The great knocks

[archie mac]

Wow, great poem

Thank you

 

[Chubby Rain]

Only problem being that over the course of his career Sehwag, IIRC, averaged something like 30 runs less in his second innings than in his first. So I wouldn't have been counting on him to do much in the second dig...

Yeah, that is a good point. but still, the target was just 200 over 90 overs, and Sehwag was in great form. The last play of the fourth day was Sehwag hitting McGrath for 4. Plus India historically don't mess up chases below 250 in tests.

 

[Johnners]

Just wanted to make sure. I thought India had a greater chance of winning it personally. I don't see how Martyn's efforts could lead one to think Australia had a greater chance of winning the test, considering he wasn't to bat on the last day, but Sehwag (who in my opinion played the best innings of the test) was definitely to bat on day 5, chasing 200.

I'm not saying we were favourites at that stage of the match as India obviously had a much better chance of winning it, but i just had a good feeling about it all after Marto's innings.

 

[Johnners]

Another Innings of Pontings that i rate highly is this one. It was only 104, but the quality of the Attack he was facing away from home, and the temperament he showed was fantastic imo.

Mind you, the performances from Lara & Waugh weren't to shabby either

 

[Days of Grace]

The greatest knock i ever saw was Astle's 222

And Fleming's 132 not out against South Africa chasing over 300 when NZ would have been knocked out of the 2003 world cup was pretty damn special.

 

[neville cardus]

Not since the demon bowler
announced ‘this thing can be done’
had a umbrella chewing crowd
displayed such pandemonium.

Good heavens! It was as tense as that? I'm gonna have to dig up a few old pieces and refresh the memory. Thanks, Archie.

 

[Matt79]

That was a bit of Horan's description of that Ashes match, wasn't it?

 

[archie mac]

Good heavens! It was as tense as that? I'm gonna have to dig up a few old pieces and refresh the memory. Thanks, Archie.

That was a bit of Horan's description of that Ashes match, wasn't it?

I knew NC would pick that up, but well done Matt79 great get

 

[Richard]

The greatest knock i ever saw was Astle's 222

And Fleming's 132 not out against South Africa chasing over 300 when NZ would have been knocked out of the 2003 world cup was pretty damn special.

How old are you DoG? If you don't mind me asking.

 

[honestbharani]

Only problem being that over the course of his career Sehwag, IIRC, averaged something like 30 runs less in his second innings than in his first. So I wouldn't have been counting on him to do much in the second dig...

Yeah, but the pitch was so slow that it hardly looked like a 5th day pitch. If Gillespie could bat 120 balls there, I bet every specialist batsman in that Indian line up could have done the same and scored more.... I honestly felt we were in with the better chance in that match...



Great Poem, ARchie... Not a coincidence that chennai inspires such great literary work though....

 

[archie mac]

Yeah, but the pitch was so slow that it hardly looked like a 5th day pitch. If Gillespie could bat 120 balls there, I bet every specialist batsman in that Indian line up could have done the same and scored more.... I honestly felt we were in with the better chance in that match...



Great Poem, ARchie... Not a coincidence that chennai inspires such great literary work though....

Ha ha, must be the water, thanks mate

 

[Lillian Thomson]

The best century I've seen in the flesh was by Viv Richards at Lords in 1980. He made a flawless 145 against not too bad an attack - Willis, Botham, Underwood and Hendrick - but was finally out to a fairly non-descript ball from Peter Willey. I've never seen a home crowd so disappointed when a batsman was out.

 

[Kriketer]

Kamran Akmal's inning in Karachi against India was the best knock under pressure I have ever seen in Test cricket. Pity that he lost his touch and now he's only sliding downwards. Second would be Ponting's 156 agisnt England in 2005. Australia was falling apart when Ponting played an excellent inning to secure a draw for his country.

 

[Flem274*]

The greatest knock i ever saw was Astle's 222

And Fleming's 132 not out against South Africa chasing over 300 when NZ would have been knocked out of the 2003 world cup was pretty damn special.

134* thank you

Some of the top NZ innings are:

Nathan Astle-222
Stephen Fleming-274*
Bert Suttcliffe-80* in that 1955 South Africa test.

 

[andruid]

Steve Tikolo's 224? against Netherlands in an Intercontinental cup match almost singlehandedly saving Kenya from following on.

 

[Goughy]

Best Ive ever seen live or on TV (in this case live) was Goochs 150 odd against the WI on a serious green mamba when noone else could score a run.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Best Ive ever seen live or on TV (in this case live) was Goochs 150 odd against the WI on a serious green mamba when noone else could score a run.

Yeah, I'd go with that. Assuming you mean his 154* v the Windies at Headingley in 1991 out of an England total of (IIRC) 252. West Indies' attack consisted of Ambrose, Marshall, Patterson & Walsh. No one else got to 30. Sublime is the only word.

 

[Richard]

Always wished I'd seen that one as it unfolded, more than perhaps any other innings.

The fact Gooch was captain made it even more special still.

Have seen loooooooooong highlights which give you the impression of how good it was but not, obviously, the thrill of one man taking-on an attack from a team that, until the previous series, had never really been bettered (along with their batting) for 22 years.

 

[Fiery]

Always wished I'd seen that one as it unfolded, more than perhaps any other innings.

The fact Gooch was captain made it even more special still.

Have seen loooooooooong highlights which give you the impression of how good it was but not, obviously, the thrill of one man taking-on an attack from a team that, until the previous series, had never really been bettered (along with their batting) for 22 years.

They were bettered in the 1979/80 series in NZ

 

[Richard]

Not really, certainly not convincingly - it's pretty much accepted as fact that West Indies would have won that series but for bad Umpiring.