Modern Legend

[heater31]

Brian by a country mile. I rate his 200+ in his final Adelaide Test as the best I have seen live to date.

[Aerie]

No doubt these three are the three greats of the modern era and stand on their own. I find it hard to split them. Lara is my favourite. That double century at Adelaide a couple of years ago, I'll never forget. If I had to choose them to bat for my life, in order, I'd go Ponting, Tendulkar, Lara. Only by the slimmest of margins though.

[Gozu]

I've already said Lara earlier in the thread but one way of seriously seperating the three is asking yourself, "Who's better when all three were up and firing at their best?"

Lara hands down.

[GWW]

To me, the difference between Lara and Tendulkar at their peak wasn't as big as what some people are saying on this thread. Tendulkar when in form i think was just as destructive.

[Punk Rooster]

i almost feel like re-setting the poll... if we had a 3-2-1 system, I reckon Lara-Ponting-Tendulkar would be the general consensus.

[MagicKiwi]

1. Lara
2. Tendulkar
3. Ponting

[Pumba]

I think you'd be right there CP, Ponting debuted in 95, which i think was approximately the year Boony retired.

yes but he initally batted at 6, for a couple of seasons atleast, didnt he make 94 on debut and get a poor decision?

[rod_rooster]

I think you'd be right there CP, Ponting debuted in 95, which i think was approximately the year Boony retired.

yes but he initally batted at 6, for a couple of seasons atleast, didnt he make 94 on debut and get a poor decision?

96 on debut. Got a stinker of an LBW. Chaminda Vass left arm over and it hit him very very high. No way it was out.

[MAY-Z]

I think you'd be right there CP, Ponting debuted in 95, which i think was approximately the year Boony retired.

yes but he initally batted at 6, for a couple of seasons atleast, didnt he make 94 on debut and get a poor decision?

96 on debut. Got a stinker of an LBW. Chaminda Vass left arm over and it hit him very very high. No way it was out.

yep absolute shocker with stuart law 54 not out the other end

for me tendulkar just infront of lara then ponting.

sachin made runs everywhere against everyone for nearly 20 years now
lara not as consistant but more destructive on his day

[Hondo]

I think you'd be right there CP, Ponting debuted in 95, which i think was approximately the year Boony retired.

yes but he initally batted at 6, for a couple of seasons atleast, didnt he make 94 on debut and get a poor decision?

He started in 1995/96 season and, yes, batted 6 while Boon was still at 3.

After Boon retired at the end of 1995/96, Ponting moved straight to 3. After the 1st 2 tests v West Indies of 1996/97 he was dropped because of reckless batting.

He came back during the Ashes series in England 1997, batting at 6 again. He then stayed at 6 while Blewett and then Langer held down the number 3 spot.

Ponting was dropped again (or injured) during the 1998/99 Ashes series. He came back into the side, again at 6, in the WI 1999.

Stayed at 6 until the 2001 Ashes series in England, when he finally returned to number 3.

Courtesy of CricInfo research I honestly had forgotten he stayed at number 6 that long. Shows how strong our side was in that era.

[Lightning McQueen]

another point that favours Ponting-
Lara & Tendulkar were standouts in (arguably) poorly performed sides.
Ponting became a force amongst some very decent batsmen, in a time when Australia dominated World Cricket

I don't think that really favours Punter there Punky.

I bet Punter went in at 1/200+ far more times than Lara and would've had the luxury of Gilly at 7 where Lara had say Chanderpaul at 5 and bugger-all after that.

All three are legends of the game and masters of their craft, Tendulkar would've played on the sub-continent for at least 70% of his games, Lara would've played on a fair few dodgy calypso wickets.

Talk about splitting hairs, there's a fine line between all 3 of them, Lara for mine, I think he's done it tougher.

[wycbloods]

I think you'd be right there CP, Ponting debuted in 95, which i think was approximately the year Boony retired.

yes but he initally batted at 6, for a couple of seasons atleast, didnt he make 94 on debut and get a poor decision?

He started in 1995/96 season and, yes, batted 6 while Boon was still at 3.

After Boon retired at the end of 1995/96, Ponting moved straight to 3. After the 1st 2 tests v West Indies of 1996/97 he was dropped because of reckless batting.

He came back during the Ashes series in England 1997, batting at 6 again. He then stayed at 6 while Blewett and then Langer held down the number 3 spot.

Ponting was dropped again (or injured) during the 1998/99 Ashes series. He came back into the side, again at 6, in the WI 1999.

Stayed at 6 until the 2001 Ashes series in England, when he finally returned to number 3.

Courtesy of CricInfo research I honestly had forgotten he stayed at number 6 that long. Shows how strong our side was in that era.

I too didn't realise how long he had spent at 6 nor that he got dropped a second time interesting to see how it has unfolded for him.

[Lightning McQueen]

I think you'd be right there CP, Ponting debuted in 95, which i think was approximately the year Boony retired.

yes but he initally batted at 6, for a couple of seasons atleast, didnt he make 94 on debut and get a poor decision?

He started in 1995/96 season and, yes, batted 6 while Boon was still at 3.

After Boon retired at the end of 1995/96, Ponting moved straight to 3. After the 1st 2 tests v West Indies of 1996/97 he was dropped because of reckless batting.

He came back during the Ashes series in England 1997, batting at 6 again. He then stayed at 6 while Blewett and then Langer held down the number 3 spot.

Ponting was dropped again during the 1998/99 Ashes series. He came back into the side, again at 6, in the WI 1999.

Stayed at 6 until the 2001 Ashes series in England, when he finally returned to number 3.

Courtesy of CricInfo research I honestly didn't realise he stayed at number 6 that long and had forgotten that he was dropped a second time.

If my memory serves me correctly, I always felt that the Blew boy got a bit shafted where Punter was concerned. I recall them swapping positions because Punter was struggling and Blewy was doing well, then Blewy under-achieved in his new position and that was the end of him, I could be wrong but I do remember him having a stellar series in South Africa I think then a few games later, goodbye.

[whufc]

I would have Tendulkar opening the batting, Ponting at 3 and Lara coming in at 4 , and throw them all blank cheques to play in the same team.

[Ash59]

I voted Lara and am a little surprised that he has the lowest batting average of the three. I just think his ability to bat on to massive scores puts him on top - but all three are amongst the best ever.

Someone pointed out the disparity of the number of not outs... I'd be interested to see how many of Ponting's or Tendulkar's were due to them being at the crease when the winning runs were scored - hasn't happened in too many West Indies matches.

[spell_check]

I think you'd be right there CP, Ponting debuted in 95, which i think was approximately the year Boony retired.

yes but he initally batted at 6, for a couple of seasons atleast, didnt he make 94 on debut and get a poor decision?

He started in 1995/96 season and, yes, batted 6 while Boon was still at 3.

After Boon retired at the end of 1995/96, Ponting moved straight to 3. After the 1st 2 tests v West Indies of 1996/97 he was dropped because of reckless batting.

He came back during the Ashes series in England 1997, batting at 6 again. He then stayed at 6 while Blewett and then Langer held down the number 3 spot.

Ponting was dropped again during the 1998/99 Ashes series. He came back into the side, again at 6, in the WI 1999.

Stayed at 6 until the 2001 Ashes series in England, when he finally returned to number 3.

Courtesy of CricInfo research I honestly didn't realise he stayed at number 6 that long and had forgotten that he was dropped a second time.

If my memory serves me correctly, I always felt that the Blew boy got a bit shafted where Punter was concerned. I recall them swapping positions because Punter was struggling and Blewy was doing well, then Blewy under-achieved in his new position and that was the end of him, I could be wrong but I do remember him having a stellar series in South Africa I think then a few games later, goodbye.

He scored 214 in an innings that series.

[spell_check]

I would have Tendulkar opening the batting, Ponting at 3 and Lara coming in at 4 , and throw them all blank cheques to play in the same team.

And for the other team, blank cheques for Scott Muller, Mick Lewis and purely for his bowling action, Paul Adams to bowl at them.

[spell_check]

He scored 214 in an innings that series.

Continuing on from that, I think then he was in and out of the side for a few years until about 2000; because I recall him and Slater carving up the Pakistanis in Brisbane in 1999.

[Hondo]

I have traced Greg Blewett's demise via CricInfo:

- Mar 1997 in RSA: batted 6 - scores of 214, 13, 7, 37, 0
- Ashes 1997 in England: batted 3 - scores of 7, 125, 45, 8, 19, 1, 50, 60, 47, 19
- 1997/98 v NZ in Aust: batted 3 - scores of 7, 91, 14, 99, 56
- 1997/98 v RSA in Aust: batted 3 - scores of 26, 6, 28, 31, 16
- Mar 1998 in India: batted 3 - scores of 9, 5, 0, 25, 4, 5
- Oct 1998 in Pak: didn't play (presume dropped)
- 1998/99 Ashes in Aust: didn't play
- Mar 1999 in WI: returned to side at 6 - scores of 58, 28, 5, 30, then dropped for last 2 tests (or injured?)
- Oct 1999 in SL: Opened - scores of 0, 14, 62, 70, 0
- 1999/00 v Pak in Aust: Opened - scores of 89, 40, 35, 29 11
- 1999/00 v Ind in Aust: Opened - scores of 4, 88, 2, 31, 19
- Mar 2000 in NZ: Opened - scores of 17, 8, 0, 25 then dropped for last test

Never played test cricket again. Final average of 34.02. I reckon he got a fair go and was still playing 3 years after his superb 214. Unfortunately there was only 1 more test century after that which isn't enough for a top order player. He was opening the batting while Ponting was still number 6 so I don't think their fates were linked.

[wycbloods]

I have traced Greg Blewett's demise via CricInfo:

- Mar 1997 in RSA: batted 6 - scores of 214, 13, 7, 37, 0
- Ashes 1997 in England: batted 3 - scores of 7, 125, 45, 8, 19, 1, 50, 60, 47, 19
- 1997/98 v NZ in Aust: batted 3 - scores of 7, 91, 14, 99, 56
- 1997/98 v RSA in Aust: batted 3 - scores of 26, 6, 28, 31, 16
- Mar 1998 in India: batted 3 - scores of 9, 5, 0, 25, 4, 5
- Oct 1998 in Pak: didn't play (presume dropped)
- 1998/99 Ashes in Aust: didn't play
- Mar 1999 in WI: returned to side at 6 - scores of 58, 28, 5, 30, then dropped for last 2 tests (or injured?)
- Oct 1999 in SL: Opened - scores of 0, 14, 62, 70, 0
- 1999/00 v Pak in Aust: Opened - scores of 89, 40, 35, 29 11
- 1999/00 v Ind in Aust: Opened - scores of 4, 88, 2, 31, 19
- Mar 2000 in NZ: Opened - scores of 17, 8, 0, 25 then dropped for last test

Never played test cricket again. Final average of 34.02. I reckon he got a fair go and was still playing 3 years after his superb 214. Unfortunately there was only 1 more test century after that which isn't enough for a top order player.

He should've averaged much more than that in test cricket he was a class batsmen.