1 anglo though

I say, steady on old chap!

I was being kind, I know in reality it is more like 5

So, you're saying that it takes 5 people of sub-continental ethnicity to jointly have an opinion that is equal to one person of anglo-saxon disposition then?

I'd learn to duck if I were you!

I didn't know whether to include W G and Langer!

Demelza wrote:I didn't know whether to include W G and Langer!

You could - but the answer is J.B. Hobbs

i wouldn't include langer, but would include ponsford, simmo and lawry.....no-one seems to be cheering for boycs

horace wrote:i wouldn't include langer, but would include ponsford, simmo and lawry.....no-one seems to be cheering for boycs

You should include CAPITALS!

Others include:

Hanif Mohammad

Conrad Hunte

Barry Richards

Boycott

Merchant

peterg wrote:They don't merely feature, they dominate.

England has the trifecta here.

Aye. And anyone who doesn't vote Hobbs shouldn't be talking cricket.

Demelza wrote:

horace wrote:i wouldn't include langer, but would include ponsford, simmo and lawry.....no-one seems to be cheering for boycs

You should include CAPITALS!

BAH HUMBUG

Much better

barry richards, given the opportunity would have proved to be the best of all time...

No room for Graeme Smith?

sniffy would open the batting in the all time great kleenex tissues users xi

Opening by average (1000 runs +)

Overall figures Player Span Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 0
H Sutcliffe (Eng) 1924-1935 54 83 9 4522 194 61.10 16 23 2
B Mitchell (SA) 1929-1949 27 48 6 2390 189* 56.90 7 12 1
L Hutton (Eng) 1937-1955 76 131 12 6721 364 56.47 19 31 5
JB Hobbs (Eng) 1908-1930 58 97 6 5130 211 56.37 14 27 4
RB Simpson (Aus) 1960-1968 38 70 4 3664 311 55.51 8 19 3
V Sehwag (ICC/India) 2002-2008 50 82 3 4381 319 55.45 13 11 8
WH Ponsford (Aus) 1926-1934 20 31 3 1517 266 54.17 5 4 0
DL Amiss (Eng) 1972-1977 39 69 8 3276 262* 53.70 11 9 6
ML Hayden (Aus) 1994-2008 94 167 13 8242 380 53.51 30 27 11
WM Woodfull (Aus) 1926-1934 27 44 4 2036 161 50.90 7 11 4
SM Gavaskar (India) 1971-1987 119 203 12 9607 221 50.29 33 42 11
WA Brown (Aus) 1934-1948 19 29 1 1404 206* 50.14 4 8 1
EAB Rowan (SA) 1935-1951 15 29 3 1300 236 50.00 3 7 2
GC Smith (ICC/SA) 2002-2008 61 105 4 5022 277 49.72 14 19 7
JL Langer (Aus) 1993-2007 65 115 9 5112 250 48.22 16 18 7
G Boycott (Eng) 1964-1982 107 191 23 8091 246* 48.16 22 42 10
HH Gibbs (SA) 1998-2008 68 116 5 5242 228 47.22 14 21 9
WM Lawry (Aus) 1961-1971 67 123 12 5234 210 47.15 13 27 6
Saeed Anwar (Pak) 1990-2001 54 86 2 3957 188* 47.10 11 25 7
AF Rae (WI) 1948-1953 15 24 2 1016 109 46.18 4 4 1
HL Collins (Aus) 1920-1926 18 27 1 1199 203 46.11 4 4 0
EJ Barlow (SA) 1961-1970 28 52 2 2290 201 45.80 5 14 3
AR Morris (Aus) 1946-1955 45 76 2 3381 206 45.68 11 12 4
GM Turner (NZ) 1969-1983 38 67 5 2828 259 45.61 7 12 1
MP Vaughan (Eng) 2002-2008 38 72 4 3093 197 45.48 10 9 5
B Sutcliffe (NZ) 1947-1958 23 41 2 1763 230* 45.20 4 7 0
CG Greenidge (WI) 1974-1991 107 182 16 7488 226 45.10 19 34 11
CC Hunte (WI) 1958-1967 44 78 6 3245 260 45.06 8 13 5
DC Boon (Aus) 1985-1993 36 63 5 2614 200 45.06 8 10 5
RT Robinson (Eng) 1984-1988 20 34 4 1349 175 44.96 4 4 3
MH Richardson (NZ) 2000-2004 38 64 2 2770 145 44.67 4 19 1
AJ Stewart (Eng) 1990-1999 45 77 2 3348 190 44.64 8 17 4
JH Edrich (Eng) 1963-1976 47 82 5 3430 310* 44.54 8 14 3
DJ McGlew (SA) 1952-1962 31 57 5 2316 255* 44.53 7 10 4
IR Redpath (Aus) 1964-1976 32 59 3 2492 159* 44.50 6 15 2
RJ Shastri (India) 1982-1992 17 26 1 1101 206 44.04 4 3 2
BW Luckhurst (Eng) 1970-1974 18 33 5 1231 131 43.96 4 5 3
GA Gooch (Eng) 1978-1995 100 184 6 7811 333 43.88 18 41 9
C Washbrook (Eng) 1937-1951 34 62 6 2456 195 43.85 6 11 1
G Pullar (Eng) 1959-1963 28 48 3 1973 175 43.84 4 12 3
ME Trescothick (Eng) 2000-2006 76 142 9 5824 219 43.78 14 29 12
MA Taylor (Aus) 1989-1999 104 186 13 7525 334* 43.49 19 40 5
MS Atapattu (SL) 1997-2007 79 136 13 5317 249 43.22 16 17 16
RC Fredericks (WI) 1968-1977 58 108 7 4329 169 42.86 8 26 7
MJ Slater (Aus) 1993-2001 74 131 7 5312 219 42.83 14 21 9
NS Sidhu (India) 1983-1999 45 69 1 2911 201 42.80 8 15 9
DL Haynes (WI) 1978-1994 116 201 25 7472 184 42.45 18 39 10
MC Cowdrey (Eng) 1956-1975 24 38 2 1527 182 42.41 5 5 4
Majid Khan (Pak) 1973-1979 26 49 2 1985 167 42.23 5 7 3
JB Stollmeyer (WI) 1939-1955 32 55 4 2139 160 41.94 4 12 2