Greatest individual performance ever

[oitoitoi]

Let's isolate this to test cricket, not necessarily just a match but over a series qualifies too.

A few that spring to mind:

Hanif's triple vs the Windies
Harbhajan Singh vs the Australians 2001
VVS Laxman Kolkata 2001
Ian Botham 1981 Headingley/Ashes series
Botham 1985 (I think?) vs India
Bradman's big double after reversing the batting order
Steve Waugh Jamaica double hundred (1995?)
Ambrose spell 7/1
Michael Holding 14 wickets oval 1976
Dravid @ Adelaide (batted forever and ever, was on the field almost the entire match)
Warne 2005 Ashes? 40 wickets in 5 tests is pretty extraordinary
Lara @ Barbados vs Australia, @ Sydney too

just off the top of my head, sure there are loads more i've missed out, especially from the pre war period. Anyway discuss and pick one from the annals of history!

 

[Richard]

Botham 1985 (I think?) vs India

Probably the Jubilee Test in 1979/80, where he took 13-106 and scored 114. Botham did do something of note in 1985 but it was merely a "last hurrah" sort of thing - he took wickets at a good strike-rate while generally conceding a good few runs in the process, to help England beat Australia at home. Australia were already into their worst patch in Test history at that point, and England's started immediately after it. Botham had already been performing pretty poorly for the last year, and he continued to do so for the next 2 years (6 months of which he missed with a ban).

 

[Burgey]

Laker 19 for the match 1956.

Massie 16 wickets on debut Lord's 1972.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Hadlee in Brisbane
Astle in Christchurch

 

[BoyBrumby]

One of the less obvious great series performances that often gets overlooked is Rodney Hogg's 41 wickets @ a smidge under 13 each in the 78/79 Ashes. In losing cause, obv, but magnificent effort from a largely unheralded bowler.

 

[TT Boy]

Hadlee in Brisbane
Astle in Christchurch

Another New Zealander...

One man team test

 

[The Sean]

Surprised we've made it this far without mentioning what are IMO arguably the all time numbers 1 and 2 - Bradman in 1930 and Sobers in 1966.

Lara's Sydney and Barbados efforts have been rightly lauded, but I'd also consider his series in Sri Lanka (when he scored nearly half his team's runs over three Tests) among the greatest ever one-man shows, particularly in a losing team.

 

[Fusion]

Imran’s 40 wickets at 13.95 against India (6 Tests) in 1982 should rank high.

 

[The Sean]

Imran’s 40 wickets at 13.95 against India (6 Tests) in 1982 should rank high.

Just came into this thread to post that one too but you'd beaten me to it! Yep that's definitely one of the all time great series performances, especially considering he also averaged 61 with the bat.

 

[The Sean]

On a further note re Imran, I just looked up his series-by-series performances and beginning with the 81/82 rubber against Australia he went on a run of eight consecutive series where he averaged less than 20 with the ball.

His 24 Tests in that period yielded a total of 154 wickets at 14.85. Phenomenal.

 

[fredfertang]

In my opinion it's difficult to improve on Charles Bannerman's performance in the very first test match

 

[subshakerz]

Just came into this thread to post that one too but you'd beaten me to it! Yep that's definitely one of the all time great series performances, especially considering he also averaged 61 with the bat.

Became the second player after Botham to score a century and take ten wickets in that series as well...

 

[subshakerz]

Considering the quality of opposition, this performance by Mushtaq Mohammad, if not the greatest all-round effort, has to at least be the most underrated.

http://content.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/match/63187.html

 

[Slifer]

Mine:

Lara: 688 in three tests (record 42% of teams runs)

 

[popepouri]

Recently, Steyn's 10 wickets and match winning partnership with Duminy comes to mind.

 

[BoyBrumby]

In my opinion it's difficult to improve on Charles Bannerman's performance in the very first test match

Still a record % of a completed test innings total I believe.

Goochie's 154 at Headingley in 91 v the Windies complete with Messers Walsh, Patterson, Ambrose & Marshall worthy of a mention too. IIRC no-one else scored even 30. Rated as the best test innings on cricinfo a few years back, I think.

 

[Richard]

Still a record % of a completed test innings total I believe.

It is - oldest Test record remaining, unsurprisingly. Michael Slater almost broke it in 1998/99 though.

 

[Burgey]

Davo in the Tied Test - IIRC became the 1st man to take 10 wkts and score 100+ runs in the same match.

 

[zaremba]

Botham v India, Bombay 1980

6-58, 7-48, and 114 runs in his only innings (coming in at 57-4).

I'm the first to criticise the bloated mulleted waster that Botham was to become, but around this time he was about as fine an all-rounder as has ever played the game.

 

[silentstriker]

Botham v India, Bombay 1980

6-58, 7-48, and 114 runs in his only innings (coming in at 57-4).

I'm the first to criticise the bloated mulleted waster that Botham was to become, but around this time he was about as fine an all-rounder as has ever played the game.

Just reading the Wisden report for that match, and apparently, India had played sixteen Test matches in the seven months preceding that one. Oh, how I would love that right now! And yea, that performance by Botham has to be up there with the best.

Botham, much like Waqar, had a peak that was virtually unmatched by anyone in the history of the game. Sometimes, I perhaps don't give enough credit to Botham due to his lack of longevity, but if we're taking peaks, he'd be the first name down on my all time XI after Bradman.