1.Phil Tufnell (1990-91 Ashes) 2.Devon Malcolm 3.Monty Panesar (pre 2006-7 Ashes) 4.Dwayne Leverock 5.Courtney Walsh

In no order...

Gibbs, de Villiers, Collingwood, Ponting, Jonty., Symonds, Clarke, Vincent

Oops, that's 8.

How do you mean Taylor was poor generaly. He hardly ever feilded antwhere ELSE but slips.!
And you are the only person I have ever heard of that calls Rhodes an overated feilder.!
JGK you seem to be simply ranting here. Your comments are not carrying any weight really.

In no paricular order:

Derek Randall
Clive LLoyd (pre back injury)
Mark Waugh
Jonty Rhodes
Viv Richards

Ive seen Ponting in the fleshnad Viv on Vid. Amazingist player ever seen at throwing down the stumps from any angle.
LLoyd and Randall not in same class. Sorry.

Hooper is the best all rounder fielder I've seen.

Brilliant at slip, in the ring or outfield. I don't expect to see a better fielder.

Ponting (only at his peak) and Symonds are up there too.

quote:

Originally posted by Pontoon:
Hooper is the best all rounder fielder I've seen.

Brilliant at slip, in the ring or outfield. I don't expect to see a better fielder.

Ponting (only at his peak) and Symonds are up there too.

Do you mean Carl Hooper?

i'm only a young'un (25 today infact) and dont know of any other Hoopers

Carl was better known for his gracefull batting. Never for his exceptional fielding I'm afraid.
We ARE talking ALL TIME BEST 5 here. Hooper would be closer to 20th.

Rhodes specialised in one position however he was one of the greats.
I doubt Bland would hack it today fitnesswise.

I still put Jonty in though.

In no particular order.

Richards
Lloyd
Ponting
Symonds
Rhodes.

IJWP - This is what the voice of Windies Cricket, TOny Cozier, has to say about Hooper.

And there has never been a safer slip catcher, a difficult business that was, somehow, a piece of cake for him.

quote:

How do you mean Taylor was poor generaly. He hardly ever feilded antwhere ELSE but slips.!

If a full slips field was in place Tubbs let one of the others chase the snick.

Besides Junior was a better slipper.

Anyways for the doubters who don't trust Cozier's words. Ask anyone from Kent who saw Hooper pull off sensational catch after sensational catch for their county team.

quote:

Originally posted by Pontoon:
IJWP - This is what the voice of Windies Cricket, TOny Cozier, has to say about Hooper.

And there has never been a safer slip catcher, a difficult business that was, somehow, a piece of cake for him.

Yes I see but he is too me a Warnie type. 85% ter
Tubbs and Waugh were the best the world has seen in real terms at first slip. A lot has to do with a keeper as well knowing when/and/if to go for it or leave one. Tubbs and Waugh had that luxury.

quote:

Originally posted by tailender:
This is my second post on this thread. If you can find two previous I'll donate my brain for your oh-so-badly-needed transplant.

It's ok, she has a spare, she's from Tasmania

My top 5:

1. Symonds
2. Rhodes
3. Ponting
4. M Waugh
5. Hayden (I've not seen a better gully fielder short of Rhodes - though he used to field point more often)

Heavy Australia bias because I'm from Australia, but I feel that Aus have led the way with regards to fielding.

No smeg, I'm from Tasmania and thus have a spare.

Among those i've seen, and as an all round fielder, it is Roger Harper and then daylight.

Equally, almost unbelievably, brilliant as a ground fielder and capable of the most breath-taking catches in the slips.

Some other West Indians of note are Clive Lloyd and Learie Constantine (never saw him, i hasten to add). Sobers was pretty damned good too.

OK. With apologies to Saffies, just had to post that I do think that Jonty Rhodes is much over-rated as a fieldsman.

He was a great shot-stopper at point or cover (possibly the best I have seen at this) but that is all. He was an average catch at best and not fantastic at hitting the stumps. Also not a great arm. He was not a great outfielder or slips fieldsman.

To be one of the top fieldsman of all time, I would suggest you must be good in all positions in the field. I can't speak for fieldsman I have never seen (like Colin Bland) but of those I have seen this is the list, probably in order.

Roger Harper
Ricky Ponting
Vivian Richards
Andrew Symonds
Clive Lloyd (or maybe Mark Waugh)

Jonty had an uncanny ability to miss the stumps by 1 centimetre.

Botham caught just as well as any slipper ever has and he was deadly close in saving ones and twos.

Of course it is all opinion but Symonds is the best all round fielder I have seen. Great hands, speed, anticipation, a strong arm and a great eye. The total package. Probably just pips Roger Harper only because my memories of Harper are getting hazy and I still recall Harper wrongly claiming that caught and bowled of Bevan in THAT match.

If you add behind the wicket catching to the mix Ponting might get up there.

The comment earlier re Bland not being able to hack it in modern cricket is way off the mark. By all reports he was amazing. I think it was Bedser who said Bland is the only person who ever won a series because of his fielding (I think v England in the 50s he pulled off a series turning run out).

Growing up, the likes of Viv, Clive lloyd, Redpath, AB, Randall, Paul Sheahan, Gower before his shoulder injury, Logie were the noted great fielders. AB in particular was very underrated.

And Kirsty - you really do talk out of your arse.

Ponting's slips catching has slipped in the last three years. From memory he has dropped over a dozen, and most of them sitters.

There was a time when I thought he might become one of the greatest.

Still well behind M Waugh and Taylor IMO

quote:

Originally posted by daydreamings:
Botham caught just as well as any slipper ever has and he was deadly close in saving ones and twos.

While rating his fielding very highly, i do remember Botham dropping a few more than his reputation allows.

I know an old time cricket fan who is as up on the modern stuff just as much as us younger guys are, and he has seen nearly all the greats in the flesh. To this day he maitains that Bland is the best of all time.

I take his word for it despite having my own opinions.

Paul Parker of Sussex in the 1980s.

It is not suprising that he is overlooked, but he was a truly great cover fieldsman.

quote:

Originally posted by ten years after:
Paul Parker of Sussex in the 1980s.

It is not suprising that he is overlooked, but he was a truly great cover fieldsman.

Didn't he play for Man U as well?