Test cricket pits country against country in a five-day struggle for cricket supremacy. It is the ultimate cricketing challenge for those players who are skilful enough and dedicated enough to represent their country at the highest level. But Test cricket is much more than that; it is a source of national pride and a mechanism that brings together vastly different cultures and communities, encouraging mutual respect, as well as a shared admiration for the heroes of the game.

Ever since the first Test match in 1877, lovers of cricket have argued over who was the best, the best team, the best batsman, the best bowler, the best wicketkeeper, the best captain, the best slips fielder and so on. Of the millions who have played cricket, only 3,162 men have been good enough to play Test cricket for their countries, and, of these, 841 were successful enough to play more than 20 Test matches. This book is about those few – the best of the best.

Based solely on the batting and bowling ratings obtained using only the players’ statistics, the best Test team for each era has been selected from every Test player who played more than 20 Test matches in that particular time period. The best national teams in each era for each participating country have also been selected.

It is hoped that the national and world teams selected here and the comparisons between players provide for enjoyable reading, both settling old arguments and creating new ones.

R. I. Gilbert is Emeritus Professor of Structural Engineering at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, and former Head of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UNSW. His research interests over a 35-year academic career are in structural engineering, where he has published 8 books and over 450 technical papers. He also has had a lifelong interest in Test cricket and has spent much of the last two decades researching and cataloguing the statistics of the game.

Customer Reviews

5.0

2 reviews

D.M. Russell-Roberts

Only one rating - five stars - is really possible for this comprehensive, monumental and very accurate ode to the greatest cricketers of all time. A copy of this book surely belongs on every cricket lover's bedside table, and in every pub in Britain and Australia (to name but two) as an authoritative settler of arguments. This book is a real labour of love, the endless tables of results must have taken the author years of research. There are pages and pages of tables, comparisons, analyses and short biographies. The author takes us through every decade of test matches, from the very first in 1877 right up to the end of 2024. There are complete tables listing the performances of the highest rated batsmen, bowlers and wicketkeepers, where great attention has been paid to weightings to compensate for varying conditions over the decades. An 11 page index of all the cricketers mentioned is included, as well as a lexicon of cricket terms (what does "through the gate" mean?). Here is a small sample of the hundreds of questions answered: Which country has played the most test matches? (Australia is second.) Who was by far the greatest batsman ever? He had an average score (runs made/his outs) of 99.94, when the second best of all time had only 62 or so (who was he?). What was the scandal that got Australia's famous medallist David Warner banned in 2018 for a year? Has any test batsman been given out for hitting the ball twice? Why did South Africa play four tests in 1970 (this writer was working there then), but none the next year? A truly monumental work; highly recommended
James Weekes

A total and complete record oftest matches and players. Very easy to read and a great explanation. of cricket and test matches that a novice can use. Well done.