All-time Cricket matchups. Bowler v Batter

Cricket is the loneliest of all team sports. Yes, you’re part of a team but when you break it down it’s simply one bowler against one batsman surrounded by 10 others whose sole objective is to remove the batsman from his cherished position.

The batsman job is to blunt the bowler, preserve their wicket and score runs on behalf of their batting partner at the other end and 9 team mates watching from the sidelines.

For cricket fans, it’s theatre and can be a show you don’t dare miss.

We asked a cricket fan to choose the one bowler from any era they’d like to see take on one batsman from any era.

Their answer – Allan Donald v Steve Smith.

What a match up that would be, and there’s been so many memorable match ups throughout the years

We asked around the same question to others, there are some fascinating responses. Let’s take a look.

 

Dean Tuckwell – played 21 years of first grade cricket in Brisbane

Wasim Akram v Don Bradman

Gus Worland - Host of MMM Dead Set legends and Founder of Gotcha4Life Mental Health Foundation

Shane Warne v Don Bradman

Shaun Graf -Former Australian cricketer

Don Bradman v West Indies attack of the 1980’s

Shane Lee – Former Australian cricketer

Malcolm Marshall v Don Bradman

Adam Gilchrist – Former Australian Cricketer

Muttiah Muralitharan v Don Bradman

Trent Copeland – Former Australian Cricketer

Mitchell Starc v Brian Lara (white ball)

Stuart Clark – former Australian cricketer

Malcolm Marshall v Ricky Ponting

Mark Howard – Foxsports Cricket Commentator and Howie Games Podcast

Wasim Akram v Don Bradman

Scott Thompson – Former NSW Cricketer

Curtly Ambrose v Steve Smith

Spartye - @spartytalkback

Wasim Akram v Ian Chappell - no helmets at the Gabba

Shane Duff - Former Sydney Grade Cricket and Assistant Coach with Sri Lanka

Brett Lee v Viv Richards

David Hourn – Former NSW spinner

Best match I’ve seen by a long way including Test Cricket was Mark Waugh v Shane Warne - NSW v Victoria 1993. Mark Waugh scored a brilliant 119 and did not look like getting out to Warne who bowled the best I ever saw him bowl with 5 for 77 off 40 overs.

If I wanted to see a match up it would be:

Harold Larwood v Viv Richards.

Larwood had the best classical action I’ve seen of any fast bowler from any era.

Mark Patterson – Former NSW batsman

Shane Warne v Viv Richards on a day 5 wicket

Brad Murphy – Former Brisbane Grade Cricketer and Coach for 30 plus years

Shane Warne v Don Bradman

Mike Whitney - Former Australian Cricketer

Shoaib Akhtar v AB de Villiers

Matt Ellis - Host of "The Cricket Library Podcast with Matt Ellis"

Bill O'Reilly v Brian Lara

Peter Clifford – Former NSW and Queensland batsman

Jeff Thomson v Don Bradman

Jason Holley – Former First Grade Cricketer in Sydney

Pat Cummins v Viv Richards

 

Evan Atkins – Former First Grade Cricketer in Sydney

Andy Roberts v Ricky Ponting

 

Corey Richards – Former NSW batsman

Shane Warne v Don Bradman

Brad Haddin – Former Australian cricketer

Mattiah Muralitharan or Shane Warne v Don Bradman

Ian Healy - Former Australian Cricketer

Malcolm Marshall v Virat Kohli at the Gabba in Brisbane

John Knox - Chairman of Cricket NSW

Shane Warne v Virat Kohli

Kevin Roberts – Former NSW batsman

Shane Warne v Don Bradman on an SCG 1980s spin friendly deck

Graeme Rummans – Former NSW and Victoria batsman

Shane Warne or Jofra Archer v Viv Richards

Murray Bennett – former Australian cricketer

Bill O’Reilly v Viv Richards

Dennis Hourn – Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club stalwart who took 555 first grade wickets

Shane Warne v Gary Sobers

Right arm wrist spinner with great wrong un and flipper to a left handed power hitter. Would have been a challenge for both.

Warwick Adlam – Former NSW allrounder

Shane Warne v Viv Richards

Michael Swan – Former First grade captain at Western Suburbs Cricket Club

Shane Warne v Viv Richards

Kerry O'Keeffe - Former Australian Cricketer

Dale Steyn v Gary Sobers

Anthony Stuart – former Australian Cricketer

Shane Warne v Viv Richards

Barry Everingham – Former NSW Country Cricketer

Dennis Lillee v Don Bradman

Andrew Knight - Former First Grade Cricketer in Sydney and Brisbane

Shane Warne v Don Bradman

Scott Atkinson - Former First Grade Cricketer in Sydney

Malcolm Marshall v David Warner at the WACA of the 1980’s

Jim Dixon – Former First Grade Cricketer in Sydney

Shane Warne v Don Bradman

Barry Richards - Former South African Cricketer

Jeff Thomson v Sachin Tendulkar

Steve Thomlinson - Former First Grade Cricketer in Sydney

Shane Warne v Don Bradman

Tim Gilbert - Sports Broadcaster, Host of Afternoon Sport

Harold Larwood v Steve Smith

Trent Ryan - Former First Grade Cricketer in Brisbane

Wasim Akram v Don Bradman

Reverse swinging white ball chasing 7 an over

Robbie Mackinlay - host of Glory Days 'your sport and media podcast'

Shane Warne v Don Bradman