| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? 08:10 - Sep 9 with 3392 views | itfcjoe |
I've obviously never seen Bradman, but his record speaks for itself.
The way Smith has piled up runs so consistently and over such a long time period is better than I've seen from anyone in my lifetime - Tendulkar, Lara, Ponting.
It's just unbelievable, converts every other time he reaches 50 and just piles on the runs |  |
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| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 08:12 - Sep 9 with 2812 views | Reuser_is_God |
The thing that makes it more remarkable is that for the first few years of his test career he was a shocking batsman. |  |
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| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 08:15 - Sep 9 with 2795 views | IPS_wich |
Has Ponting and Tendulkar covered. For me he needs to perform at this level consistently for 3-4 years before I would put him above Lara. |  | | |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 08:18 - Sep 9 with 2786 views | Funge |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 08:12 - Sep 9 by Reuser_is_God |
The thing that makes it more remarkable is that for the first few years of his test career he was a shocking batsman. |
Quite.
Horrible to watch, with that OCD crease routine, lacking the fluency or beauty of a Richards, or a Gower; yet repeatedly, routinely grinding. A destroyer of teams.
We've had no idea how to bowl to him - would Anderson have had more success? Perhaps.
Leach's No-Ball dismissal was, perhaps, the moment where you could see the match lost; not just from a practical perspective (Smith went on to make another 100 or so), but psychologically too.
All of that remarkable talent, and still he felt the need to cheat. That must never be forgotten. What does that say about him, and the mentality of the team behind him? |  | | |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 08:28 - Sep 9 with 2760 views | JakeITFC |
It’s hard to see where the weakness is really.
He follows the ball across the stumps so anything outside the off stump can be driven, you’d think that would make him an LBW candidate but he plays off his legs so well. He leaves brilliantly on length and is a cutter and puller.
The only time we’ve had him in trouble this series is from an almost legendary spell of short, quick and hostile bowling from Archer. More often than not he’s not going to face that though.
At the start of the year I’d have probably had Smith, Root, Williamson and Kohli pretty close as batsmen - unfortunately I think Root has been left behind in all formats, Williamson and Kohli are wonderful but Smith has gone to another level in the test arena. |  | | |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 08:36 - Sep 9 with 2744 views | Guthrum |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 08:12 - Sep 9 by Reuser_is_God |
The thing that makes it more remarkable is that for the first few years of his test career he was a shocking batsman. |
To start off with he was primarily a spin-bowler. |  |
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| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 08:45 - Sep 9 with 2734 views | Reuser_is_God |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 08:36 - Sep 9 by Guthrum |
To start off with he was primarily a spin-bowler. |
& a poor one at that. | |
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| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 08:51 - Sep 9 with 2719 views | caught-in-limbo |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 08:18 - Sep 9 by Funge |
Quite.
Horrible to watch, with that OCD crease routine, lacking the fluency or beauty of a Richards, or a Gower; yet repeatedly, routinely grinding. A destroyer of teams.
We've had no idea how to bowl to him - would Anderson have had more success? Perhaps.
Leach's No-Ball dismissal was, perhaps, the moment where you could see the match lost; not just from a practical perspective (Smith went on to make another 100 or so), but psychologically too.
All of that remarkable talent, and still he felt the need to cheat. That must never be forgotten. What does that say about him, and the mentality of the team behind him? |
He served his time. While Atherton was fined 2k pounds, kept his position as captain and retired from his playing career to cushy jobs in broadcasting and journalism and got an OBE to boot. Yes, they weren't guilty of identical crimes, but it's clear to most who the cricketing gods shone on most brightly. Some may even argue that our latest hero, Stokes, is lucky to be pulling on an English shirt at all.
The fact that Smith did cheat makes his latest achievements even more astonishing for me.
So, you're right, his cheating should never be forgotten. It's an essential episode in an incredible story about one of the greatest ever batsmen. |  |
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| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 09:33 - Sep 9 with 2660 views | factual_blue |
Sir Donald Bradman
Would have been a very glad man
If his average test score
Had been point nought six more
Than ninety-nine point nine four [Post edited 9 Sep 2019 9:36]
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| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 09:36 - Sep 9 with 2641 views | factual_blue |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 08:28 - Sep 9 by JakeITFC |
It’s hard to see where the weakness is really.
He follows the ball across the stumps so anything outside the off stump can be driven, you’d think that would make him an LBW candidate but he plays off his legs so well. He leaves brilliantly on length and is a cutter and puller.
The only time we’ve had him in trouble this series is from an almost legendary spell of short, quick and hostile bowling from Archer. More often than not he’s not going to face that though.
At the start of the year I’d have probably had Smith, Root, Williamson and Kohli pretty close as batsmen - unfortunately I think Root has been left behind in all formats, Williamson and Kohli are wonderful but Smith has gone to another level in the test arena. |
His weakness?
Sandpaper. | |
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| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 09:44 - Sep 9 with 2631 views | PJH |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 09:33 - Sep 9 by factual_blue |
Sir Donald Bradman
Would have been a very glad man
If his average test score
Had been point nought six more
Than ninety-nine point nine four [Post edited 9 Sep 2019 9:36]
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Yes bowled by Eric Hollies for a duck in his last test innings when if he had scored 4 runs he would have had a test average of 100.00.
It is suggested that he still had tears in his eyes from the reception that he got when coming to the wicket when he faced that ball that bowled him, second ball.
He might have had a second innings but as Australia won the test by an innings having bowled England out for 52 first innings, he did not. |  | | |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 09:47 - Sep 9 with 2622 views | davblue |
I don't find him good to watch, he's an accumulator of runs and quite boring to watch imo. Aesthetically Kholi is way ahead of him but it shows there's more than one way to score runs.
But he's a fantastic cricketer by the same token, what he does is very skilful and takes a lot of talent. |  | | |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 09:50 - Sep 9 with 2610 views | BigManBlue |
Maybe peak Lara was better, but then I was a kid and much more easily impressed when he was in his pomp so it's hard to judge. |  |
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| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 10:17 - Sep 9 with 2586 views | IPS_wich |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 09:50 - Sep 9 by BigManBlue |
Maybe peak Lara was better, but then I was a kid and much more easily impressed when he was in his pomp so it's hard to judge. |
That was my point earlier.
Lara holds a number of records over a prolonged career:
- 501 not out (highest first class score) in 1994
- 400 not out (highest test score) in 2004
- Highest number of runs in a test over (28) in 2003
He set the highest test score of 375 in 1993, it was beaten by Hayden in 2003 and Lara then retook it the next year.
In 93/94 he scored 7 centuries across 8 innings, during which time he also scored what is still the 9th fast test century of all time.
Smith might well reach the same heights, but at the moment I'd put him on a par with Vaughan in Australia in 02/03 and Cook in 10/11.
Lara was IMO the best batsman I have seen in the last 40 years. | | | |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 10:41 - Sep 9 with 2558 views | ElderGrizzly |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 08:28 - Sep 9 by JakeITFC |
It’s hard to see where the weakness is really.
He follows the ball across the stumps so anything outside the off stump can be driven, you’d think that would make him an LBW candidate but he plays off his legs so well. He leaves brilliantly on length and is a cutter and puller.
The only time we’ve had him in trouble this series is from an almost legendary spell of short, quick and hostile bowling from Archer. More often than not he’s not going to face that though.
At the start of the year I’d have probably had Smith, Root, Williamson and Kohli pretty close as batsmen - unfortunately I think Root has been left behind in all formats, Williamson and Kohli are wonderful but Smith has gone to another level in the test arena. |
His weakness is sandpaper surely? |  | | |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 11:15 - Sep 9 with 2530 views | factual_blue |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 10:41 - Sep 9 by ElderGrizzly |
His weakness is sandpaper surely? |
Beaten by more than an hour by a decrepit old man
#hangyourheadinshame | |
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| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 12:08 - Sep 9 with 2504 views | itfcjoe |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 10:17 - Sep 9 by IPS_wich |
That was my point earlier.
Lara holds a number of records over a prolonged career:
- 501 not out (highest first class score) in 1994
- 400 not out (highest test score) in 2004
- Highest number of runs in a test over (28) in 2003
He set the highest test score of 375 in 1993, it was beaten by Hayden in 2003 and Lara then retook it the next year.
In 93/94 he scored 7 centuries across 8 innings, during which time he also scored what is still the 9th fast test century of all time.
Smith might well reach the same heights, but at the moment I'd put him on a par with Vaughan in Australia in 02/03 and Cook in 10/11.
Lara was IMO the best batsman I have seen in the last 40 years. |
Lara was great, I just think some of those records don't really mean too much - 500 in a first class game when his only opponent was the clock, they didn't win the game - it was jsut batting practice as once he was past 200 the game was going to be a draw. A fantastic achievement no doubt but did it make any difference?
Even without the stats mentioned above, totally respect the last point and conclusion you've drawn, but think the one before re Vaughan and Cook is wide of the mark, they were very good batsman in purple patches as opposed to up there with the very best of all time | |
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| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 13:52 - Sep 9 with 2414 views | The_Romford_Blue |
Not even the best batsman playing test cricket right now
Kohli is better |  |
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| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 15:16 - Sep 9 with 2355 views | Ace_High1 |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 13:52 - Sep 9 by The_Romford_Blue |
Not even the best batsman playing test cricket right now
Kohli is better |
Not at test level, just look at the stats. |  | | |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 15:27 - Sep 9 with 2342 views | C_HealyIsAPleasure |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 13:52 - Sep 9 by The_Romford_Blue |
Not even the best batsman playing test cricket right now
Kohli is better |
Across other formats maybe but not sure how you’ve come to that conclusion at test level
Smiths average is nearly 11 and a half runs higher than Kohli’s - to put that in context if you knocked 11 and a half from Kohli’s average it would be in the 41’s
Smith has also scored more runs, more centuries and more 50’s than Kohli - despite playing in 11 fewer tests
Putting the obvious cheating asterisk to the side, I’m struggling to see any basis for arguing that Kohli is a better test batsman |  |
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| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 15:34 - Sep 9 with 2327 views | Ace_High1 |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 15:27 - Sep 9 by C_HealyIsAPleasure |
Across other formats maybe but not sure how you’ve come to that conclusion at test level
Smiths average is nearly 11 and a half runs higher than Kohli’s - to put that in context if you knocked 11 and a half from Kohli’s average it would be in the 41’s
Smith has also scored more runs, more centuries and more 50’s than Kohli - despite playing in 11 fewer tests
Putting the obvious cheating asterisk to the side, I’m struggling to see any basis for arguing that Kohli is a better test batsman |
Exactly. You don't have to like the guy to accept his record and form over the last 5 years is insane.
Kohli is incredible but Smith is another level about in Test cricket. | | | |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 15:40 - Sep 9 with 2326 views | Radlett_blue |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 15:27 - Sep 9 by C_HealyIsAPleasure |
Across other formats maybe but not sure how you’ve come to that conclusion at test level
Smiths average is nearly 11 and a half runs higher than Kohli’s - to put that in context if you knocked 11 and a half from Kohli’s average it would be in the 41’s
Smith has also scored more runs, more centuries and more 50’s than Kohli - despite playing in 11 fewer tests
Putting the obvious cheating asterisk to the side, I’m struggling to see any basis for arguing that Kohli is a better test batsman |
Exactly. Smith's average is so much higher than any other Test batsman of recent generations who played a large number of Tests that you have to give him huge respect.
Adam Voges is an interesting one - made his Test debut at 36 and averaged 61 in 20 Tests, though it's hard to know what to make of a player who only had a 2 year Test career. |  |
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| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 17:04 - Sep 9 with 2274 views | hampstead_blue |
Every batter has a purple patch.
The better they are, the longer and more frequent.
He is amazing for the most unorthodox reasons. |  |
| Assumption is to make an ass out of you and me.
Those who assume they know you, when they don't are just guessing.
Those who assume and insist they know are daft and in denial.
Those who assume, insist, and deny the truth are plain stupid.
Those who assume, insist, deny the truth and tell YOU they know you (when they don't) have an IQ in the range of 35-49.
| | Poll: | Best Blackpool goal |
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| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 17:52 - Sep 9 with 2238 views | Funge |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 08:51 - Sep 9 by caught-in-limbo |
He served his time. While Atherton was fined 2k pounds, kept his position as captain and retired from his playing career to cushy jobs in broadcasting and journalism and got an OBE to boot. Yes, they weren't guilty of identical crimes, but it's clear to most who the cricketing gods shone on most brightly. Some may even argue that our latest hero, Stokes, is lucky to be pulling on an English shirt at all.
The fact that Smith did cheat makes his latest achievements even more astonishing for me.
So, you're right, his cheating should never be forgotten. It's an essential episode in an incredible story about one of the greatest ever batsmen. |
That's all well and good, but I struggle with the mentality of those at the top of their sport feeling the need to cheat - see Gatlin, Armstrong and (this is wholly arguable) Schumacher.
You see his greatness as overcoming his cheating; I can see that argument. I simply don't buy it though.
For me, his cheating defines him - and let's not forget, he'd still be at it now, if he hadn't been caught. (Anyone who thinks that the Aussies' behaviour at Cape Town was a 'one-off' is playing themselves).
To paraphrase Mr Clough -'....chuck all your medals into the biggest f*cking dustbin you can find. Because you’ve never won any of them fairly. You’ve done it all by cheating.'
Yes, I am bitter about failing to win the Ashes. | | | |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 17:59 - Sep 9 with 2225 views | Radlett_blue |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 17:52 - Sep 9 by Funge |
That's all well and good, but I struggle with the mentality of those at the top of their sport feeling the need to cheat - see Gatlin, Armstrong and (this is wholly arguable) Schumacher.
You see his greatness as overcoming his cheating; I can see that argument. I simply don't buy it though.
For me, his cheating defines him - and let's not forget, he'd still be at it now, if he hadn't been caught. (Anyone who thinks that the Aussies' behaviour at Cape Town was a 'one-off' is playing themselves).
To paraphrase Mr Clough -'....chuck all your medals into the biggest f*cking dustbin you can find. Because you’ve never won any of them fairly. You’ve done it all by cheating.'
Yes, I am bitter about failing to win the Ashes. |
Modern professional sport mirrors modern life - it now seems that most things are OK if you get away with them. Sportsmen always look for ways of gaining any sort of marginal advantage & once one person or team does it, understandably most copy them. It's only the scale and the degree of pre-meditation involved that now seems to shock. Nothing that emerges from hugely tainted sports like cycling & athletics has really shocked me. | |
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| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 18:11 - Sep 9 with 2212 views | The_Romford_Blue |
| Steve Smith - the best batsman since The Don? on 15:16 - Sep 9 by Ace_High1 |
Not at test level, just look at the stats. |
The OP never said Test format only though. | |
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