The word “great” is used frequently, easily, sometimes even flippantly in sport. Maybe that’s because we are always looking for the “next big thing”. Achievement in sport is always measured against history, for sport has no parallel. Every time a new sportsperson emerges questions arise about his or her place in history. Is he really the greatest bowler in history? Is she the best tennis player we have ever seen?

But inter-temporal comparisons are fraught with danger. And cricket in particular does not lend itself to such comparisons. The nature of cricket keeps changing and comparisons across eras must be viewed with caution. Are we really living in an age of “great” cricket, or are we just biased because we believe what we have seen could have no equal? Is Shane Warne really the greatest bowler of all time? Or Dennis Lilee? Or Muthaih Muralitharan? But why do Syndey Barnes, George Lohmann and Tom Richardson never enter the equation?  

When it comes to batting there is a slight difference. Sir Donald George Bradman continues to be held in the highest regard because he was head and shoulders above the rest. But how do today’s crop of batsmen compare with the all-time greats?

Figure 1 shows the top 50 averages of test batsmen, mapped against the midpoint of their test careers. 15 of these batsmen (including Andy Flower who is no longer playing test cricket for political reasons) are still playing cricket and statistically speaking we truly are in the midst of the greatest batting decade ever.  

Figure 1: The 50 Highest Batting Averages in Test Cricket

Centuries, double centuries and even triple centuries have been scored with greater regularity over the last 15 years, and we have even seen the first ever quadruple century in the history of test cricket. So do we now get to see the greatest batsmen of all time? Or is there more to this than meets the eye?  

The first purple patch for batting was in the 1930s. With batsmen like Bradman, Hammond, McCabe and Sutcliffe, this decade saw the blossoming of batsmanship. But these batsmen had to deal with significantly trickier circumstances since pitches were uncovered and less manicured than they are today.

Figure 2 shows a decade-wise split of the 49 top scores in the history of test cricket. 23 of the 49 top scores have been scored in the last 15 years. 12 of these scores have come in this decade.
 

Figure 2: The 49 Highest Scores in Test Cricket



 

Test cricket have been played for 128 years. And a quarter of the top scores have come in the last 5 years. While it is possible that the last 5 years have provided us with some of the most exquisite batsmen, I believe a more compelling argument is that batting has become easier in the last decade and a half.

Under pressure from TV channels and sponsors cricket boards are keen to ensure that test matches last the entire 5 days. This has resulted in more docile pitches and easier batting conditions where scores in excess of 400 are par for the course. But easier conditions is just one of the many reasons for this recent glut large scores. Light and strong protective gear provide batsmen with a sense of security and therefore confidence that the earlier generations never had. Bats have become larger and stronger yet lighter allowing modern day batsmen to wield their willow scepters with ease and confidence verging on arrogance.  

Cricket has always had the proverbial whipping boys – South Africa in the early 20^th century, India and New Zealand after the Second World War and Sri Lanka during the 1980s, who all struggled against the superior, more professional teams. But we are now in a situation where too any matches have been rendered meaningless with both Zimbabwe and Bangladesh failing to put up any resistance whatsoever in the face of most other teams. This has also led to some massive innings of no consequence in the larger scheme of things. Hayden’s then world record of 380, Sangakarra’s 270 against Zimbabwe and Sarwan’s 261* against Bangledesh are all a result of playing against weakened bowling attacks that would struggle against most respectable first-class teams.

And while we are still treated to some exquisite batting performances, notably VVS Laxman’s epic 281 against Australia, most of the high scores seen today are in one-sided matches against mediocre bowling which lack the timeless brilliance that causes them to be etched in the minds of cricket followers for years to come.

TABLES USED FOR THIS ARTICLE:

Table 1: The 49 Highest Scores in Test Cricket

Table 2: The 50 Highest Batting Averages in Test Cricket