10 Best Australian Opening Batsman of All Time
Table of content:
Introduction
Making runs for the team is a huge part of the sport; this is why a batsman's role is crucial in cricket. Among the category of top-order batsmen, the role of openers is the most important one as they set the tone of the game and boost the team’s overall morale from the start. Australia has been a major cricket-playing region since the early nineteenth century. In this article, we will determine who’s the best Australian opening batsman of all time and take a look at the top 10 greatest openers in cricket history originating from this country.
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Top 10 Best Australian Opening Batsman of All Time
1. Matthew Hayden
Batting Style: Left Handed
Test Debut: May 19th, 1993
Total Test Runs: 8,625
ODI Debut: March 4th 1994
Total ODI Runs: 6,133
Charismatic cricketer, Matthew Hayden, is believed to be the best Australian opening batsman of all time by cricket fans from all over the world. Hayden started his international cricket journey with his ODI debut against England on May 19th 1993, at the Emirates Old Trafford. In the following year, that is, on March 4th 1994, Hayden made his Test debut against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium. Hayden quickly grasped the art of run-scoring as a primary opener and went on to play 103 Test and 161 ODI matches with Australia. He had 380 runs as his personal best in a Test inning and scored 8625 runs in total with a strike rate of 60.11. And in ODI, he had a personal best of 181 runs and scored a total of 6133 runs with a strike rate of 78.96.
2. Bill Lawry
Batting Style: Left Handed
Test Debut: June 8th, 1961
Total Test Runs: 5,234
Bill Lawry was regarded as the best Australian opening batsman of the mid-twentieth century. He was primarily a Test format player who participated in 67 matches with the national squad and scored 5234 runs with a personal best of 210 runs in a single inning. He had a strike rate of 80.2, which is insanely impressive to date and made 13 Test centuries and 2 Test double-centuries in his career. Bill played a single ODI game in his career as the captain of the Australian team, which was also the first-ever ODI cricket match of all time, against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on January 5th 1971.
3. Justin Langer
Batting Style: Left Handed
Test Debut: January 23rd 1993
Total Test Runs: 7696
ODI Debut: April 14th 1994
Total ODI Runs: 160
Along with his iconic partnership with Matthew Hayden, former Australian cricketer Justin Langer was a natural talent on the pitch. Many cricket fans of the late 20th and early 21st century considered Langer to be the best Australian opening batsman of that era. He started his international career with his Test debut against West Indies on January 23rd 1993, at the Adelaide Oval, which was followed by his ODI debut against Sri Lanka on April 14th 1994, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. He was more inclined to Test cricket and played a total of 105 matches, where he scored 7696 runs in total, with 250 runs as his personal best in an innings. Langar had a strike rate of 54.23 and completed 23 centuries and 3 double-centuries in Test format. Even though he only played 8 ODI matches, he scored 160 runs in total with a strike rate of 88.89.
4. Bob Simpson
Batting Style: Right Handed
Test Debut: December 23rd, 1957
Total Test Runs: 4869
Popularly regarded as the best Australian opening batsman during his era, Bob Simpson led his team as their captain on many occasions and also by scoring runs as an opener. He began his international career back on December 23rd 1957, playing against South Africa at The Wanderers Stadium in a Test match. He went on to play 62 total Test matches in his career, where he scored a total of 4869 runs with a high score of 311 runs and an economy rate of 111.52. These statistics alone describe how great of a run scorer Simpson was in his prime, truly worthy of the best Australian opening batsman title of the 60s.
5. David Warner
Batting Style: Left Handed
Test Debut: December 1st, 2011
Total Test Runs: 7817
ODI Debut: January 18th, 2009
Total ODI Runs: 5610
T20 Debut: January 11th, 2009
Total T20 Runs: 2684
Thye only active player on this list is David Warner, who is described as the best Australian opening batsman of the current generation. Warner started his international career with his T20 debut back on January 11th 2009, facing off against South Africa at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. He made his ODI debut a few days later, on January 18th, and played his first Test match back on December 1st 2011. Warner has played 96 Test, 133 ODI and 91 T20I matches and scored 7817, 5610 and 2684 total runs in the three formats, respectively. He has a strike rate of 71.3 in Test, 95.15 in ODI and 140.89 in T20, which is phenomenal. His high score of 335 runs in Test, 179 in ODI and 100 in T20I shows his potential as a player and an opener.
6. Arthur Morris
Batting Style: Left Handed
Test Debut: November 29th, 1946
Total Test Runs: 3533
Arthur Morris was a left-handed batsman and an opener for the Australian national men’s cricket team. He started his international career playing against England on November 29th 1946, at The Gabba. He went on to play a total of 46 games, where he scored 3533 runs in total with a high score of 206 runs. Morris made 12 centuries, 1 double-century and 12 half centuries in his career.
7. Mark Taylor
Batting Style: Left Handed
Test Debut: January 26th, 1989
Total Test Runs: 7525
ODI Debut: December 26th, 1989
Total ODI Runs: 3514
Former left-handed batsman for the Australian cricket team, Mark Taylor, is highly regarded as the best Australian opening batsman of the late 90s. Taylor began his international cricket journey against West Indies in a Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 26th, 1989, followed by his ODI debut on December 26th of the same year against Sri Lanka. Taylor participated in 104 Test matches, where he scored a total of 7525 runs, and 113 ODI matches, where he claimed 3514 runs in total. His personal best in an innings is 334 not out in Test and 105 in ODI cricket, with a strike rate of 41.48 and 59.47, respectively.
8. Michael Slater
Batting Style: Right Handed
Test Debut: June 3rd, 1993
Total Test Runs: 5312
ODI Debut: December 9th, 1993
Total ODI Runs: 987
Among the many left-handed legendary openers, Michael Slater is considered to be the best Australian opening batsman who used to bat right-handed. Slater made his international debut against England on June 3rd 1993, in a Test match, followed by his ODI debut on December 9th, 1993, against South Africa. Slater played a total of 74 Test matches and scored 5312 runs in total with a high score of 219 in an innings and a strike rate of 53.3. His ODI total runs scored is 987 in 42 matches, with a personal best of 73 runs.
9. Geoff Marsh
Batting Style: Right Handed
Test Debut: December 13th, 1985
Total Test Runs: 2854
ODI Debut: January 14th, 1986
Total ODI Runs: 4357
Geoff Marsh was a right-handed batsman and an opener for the Australian men’s cricket team, who played internationally from 1985 to 1992. His debut Test match was against India back on December 13th 1985, followed by his ODI debut a month later, against New Zealand. Marsh went on to play a total of 50 Test matches, where he scored 2854 total runs with a high score of 138. And in the ODI format, he played 117 total matches and scored 4357 runs with a personal best of 126 runs in an innings.
10. David Boon
Batting Style: Right Handed
Test Debut: November 23rd 1984
Total Test Runs: 7422
ODI Debut: February 12th 1984
Total ODI Runs: 5964
David Boon began his international career as a middle order and later switched to opening. He was a consistent player and managed to score runs under most conditions. He made both his ODI and Test debut against West Indies, the first on February 12th and the latter on November 23rd of, 1984. Boon went on to play 107 Test and 181 ODI matches, where he scored a total of 7422 runs and 5964 runs, respectively. His personal best in Test is 200 and 122 in ODI, with a strike rate of 40.97 and 65.13. Many regard Boon as the best Australian opening batsman of the 1985-96 era of cricket.
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