Cricket
Southpaw Supremacy: A Weighted Analysis to Crown Test Cricket's Greatest Left-Handed Batsman
The best left-hand Test batsman has been determined through an analysis of the likes of Brian Lara and Allan Border. SportsBoom looks at which southpaw was the greatest in cricket’s longest format.
Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka//Getty Images
Cricket has been blessed with left-handed batsmen of the highest tier: Brian Lara, Sir Garfield Sobers, Allan Border, Matthew Hayden, and Kumar Sangakkara.
In Test cricket specifically, bowlers face unique challenges against left-handed batters, needing to adapt field placements and adjust line, length, and direction.
The longest format has played host to many phenomenal southpaws who have redefined the sheer art of batting, playing with grace, power and also precision.
While the term ‘the best’ is subjective, a statistical analysis can offer a different perspective, focusing the debate on specific criteria to see who is at the top.
SportsBoom has provided a data-driven perspective by comparing five left-handed Test icons using weighted methodology, based on the key batting metrics.
Top Left-Handed Test Crickets: A Brief Look at the Legends
Brian Lara (West Indies)
Brian Lara kisses the ground to celebrate his record-breaking 385//Getty Images
Batting with flair and audacity and is synonymous with immense scoring and shattered records, Brian Lara’s Test record is reflected in his milestone highest individual score of 400 not out. As an iconic figure in West Indies cricket in the 1990s and 2000s, he balanced defensive and offensive scoring, standing alone and often taking on the burden of run contributions despite the rise of fearsome bowlers.
Sir Garfield Sobers (West Indies)
Bridging the gap between batting and bowling, he is widely regarded as the greatest all-rounder and one of the best cricketers of all time. Forming part of the West Indies’ dominion over cricket in the 50s, 60s and 70s, Sir Garry Sobers’ stats include the fifth-highest Test cricket batting average and is the only player, alongside Sir Donald Bradman, to be named Wisden’s Leading Cricketer of the Year more than three times.
Allan Border (Australia)
A pioneer of the sport in the truest sense, Allan Border’s career was marked by records such as the most Test matches, the most consecutive Tests, and the most Test runs (all of which have since been eclipsed. Ranked as one of Australia’s greatest batsmen, he was involved in memorable Ashes victories over England and was an anchor of his country’s inconsistent line-up as they fought to rise to the top once again.
Matthew Hayden (Australia)
From the mid-90s until his retirement in the late 2000s, Matthew Hayden was as much feared for his imposing striking abilities as his finesse. Able to lay siege to bowling attacks, the imposing left-hander is often celebrated as a fearless batsman who scored more than 8,000 Test runs, including a monster triple century of 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003. Serving as a destructive opening batter, he led Australia during a hallowed period of international dominance.
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
Hailed as one of the faces of Sri Lanka’s authority over cricket in the 2000s and mid-2010s, the wicketkeeper-batsman showcased a graceful and consistent style. Having contributed to his country’s victories at the 2014 T20 World Cup, 2002 Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup (in 2004, 2008 and 2014), Kumar Sangakkara’s Test average is also the highest among all batters with 10,000 runs or more.
The Statistical Breakdown: The ‘SB Score’
The ‘SB Score’ focuses on two fundamental pillars of Test batting: total runs and batting average.
Greatest Left-Handed Batsman in Tests: The Core Statistics
| Player | Runs | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Allan Border | 11,174 | 50.56 |
| Brian Lara | 11,953 | 52.88 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 12,400 | 57.40 |
| Sir Garfield Sobers | 8,032 | 58.78 |
| Matthew Hayden | 8,625 | 50.73 |
SB Score’ Methodology Explained
The ‘SB Score’ is weighted as follows, with raw stats normalised before weighting:
- Batting average: 60% (this indicates consistency and efficiency)
- Total runs: 40% (this reflects overall impact and accumulation)
The ‘SB Score’ Result
The ‘SB Score’: Statistically Derived
| Player | SB Score |
|---|---|
| Kumar Sangakkara | 0.99604 |
| Brian Lara | 0.93468 |
| Allan Border | 0.88544 |
| Sir Garfield Sobers | 0.85908 |
| Matthew Hayden | 0.80504 |
Interpreting the ‘SB Score’
Based on SportsBoom’s statistical model, which heavily weights batting average, Kumar Sangakkara (SB Score: 0.99604) narrowly leads this elite group, primarily due to his excellent average combined with the highest run tally. Brian Lara follows him closely.
Australia's Matthew Hayden plays a shot//Getty Images
The Expert Consensus: ‘Industry Insights’
Beyond pure stats, SportsBoom has looked at how experts and prominent cricket media views these legends.
‘Industry Insights’ Methodology Explained
This score aggregates views from surveyed expert opinions and media analysis, reflecting which player is more frequently lauded as the premier left-handed batsman.
| Player | Wisden 100 | Sportslibro | Sportskeeda | NDTV | Wisden | Wikipedia | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allan Border | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Brian Lara | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Sir Garfield Sobers | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Matthew Hayden | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Interpreting the ‘Industry Insights’
In terms of ‘Industry Insights’ from surveyed sources, Kumar Sangakkara and Sir Garfield Sobers (3 points each) share the top spot, indicating strong expert backing for both among thiselite batting group.
The Combined Perspective: The ‘SB Market Index’
By combining players’ statistical achievements with expert outlook has provided SportsBoom’s final assessment.
SB Market Index’ Methodology Explained
This score has been calculated using the following weights:
- ‘Industry Insights’ score (80% weightage)
- ‘SB Score’ (20% weightage)
The ‘SB Market Index’ Calculation and Result
| Rank | Player | SB Score | SB Score (20%) | Industry Insights | Industry Insights (80%) | SB Market Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kumar Sangakkara | 0.99604 | 0.199208 | 3 | 2.4 | 2.599208 |
| 2 | Sir Garfield Sobers | 0.85908 | 0.171816 | 3 | 2.4 | 2.571816 |
| 3 | Brian Lara | 0.93468 | 0.186936 | 2 | 1.6 | 1.786936 |
| 4 | Allan Border | 0.88544 | 0.177088 | 2 | 1.6 | 1.777088 |
| 5 | Matthew Hayden | 0.80504 | 0.161008 | 1 | 0.8 | 0.961008 |
The Verdict (Based on This Final Model)
SportsBoom’s multi-layered analysis, which heavily weights ‘Industry Insights’ (80%), positions Kumar Sangakkara (SB Market Index: 2.599) marginally ahead of Sir Garfield Sobers (SB Market Index: 2.572) as the greatest left-handed Test batsman within this model’s parameters.
Disclaimer: This analysis uses verified career statistics and a specific weighted model incorporating surveyed 'Industry Insights' and a normalization process for the SB Score. Different methodologies, weightings, or sources could yield different conclusions. This is for illustrative and discussion purposes.
Bruce Douglas has more than 12 years of experience in local news media. He has worked at all levels of print and online publication, from crime and politics to photography, newspaper layout, proofreading, mentoring, sub-editing, and leading a newsroom. He played numerous sports at the school level and enjoys keeping up to date.