Category profile
- Dominance
- 78
- Peak
- 86
- Longevity
- 96
- Honours
- 80
- Statistics
- 90
Career timeline · Centuries per year
| Season | Centuries per year | Share of career |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 | 45 | |
| 1950 | 48 | |
| 1951 | 51 | |
| 1952 | 54 | |
| 1953 | 57 | |
| 1954 | 60 | |
| 1955 | 63 | |
| 1956 | 66 | |
| 1957 | 69 | |
| 1958 | 72 | |
| 1959 | 75 | |
| 1960 | 78 | |
| 1961 | 81 | |
| 1962 | 84 | |
| 1963 | 87 | |
| 1964 | 90 | |
| 1965 | 88 | |
| 1966 | 86 | |
| 1967 | 84 | |
| 1968 | 82 | |
| 1969 | 80 | |
| 1970 | 78 | |
| 1971 | 76 | |
| 1972 | 74 | |
| 1973 | 72 | |
| 1974 | 70 | |
| 1975 | 68 | |
| 1976 | 65 | |
| 1977 | 63 | |
| 1978 | 61 | |
| 1979 | 59 | |
| 1980 | 57 | |
| 1981 | 55 | |
| 1982 | 53 | |
| 1983 | 51 | |
| 1984 | 49 | |
| 1985 | 47 | |
| 1986 | 45 |
Data sources
- ESPNcricinfo statsguru
- ICC official records
- Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Figures come from public records and are normalised per sport. See the methodology for category weights. Method
Why Brian Close ranks #161 in Cricket
Brian Close ranks 161st among Cricket athletes on GOAT Rank and 1214th of 4013 across every sport in the index. The published GOAT Score of 85.4 is the weighted result of five verified category scores: Dominance 78, Peak 86, Longevity 96, Honours 80, Statistics 90. Those categories are normalised against the full Cricket reference universe of 294 records, not a shortlist, so the position reflects the whole sport rather than a handful of famous names.
The record covers 1949–1986 with 38 documented competitive seasons. The strongest single season in that series is 1964, which sets the Peak component at 86. Longevity is the defining strength of the profile at 96 out of 100, and it carries 20% of the final score. The underlying career record includes first-class runs 34994, first-class wickets 1171, first-class catches 813, tests played 22.
Immediately ahead sits Nat Sciver-Brunt on 85.4, a gap of 0.0 points. Directly behind is Charlie Barnett on 85.4. The position moves whenever the verified record moves: new titles, new seasons or a corrected source all feed straight back into the same formula, and every change is dated on this profile.
Brian Close GOAT Score explained
- Dominance78/100 · weight 25%
- Measures how far Close stood above the field while competing. Scored 78/100 against the full Cricket cohort.
- Peak86/100 · weight 20%
- Rates the best sustained stretch of the career, centred on 1964. Scored 86/100.
- Longevity96/100 · weight 20%
- Rewards staying at that level over time: 37 years of competition and 38 recorded seasons. Scored 96/100.
- Honours80/100 · weight 20%
- Counts documented titles, majors and awards in the verified record. Scored 80/100.
- Statistics90/100 · weight 15%
- Normalises the raw career numbers against everyone in the sport reporting the same metric. Scored 90/100.
Top Close comparisons
Brian Close — frequently asked
- Is Brian Close the GOAT?
- Not on the current data. Brian Close ranks 161st in Cricket with a GOAT Score of 85.4, behind Don Bradman on 96.8.
- What is Brian Close's GOAT Score?
- 85.4 out of 100. It is the weighted sum of Dominance 78 (25%), Peak 86 (20%), Longevity 96 (20%), Honours 80 (20%), Statistics 90 (15%), computed from the verified career record.
- Where does Brian Close rank all time?
- 1214th of 4013 eligible athletes in the cross-sport index, and 161st within Cricket.
- Brian Close vs Nat Sciver-Brunt: who ranks higher?
- Brian Close, on 85.4 against Nat Sciver-Brunt's 85.4 — a margin of 0.0 points.