In finishing his time in cricket “with a higher average in Test cricket than in his general career”, Geoff Pullar was not particularly exceptional: among English batsmen, the same held for Jack Hobbs, Herbert Sutcliffe, Wally Hammond, Len Hutton, Ted Dexter, Ken Barrington and David Gower. Test matches last longer than first-class games, so batsmen can take their time. There is less pressure to “get on with it”, so batsmen can play at their own pace and play less riskily. Pitches in Test matches are also often more batsmen-friendly. These factors can outweigh the fact that the standard of bowling may be higher in Test cricket.
