Gordon Greenidge vs Graham Gooch - Who was a better opener?

[Ted123]

Two of the best post war openers to have played the game.

Who was the better G^2 in your views?

 

[Ab Fan]

Greenidge was supreme in odis and tests both. So, its Greenidge who takes this.

In tests only, very close. However, both of them are two of the best ever post war openers to have played the game and much superior to any of the openers from current era who are unfortunately hailed by some of his fans as an ATG.

 

[Hasan123]

Greenedige

 

[SLcric123]

Gooch in tests.

Overall, Greenidge.

 

[Godhelpma]

Overall Greenidge ,Gritty Gooch in tests.

 

[MMHS]

Grineedge - in Test close, but Grineedge ahead. In ODI, Grineedge well ahead.

 

[austerlitz]

Gooch.Greenidge in ODIs only.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Greenidge

He could really hit the ball hard.

 

[asadee]

Greenidge...he used to dominate like a king

 

[Ab Fan]

Top 10 openers post war:

Hutton
Gavaskar
Barry Richards
Smith
Greenidge
Gooch
Hayden
Boycott
Sehwag
Kirsten

 

[bujhee kom]

Top 10 openers post war:

Hutton
Gavaskar
Barry Richards
Smith
Greenidge
Gooch
Hayden
Boycott
Sehwag
Kirsten

Barry's 4 test match sample is too small.

On the question, Greenidge was better but it's close.

 

[Ab Fan]

Barry's 4 test match sample is too small.

On the question, Greenidge was better but it's close.

Ok. Cook comes in for him then.

 

[Robert]

Difficult.

Gooch got five or six centuries against the best fast attack of all time. He was also excellent against spin. However Lillee sorted him out a few times, as Lillee did to a lot of top order batters, and Alderman seemed to be able to get him out at will. He had trouble against the Indian medium pacers in 1986, having come directly from WI. It was like he was through his shot before the ball got to him.

Gooch probably underachieved overall, until they made him skipper in 1989. Then I think he averaged 70 until the end of his career, facing the Windies, W&W, Hadlee and Warne along the way.

Greenidge never had to face his own fast bowlers in tests. But he was more consistent than Gooch over a career. For a while he was WI's most consistent batsman, ahead of Lloyd, Richards and the mercurial Dujon. When he hit the ball it "stayed hit". There was a savagery in his square cuts and pulls in particular. His average nudged fifty for a white, after those two double centuries against England in 1984. And I shall always remember him reverse-sweeping Qadir for four, over the slip cordon, in the 1987 MCC Bicentenary match. It was one of the first reverse sweeps ever seen - now everyone is doing it of course.

I'd probably give it to GG by a nose.

 

[Ab Fan]

Difficult.

Gooch got five or six centuries against the best fast attack of all time. He was also excellent against spin. However Lillee sorted him out a few times, as Lillee did to a lot of top order batters, and Alderman seemed to be able to get him out at will. He had trouble against the Indian medium pacers in 1986, having come directly from WI. It was like he was through his shot before the ball got to him.

Gooch probably underachieved overall, until they made him skipper in 1989. Then I think he averaged 70 until the end of his career, facing the Windies, W&W, Hadlee and Warne along the way.

Greenidge never had to face his own fast bowlers in tests. But he was more consistent than Gooch over a career. For a while he was WI's most consistent batsman, ahead of Lloyd, Richards and the mercurial Dujon. When he hit the ball it "stayed hit". There was a savagery in his square cuts and pulls in particular. His average nudged fifty for a white, after those two double centuries against England in 1984. And I shall always remember him reverse-sweeping Qadir for four, over the slip cordon, in the 1987 MCC Bicentenary match. It was one of the first reverse sweeps ever seen - now everyone is doing it of course.

I'd probably give it to GG by a nose.

Which GG??

 

[Robert]

Which GG??

Cuthbert Gordon Greenidge.

Bowlers used to get worried when he started limping at the crease, as he often did. The pain seemed to focus his mind. He was not interested in running singles then, just in hitting fours.

 

[MMHS]

Difficult.

Gooch got five or six centuries against the best fast attack of all time. He was also excellent against spin. However Lillee sorted him out a few times, as Lillee did to a lot of top order batters, and Alderman seemed to be able to get him out at will. He had trouble against the Indian medium pacers in 1986, having come directly from WI. It was like he was through his shot before the ball got to him.

Gooch probably underachieved overall, until they made him skipper in 1989. Then I think he averaged 70 until the end of his career, facing the Windies, W&W, Hadlee and Warne along the way.

Greenidge never had to face his own fast bowlers in tests. But he was more consistent than Gooch over a career. For a while he was WI's most consistent batsman, ahead of Lloyd, Richards and the mercurial Dujon. When he hit the ball it "stayed hit". There was a savagery in his square cuts and pulls in particular. His average nudged fifty for a white, after those two double centuries against England in 1984. And I shall always remember him reverse-sweeping Qadir for four, over the slip cordon, in the 1987 MCC Bicentenary match. It was one of the first reverse sweeps ever seen - now everyone is doing it of course.

I'd probably give it to GG by a nose.

Excellent summary youngman. You have indeed seen both. Imagine CGG squire cutting these days with those 4 lb mallets!!! I tend to believe that CGG was a better player of spin than GAG & surprisingly GAG slightly ahead of raw pace, while CGG ahead on swing. GAG reached his peak in his mid 30s surprisingly, but his peak wasn't like CGG from 1976 to 1984.