35 of the greatest batsmen in nearly 150 years of First-class and Test cricket history

WG Grace (England) ….. Tests span: 1880-1899,  Matches 22,  Highest Score 170,  Runs 1,098,  Average 32.29,  2 Centuries,  5 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1865-1908,  Matches 870,  Highest Score 344,  Runs 54,211,  Average 39.45,  124 Hundreds,  251 Fifties.

KS Ranjitsinhji (England) ….. Tests span: 1896-1902,  Matches 15,  Highest Score 175,  Runs 989,  Average 44.95,  2 Centuries,  6 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1893-1920,  Matches 307,  Highest Score 285*,  Runs 24,692,  Average 56.37,  72 Hundreds,  109 Fifties.  

Victor Trumper (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1899-1912,  Matches 48,  Highest Score 214*,  Runs 3,163,  Average 39.04,  8 Centuries,  13 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1894-1914,  Matches 255,  Highest Score 300*,  Runs 16,939,  Average 44.57,  42 Hundreds,  87 Fifties.

Charlie McCartney (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1907-1926,  Matches 35,  Highest Score 170,  Runs 2,131,  Average 41.78,  7 Centuries,  9 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1905-1927,  Matches 249,  Highest Score 345,  Runs 15,019,  Average 45.78,  49 Hundreds,  53 Fifties.

Jack Hobbs (England) ….. Tests span: 1908-1930,  Matches 61,  Highest Score 211,  Runs 5,410,  Average 56.94,  15 Centuries,  28 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1905-1934,  Matches 834,  Highest Score 316*,  Runs 61,760,  Average 50.70,  199 Hundreds,  273 Fifties.

Frank Woolley (England) ….. Tests span: 1909-1934,  Matches 64,  Highest Score 154,  Runs 3,283,  Average 36.07,  5 Centuries,  23 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1906-1938,  Matches 978,  Highest Score 305*,  Runs 58,959,  Average 40.77,  145 Hundreds,  295 Fifties. 

Bill Ponsford (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1924-1934,  Matches 29,  Highest Score 266,  Runs 2,122,  Average 48.22,  7 Centuries,  6 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1920-1934,  Matches 162,  Highest Score 437,  Runs 13,819,  Average 65.18,  47 Hundreds,  43 Fifties.

Wally Hammond (England) ….. Tests span: 1927-1947,  Matches 85,  Highest Score 336*,  Runs 7,249,  Average 58.45,  22 Centuries,  24 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1920-1951,  Matches 634,  Highest Score 336*,  Runs 50,551,  Average 56.10,  167 Hundreds,  185 Fifties.

Don Bradman (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1928-1948,  Matches 52,  Highest Score 334,  Runs 6,996,  Average 99.94,  29 Centuries,  13 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1927-1949,  Matches 234,  Highest Score 452*,  Runs 28,067,  Average 95.14,  117 Hundreds,  69 Fifties.

George Headley (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1930-1954,  Matches 22,  Highest Score 270*,  Runs 2,190,  Average 60.83,  10 Centuries,  5 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1927-1954,  Matches 103,  Highest Score 344*,  Runs 9,921,  Average 69.86,  33 Hundreds,  44 Fifties.

Stan McCabe (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1930-1938,  Matches 39,  Highest Score 232,  Runs 2,748,  Average 48.21,  6 Centuries,  13 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1928-1942,  Matches 182,  Highest Score 240,  Runs 11,951,  Average 49.38,  29 Hundreds,  68 Fifties.

Bruce Mitchell (South Africa) ….. Tests span: 1929-1949,  Matches 42,  Highest Score 189*,  Runs 3,471,  Average 48.88,  8 Centuries,  21 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1925-1950,  Matches 173,  Highest Score 195,  Runs 11,395,  Average 45.39,  30 Hundreds,  55 Fifties.

Vijay Merchant (India) ….. Tests span: 1933-1951,  Matches 10,  Highest Score 154,  Runs 859,  Average 47.72,  3 Centuries,  3 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1929-1951, Matches 150,  Highest Score 359*,  Runs 13,470,  Average 71.64,  45 Hundreds,  52 Fifties.

Dudley Nourse (South Africa) ….. Tests span: 1935-1951,  Matches 34,  Highest Score 231,  Runs 2,960,  Average 53.81,  9 Centuries,  14 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1931-1953,  Matches 175,  Highest Score 260*,  Runs 12,472,  Average 51.53,  41 Hundreds,  54 Fifties.

Len Hutton (England) ….. Tests span: 1937-1955,  Matches 79,  Highest Score 364,  Runs 6,971,  Average 56.67,  19 Centuries,  33 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1934-1955,  Matches 513,  Highest Score 364,  Runs 40,140,  Average 55.51,  129 Hundreds,  177 Fifties.

Denis Compton (England) ….. Tests span: 1937-1957,  Matches 78,  Highest Score 278,  Runs 5,807,  Average 50.06,  17 Centuries,  28 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1936-1964,  Matches 515,  Highest Score 300,  Runs 38,942,  Average 51.85,  123 Hundreds,  183 Fifties.

Arthur Morris (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1946-1955,  Matches 46,  Highest Score 206,  Runs 3,533,  Average 46.48,  12 Centuries,  12 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1940-1955,  Matches 162,  Highest Score 290,  Runs 12,614,  Average 53.67,  46 Hundreds,  46 Fifties.

Frank Worrell (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1948-1963,  Matches 51,  Highest Score 261,  Runs 3,860,  Average 49.48,  9 Centuries,  22 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1941-1964,  Matches 208,  Highest Score 308*,  Runs 15,025,  Average 54.24,  39 Hundreds,  80 Fifties.

Clyde Walcott (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1948-1960,  Matches 44,  Highest Score 220,  Runs 3,798,  Average 56.68,  15 Centuries,  14 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1941-1964,  Matches 146,  Highest Score 314*,  Runs 11,820,  Average 56.55,  40 Hundreds,  54 Fifties.

Everton Weekes (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1948-1958,  Matches 48,  Highest Score 207,  Runs 4,455,  Average 58.61,  15 Centuries,  19 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1944-1964,  Matches 152,  Highest Score 304*,  Runs 12,010,  Average 55.34,  36 Hundreds,  54 Fifties.

Neil Harvey (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1948-1963,  Matches 79,  Highest Score 205,  Runs 6,149,  Average 48.41,  21 Centuries,  24 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1946-1963,  Matches 306,  Highest Score 231*,  Runs 21,699,  Average 50.93,  67 Hundreds,  94 Fifties.

Hanif Mohammad (Pakistan) ….. Tests span: 1952-1969,  Matches 55,  Highest Score 337,  Runs 3,915,  Average 43.98,  12 Centuries,  15 Fifties; ….. First-class span:  1951-1976,  Matches 238,  Highest Score 499,  Runs 17,059,  Average 52.32,  55 Hundreds,  66 Fifties.

Gary Sobers (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1954-1974,  Matches 93,  Highest Score 365*,  Runs 8,032,  Average 57.78,  26 Centuries,  30 Fifties; ….. First-class span:  1952-1974,  Matches 383,  Highest Score 365*,  Runs 28,314,  Average 54.87,  86 Hundreds,  121 Fifties.

Graeme Pollock (South Africa) ….. Tests span: 1963-1970,  Matches 23,  Highest Score 274,  Runs 2,256,  Average 60.97,  7 Centuries,  11 Fifties; ….. First-class span:  1960-1987,  Matches 262,  Highest Score 274,  Runs 20,940,  Average 54.67,  64 Hundreds,  99 Fifties.

Barry Richards (South Africa) ….. Tests span: 1970,  Matches 4,  Highest Score 140,  Runs 508,  Average 72.57,  2 Centuries,  2 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1964-1983,   Matches 339,  Highest Score 356,  Runs 28,358,  Average 54.74,  80 Hundreds,  152 Fifties.

Greg Chappell (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1970-1984,  Matches 87,  Highest Score 247*,  Runs 7,110,  Average 53.86,  24 Centuries,  31 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1966-1984,  Matches 321,  Highest Score 247*,  Runs 24,535,  Average 52.20,  74 Hundreds,  111 Fifties.

Sunil Gavaskar (India) ….. Tests span: 1971-1987,  Matches 125,  Highest Score 236*,  Runs 10,122,  Average 51.12,  34 Centuries,  45 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1966-1987,  Matches 348,  Highest Score 340,  Runs 25,834,  Average 51.46,  81 Hundreds,  105 Fifties.

Vivian Richards (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1974-1991,  Matches 121,  Highest Score 291,  Runs 8,540,  Average 50.23,  24 Centuries,  45 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1971-1993,  Matches 507,  Highest Score 322,  Runs 36,212,  Average 49.40,  114 Hundreds,  162 Fifties.

Martin Crowe (New Zealand) ….. Tests span: 1982-1995,  Matches 77,  Highest Score 299,  Runs 5,444,  Average 45.36,  17 Centuries,  18 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1979-1996,  Matches 247,  Highest Score 299,  Runs 19,608,  Average 56.02,  71 Hundreds,  80 Fifties.

Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka) ….. Tests span: 1984-2002,  Matches 93,  Highest Score 267,  Runs 6,361,  Average 42.97,  20 Centuries,  22 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1983-2002,  Matches 220,  Highest Score 267,  Runs 15,000,  Average 48.38,  43 Hundreds,  71 Fifties.

Steve Waugh (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1985-2004,  Matches 168,  Highest Score 200,  Runs 10,927,  Average 51.06,  32 Centuries,  50 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1984-2004,  Matches 356,  Highest Score 216*,  Runs 24,052,  Average 51.94,  79 Hundreds,  97 Fifties.

Brian Lara (West Indies) ….. Tests span: 1990-2006,  Matches 131,  Highest Score 400*,  Runs 11,953,  Average 52.88,  34 Centuries,  48 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1987-2008,  Matches 261,  Highest Score 501*,  Runs 22,156,  Average 51.88,  65 Hundreds,  88 Fifties.

Sachin Tendulkar (India) ….. Tests span: 1989-2013,  Matches 200,  Highest Score 248*,  Runs 15,921,  Average 53.78,  51 Centuries,  68 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1988-2013,  Matches 310,  Highest Score 248*,  Runs 25,396,  Average 57.84,  81 Hundreds,  116 Fifties.

Matthew Hayden (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1994-2009,  Matches 103,  Highest Score 380,  Runs 8,625,  Average 50.73,  30 Centuries,  29 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1991-2009,  Matches 295,  Highest Score 380,  Runs 24,603,  Average 52.57,  79 Hundreds,  100 Fifties.

Ricky Ponting (Australia) ….. Tests span: 1995-2012,  Matches 168,  Highest Score 257,  Runs 13,378,  Average 51.85,  41 Centuries,  62 Fifties; ….. First-class span: 1992-2013,  Matches 289,  Highest Score 257,  Runs 24,150,  Average 55.90,  82 Hundreds,  106 Fifties.

These 35 batsmen are featured in Indra Vikram Singh's book 'Don's Century', which is a biography of Don Bradman and a panorama of batting from the 1860s till the present times. Author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com.