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Since its inception in the 18th century, cricket has progressed a great deal. Not only is it pulling in large audiences and entertaining fans during the season, but the overall health of the sport is in good shape too. For example, we’re seeing relatively unknown cricket nations now making an impact on the sport, new technology such as Spidercam, and the introduction of informative real-time commentary by on-field players. One such area which generally remains the same, though, is the batting craft.
With many modern-day changes to the sport, batters have largely become the shining stars of the game. Put simply, most kids who watch cricket would probably rather score hundreds of runs than take a few wickets. That’s not to say that some of the top bowlers we’ve seen aren’t held in high regard, much like Jeff Thomson and Shoaib Akhtar who are featured in Rob Eddy’s fastest bowlers article, but high run scorers tend to hog the limelight. We’ve had some truly talented individuals who have managed to score runs against some quality bowlers, too. Of course, there are differences between the game of old and the cricket on display today, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t celebrate various batting legends from the past. Below we’re doing exactly that by focusing on a select few.
Ricky Ponting
One of Australia’s greatest ever batsmen, Ricky Ponting was an immaculate professional who led by example during what was an illustrious career. Helping Australia to three consecutive World Cup’s, Ponting managed to register over 13,000 Test runs during 186 appearances for the Aussies. If you’re keen to pull off an impeccable pull shot, then look no further than Ricky Ponting’s stunning technique in order to get there. Ponting is, without a doubt, one of the most talented players with a bat that the sport has seen.
Jack Hobbs
After making his debut for England against Australia in 1908, Jack Hobbs went on to have a remarkable career in the game, which largely consisted of some high scoring achievements. In fact, he even managed to make 83 in his aforementioned debut performance before eventually going on to score 5410 runs in 61 matches for his country, also earning himself a remarkable strike rate of 99.28.
Sir Vivian Richards
Known for his charisma and body language, in particular, Sir Vivian Richards struck fear into the hearts and minds of the bowlers he came up against. One of his most memorable performances came against England in 1976, when he scored an astonishing 291 runs at the Oval. Usually registering big scores with the bat, Richards smashed 8540 runs at an average of 50 during a hugely successful career in which he played 121 Test matches. What made Sir Vivian Richards truly memorable, though, was his competitive nature.
Wally Hammond
A legend from the 1920s era of the game, Wally Hammond is a name that grey-haired fans of the sport may well have heard of. After his debut against South Africa in 1927, the England star didn’t look back, notching up an impressive 50 runs during the first innings. From there, Hammond went on to play an integral role in 85 Test matches, eventually going on to score 7249 runs at an average of 58.46.
Sunil Gavaskar
The first batsman ever to score 10,000 Test runs, Sunil Gavaskar knew how to record massive scores with the bat and showed true skill on numerous occasions during what was a glittering career playing for India. Gavaskar managed to rack up 10,122 runs at an average of 51.12 during his time in the game, with 34 centuries and four double hundreds demonstrating just how reliable he was. Without Sunil Gavaskar, Indian cricket might not be in the shape that it is today.
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