Sport Today

by **Nirvana** » Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:06:16

"Tests" is the operative word here, so I guess the chaps from before
82 although there were many good bats as far back as the 40's, are out
of contention...sad but we can debate and verify each others' claims
if limited to Tests.

The usual suspects: Dias, Wettimuny, Mahanama, Mendis, Ranatunga,
Aravinda, Jayasuriya, Mahela, Sanga.

I think Aravinda, Dias, and Sanga are in a higher class and Aravinda
is the best among equals there...Sanga may overtake him over a period
of time. Mahela, for all his big knocks isn't really in their class
coz he has hardly performed outside SL. I was surprised to read
somewhere that around 80% of his 100s are at home...didn't verify it
though

SL friends, and of course all the members of the grand council of rsc,
who is your pick?

I also feel that other than Aravinda no one else can make it to an
Asia XI...not sure if he will also make it but he will be there in the
15 for me.

by **Andrew Dunfor** » Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:05:44

Quote:

> "Tests" is the operative word here, so I guess the chaps from before
> 82 although there were many good bats as far back as the 40's, are out
> of contention...sad but we can debate and verify each others' claims
> if limited to Tests.

> The usual suspects: Dias, Wettimuny, Mahanama, Mendis, Ranatunga,
> Aravinda, Jayasuriya, Mahela, Sanga.

> I think Aravinda, Dias, and Sanga are in a higher class and Aravinda
> is the best among equals there...Sanga may overtake him over a period
> of time. Mahela, for all his big knocks isn't really in their class
> coz he has hardly performed outside SL. I was surprised to read
> somewhere that around 80% of his 100s are at home...didn't verify it
> though

Just so we don't allow misinformation to spread, the correct figure is 66% -
18 out of 27 centuries scored at home. And although there is a big
differential between home and away form, his away average of 43 is hardly a
disaster.

It seems strange to me that you would pick out away form as a weakness of
Jayawardene yet completely overlook the same thing for de Silva.
Jayawardene has scored more away tons than did Aravinda in the same number
of matches; the latter's away performances were really patchy as
demonstrated by his average of 36.

Unfortunately both Dias and Mendis broke bones very early in their only
visit to New Zealand so I never got to see them bat live, or at least not
enough to make a judgement.

I vote for Sangakkara. Although he has more to give I think he's already
done enough to be ranked ahead of all others.

Andrew

by SS » Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:19:51

Quote:

> "Tests" is the operative word here, so I guess the chaps from before
> 82 although there were many good bats as far back as the 40's, are out
> of contention...sad but we can debate and verify each others' claims
> if limited to Tests.

> The usual suspects: Dias, Wettimuny, Mahanama, Mendis, Ranatunga,
> Aravinda, Jayasuriya, Mahela, Sanga.

> I think Aravinda, Dias, and Sanga are in a higher class and Aravinda
> is the best among equals there...Sanga may overtake him over a period
> of time. Mahela, for all his big knocks isn't really in their class
> coz he has hardly performed outside SL. I was surprised to read
> somewhere that around 80% of his 100s are at home...didn't verify it
> though

> SL friends, and of course all the members of the grand council of rsc,
> who is your pick?

> I also feel that other than Aravinda no one else can make it to an
> Asia XI...not sure if he will also make it but he will be there in the
> 15 for me.

As someone who grew up watching a lot of SL cricket in its early days
(because of where I used to live in India, I got to see SL TV before
Indian TV), I have a soft spot for Roy Dias. One of the most stylish
bats that SL has produced, IMO. Having said that, I do think that
Aravinda was the first truly world class bat from SL. But the best
Test bat ever? I think it's Sangakkara - and not just because he's my
favorite SL cricketer. Of course, if we were talking ODI batsmen, I
wouldn't look beyond Jayasuriya.

by **prabh** » Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:03:43

Quote:

> > "Tests" is the operative word here, so I guess the chaps from before
> > 82 although there were many good bats as far back as the 40's, are out
> > of contention...sad but we can debate and verify each others' claims
> > if limited to Tests.

> > The usual suspects: Dias, Wettimuny, Mahanama, Mendis, Ranatunga,
> > Aravinda, Jayasuriya, Mahela, Sanga.

> > I think Aravinda, Dias, and Sanga are in a higher class and Aravinda
> > is the best among equals there...Sanga may overtake him over a period
> > of time. Mahela, for all his big knocks isn't really in their class
> > coz he has hardly performed outside SL. I was surprised to read
> > somewhere that around 80% of his 100s are at home...didn't verify it
> > though

> > SL friends, and of course all the members of the grand council of rsc,
> > who is your pick?

> > I also feel that other than Aravinda no one else can make it to an
> > Asia XI...not sure if he will also make it but he will be there in the
> > 15 for me.

> As someone who grew up watching a lot of SL cricket in its early days
> (because of where I used to live in India, I got to see SL TV before
> Indian TV), I have a soft spot for Roy Dias. One of the most stylish
> bats that SL has produced, IMO. Having said that, I do think that
> Aravinda was the first truly world class bat from SL. But the best
> Test bat ever? I think it's Sangakkara - and not just because he's my
> favorite SL cricketer. Of course, if we were talking ODI batsmen, I
> wouldn't look beyond Jayasuriya.

Mahadev Sathasivam is my man. Of course never saw him play but going
by what Sobers/contemporaries said and by looking through some
scorecards revealing his burning deck knocks.

Aravinda took quite a while to score prolifically abroad. I would hold
that against Jayasurya too.

Sport Today

SL's greatest Test bat ever?

SL's greatest Test bat ever?

SL's greatest Test bat ever?

SL's greatest Test bat ever?

SL's greatest Test bat ever?