Are batsmen better, these days ?

[Donny]

Over the last couple of years the overall averages of Test batsmen are rising.

We have often seen, in this forum and elsewhere, when someone gets a high score or team total, people say, "Oh, but it was only against ..." whatever bowling attack.

As the below article points out, there are several reasons for the apparent 'improvement' in batting standards. Most of them work against the bowlers.

It must also be noted an attack like the Windies' feared 4 prong pace attack of the '70s/80s just couldn't work as well in today's playing conditions.

For a start, they couldn't get away with bowling only 11 or 12 overs per hour or unlimited bouncers. This WOULD make a difference.
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Bowling attacks hit for six

By Robert Craddock - Fox

CRICKET's latest world rankings have confirmed what the game's fans had suspected . . . that bowling attacks are being slaughtered the world over.

The PriceWaterhouseCoopers rankings, updated on Monday, give batsmen a points rating by assessing the number of runs they score, the opposition and the conditions with the bottom line being the higher their scores the more points they gain.

Until two years ago, 700 points would be enough to secure a place in the world's top 10 but in the recent rankings, which have Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting in the top two spots, 17 batsmen are above 700 points. Normally any batsman above 800 points would be in the top three but seven batsmen are above this mark as batting averages soar around the globe.

It has added further fuel to the debate over why batsmen have become kings and bowlers slaves over the past few years.

We see not one outstanding reason, but many including . . .

THE TELEVISION SPIES

As Steve Waugh said recently, batsmen are watching rival Test matches on television and being inspired by each other's big scores. Cricket is seeing the birth of a generation of copycat (bowler) killers.

Television has also served to demystify some of the great bowlers.

Only a few years back a bowler, particularly a spinner, considered it an advantage if a rival nation had not seen him before. But with satellite television beaming most Test match contests live around the globe there are precious few secrets. Everyone watches everyone.

THE HEAVY BATS

Just like tennis racquets and golf clubs, modern cricket bats do a much more brutal job than their predecessors.

Former champion batsmen Allan Border, Barry Richards and Neil Harvey marvel at the power gained from bats which are generally heavier than they were in bygone generations but so well designed the weight is offset so they play "heavy" but pick up "light".

"I was sent one of my old bats to get autographed recently and when I picked it up it struck me that the modern bats are 10 times as good," Harvey said. "It must make a big difference. I used to use a bat which was two pound, two ounces. Bradman's was a little bit lighter. Some of the bats today are a full pound heavier."

THE FATIGUE FACTOR

The amount of international cricket played these days has burnt many of the game's greatest bowlers to a crisp or forced them to bowl slightly within themselves (South Africa's Shaun Pollock is an example) to go the marathon journey.

That cricket's leading Test wicket-taker last year was South Africa's Makhaya Ntini was a statement about the shallow state of world bowling ranks.

You might not mention him in the same breath as some of the great bowlers of the past decade – Glenn McGrath, Allan Donald or Wasim Akram – yet his indestructible physique and strong will has enabled him to pass men of greater ability who were casualties of the game's cramped modern schedules.

FLAT DECKS

Wickets around the world have rarely been of better quality to the point where the game is missing the drama of the odd dodgy deck.

In Australia there is a curators' conference every year and Brisbane's Kevin Mitchell says the information sharing has helped everyone. New technology has helped curators lift the standard of grounds after a football season and administrators are at last listening to groundsmen over what months are suitable for high-class decks in their states.

After a spate of three-day Tests in recent years, Mitchell believes commercial considerations have also played a part.

"People are aware if they prepare the best wicket they can it gives it the strongest chance of being a five-day Test which is the best thing for television, ticket sales and everyone really," Mitchell said.

THE TACTICS

Former Australian coach Bob Simpson believes the ancient art of swinging the ball is being lost to the modern game because of the modern tendency to bowl short.

"You can't swing a ball if you don't pitch it up but everyone seems to want to bowl just short of a length – it's happening all around the world," Simpson said.

"I said before this tour that a bowler like Ajit Agarkar was a chance of getting the Australians out because he swung the ball and they are not used to it."

THE SHORTER BOUNDARIES

Because of concerns over player safety with players sliding into fences, Australia has shortened its boundaries with the use of ropes. Other nations are following suit and batsmen are finding it is now possible to occasionally hit a six which is not perfectly timed.

[JLC]

I agee there are many various reasons as to why batsman are dominating but the main one is that the bowlers are not as good as they used to be.

The West Indies have been hit the hardest as there is more money to be made in basketball than there is in cricket. Therefore cricket loses out.

jlc

[Donny]

I was going to reply but as you obviously didn't read the previous post, there would be no point, would there ?

For others that may be interested, the population of the countries that make up the West Indies is about 65 million. Australia's is about 21 million.

[Canberra]

What we tend to forget is bowlers had a tremendous advantage with uncovered pitches. It isn't that long ago that in England.the centre wicket area would be covered except for the match pitch. A lot of pre-war batsmen would love to play on today's billiard table wickets.

[The Prototype]

The batsman seem to be getting better pitches these days, in past years the pitches around the world didn't give the batsman much, and the bowlers dominated. Though these days there are more hard hitters around (i.e Hayden, Tendulkar, etc.)

[couragous cloke]

I reckon bowlers Have improved and the batting has gone down...

But not recently, im talking the last 40 odd years, from what ive seen anyway..

I think alot of it is to do with the Batsmen friendly wickets that u get around the world these days! its pretty amazing how much the batsmen are favoured by test and ODI wickets.. i think thats part of the swing in the last few years.. Agreed?

[The Prototype]

[JLC]

[Sultan of spin]

I think the pitches in England provide the most even contest between bat and ball. Some pitches are green tops and some are belters so both bat and ball are can have favourable conditions on any given day.

I think the standard of world bowling today is pathetic compared to that of previous generations, especailly pace bowling. Other than McGrath and Donald and to a lesser extent Gillespie and Shoaib there has been no standout fast bowlers in recent years. Back in the 70's the windies had a better fast bowling attck than what a world XI could muster these days.

[London Dave]

Bats are infinitely better these days. I remember picking up some of my 20 year old ones and they weigh a ton (pity they didnt make too many though) compared to ones I use now. Bats are probably the one piece of equipment that have really been revolutionised over the past 30 years.

Equipment is a lot lighter, so batsmen wont get as knackered running between wickets etc, and I'd say they are probably more fit, though there's no real way of telling for sure.

As we are now in a TV game, wickets that fall apart aren't what's ordered. Having the games go for 5 days means more moolah, therefore, it's in the interests of the cricket boards to try to do what they can to get games to go the distance.

I dont believe in 'green tops', and any dickhead can take a wicket on a seamer or a turner. Bowlers have to get blokes out, not just roll your arm over and let the deck do the work. Bowlers always get to have a go at the 'tail', i.e. weak batsmen, batsmen don't get the same treatment.

SoS, the windies bowling attack would struggle these days, you have to bowl 90 overs in a day, not 70.

Donny, you sure there's 65 million in the West Indies, maybe the Caribbean as a whole, but not from the countries that make up the West Indies.

[Donny]

No, I wasn't sure, Dave. I got it from here:

http://73.1911encyclopedia.org/W/WE/WEST_INDIES_THE.htm

THE WEST INDIES, sometimes called the Antilles. The land area of all the islands is nearly 100,000 sq. m., with an estimated population of about 63/4 millions; that of the British islands about 12,000 sq. m. The Lesser Antilles are again divided into the Windward Islands and Leeward Islands. Geographically, the Leeward Islands are those to the north of St Lucia, and the Windward, St Lucia and those to the south of it; but for administrative purposes the British islands in the Lesser Antilles are grouped as is shown in the table given later.
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I'd be quite happy for someone to find a more specific figure.

It's not a big deal. I guess I was saying every country has any number of sports their youth can choose to play, especially Australia.

[commonwombat]

Donny,

The correct population figure for the countries comprising the cricketing West Indies would be on 2002 estimates @ 6.79 million people.

These comprise of the island of Jamaica in the western Caribbean, the former British islands of the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands, the larger islands of Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago along with the country of Guyana (formerly British Guinea) on the continent of Sth America.

[El_Draus]

I think that when it said 63/4 it meant 6 and three quarters.

[Donny]

Thanks, wombat, and yes, I think you're right, Andy. My mistake.

[Sultan of spin]

Any "dickhead" batsman can get runs on the ridiculously bstaman friendly pitches that are used these days.

Don't talk shit about the great West Indian attacks they would dominate in any era.