Best you've seen live

PhatBoy

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#26
I’ve been to a fair bit of cricket (exclusively at the SCG) but unfortunately haven’t seen a lot of remarkable performances. Younis Khan two summers ago stands out a bit, I saw the tail end of tendulkar’s 248*, and I guess watching a little bit of Darren Bravo is as close as I’ve come to seeing Lara.
 

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Partridge

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#27
Dennis Lillee later that summer took 5/84 on debut against England, regarded at the time as the best team in the world, and there was Barry Richards treating him like a pedestrian medium pacer. The mind boggles what he could have achieved over 100 Tests.
I've watched that clip a couple of times now. One word keeps coming to mind - TIME. He seems to have a ridiculous amount of time to play the ball. How comfortable he is playing back to Lillee and effortlessly putting him, well, pretty much anywhere. I'm co-nvinced now completely.

In one of Alan McGilvray's books (so mid-1980s) he had a chapter on how often he'd been asked who was the best batsman or bowler he'd seen. I remember being surprised that he'd nominated Barry Richards as the one guy he thought could have seriously challenged Bradman. He wrote he was closer to that extra bit of time than anyone he'd seen bar Bradman. Now I've seen that footage, I would say, yep.

As I never saw him, I'd nominate Lara and Viv Richards as my two best. Viv I think was the most destructive, and when he was on, just unstoppable. But even Michael Holding said he did get bored, which is why he only reached 200 three times in tests (and two of those were in his early years). Lara perhaps not quite so intimidating, but more hungry for big scores, and when his brain was plugged in (as Ian Chappell has said), he had a certainty about his scoring. He rarely lofted the ball unless he was using his feet to spinners, and his placement was always superb.
 

Carbine Chaos

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#28
Hard to split between Amla and ABDV, was there at the WACA for their big partnership a few years back.

Watching live I'd say Amla shaded him. Everything he played that day was just pure class.
 

Adelaide Hawk

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#29
I've watched that clip a couple of times now. One word keeps coming to mind - TIME. He seems to have a ridiculous amount of time to play the ball. How comfortable he is playing back to Lillee and effortlessly putting him, well, pretty much anywhere. I'm co-nvinced now completely.

In one of Alan McGilvray's books (so mid-1980s) he had a chapter on how often he'd been asked who was the best batsman or bowler he'd seen. I remember being surprised that he'd nominated Barry Richards as the one guy he thought could have seriously challenged Bradman. He wrote he was closer to that extra bit of time than anyone he'd seen bar Bradman. Now I've seen that footage, I would say, yep.

As I never saw him, I'd nominate Lara and Viv Richards as my two best. Viv I think was the most destructive, and when he was on, just unstoppable. But even Michael Holding said he did get bored, which is why he only reached 200 three times in tests (and two of those were in his early years). Lara perhaps not quite so intimidating, but more hungry for big scores, and when his brain was plugged in (as Ian Chappell has said), he had a certainty about his scoring. He rarely lofted the ball unless he was using his feet to spinners, and his placement was always superb.
Let's face it, if you're being compared with Lara or Viv, you're in pretty good company.

One thing to consider when comparing Lara and Viv is the strengths of the West Indian bowling attacks at the time they played. I can't recall who said this, but the feeling is Viv could have scored more runs than he did, but the West Indies didn't need a lot of runs to win a Test match. Viv would be more attacking early and more likely to get out, and when he did make runs (150, etc), the Windies generally already had enough runs. Lara needed to dig in and get as many as possible to give them any chance of victory. Viv was brutal, I loved the way he would pull quick bowlers on the front foot, but if you prefer the aesthetics, Lara would get my nod. Would be nice to have a choice :)

Back to Barry Richards. I've posted this before, but I had the rare pleasure of bowling to him. You saw how easily he handled Dennis Lillee, you can imagine what he did my bowling :) I've posted this elsewhere, but Coca-Cola brought Richards and Greg Chappell to our school for a cricket clinic, and I was lucky to be chosen to bowl to them.

The thing that amazed me about Richards was how quickly he was able to pick up the line and length of the delivery. It felt as though the ball was still leaving my fingers and he was already moving into position to play his shot. His foot work was sublime. It was as though he almost had time to light a cigarette, take a puff, stamp it out, and then play his shot.

The entire idea from Richards was teach proper practice techniques, how to use the nets, and how to occupy the crease. He could teach contemporary players a thing or two.
 

JimDocker

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#30
It's a hard one.

I will go with Warne. The player that had the most influence on matches that I can recall.

When I think about the great players that I have seen, I feel pretty lucky.

Could have easily picked Viv Richards, Dennis Lillee, Michael Holding, Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar... they are all in the same stratosphere.

Special mention to David Gower. He is not in the same rarified air as those others, but so many overseas players struggled at the WACA. I was fortunate to see him score 2 test hundreds.

The first as a 21 year old when he scored 102 in a partnership of 158 with Geoff Boycott. The only time that England won a test at the WACA.

The second was 8 years later and he scored 136. His cover drive is probably my single favourite thing in cricket.
 

revo333

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#32
Sadly, most memories of Sobers at Test level were witnessed on TV, including his 254 for the World XI at the MCG.
Was that the series where Lillee was just starting and he was bowling thunder bolts and the batsman were jumping all over the place?

If so Tony Grieg said Sobers played one of the best innings he has seen during that series.
 

Buzzasto DaSilva

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#35
Left-field suggestion- Shane Bond. Strike rate of 28, and had incredible accuracy and consistency for a bowler of his speed. Was crippled by injuries, but he was absolutely dominant when he was fit.
 

JimDocker

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#36
Left-field suggestion- Shane Bond. Strike rate of 28, and had incredible accuracy and consistency for a bowler of his speed. Was crippled by injuries, but he was absolutely dominant when he was fit.
At his best, he was brilliant. His best did not last very long though.
 

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Buzzasto DaSilva

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#37
At his best, he was brilliant. His best did not last very long though.
He had a long career (2002 to 2010 at international level), but it was filled with gaps and time away from the game- which is very impressive in my opinion, as his remodeled action which relief more so on accuracy and seam than pace, was just as effective :thumbsu:
 

BLUEALLTHRU

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Thread starter #38
Let's face it, if you're being compared with Lara or Viv, you're in pretty good company.

One thing to consider when comparing Lara and Viv is the strengths of the West Indian bowling attacks at the time they played. I can't recall who said this, but the feeling is Viv could have scored more runs than he did, but the West Indies didn't need a lot of runs to win a Test match. Viv would be more attacking early and more likely to get out, and when he did make runs (150, etc), the Windies generally already had enough runs. Lara needed to dig in and get as many as possible to give them any chance of victory. Viv was brutal, I loved the way he would pull quick bowlers on the front foot, but if you prefer the aesthetics, Lara would get my nod. Would be nice to have a choice :)

Back to Barry Richards. I've posted this before, but I had the rare pleasure of bowling to him. You saw how easily he handled Dennis Lillee, you can imagine what he did my bowling :) I've posted this elsewhere, but Coca-Cola brought Richards and Greg Chappell to our school for a cricket clinic, and I was lucky to be chosen to bowl to them.

The thing that amazed me about Richards was how quickly he was able to pick up the line and length of the delivery. It felt as though the ball was still leaving my fingers and he was already moving into position to play his shot. His foot work was sublime. It was as though he almost had time to light a cigarette, take a puff, stamp it out, and then play his shot.

The entire idea from Richards was teach proper practice techniques, how to use the nets, and how to occupy the crease. He could teach contemporary players a thing or two.
Really enjoyed reading this post, POTY for mine!
 
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