Top 10 cricketing rivalries of all time

#6 Sir Viv Richards vs Jeff Thomson

Terrifying pace vs brute power

In an era when the batsmen were known for showing grit and their solid defences, Sir Viv Richards used to enter with a smile and smack them out of the park with relative ease. In every sense, Richards was the first T20 batsman in the history of world cricket. He was simply brutal.

One of Richards' toughest competitors was Australia's, Jeff Thomson. His unique action along with his ability to hit the deck hard made him one of the most fearful players in the 1980s. He was also the fastest bowler of that generation, regularly clocking over 95 mph.

In the 1975 series, Thomson and Lille were proving to be unplayable for the Windies batters, barring one. Thomson was bowling as fast as he ever had in that series, bowling stunning bouncers along the way. But Richards not only survived, he went on the front foot and smacked him for a boundary after boundary. Richards also tore Thomson apart in the 1983 World Cup and remains one of his most memorable knocks.

A Sir Viv Classic.