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Nobody, including the modest Western Australian, would speak of Adam Voges and The Don in the same breath.
But cricket is all about averages, and before the third day of the first Test between New Zealand and Australia starts at Basin Reserve in Wellington, Voges’ career average is 100.33. The Don’s is 99.94.
The only reason why Voges is not on top of Cricinfo’s best career averages is 20 Test innings is the minimum qualification – Voges is currently in his 19th.
He resumes on 174 not out, his third successive unbeaten Test dig after 269 and 108 against the West Indies at Hobart and the MCG – 551 runs without troubling the umpires.
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I hope I’m not putting the mocka on him, but if Voges doesn’t score another run in Wellington and a duck in his 20th innings, his average will be 93.14, officially second to the greatest batsman to ever strap on pads and well ahead of South African legend Graeme Pollock’s 60.97 which is second best.
Whichever way you view Voges’ batting feats, it’s in rarefied air.
There are 63 names on the Cricinfo highest all-time Test averages list. Come what may, Voges will be the 64th after his next innings.
There are nine current batsmen among the all-time greats, headed by the Australian skipper Steve Smith with 3661 runs at 58.11. England’s Joe Root has made 3406 runs at 54.93.
South Africa’s Hashim Amla is next with 7358 runs at 51.45, followed by Usman Khawaja and David Warner.
Khawaja’s average was 25 until he was resurrected against New Zealand and the West Indies where he’s scored four Test tons in six visits to more than double his average – 1021 runs at 51.05.
Warner’s scored 4472 with an average of 50.81, just ahead of South African skipper AB de Villiers’ 8074 at 50.46.
Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews is next with 4015 at 50.18 from Kiwi Kane Williamson’s 3911 at 49.50.
Pakistan’s Misbah Ul Haq is the ninth current Test batsman with 4352 at 48.89 as Cricinfo await Voges’ 20th Test dig to insert his name and incredibly high average right up underneath The Don’s.
Not bad for a batsman who had to wait until he was 35 before the Australian selectors bothered to award him a baggy green.
But Adam Voges says it was worth the wait.