summing up the decades in cricket.

[StinkyBoHoon]

Ok, bit of an exercise, if you were to try and sum up the key events and general feel of the cricketing landscape for all the decades dating back, well, as far as you like how would you do it.

for example.

2000s
- dominance of australia
- the death of fast bowling
- the battle for the 2005 ashes
- birth of twenty20
iconic players: ponting, murali, sehwag, flintoff

1990s
- the cornered tigers win the world cup
- Jayasuriya changes approach to ODIs at 1996 world cup
- spin is reborn with warne and murali
- lara makes 400* in tests and 500* in domestic
iconic players: warne, lara, akram, tendulkar

1980s
- the domination of the windies and the most fearsome fast bowling line up ever
- India wins world cup and ignites national obsession with ODI cricket
- era of great all-rounders
iconic players: imran khan, viv richards, botham,

1970s
- south africa banned due to apatheid
- first ODI world cup
?

not suggesting these are right or I've covered everything and I'm not suggesting it should be a list of the great series or performances or players. Though perhaps things like tendulkar emerging in the 90s is particularly significant because he is the most talked about cricketer since bradman. It's more, what are the main talking points about each decade and what is the general feel when looking back if you were to try and sum the decades up to someone that knew very little about cricket.

 

[darthlewis1]

Lara's 400* was in 2004 but he did break the record in 1994 by getting 375.

 

[War]

Ok, bit of an exercise, if you were to try and sum up the key events and general feel of the cricketing landscape for all the decades dating back, well, as far as you like how would you do it.

for example.

2000s
- dominance of australia
- the death of fast bowling
- the battle for the 2005 ashes
- birth of twenty20
iconic players: ponting, murali, sehwag, flintoff

1990s
- the cornered tigers win the world cup
- Jayasuriya changes approach to ODIs at 1996 world cup
- spin is reborn with warne and murali
- lara makes 400* in tests and 500* in domestic
iconic players: warne, lara, akram, tendulkar

1980s
- the domination of the windies and the most fearsome fast bowling line up ever
- India wins world cup and ignites national obsession with ODI cricket
- era of great all-rounders
iconic players: imran khan, viv richards, botham,

1970s
- south africa banned due to apatheid
- first ODI world cup
?

not suggesting these are right or I've covered everything and I'm not suggesting it should be a list of the great series or performances or players. Though perhaps things like tendulkar emerging in the 90s is particularly significant because he is the most talked about cricketer since bradman. It's more, what are the main talking points about each decade and what is the general feel when looking back if you were to try and sum the decades up to someone that knew very little about cricket.

For the 2000s I would certainly add - birth of flat track bullies

For the 1990s I would add

- end of the era of West Indies dominance

- Glorious period when almost all the top nations had two qualit new-ball/great bowlers in their side i.e Wasim/Waqar, Ambrose/Walsh, Donald/Pollock, McGrath/Warne, Gough/Caddick

- the beginning of India's dominance in home conditions thanks rise of Kumble and their great quartet of batsmen in Tendy/Dravid/Ganguly/Azharuddin

For the 70s

- Birth of ODI cricket with world series cricket
- End of uncovered wickets
- The significance of the physical nature of cricket with batsmen facing legendary fast-bowlers without helmets

The 60s

- The first dominant West Indies team
- 1960/61 AUS vs WI series
- The Emergence of the legendary Indian spin-quartet
- The all-round skill of Gary Sobers
- Freddie Trueman being the firs fast-bowler to reach 300 test wickets

The 50s

- The emergence of Calyso West Indies cricket, thanks tho the 3 W's
- England's calm dominance of world cricket
- Many great Ashes battles of the decade

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

yes, the introduction of helmets is certainly a massive moment. people never stop bringing that up. I'm loathe to include covered wickets because I'm dubious as to how much effect it really had but it's certainly something cited often enough so is worth a place.

The 60s was the hardest one for me, and why I stopped, as besides being the era of garry sobers I find it hard to pin down what was really exciting about the period. good suggestions.

 

[Owzat]

Did the windies not dominate in the 70s too? Not least two World Cups

80s icons surely needs a Hadlee or Marshall

If you're going to mention apartheid, make mention of the rebel tours. Was it the 70s or 80s for Packer cricket?