Brian Lara, How Good Was He?

[footyfan1978]

Nothing is impossible but as a few general examples his 99 series was just as good as it gets. Three centuries, three totally different innings, but each in their own way utterly brilliant.

It might have been 99 series where also seem him try an impossible innings and I watched with fascination knowing it was actually silly at time and doomed to fail. But other innings paid off. I think it was Sabina Park where he won the game with 9 wickets down. He had no right to be able to do it but he did it anyway... ha ha

 

[PhatBoy]

Zoe Goss's bunny

My two enduring memories of that game are Lara getting castled and Graeme Pollock making 90-odd and looking like he could still play professional cricket 23 years after his last test

And Goss subsequently appearing near nude in a magazine

 

[footyfan1978]

I would say Lara had the most pure natural ability .
Could play shots noone else could

Back lift was just so much fun to watch.

 

[PhatBoy]

It might have been 99 series where also seem him try an impossible innings and I watched with fascination knowing it was actually silly at time and doomed to fail. But other innings paid off. I think it was Sabina Park where he won the game with 9 wickets down. He had no right to be able to do it but he did it anyway... ha ha

Sabina Park was the 213.

They didn’t even know if Lara would play the series, I think he made a half century in the first test but they were destroyed for 50-odd in the second innings and he was put on probation going into the second test.

213 runs and a wicketless day later (Pedro Collins became the answer to a trivia question that day as he retired hurt as night watchman before Jimmy Adams batted out the day) at Sabina Park they squared the series with some help from Walsh and Ambrose.

Third test at Bridgetown he made 153* and got Shane Warne dropped from the side to go 2-1 up in what will probably always be one of the 5-6 best innings ever played.

The knock in the fourth test was off 81 balls or something, he was out for exactly 100 but for the time he was out there he put the fear of God into the aussies. As you suggested he was just batting with fury and needed to rein it in. Still, I’m yet to see a ‘bad’ 81 ball hundred

 

[The hands of stone]

Back lift was just so much fun to watch.

Until you tried to replicate and got castled or nicked off every second ball

 

[The hands of stone]

My two enduring memories of that game are Lara getting castled and Graeme Pollock making 90-odd and looking like he could still play professional cricket 23 years after his last test

And Goss subsequently appearing near nude in a magazine

Pollock was brilliant to watch , great example of keeping your head still and perfect balance

 

[PhatBoy]

Pollock was brilliant to watch , great example of keeping your head still and perfect balance

He just did it easily. In a different way to his contemporary Richards. Richards was elegance and aesthetics, pollock based on that innings was very minimalist

Ironically it was the other celebrity match, the AB one withFatty’s catch, where I got to see Richards for the only time

 

[The hands of stone]

He just did it easily. In a different way to his contemporary Richards. Richards was elegance and aesthetics, pollock based on that innings was very minimalist

Ironically it was the other celebrity match, the AB one withFatty’s catch, where I got to see Richards for the only time

Quite a few umps of the era say Richards was that still and at ease at the crease he never looked like moving until the very last moment.
Pretty much the opposite of Lara

 

[PhatBoy]

Quite a few umps of the era say Richards was that still and at ease at the crease he never looked like moving until the very last moment.
Pretty much the opposite of Lara

Like everyone as a kid I would try and mimic my favourite batsmen.

Even now when I’m struggling with someone I start looking at, say, Steve smith’s trigger movements and try and incorporate them into how I bat.

I tried endlessly with Lara especially when I found out that he was actually right handed, to try and teach myself to appropriate even SOME of his style and technique. His wrist-at-the-front grip on the handle even. It was ******* impossible. No wonder Darren Bravo has struggled the last few years

 

[PhatBoy]

I actually read somewhere once that the only batsman of any quality to resemble Lara at all in the years that followed his debut was Shaun Pollock of all people. And he did have a bit of that about him - a very high scything back lift

 

[footyfan1978]

Until you tried to replicate and got castled or nicked off every second ball

Yeah. McGrath really got at him.

 

[jle101]

It might have been 99 series where also seem him try an impossible innings and I watched with fascination knowing it was actually silly at time and doomed to fail. But other innings paid off. I think it was Sabina Park where he won the game with 9 wickets down. He had no right to be able to do it but he did it anyway... ha ha

Yeah that 1999 series was nuts. Came right after the Windies were pawned 5-0 in South Africa. Not only did Lara keep the vultures at bay, but almost managed to win the entire series in the process.

 

[Doss]

I've definitely quoted it in here before but it's worth repeating again, because it sums up Lara to a tee.

Steve Waugh on Lara:

"He was a good player of average bowling and a great player of good bowling. When backed into a corner by his own brinkmanship or the quality of his opposition, he elevated himself into a genius".

 

[Electronic_Renaissance]

I suppose the real comparison during that era is Lara vs Tendulkar. Watched much more of Lara. I'd rate him slightly above Tendulkar, you could really say they were both as good as each other.

If I wanted someone to bat in the last innings chasing a score on a dodgy pitch I'd have Lara. Which he achieved many times.

 

[Pippen94]

I suppose the real comparison during that era is Lara vs Tendulkar. Watched much more of Lara. I'd rate him slightly above Tendulkar, you could really say they were both as good as each other.

If I wanted someone to bat in the last innings chasing a score on a dodgy pitch I'd have Lara. Which he achieved many times.

If Tendulkar had Lara's resume his fans would be claiming he was better than Bradman.

 

[Gameova_]

Ricky Ponting was better than Lara

 

[Gough]

If Tendulkar had Lara's resume his fans would be claiming he was better than Bradman.

Difference between the two for mine was Tendulkar had a discipline that Lara never had. Even if he was on 250 you knew that there was still had an outside chance of Lara having a brain fade and chasing one he shouldn't, by then it was usually the only chance. Tendulkar rarely did that in my memory but it did make him the slightly less dashing batsman in comparison.

 

[jle101]

Ricky Ponting was better than Lara

Care to expand on this opinion? Not saying you're wrong, would just like to hear your reasons for thinking this way.

 

[Gameova_]

Care to expand on this opinion? Not saying you're wrong, would just like to hear your reasons for thinking this way.

Ponting won a world cup as captain is one. Lara never did

 

[jle101]

Ponting won a world cup as captain is one. Lara never did

Had Hayden, Gilchrist, Symonds, Martyn, McGrath, Warne & the rest of the Aussie superstars being playing for the West Indies back then I'm sure the Prince would have had multiple World Cups to his name. Kinda odd that you're equating team performances to individual batting skills tbh. Do you have anything to add in regards to Lara/Ponting's skillsets or techniques?

 

[Gameova_]

Had Hayden, Gilchrist, Symonds, Martyn, McGrath, Warne & the rest of the Aussie superstars being playing for the West Indies back then I'm sure the Prince would have had multiple World Cups to his name. Kinda odd that you're equating team performances to individual batting skills tbh. Do you have anything to add in regards to Lara/Ponting's skillsets or techniques?

I was trolling I thought that was obvious with my one line post

 

[The Cryptkeeper]

The best since Richards.

In the top 5-10 all time.

 

[The Cryptkeeper]

Ricky Ponting was better than Lara

 

[Electronic_Renaissance]

Difference between the two for mine was Tendulkar had a discipline that Lara never had. Even if he was on 250 you knew that there was still had an outside chance of Lara having a brain fade and chasing one he shouldn't, by then it was usually the only chance. Tendulkar rarely did that in my memory but it did make him the slightly less dashing batsman in comparison.

Hard to say, and this is why these comparisons are so hard. Tendulkars highest test score was 248*, we all know Lara's. Tendulker had around 20 more hundreds but played around 70 more tests.

Another thing to take into account. The amount of pressure on Tendulker with around 1b people watching his every move. To handle that sort of pressure is unbelievable. Lara didn't have that pressure, but he did carry a less than average West Indies team for a long time.

 

[PhatBoy]

Hard to say, and this is why these comparisons are so hard. Tendulkars highest test score was 248*, we all know Lara's. Tendulker had around 20 more hundreds but played around 70 more tests.

Another thing to take into account. The amount of pressure on Tendulker with around 1b people watching his every move. To handle that sort of pressure is unbelievable. Lara didn't have that pressure, but he did carry a less than average West Indies team for a long time.

It’s very hard to measure the difference between the pressure of an external force and the pressure of knowing no one else in the team can make the impact you do.