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.

Collector’s edition sports books available for corporate gifting

Price of the entire set of four books : Rs. 7,190

Available at special discount of over 30% : Rs. 5,000

Individual books available at 15% discount

The Big Book of World Cup Cricket

by Indra Vikram Singh

A definitive, fully illustrated collector's edition showcasing all the cricket World Cup tournaments from 1975 to 2007, and previewing the ICC World Cup 2011

Published by Sporting Links

ISBN 978-81-901668-4-3, Fully Illustrated

Hardback 22.5 cm x 28 cm, 544 Pages
Price Rupees 4,000

This collector’s edition tells the tale of every cricket World Cup played from 1975 to 2007, and carries a preview of the 2011 tournament. Featured are classic matches, brilliant individual performances, the commercial facet, highlights and sidelights, drama and controversy, and the stars of the biggest event in One-day cricket, encompassed by photographs from the leading lensmen and agencies in the world. The statistics sections comprise a wide range of records, detailed scorecards of every match played, and averages of all the players who appeared in the first nine editions of the World Cup. A handwritten letter from the immortal Sir Donald Bradman received by the author in 1999 completes a treasure that should find a place on the bookshelf of every modern cricket-lover. A special 44-page colour supplement Crowning Glory published at the conclusion of the ICC World Cup 2011 is available complimentary with The Big Book of World Cup Cricket.

Crowning Glory

by Indra Vikram Singh

Special supplement on India's victory in the ICC World Cup 2011

Published by Sporting Links

ISBN 978-81-901668-6-7, Fully Illustrated

Paperback 21.5 cm x 28 cm, 44 Pages
Price Rupees 200

The tenth edition of One-day cricket’s biggest show returned to the sub-continent for the third time. Never had the hosts won on home soil, but in 2011 the favourites India, despite a few stutters, jubilantly lifted the glittering ICC World Cup at Mumbai on 2nd April. This was not only the crowning glory for an Indian team that had striven hard to reach the no. 1 spot in Test cricket the previous year, but also the missing jewel in the amazing career of Sachin Tendulkar. It was a fairy-tale come true, the real significance of which will be understood in the years and decades to follow. Crowning Glory replays the highlights of the ICC World Cup 2011 and its stars, complete with colour photographs and records. This special supplement is also available complimentary with The Big Book of World Cup Cricket (ISBN 978-81-901668-4-3).

Don’s Century

by Indra Vikram Singh

Celebrating the life and cricket career of Sir Donald Bradman on his birth centenary, and a panorama of batting greats from the 1860s to present times

Published by Sporting Links

ISBN 978-81-901668-5-0, Fully Illustrated

French Fold 21.5 cm x 28 cm, 188 Pages
Price Rupees 995

Written in the centenary year of the peerless Don Bradman, the book takes a relook at his cricket career, relives the trial and tribulations of his personal life, and assesses the merits of other great batsmen from the 1860s to the present times. The questions still asked are: how great was Bradman actually, was he just a run-getting machine or was he truly the best there has ever been, have there been other batsmen as good or better than Bradman. Don’s Century analyses Bradman’s batting technique, brings forth his amazing achievements with the willow, aided by comments from the finest writers and players down the ages, supported by comprehensive statistics, and illustrated by classic photographs in sepia brown from the top agencies of the world. The panorama of batting presents many other legends from Grace, Ranji, Trumper and Hobbs to Richards, Tendulkar, Lara and Ponting, and so many more, focussing on their contribution, and in fact tracking the evolution of the game over the last century-and-a-half. The vicissitudes of Bradman’s own life, his persona and quest for excellence, the detractors, friends and family are all featured in this tribute to the unquestioned king of kings of the crease.

A Maharaja’s Turf

by Indra Vikram Singh

The triumph of Maharaja Sir Vijaysinhji of Rajpipla in the Epsom Derby 1934, the only Indian owner ever to win the blue riband of the turf in its history dating back to 1780.

Published by Sporting Links

ISBN 978-81-901668-3-6, Fully Illustrated 

Hardback 28 cm x 22.5 cm, 140 Pages
Price Rupees 1,995

This classic edition captures the story of the exhilarating triumph of Maharaja Sir Vijaysinhji of Rajpipla in the Epsom Derby of England in 1934, the only Indian owner ever to win the blue riband of the turf in its history dating back to 1780. The dapper Indian prince’s horse Windsor Lad left the hitherto undefeated favourite Colombo trailing in third place in the presence of royalty led by King George V and Queen Mary, and a multitude of an estimated quarter to half a million people on that damp afternoon of 6th June. The Maharaja thus completed a hat-trick of Derbys, having earlier won the first-ever Indian Derby in 1919 and the Irish Derby in 1926. This extensively researched book written by the Maharaja’s grandson, embellished with rare photographs, captures the era between the two World Wars, of imperial times and a royal lifestyle, also going back centuries into history, connecting the past and the present and depicting the march of time, even as the thrilling race remains the central theme. 

Please email your enquiries to singh_iv@hotmail.com.