Best strikers of a cricket ball you've seen

[westozfalcon]

Who are the best strikers of a cricket ball you’ve seen?

Here, I’m talking in terms of power and timing and the ability to hit the ball sweetly out of the middle of the bat, not necessarily just the physical power to hit the ball huge distances.

The best 5 I’ve seen are:-

1. Adam Gilchrist – I reckon the key was his ability to hold the bat high up on the handle and thus gain more leverage and hence power. It takes great strength in the hands and forearms to do this because the bat is heaps heavier to hold higher up on the handle. Most players grip the bat much lower than he does.

2. David Hookes – He had deficiencies with footwork but his eye was so good that he could pick up the length of a ball and strike it so cleanly. His 43-minute century against Victoria in 1982/83 contained some cracking ball striking. Imagine how hard he’d have hit the ball if he could have used some of the thick-edged power bats that are around today!

3. Kris Srikkanth (India) – Not a big bloke but he could swing the bat with great speed. Often a reckless opening batsman, he holed out a few too many times to fielders but when it came together he was awesome to watch. An example is his century against Australia at the MCG in the 1985/86 summer.

4. Mark Waugh – Effortless power, not powerless effort. Has there ever been a better timer of the ball? He could also hit the ball a long way, as evidenced by when he tonked one of Daniel Vettori’s deliveries onto the top of the Lillee-Marsh Stand at the WACA in Perth a few years back.

5. David Warner – That 20/20 innings against South Africa in January proved his extraordinary hitting power.

[Gozu]

Andrew Symonds or Lance Klusener.

[Pidge]

Virender Sehwag
Shahid Afridi

[catchisthecry]

Virender Sehwag
Shahid Afridi

Yeah good call.
Matty Hayden at full flight (2007 World Cup) was incredible,
Yusuf Pathan at the first IPL was smashing em!!
Looking forward to seeing Pollard live - huge striker

[Moe]

Sir Issacc Vivian Richards - The Master Blaster. The Best.

[Media Park]

Would throw Chris Cairns into that group.

[Rik E Boy]

Sir Issacc Vivian Richards - The Master Blaster. The Best.

Yep. Nailed it in one. You're starting to scare me Moe, I always have more fun when people argue with me LOL.

regards,

REB

[Booney]

Sir Issacc Vivian Richards - The Master Blaster. The Best.

Yep. Nailed it in one. You're starting to scare me Moe, I always have more fun when people argue with me LOL.

regards,

REB

And he follows Norwood and Geelong....

[mal]

Luke Ronchi

[aceman]

Wasn't a lot wrong with the great Garry Sobers either! Just happened to play a couple with him in '64 when he was out here at Prospect. The other bloke wasn't too bad either, Barry Richards.

[Bum Crack]

Sanath Jayasuriya was great to watch in full flight. He could smash a ball.

[Lightning McQueen]

Lance Cairns, Simon O'Donnell used to provide some entertainment aswell.

[Bum Crack]

Mitchell Johnson's no mug either just quietly.

[Moe]

Might not fit into this catergory, but biggest/longest hit i ever saw was Gus Logie, playing for T.T.G. (I think) hit a bloke named Don Howard, playing for Sturt District C.C. on Unley Oval back in the 80's. It went from the centre, cleared the tennis courts at the southern end & landed in the house on the next street!

[Hondo]

Some other names that haven't been mentioned:

- Wasim Akram
- Ian Botham
- Wayne Phillips when on song
- Tom Moody
- Clive Lloyd
- Gordon Greenidge
- Richie Richardson

If I had to vote for one it would be Viv Richards

[mal]

EG
BOTHAM

IN
SIDHU

PA
AFRIDI


SL
DESILVA

WI
VIV

SA
ZULU KLUESNER

NZ
LANCE CAIRNS

AU
BRADMAN [on TV documentairies] if not allowed RONCHI


The best was Viv, he could smash the best bowlers in the world

[bloods08]

One Darren Lehmann was pretty handy also.

[cripple]

romesh kaluwitharana ( or however you spell it) back in 94/95 when he opened with sanath. there was one innings at the WACA from memory where multiple balls where deposited over the stands

[Pottsy]

Paul Nobes!

[Moe]

Paul Nobes!

I watched alot of Nobesy when he played with Adelaide. He and my dad were good mates. Dad says he never was a clean hitter, but a great slogger with a good eye and brute strength.