Best Test XI - POLL - Opening Batsmen
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Boycott seems to like the sound of his own voice a bit, but his analysis is brilliant at times. Also like the way he sticks up for players going thru a bad patch and is constructive in his criticism.
Bumble is pretty much spot-on with his analysis, he's also great fun. One of the best out there.
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@MN5 said in Best Test XI - POLL - Opening Batsmen:
I think it was the accent.....Boycott could be a real funny bugger according to himself though.
There's a story i heard where a Oz fast bowler was sledging Boycott and warned him the next ball would be really, really fast. Said ball was delivered and Boycott played it fairly easily.
Bowler glares down the wicket, Boycott shouts out to him "Call that fast? My aunt Mimi bowls faster than that an' she 63 year old..."
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@Victor-Meldrew Boycott has a reputation for avoiding the fast stuff. Based on running suicidal singles when batting against Lillian Thompson to get off strike and then making himself unavailable for test cricket for a few years.
Ignores the fact that he faced all the worlds best in county cricket.
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@hydro11 I think Turner should be a shoo in. I compared Latham and Sutcliffe's career innings by innings. Latham hasn't padded his average as you suggest IMO. There's very little in it and Bert definitely played in weaker sides and probably should have retired a few years earlier but in the end I went for Latham but wouldn't be unhappy to see Sutcliffe walk out.
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@dogmeat said in Best Test XI - POLL - Opening Batsmen:
@Victor-Meldrew Boycott has a reputation for avoiding the fast stuff. Based on running suicidal singles when batting against Lillian Thompson to get off strike and then making himself unavailable for test cricket for a few years.
Ignores the fact that he faced all the worlds best in county cricket.
Interesting to read this, I thought he doggedly faced all comers and despite being slow and a bit of a dick was regarded as one of the great all time opening batsmen ?
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@dogmeat said in Best Test XI - POLL - Opening Batsmen:
@hydro11 I think Turner should be a shoo in. I compared Latham and Sutcliffe's career innings by innings. Latham hasn't padded his average as you suggest IMO. There's very little in it and Bert definitely played in weaker sides and probably should have retired a few years earlier but in the end I went for Latham but wouldn't be unhappy to see Sutcliffe walk out.
Turner definitely a shoe in. NZ's 3rd best batsman IMO (after Kane and M Crowe), let alone opener.
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@Rapido said in Best Test XI - POLL - Opening Batsmen:
@dogmeat said in Best Test XI - POLL - Opening Batsmen:
@hydro11 I think Turner should be a shoo in. I compared Latham and Sutcliffe's career innings by innings. Latham hasn't padded his average as you suggest IMO. There's very little in it and Bert definitely played in weaker sides and probably should have retired a few years earlier but in the end I went for Latham but wouldn't be unhappy to see Sutcliffe walk out.
Turner definitely a shoe in. NZ's 3rd best batsman IMO (after Kane and M Crowe), let alone opener.
I can't agree with this assessment given Rossco has done the business for over 100 tests vs 41
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For mine, Taylor is the best international batsman we've produced across all formats (particularly ODIs), but Kane will probably surpass him when his career is done.
That said, Turner is our highest first class run scorer, and M Crowe has our highest first class average (they are the only NZers on the respective cricinfo records pages for those categories), so obviously at least a touch of class there.
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@Godder said in Best Test XI - POLL - Opening Batsmen:
For mine, Taylor is the best international batsman we've produced across all formats (particularly ODIs), but Kane will probably surpass him when his career is done.
That said, Turner is our highest first class run scorer, and M Crowe has our highest first class average (they are the only NZers on the respective cricinfo records pages for those categories), so obviously at least a touch of class there.
I think you can use first class stats to supplement an argument but not make the full argument.
There are a few guys in history with incredible first class records who never stepped up internationally after all.
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@MN5 said in Best Test XI - POLL - Opening Batsmen:
@Godder said in Best Test XI - POLL - Opening Batsmen:
For mine, Taylor is the best international batsman we've produced across all formats (particularly ODIs), but Kane will probably surpass him when his career is done.
That said, Turner is our highest first class run scorer, and M Crowe has our highest first class average (they are the only NZers on the respective cricinfo records pages for those categories), so obviously at least a touch of class there.
I think you can use first class stats to supplement an argument but not make the full argument.
There are a few guys in history with incredible first class records who never stepped up internationally after all.
Munro averages 50 odd in first class and is not a test batsmens asshole
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@No-Quarter said in Best Test XI - POLL - Opening Batsmen:
@MN5 said in Best Test XI - POLL - Opening Batsmen:
@Godder said in Best Test XI - POLL - Opening Batsmen:
For mine, Taylor is the best international batsman we've produced across all formats (particularly ODIs), but Kane will probably surpass him when his career is done.
That said, Turner is our highest first class run scorer, and M Crowe has our highest first class average (they are the only NZers on the respective cricinfo records pages for those categories), so obviously at least a touch of class there.
I think you can use first class stats to supplement an argument but not make the full argument.
There are a few guys in history with incredible first class records who never stepped up internationally after all.
Munro averages 50 odd in first class and is not a test batsmens asshole
Exactemundo.
I voted Turner by the way but he's certainly not an automatic pick.
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Boycott was a very good batsman. Not quite as good as he imagined himself to be but no one was as good as he thought he was.
Plenty of tales about his selfishness though and his malignant effect on a team. When I was in UK there was definitely a large number who thought he was gun shy.
Here's the Randell run-out. It was Randell's first test at Trent Bridge and
also his firstonly his 3rd [based on the You Tube Title ] since his heroics in the Centenary Test. -
@dogmeat said in Best Test XI - POLL - Opening Batsmen:
Boycott was a very good batsman. Not quite as good as he imagined himself to be but no one was as good as he thought he was.
Plenty of tales about his selfishness though and his malignant effect on a team. When I was in UK there was definitely a large number who thought he was gun shy.
Here's the Randell run-out. It was Randell's first test at Trent Bridge and
also his firstonly his 3rd [based on the You Tube Title ] since his heroics in the Centenary Test.Haha, that is some extremely poor form from Boycs.
I do remember reading sometimes people were sent in with the specific job of running him out ( not sure if this is an urban myth or not ) including one time when Boycott was actually the captain and Botham ran him out deliberately !
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@dogmeat said in Best Test XI - POLL - Opening Batsmen:
@MN5 against us in 78.
We were 1-0 up in series. Boycott was (stand in) captain.
We got past the follow on. England wanted quick runs and a sporting declaration. Boycs was Boycs.
God bless youtube. I love how Beefy tells the story with such glee and not a hint of remorse.