Best you've seen live

[PhatBoy]

That was a remarkable test. SA were 6/75 just after lunch on the first day, and yet before the end of the third day, had set Australia a target of 632. Remarkable.

In my time following cricket you hear of the Lara 277, Cook and Trott's exploits in 2010-11, Kohli's string of hundreds here or Sangakkara's lone hand in Hobart, as the memorable visiting efforts from batsmen.

I doubt very much that in that 29 years that I've been following cricket, Australia at home has EVER been treated the way ABDV and Amla did in that innings. It was just filth what they were doing.

 

[corbies]

In my time following cricket you hear of the Lara 277, Cook and Trott's exploits in 2010-11, Kohli's string of hundreds here or Sangakkara's lone hand in Hobart, as the memorable visiting efforts from batsmen.

I doubt very much that in that 29 years that I've been following cricket, Australia at home has EVER been treated the way ABDV and Amla did in that innings. It was just filth what they were doing.

Basically saw what Warner, Clarke and Hussey did on day 1 of the Test before and took it as a challenge to prove they could be more dominant as a batting group. It was utter destruction.

 

[PhatBoy]

Basically saw what Warner, Clarke and Hussey did on day 1 of the Test before and took it as a challenge to prove they could be more dominant as a batting group. It was utter destruction.

Yep. And even as Australia has sort of settled predominantly into the 'best of the rest' tier for much of the time since the Hayden/Langer/Warne/McGrath/Gilchrist era ended it is still stunning in how ferocious that attack was by comparison to what we have become so used to seeing from teams playing here.

I know i repeat myself a lot but that really was a mighty South African team. Other teams at 6-50 would have crumbled on day one. SA rallied through Faf with help from Robin Pieterson and Vernon. Made 230. Still sub-par. Other teams would have made 230 and then conceded 500. They bowled Australia out for 160 or something. Other teams would have had that smallish lead and crumbled. They monstered their way at breakneck speed to a lead of 640 or something.

 

[Pee Tear Griffin]

Batsman - Barry Richards, absolutely sublime. Never any doubt in my mind he's the best batsman I've seen.
More contemporary batsman - Brian Lara. Nobody in the past 30 years comes close, except maybe Viv Richards.
All-round cricketer - Garry Sobers. There was nothing he couldn't do, to excess.
Best fast bowler - Who else but the great Dennis Lillee? Could swing and cut the ball both ways at express pace.
Best left arm quick - easily Wasim Akram. A veritable maestro of the late inswinging yorker. Like Starc except Wasim could swing it both ways.
Best leggie - Warnie, who else? We won't see anyone anywhere near as good in our life time.
Best offie - India's Bishen Bedi. His flight and control was incredible. Could usually afford to have 4 close in fielders, 2 on other side.
Best cricket team - West Indies 1984-85. Just awesome, and it was amazing the Aussies actually took a Test off them.

I think it's one of cricket's greatest tragedies that Barry Richards (also Graeme Pollock and Mike Procter) never got a proper chance at a Test career. By all reports from my Dad (when he was young) and my Grandad, he probably would have broken all kinds of records. I mean, he scored 325 not out in a days play against an attack featuring Dennis Lillee himself. That's absolutely ridiculous.

 

[Gough]

I think it's one of cricket's greatest tragedies that Barry Richards (also Graeme Pollock and Mike Procter) never got a proper chance at a Test career. By all reports from my Dad (when he was young) and my Grandad, he probably would have broken all kinds of records. I mean, he scored 325 not out in a days play against an attack featuring Dennis Lillee himself. That's absolutely ridiculous.

We'll never know but I suspect that lost South African side would have beaten all comers for most of the 70s.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

I think it's one of cricket's greatest tragedies that Barry Richards (also Graeme Pollock and Mike Procter) never got a proper chance at a Test career. By all reports from my Dad (when he was young) and my Grandad, he probably would have broken all kinds of records. I mean, he scored 325 not out in a days play against an attack featuring Dennis Lillee himself. That's absolutely ridiculous.

Don Bradman, who watched Barry Richards in his 1970-71 season with South Australia, once said the only player he'd seen who could have averaged 100 in Test cricket was Barry Richards.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

We'll never know but I suspect that lost South African side would have beaten all comers for most of the 70s.

Yes, I've often salivated over the thought of the South Africans playing the 1974-75 Australians, and then the West Indians a year or two later. I doubt you would have seen Test cricket played much better.

 

[Pee Tear Griffin]

In my time following cricket you hear of the Lara 277, Cook and Trott's exploits in 2010-11, Kohli's string of hundreds here or Sangakkara's lone hand in Hobart, as the memorable visiting efforts from batsmen.

I doubt very much that in that 29 years that I've been following cricket, Australia at home has EVER been treated the way ABDV and Amla did in that innings. It was just filth what they were doing.

I vividly remember that. Fondly, not gonna lie... I'm from South Africa originally so still a proud Proteas supporter, although I'll support Aus against anyone else. The way Amla was walking across his crease to whip good length balls on off stump through midwicket/square leg was so effortlessly arrogant.

 

[Pee Tear Griffin]

Don Bradman, who watched Barry Richards in his 1970-71 season with South Australia, once said the only player he'd seen who could have averaged 100 in Test cricket was Barry Richards.

Wow, I didn't know that...well there you go, there can surely be no higher praise. IIRC the Don constructed an all time (up to that point) test 11 with Barry Richards in it, so that in itself speaks to just how revered he was. You're privileged to have seen him play. And Sobers too, sheesh, that's incredible. I've seen most of the modern greats from like '97 onwards, since I was too young to really follow much before that.

Edit: Live, I should've clarified. Lucky enough my Dad is a cricket-tragic too so we went to plenty of games.

 

[PhatBoy]

I vividly remember that. Fondly, not gonna lie... I'm from South Africa originally so still a proud Proteas supporter, although I'll support Aus against anyone else. The way Amla was walking across his crease to whip good length balls on off stump through midwicket/square leg was so effortlessly arrogant.

Yep. I loved it. Incidentally I'm loving your username and the amazingly brilliant scene it is taken from

 

[Pee Tear Griffin]

Yep. I loved it. Incidentally I'm loving your username and the amazingly brilliant scene it is taken from

Haha thanks! You're like the first person here to have picked up the reference (or made note of it). I ****ed up by spelling it Pee instead of Pea though, but only noticed later on... ah well.

 

[Gough]

Yes, I've often salivated over the thought of the South Africans playing the 1974-75 Australians, and then the West Indians a year or two later. I doubt you would have seen Test cricket played much better.

Pollock destroyed Hughes' Australians at 41, Simon Hughes wrote of him, "For such an exceptional sportsman, he drank remarkable amounts of liquor in the dressing room afterwards".