When Alex Hales bludgeoned an unbeaten century against Sri Lanka in the 2014 World Twenty20, it provided England’s high point from a forgettable tournament.
Hales’ performance, which turned what appeared to be a losing cause into the opposite, was a fine display of hitting; of natural, uncluttered talent coming to the fore in supreme style.
Yet while that may be the case, a website – the BBC if I remember correctly – subsequent posing the question ‘was this the greatest ever innings for England?’ was somewhat amiss.
As is too often the case, an inability to look past what has only just taken place gave the article in question a shallow feel and took those it was aimed at as fools.
You see this kind of thing in every sport. Zlatan Ibrahimovich scores an outstanding if speculative volley for Sweden against England and it’s hailed as the best goal ever scored. No thought, no perspective, no context, just hyperbole and that’s it. There are many other examples but you get my drift.
This leads me to events from Johannesburg at the weekend and more specifically AB de Villiers’ scarcely believable 31-ball hundred against West Indies.
I wouldn’t have been the only person doing a double take when I first viewed the scorecard, as an effort like that takes some doing. If De Villiers turned out in the league I used to play in, at my former home ground which is about the same size as The Wanderers, against the weakest attack in the competition, he would be hard pushed to pull off anything resembling Sunday’s fireworks.
Audacious, daring, enterprising, brutal, clinical. All of the aforementioned and plenty else, it was a scintillating display by the game’s premier batsman at the peak of his powers.
Regardless of the surface or the quality of the visiting attack or the short boundaries it was a magnificent spectacle and worthy of the numerous platitudes sent in the South African’s direction.
To look at any relevant social media afterwards, however, was to see De Villiers’ effort placed at the very peak of one-day international innings, of all others brushed to one side in the wake of an hour of spellbinding savagery.
There can be little argument with De Villiers’ standing in the modern game; he is, across all three formats, the finest batsman on the planet and his ability to alter his method accordingly is what sets him well apart from the supporting cast.
But let’s not get carried away by placing it at the top of the pile.
With little thinking required, half a dozen ODI innings of far greater significance would usurp De Villiers if it was necessary to put together a list of the all-time greatest.
Viv Richards’ 189 against England in 1984; Steve Waugh’s back-to-the-wall hundred versus the South Africans in the 1999 World Cup; Aravinda de Silva’s century in the 1996 World Cup final; Graham Gooch against the Indians in the semi-final in 1987; Romesh Kaluwitharana in the build-up to the 1996 tournament; Ricky Ponting in Johannesburg in the decisive game of the 2003 event.
There are more, and by and large it’s all about the context. Pressurised situations, crunch contests, game-changing performances, era-defining or trendsetting cameos are criteria that De Villiers’ assault lacked.
An argument could be put forward for the latter, after all, it was a microcosm of the way in which limited-overs batting has changed beyond all recognition from not so long ago but it lacked the others.
That isn’t to criticise – that would be churlish and the innings should be taken for what it was – but a glance to the past, the very recent or further back if you wish, would provide all the evidence you need to quantify.
The greatest of its kind perhaps – no other late-innings salvo I’ve seen really comes close – but not the greatest of all. Not by a long way.
JGK
Roar Guru
Ronchi's knock today (170 off 99 coming in at 5/93) was pretty impressive.
Dizzy Tangles
Guest
Great display of AB's phenomenal skills but against a disgraced West Indies team can't be considered 'best ever'
Sandy
Guest
Come on Oz, you know the Vic's of this world, best ignored, seriously.
Sandy
Guest
Yeah...ok
Johnno
Guest
A world cup elimination match or semi, or final, has more value than a triangular cricket series one day match final.
Armchair Expert
Guest
In terms of hitting power it has to be one of the best but when you consider the bowlers he faced and the fielders, the circumstances weren't difficult.
Armchair Expert
Guest
Allan Border's unbeaten 127 (when they were 5 down for under 70) vs West Indies 84/85 in the 1st final would top all of those innings considering the bowlers he faced.
JGK
Roar Guru
It's hard to get too excited about record breaking innings any more. In the last few months we have seen: - the fastest ODI ton record obliterated - the fastest test ton equalled - the highest ODI score obliterated - McCullum just fall short of obliterating the fastest Test double ton (which itself is a long way ahead of the second fastest). A year ago we saw the most runs in an over equalled as well. This summer, India weren't far off losing a series 4-0 despite scoring over 400 in every first innings. A 50 average is now ho hum. Gone are the days when 2 or 3 batsmen a decade could maintain that benchmark.
JGK
Roar Guru
You do wonder what Viv could have done on modern roped off grounds with trampoline bats.
JGK
Roar Guru
Amen. 19 years ago that was!
Lenny
Guest
He was playing against the dud west indies team on a ground as big as my back yard.. Gillies 100 ( 2007 FINAL) and Punters 100 ( 2003 FINAL) are the best ive seen....
Kaks
Roar Guru
Agreed Biltong. For me the AB innings is not the best, but for someone else it is. For me Messi is the best footballer on the planet, for someone else its Ronaldo. Thats how sport works. Lets just leave it at that
really
Guest
modern bowlers are barely fitter or faster current test bowlers barely average 90 overs a day, in the past 100-120 overs per day was standard. and jeff thompson (70's) is still the fastest bowler ever. so how are modern fast bowlers better?
really
Guest
How exactly are today's fast bowlers fitter and faster. Current test fast bowlers barely make 90 overs per day in their allotted 6 hours, Yet in the 70's teams were bowling 100-120 overs a day. that's a whole extra session in the same amount of time. Mitch Johnson wasn't doing any running apart from bowling until lillee got him to start earlier this summer according to a channel 9 story (so its probably false but stil) And jeff Thompson is still considered the fastest bowler ever (also from the 70's) Todays fast bowlers are incredibly skillful and are great with varying their pace, but ever since modern bats could edge a ball for 6 fast bowling has become mostly dead
kunal
Guest
Ab De Villiers inning is one of the best inning of my life
TJ
Guest
Hey Bill, I remember the Deano knock at the Gabba very well. I'm pretty sure he was run out on about 5 or 10 runs by defrietas but luckily for the fans the use of third umpires didn't exist and Jones put on a wonderful display! He tore England and in particular Martin Bicknell apart, hitting them one handed, over the old dog track and almost in to the commentary box. No ropes back then. I remember vividly a straight six and the great Ritchie Benaud calling " oooohhhhh just reach out and catch it Geoffrey ". Certainly a record that stood for a long time and I think it was actually broken by Damian Martyn of all people who scored 147 but don't quote me on that. One of my favourite knocks of all time.
Grun
Guest
greatest comment ever
P.V.Pavan
Guest
Devillers can any type of short in the cricket ground
soapit
Guest
but unlike others you use an accusation of nationalism as a reason others opinions arent valid school on saturday.
Kavvy
Guest
I kind of agree with what your trying to say but your logic about batsmen facing all the names you mentioned plus the Windies bowlers is circular or just plain wrong. Aussie batsmen didn't have to face Lillee or Thompson, Pakistani batsmen didnt have to face imran khan and so on and so forth. Surely you worked that out. admittedly one khan doesn't equal the sum of Marshall, holding, garner and croft, even Lillee plus Thompson adds up to less firepower than the sum of those four but you get the point