Overseas Specialists: 10 batsmen who performed better overseas in Test cricket

(5) Wally Hammond (England)

Wally Hammond scored 3 double hundreds in Australia

Home- Matches: 44, Runs: 3004, Average: 50.07, Highest: 240, 100/50: 9/10.

Away- Matches: 41, Runs: 4245, Average: 66.33, Highest: 336*, 100/50: 13/14.

Average Difference: 16.26.

Wally Hammond has a very strong claim to be England's greatest ever batsman. He has the highest average for any batsman with more than 7000 Test runs and holds the record for the most double hundreds by an England batsman with 7.

The No.3 position is considered to be the most important in Test cricket and Hammond was a master at that. He scored 3440 runs at an average of 75 batting at No.3. Another important aspect of Hammond's batting was how utterly brilliant he was when playing overseas. This is not to suggest that Hammond was not good when playing at home, he scored 3004 runs at an average of 50 when playing in the swinging England conditions with 9 centuries and 10 half-centuries.

Hammond did not play any cricket in Asian conditions but was an unstoppable force in the Trans Tasman. Hammond played only 3 Tests in New Zealand but scored 642 runs in them, It included a 227 at Christchurch and a world record 336* in Auckland.

The scenario was not much different in Australia. In his first series Down Under in 1929, Hammond scored 905 runs at an average of 113. It included Double Centuries at Melbourne and Sydney and twin centuries at Adelaide. Overall, Hammond played 19 Tests in Australia and scored 1981 runs at an average of 62 with 7 hundreds to his name.

Hammond made his Test debut in South Africa and throughout his career, he scored very prolifically against them. Hammond scored 2188 runs at an average of 62 against South Africa and had identical numbers when playing in the Rainbow nation. Hammond scored 1447 runs at an average of 63 in South Africa, including 4 hundreds and 9 half-centuries.

Hammond scored 4245 runs at an average of 66 in overseas conditions, and scored 5 of his 7 double centuries away from home, placing him in the top-tier of Test batsman.