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Name some of your best Test innings
- Thread starter Richard
- Start date
Burgey
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Dean Jones 210 Madras Tied Test 1986. Tough as they come, and unusually for Deano, a big innings not scored in a dead-rubber test.
Kim Hughes 100 vs WI at Melbourne in 1981 (I think) out of about 190-odd (same day Lillee bowled Viv from the last ball to leave WI @ 4/10 over night).
Vaughan at Adelaide in 2002-03.
Roy Fredericks vs Lillee & Thommo - WACA 1975-76.
Herbert Sutcliffe in Melbourne 1928-9 to win a test for England on an atrocious wet wicket.
Kim Hughes 100 vs WI at Melbourne in 1981 (I think) out of about 190-odd (same day Lillee bowled Viv from the last ball to leave WI @ 4/10 over night).
Vaughan at Adelaide in 2002-03.
Roy Fredericks vs Lillee & Thommo - WACA 1975-76.
Herbert Sutcliffe in Melbourne 1928-9 to win a test for England on an atrocious wet wicket.
honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
Lara - 153*
Laxman - 281
Astle - 222
Sachin - 136
Lara - 213
Sachin - 155 against Aus and against RSA at Bloemfontein
Laxman - 281
Astle - 222
Sachin - 136
Lara - 213
Sachin - 155 against Aus and against RSA at Bloemfontein
The Sean
Cricketer Of The Year
Stan McCabe's legendary trifecta I think stands comparison with any innings that have ever been played:
187* vs Bodyline 1932/33 - one of the most famous and heroic innings ever played by an Australian
189* vs South Africa 1935/36 - where the fielding captain actually appealed against the light due to the danger McCabe was putting his fieldsmen in!
232 vs England 1938 - the knock that Bradman himself congratulated McCabe with the words "If I could play an innings like that, I'd be a proud man, Stan."
187* vs Bodyline 1932/33 - one of the most famous and heroic innings ever played by an Australian
189* vs South Africa 1935/36 - where the fielding captain actually appealed against the light due to the danger McCabe was putting his fieldsmen in!
232 vs England 1938 - the knock that Bradman himself congratulated McCabe with the words "If I could play an innings like that, I'd be a proud man, Stan."
Majin
International Debutant
The same innings always springs to mind for me, the one that really converted me to being a cricket fan, Mark Butcher's 173* against the Aussies. Not one of the greats by any means but for me it was a great knock.
Stayed up through the night every night of the India/Australia series in 03/04 and was glued to the screen for every run of Dravid's 233 at Adelaide, and his equally important 72* in the second dig. Was far and away my favourite player at the time and I was in raptures. Loved how much we were taking it to the Aussie's in Aus. Shouldn't forget VVS Laxman's 148 to back Dravid up in that first innings either, he was in pristine form around that time.
Stayed up through the night every night of the India/Australia series in 03/04 and was glued to the screen for every run of Dravid's 233 at Adelaide, and his equally important 72* in the second dig. Was far and away my favourite player at the time and I was in raptures. Loved how much we were taking it to the Aussie's in Aus. Shouldn't forget VVS Laxman's 148 to back Dravid up in that first innings either, he was in pristine form around that time.
sideshowtim
Banned
I'm a bit biased (very biased actually 
), but some great ones I've seen from Ponting in recent times...
Old Trafford 2005, obviously.
118* vs Bangladesh...A lot of you will probably laugh this off, but this is a truly underrated match-winning innings...Chasing 307 on a crumbling subcontinent wicket, against some Bangladeshi bowlers full of confidence...We were in some very precarious positions during the innings, yet Ponting stood firm for a chanceless 113* to guide us home and save us from what would've been one of the most embarassing moments in our proud history....Considering the circumstances, it was a damn fine innings.
Another recent one of his that gets overlooked is his unbeaten 143 off 159 balls against the South Africans in Sydney in 2006...We needed something like 290 in 70 overs...On a fifth day Sydney wicket against the likes of Pollock, and with Nel steaming in, Ponting played an incredibly mature innings even though we lost an early wicket and could've easily slowed down and played for the draw...But he scored at a remarkable rate to guide us to a wonderful victory, seemingly without taking too many chances. When the South Africans sent us in again, it was a long shot to win, but we did it. We ended up chasing it in something like 60 overs...It really was brilliant batting. In his 100th Test too...He scored another ton in the first innings to cap it off!
), but some great ones I've seen from Ponting in recent times...Old Trafford 2005, obviously.
118* vs Bangladesh...A lot of you will probably laugh this off, but this is a truly underrated match-winning innings...Chasing 307 on a crumbling subcontinent wicket, against some Bangladeshi bowlers full of confidence...We were in some very precarious positions during the innings, yet Ponting stood firm for a chanceless 113* to guide us home and save us from what would've been one of the most embarassing moments in our proud history....Considering the circumstances, it was a damn fine innings.
Another recent one of his that gets overlooked is his unbeaten 143 off 159 balls against the South Africans in Sydney in 2006...We needed something like 290 in 70 overs...On a fifth day Sydney wicket against the likes of Pollock, and with Nel steaming in, Ponting played an incredibly mature innings even though we lost an early wicket and could've easily slowed down and played for the draw...But he scored at a remarkable rate to guide us to a wonderful victory, seemingly without taking too many chances. When the South Africans sent us in again, it was a long shot to win, but we did it. We ended up chasing it in something like 60 overs...It really was brilliant batting. In his 100th Test too...He scored another ton in the first innings to cap it off!
Barney Rubble
International Coach
You do RC, and that was indeed a damn fine innings.
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
Yeah, one of my faves. Annoys the heck out of me how people have tried being clever in hindsight and saying it was a "generous" declaration; it wasn't, it was Headingley, it was the penultimate day, and the pitch was, unsurprisingly, doing plenty and plenty for seamers and was dry (though for whatever odd reason Warne could not get it to turn very often).
He played absolutely brilliantly - given how good the catching of the Australians was that summer it's almost a given that it was a chanceless innings, and he made McGrath and Gillespie, both of whom had been utterly menacing for pretty well the entire series to date and would probably have continued to be but for Butcher playing so incredibly well, look pretty pedestrian for most of the time.
People also overstate the "it was a dead Test" - yes, it was, but that innings saved his side from a whitewash, which is a hugely important matter, especially in a home series. A whitewash that series would have been an awful, awful disaster and but for Butcher and that innings would almost certainly have happened.
He played absolutely brilliantly - given how good the catching of the Australians was that summer it's almost a given that it was a chanceless innings, and he made McGrath and Gillespie, both of whom had been utterly menacing for pretty well the entire series to date and would probably have continued to be but for Butcher playing so incredibly well, look pretty pedestrian for most of the time.
People also overstate the "it was a dead Test" - yes, it was, but that innings saved his side from a whitewash, which is a hugely important matter, especially in a home series. A whitewash that series would have been an awful, awful disaster and but for Butcher and that innings would almost certainly have happened.
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
Almost certainly the two best innings in Australia in modern times, for mine. Hard to overstate how difficult the bowling must have been to face.
Chubb
International Regular
Andy Flower's twin 142 & 199* against South Africa when he scored something like 68 % of Zimbabwe's runs. Only one other Zimbabwean in each innings made more than 30. He came out to bat on 51-3 and 25-3. After the first knock, he asked Shaun Pollock if he was going to enforce the follow-on. Pollock said "yes, of course". Flower just said "good". Apparently, he didn't play a false shot all game, apart from being dropped on 197* in the second innings. In fairness, it was a flat pitch, it was just the rest of Zimbabwe's players (with the exception of Ebrahim and Masakadza who made 71 and 85) were clueless. They still fought it out though. Flower wouldn't have got near that 200 if it wasn't for Douggie Hondo, on debut, sticking it out for an hour.
Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe's 100 and 161 respectively on a really difficult track at the Oval in 1926; the match report read:
"Finer cricket on a difficult wicket than Hobbs and Sutcliffe played I have never seen. Much, almost everything, indeed, depended on them. If one or both had failed, England might easily have lost five or six men before lunch, for the ball took the spin quickly, and when the sun--which at first hid its face--came out after the first hour, the ball, particularly from Richardson's bowling, kicked up frequently in a disconcerting manner."
And for New Zealand, very little tops Bert Sutcliffe's 80*- that story always brings a lump to my throat.
Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe's 100 and 161 respectively on a really difficult track at the Oval in 1926; the match report read:
"Finer cricket on a difficult wicket than Hobbs and Sutcliffe played I have never seen. Much, almost everything, indeed, depended on them. If one or both had failed, England might easily have lost five or six men before lunch, for the ball took the spin quickly, and when the sun--which at first hid its face--came out after the first hour, the ball, particularly from Richardson's bowling, kicked up frequently in a disconcerting manner."
And for New Zealand, very little tops Bert Sutcliffe's 80*- that story always brings a lump to my throat.
Some outstanding knocks
Kim Hughes - 100* v West Indies 1981/82
One of the all-time great innings of courage, shots and determination. Coming in at 3/8 and Australia in serious trouble. Hughes took the attack to the might of the Windies on a terrible pitch for batting. The next highest score in the Test was 64, which was by Border in Australia's 2nd innings. Not many fired with the bat although Dujon made two lots of 40's. Still rated as one of the best ever knocks.
Dean Jones - 210 v India 1986
Courage isn't the word to use here. This was an innings where Jones put his life and body on the line for Australia. Jones' desire for Australia was there for all to see in this innings. He's never given his due recognition in Test Cricket and in particular for this innings. Jones after this innings was on a drip for dehydration. He really went above and beyond his call of duty. Best innings of all-time IMO.
Mark Waugh - 139* v West Indies 1991
This was a series of pace, pace and more pace. The Windies attack were on fire all series on pitches suited to them. Although McDermott and to a lesser extent Hughes took up the attack in return. On this occasion Waugh made the Windies attack look second rate and took them to pieces across all the field. It was a knock where he took on Marshall, Ambrose, Walsh and Patterson and smashed them to all parts.
Michael Slater - 176 v England 1994-95
Boundary off the first ball and boundary of the last ball in the first over of the series set the tone for Australia's success. Slater ended up tearing England apart with one of the great knocks. He made up for running out his captain earlier in the day.
Michael Slater - 219 v Sri Lanka 1995-95
Hit the chucker for five sixes. Good enough to make the list on that stat alone.
Mark Waugh - 116 v South Africa 1997
On a minefield of a pitch that didn't produce big scores. Australia were in trouble and Waugh made batting look easier. The harder it got the better Waugh played. Showed he was a batsman of class and toughness in the one hit. Australia won the series and Waugh for the only time of his career was No.2 in the world.
Mark Waugh - 115* v South Africa 1997-98
Batted for the full last day to save the Test and keep Australia's mental and physical edge over South Africa.
Kim Hughes - 100* v West Indies 1981/82
One of the all-time great innings of courage, shots and determination. Coming in at 3/8 and Australia in serious trouble. Hughes took the attack to the might of the Windies on a terrible pitch for batting. The next highest score in the Test was 64, which was by Border in Australia's 2nd innings. Not many fired with the bat although Dujon made two lots of 40's. Still rated as one of the best ever knocks.
Dean Jones - 210 v India 1986
Courage isn't the word to use here. This was an innings where Jones put his life and body on the line for Australia. Jones' desire for Australia was there for all to see in this innings. He's never given his due recognition in Test Cricket and in particular for this innings. Jones after this innings was on a drip for dehydration. He really went above and beyond his call of duty. Best innings of all-time IMO.
Mark Waugh - 139* v West Indies 1991
This was a series of pace, pace and more pace. The Windies attack were on fire all series on pitches suited to them. Although McDermott and to a lesser extent Hughes took up the attack in return. On this occasion Waugh made the Windies attack look second rate and took them to pieces across all the field. It was a knock where he took on Marshall, Ambrose, Walsh and Patterson and smashed them to all parts.
Michael Slater - 176 v England 1994-95
Boundary off the first ball and boundary of the last ball in the first over of the series set the tone for Australia's success. Slater ended up tearing England apart with one of the great knocks. He made up for running out his captain earlier in the day.
Michael Slater - 219 v Sri Lanka 1995-95
Hit the chucker for five sixes. Good enough to make the list on that stat alone.
Mark Waugh - 116 v South Africa 1997
On a minefield of a pitch that didn't produce big scores. Australia were in trouble and Waugh made batting look easier. The harder it got the better Waugh played. Showed he was a batsman of class and toughness in the one hit. Australia won the series and Waugh for the only time of his career was No.2 in the world.
Mark Waugh - 115* v South Africa 1997-98
Batted for the full last day to save the Test and keep Australia's mental and physical edge over South Africa.
ChipSomeSixes
Cricket Spectator
dizzy 201 v the bangers he got 11 times his average not bad for a tailender also not bad for his last test hit
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
sunilreddy
Banned
Lara - 153* against Aussies
Laxman - 281 against Aussies
Sachin - 136 against Pakistan
Inzamam -138 against Bangladesh
Laxman - 281 against Aussies
Sachin - 136 against Pakistan
Inzamam -138 against Bangladesh