In previous posts, we’ve compared the best teams from different eras
by measuring their superiority with respect to an average team of their own era
(which is what our ratings directly measure), and by the length time that they spent at the top. In this post, we’ll rank
the teams by one more criteria: the difference in ratings between the team topping the list and the team in second place.
This disadvantages any team that was part of a strong duopoly; but avoids
over-rating teams that were fortunate to play in eras where there was some weak opposition about, devaluing the meaning of "better than average". So
in this table, we’ve added an extra two columns: in the last column, the
largest margin that a team has had (while top of the rankings) over the team in
second place, and in the penultimate column, the date that was achieved. The full period during which a team held first place around this date, and the highest absolute rating it achived druing this period, are still conveyed in the previous columns. The highest absolute
rating of a top placed team in such a period is generally larger its greatest margin over second place, but not always:
sometimes the team in second place had a worse-than-average (i.e. less than
zero) rating, although this was obviously more likely to occur in the eras when fewer
teams were playing.
26 Dec 1999 24
Nov 2009 Australia 2 Jan 2008 283 26 Dec
2007 222
21 Mar 1885 29 Jan
1898 England 11 Aug 1890 144 11
Aug 1890 198
18 Aug 1934 28
Jan 1955 Australia 5 Dec 1952 218 20 Jan
1950 176
14 Sep 1983 26
Dec 1991 West Indies 11 Apr 1986 198 24 Jul 1986 172
31 Dec 1920 14
Dec 1928 Australia 16 Jan 1925 136 16 Jan 1925 159
6 Mar 1906 23
Feb 1912 Australia 15 Dec 1911 100 15 Dec 1911 143
1 Jan 1902 26
Feb 1904 Australia 24 Jul 1902 134 24 Jul
1902 134
27 Jun 1930 23
Feb 1933 Australia 4 Mar 1932 169 12 Feb
1932 127
30 Dec 1972 11
Aug 1977 Australia 1 Jan 1977 128 8 Jul
1976 117
5 Dec 1958 27
Jan 1961 Australia 21 Nov 1959 184 14 Mar 1959 112
So this really is a depressing list if you’re not from
Australia, who occupy eight of the top ten positions, but subjectively it seems
like the most convincing of our three lists of the best ever teams. The top six entries, and
seven of the top ten, were also on the previous list (teams enjoying long runs at the top). Added these seven are
three additional Australian slides: those which played at the peak of Victor Trumper’s career, at the start
of Don Bradman’s, and under the captaincy of Richie Benaud. Five of this top ten were also in the first list (of the teams with the highest abolsute rating); and the mighty Australians of the early 21st century lead
in terms of the highest ever rating, the highest margin over 2nd
place, and the longest period continuously atop the ratings if one breaks up
the periods that covered the world wars.
So that’s a pretty convincing case that the side of Waugh and Ponting
was indeed the most dominant team of all time.
But not one of the four sides to have registered a top 10
rating since 2009 can compete for a top 10 place either in terms of the duration of their dominance, nor in
terms of their greatest margin over 2nd place.
When England claimed first place in the ICC rankings in 2011, many
sneered and said that the claim was unjustified, but England also claimed first place
under my system, and with a very good score. But this was more of a “first-among-equals”
relationship than the absolute dominance that some other teams have had in
other eras, and they don't make this particular top 10.
That's it (for now) for historical data; next time, we’ll take a look at the current rankings.
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