Wally Hammond and other flashbacks

Sandham was part of the new breed of batman in the 1920s, advocating how forceful runmaking was fashionable by scoring off the front foot. His attacking recipe found supporters in Australia among them being Bill Ponsford and later Sir Donald Bradman. In a sense, Sandham also found an ally in Walter Hammond who was just as elegant in a ruthless fashion.

If we examine the records of Ponsford, Bradman and Hammond and measure them against the new era batsmen Brian Lara, Matthew Hayden and Virender Sehwag, the theory of fast runmaking manifests itself on the game. Two of them, world Test record-holders Hayden and Lara, are left-handers of differing schools of batting styles. So is Sehwag.

They are from differing schools of technique, coaching systems and countries. And yet, to score triple Test centuries, or in Lara’s case 400 not out, and within a matter of six months carries a special message. Hayden’s breaking of Lara’s record against Zimbabwe suggests not so much poor bowling skills as a return to the dominance of batsmen from the mid-1920s to the outbreak of World War Two in 1939.

Strictly speaking, Hayden may not be in the same class as Bradman. Yet his style is as ruthless and punishing. Bradman had his own way and Sachin Tendulkar comes about as close as anyone to measuring himself against the Don. Only in getting the scoreboard moving effectively, Hayden has brought with him a brusque style without the flamboyance of the Don; yet highly effective.

Bradman had to be different though: in 1930 he scored the first of his two triple Test centuries (309) at Leeds on the first day.

Sehwag is the modern phenomena: a bruising attacking style that takes the competitive edge to the opponents and makes them wonder how to curb his combative style. This is where Ponsford comes to mind. The Victorian Ponsford was just as uncompromising. He may not have scored a treble Test century, but he did get a top-score of 266 once for Australia. Also, how many batsmen in first-class history have even been capable of twice putting scores of 400 plus on the board?

As with Sandham and Sehwag, Ponsford played in the shadow of another; in this case it was Bradman. He scored his runs with the efficient relentless machine-like precision yet was as nimble on his feet as say Bradman. Like Sehwag his marauding style saw him score a then world first-class record of 429 against Tasmania at the MCG in 1923/23. Five seasons later he scored 439 against Queensland. His strike rate was just as impressive as the Indian opener.

Yet when it comes to flawed genius, there are few better than Lara and his alter-ego former England captain Walter Hammond. They had their styles and technique and school of batting class. Hammond wrote three books and in them explained his theory that run-making was all about balance and the coordination between foot and handwork. Hammond’s triple century was against New Zealand after the 1932/33 bodyline tour. It was a remarkable 336 not out and no one quibbled about the pace at which it was scored.