Cataloguing the best innings of X runs in test history

[OverratedSanity]

43 runs:

- A pair of difficult pitch classics by Hammond vs SA (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...rica-vs-england-2nd-test-62555/full-scorecard) and WI (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...dies-vs-england-1st-test-62624/full-scorecard)

- A pair of failed blockathons by TOTAB vs Aus (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...a-vs-australia-3rd-test-648677/full-scorecard) and India (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...s-south-africa-4th-test-903609/full-scorecard)

- And an innings by the first Indian opener in tests , Naoomal Jeoomal. Nothing special about the innings but that is one of the GOAT cricketer names. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ndia-vs-england-2nd-test-62617/full-scorecard).

Winner: Brett Lee shortening every English fan's lifespan by atleast 5 years, Edgbaston 2005 (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...d-vs-australia-2nd-test-215010/full-scorecard)

 

[AndrewB]

37 runs

Robert Croft vs SA, 1998. A 3 hour classic that ensured England barely survived going 2-0 down in the series with just one wicket remaining. Some dodgy umpiring helped out Fraser at the other end, but doesnt take anything away from an innings that ended up being hugely vital towards England's scammy victory in the series over a SA team that was leagues ahead of them and probably should've won easily. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...vs-south-africa-3rd-test-63806/full-scorecard)

Also worth a mention is Hutton's somewhat out-of-character 37 in 24 minutes at Sydney in 1946/7, which apparently was so stylish it reminded the older spectators of Victor Trumper.

 

[OverratedSanity]

44 runs:

Honourable mention:

George Headley vs England 1935: Second highest score from his team in the test was 19. Same nightmare pitch mentioned earlier on on which Hammond scored 43 and 29. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...dies-vs-england-1st-test-62624/full-scorecard)

Winner: Alan Knott vs WI, 1974: Stitched together almost a hundred runs with the tail in the 3rd innings. England won by 26/ (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...dies-vs-england-5th-test-63121/full-scorecard)



45 runs:

Honourable mentions:

Shubman Gill vs Australia, MCG 2020: A week after 36/9, on a helpful deck and cloudy overhead conditions, India needed a non-disastrous start desperately. Had a bit of luck with a few edges but it was a way more important innings than the scorecard makes it seem. Clearly calmed nerves in the dressing room when they saw they finally had an opener who wouldnt be walking back 5 minutes after the innings began.(https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...alia-vs-india-2nd-test-1223870/full-scorecard)

Quintin McMillan vs England 1930: Saved SA in the first innings by taking them from 77-8 to 126 allout. SA won by 28 runs (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...rica-vs-england-1st-test-62590/full-scorecard)


Winner: Anil Kumble vs Aus in the great robbery of 2008: (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ralia-vs-india-2nd-test-291352/full-scorecard). India in deep trouble because of some of the most atrocious umpiring in cricket history, resisted valiantly for over 2 hours before being stranded at the other end forced to watch the final three numpties get themselves out to Clarke . Following this heroic failure, he quite accurately assessed hat only one team had played in the spirit of the game. You'd think this was a relatively mild thing to say after a gutting loss, but nope ...not when its Australia. We play hard but fair and dont cross the line. Royally pissed off the Australian players and fans to such a degree with this utterly inoffensive statement that they still hate Kumble for it to this day. Exposed them as snowflakes. Legend.

 

[ankitj]

Wrong link to the Kumble test

 

[Burgey]

Tim May extremely unlucky not to jag the 42 mantle with this effort in one of the greatest tests ever played:

AUS vs WI, West Indies tour of Australia 1992/93, 4th Test at Adelaide, January 23 - 26, 1993 - Full Scorecard

Get cricket scorecard of 4th Test, AUS vs WI, West Indies tour of Australia 1992/93 at Adelaide Oval dated January 23 - 26, 1993.

www.espncricinfo.com

Red ink too

 

[Pothas]

How had I not noticed this thread before? Just had to read the entire thing.

 

[OverratedSanity]

46 runs:

Jason Gillespie vs India, Kolkata 2001: Has there ever been a more irritating tail-ender in cricket history? Seemed to save his most frustrating innings for India too, as it was here when his partnership with Waugh took Australia from 260 odd for 8 to 445 all-out. A nice reminder that that game already had an amazing recovery before VVS/Dravid. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ia-vs-australia-2nd-test-63920/full-scorecard)

He did also have a massive slice of luck when he edged almost to first slip but was somehow given not out proving that SK bansal wasnt just biased, he was also pretty ****ing **** as an umpire as this might be one of the all time bad decisions (probably as bad as the Gilchrist Lbw earlier in the game):

Honourable mentions:

Simon Doull vs England 1999: Managing to score almost half the team total from number 10 (!!!) is kind of insane. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-vs-new-zealand-1st-test-63841/full-scorecard)

Kapil dev vs England: Two match turning counterattacks and a 5fer to win the game. Lord thakur would be proud. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ndia-vs-england-1st-test-63298/full-scorecard)

Gary Kirsten vs Pak (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...vs-south-africa-1st-test-64050/full-scorecard). He made all 46 of those with a face that looked like this after a shoaib bouncer:

 

[honestbharani]

The sad react is not a disagreement with anything you said, OS. Its just that I had to sit through all of his other tailend resistance against India live at the Chepauk 3 years after this innings.

 

[OverratedSanity]

The sad react is not a disagreement with anything you said, OS. Its just that I had to sit through all of his other tailend resistance against India live at the Chepauk 3 years after this innings.

He'll have another couple of entries on here atleast.

 

[sunilz]

The sad react is not a disagreement with anything you said, OS. Its just that I had to sit through all of his other tailend resistance against India live at the Chepauk 3 years after this innings.

Similar type of inning at Sydney 2004. Made sure India didn't enforce the follow on.

 

[OverratedSanity]

47 runs

Ross Taylor: A feelgood innings to finish a small runchase, could well be the last innings of his career. Shame it was in a meaningless test but you cant have everything. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...a-vs-new-zealand-final-1249875/full-scorecard)

Honourable mentions:

Maurice Tate vs Australia: A run a ball innings which extended the lead just enough. England won by 12 runs.(https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...alia-vs-england-4th-test-62565/full-scorecard)

Omari Banks vs Australia: Chased down a world records score against the greatest team ever as a 20 year old, no biggie (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...es-vs-australia-4th-test-64027/full-scorecard)

Jason Gillespie vs India: Jfc this guy again. Another frustrating hundred run partnership with a top order batsmen with his team in trouble. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...tralia-vs-india-4th-test-64062/full-scorecard)

 

[OverratedSanity]

48 runs:

Rangana Herath vs England: An epic partnership with Mathews to propel SL to their second series win in England. For some reason , the official records dont count the one off test in 98 which is silly. Anyway, its a shame there isnt a good video of the innings online because I really wanted to watch those glorious fatty pull shots again.
(https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...lanka-2nd-investec-test-667901/full-scorecard)

Honourable mentions:

Bruce Mitchell vs England : Almost half the innings' runs vs Oreilly/Grimmett (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ca-vs-australia-4th-test-62636/full-scorecard)

Jim Laker vs Australia: Comes in with England less than a 100 ahead and 7 wickets down in the second innings against on paper arguably Australia's most complete attack ever (Lindwall, Miller, Davidson, Benaud). The partnership with Bailey does just enough to save the game as Australia ran out of time chasing 177 on the final day. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...nd-vs-australia-4th-test-62761/full-scorecard)

Ravi Shastri vs Australia, tied test 1986: Almost pulled off a great chase with some daring hitting. Was taking that single the correct decision? Maybe... because it did eliminate an indian loss from the equation. Still, letting a bloke with an avearge of 3.8 take strike probably wasnt going to end well. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ia-vs-australia-1st-test-63438/full-scorecard)

 

[morgieb]

It's crazy that no other team managed to win a series in England up until this year since that Lankan win.

 

[OverratedSanity]

49 runs:

Honourable mentions:
Aubrey Faulkner's 4th innings effort which sealed only the second series win in SA's history (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...rica-vs-england-4th-test-62504/full-scorecard)

Kyle Jamieson taking no mercy on India after his first innings 5fer playing a match turning innings (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...land-vs-india-2nd-test-1187686/full-scorecard)

and Lance Klusener in a partnership vs Cullinan giving India massive blueballs denying what looked a certain debut win in SA when they were 95-7 (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...africa-vs-india-3rd-test-63738/full-scorecard)

Winner- Violet Wattenburg vs SA:

The Netherlands women's team has only played one test in their history. Their opening batswoman Violet Wattenburg decided she may as well make the most of it and savour every moment. All 378 deliveries she faced. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-africa-women-only-test-298730/full-scorecard)

 

[srbhkshk]

The Netherlands women's team has only played one test in their history. Their opening batswoman Violet Wattenburg decided she may as well make the most of it and savour every moment. All 378 deliveries she faced. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-africa-women-only-test-298730/full-scorecard)

Not often do you see a scorecard where a SR of 12 is among the faster scoring ones.

 

[OverratedSanity]

50 runs:

A guy named Doodles Tapscott scored 50 once (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...rica-vs-england-4th-test-62537/full-scorecard)

51 runs:

Honourable mentions to VVS laxman's first ever second innings classic (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...vs-south-africa-1st-test-63724/full-scorecard), and Richard Hadlee giving NZ a lead that ultimately led to the last series win for any side vs WI for 15 years. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-vs-west-indies-1st-test-63259/full-scorecard)

Winner: Daniel Vettori with a counterattack that sent England to 9th in the ICC rankings (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-vs-new-zealand-4th-test-63844/full-scorecard)

 

[Lillian Thomson]

My most memorable score of 50 was David Steele at Lords in 1975. England had been battered in Australia and lost the first test of the summer and Steele was selected aged 33 after an unremarkable career. England were fifty odd for 4 and when he was due in he got lost in the Long Room and ended up in the toilets. He ended up having a surprisingly good summer with his six scores all between 39 and 92 (which was prolific at the time against Lillee and Thomson).

 

[nightprowler10]

45 runs:

I know you guys love it when I bring this match up.

Remember when India had Pakistan down 39/6 in Karachi 06 and Kakmal scored a century that bought him another 100 undeserved caps, and Asif announced his arrival to the world, Shoaib bowled his heart out, etc?

What people don't always remember is how crucial Razzaq was in that match too. He took 7 very important wickets getting Ganguly twice, Sachin, Yuvi, Dhoni twice. Most memorable, he put up a 115 run partnership with Kakmal to rescue Pakistan from 39/6. A very very critical 45 runs.

 

[Teja.]

48 runs:

Rangana Herath vs England: An epic partnership with Mathews to propel SL to their second series win in England. For some reason , the official records dont count the one off test in 98 which is silly. Anyway, its a shame there isnt a good video of the innings online because I really wanted to watch those glorious fatty pull shots again.
(https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...lanka-2nd-investec-test-667901/full-scorecard)

Honourable mentions:

Bruce Mitchell vs England : Almost half the innings' runs vs Oreilly/Grimmett (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ca-vs-australia-4th-test-62636/full-scorecard)

Jim Laker vs Australia: Comes in with England less than a 100 ahead and 7 wickets down in the second innings against on paper arguably Australia's most complete attack ever (Lindwall, Miller, Davidson, Benaud). The partnership with Bailey does just enough to save the game as Australia ran out of time chasing 177 on the final day. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...nd-vs-australia-4th-test-62761/full-scorecard)

Ravi Shastri vs Australia, tied test 1986: Almost pulled off a great chase with some daring hitting. Was taking that single the correct decision? Maybe... because it did eliminate an indian loss from the equation. Still, letting a bloke with an avearge of 3.8 take strike probably wasnt going to end well. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ia-vs-australia-1st-test-63438/full-scorecard)

Ganguly 48 (81) in an aggressive 130 run partnership with VVS in Kolkota 2001 coming in when India were trailing by 159 with 3 wickets down deserves an honourable mention. That partnership gave India a moon shot which Dravid took advantage of by playing an ATG innings with Laxman. It's overshadowed by what came next but that 130 run partnership from 186 balls was crucial. They were going at well over 4 an over for that phase of 2 sessions as well and really went after the Aussie bowling which contributed to what came next.

 

[honestbharani]

Ganguly 48 (81) in an aggressive 130 run partnership with VVS in Kolkota 2001 coming in when India were trailing by 159 with 3 wickets down deserves an honourable mention. That partnership gave India a moon shot which Dravid took advantage of by playing an ATG innings with Laxman. It's overshadowed by what came next but that 130 run partnership from 186 balls was crucial. They were going at well over 4 an over for that phase of 2 sessions as well and really went after the Aussie bowling which contributed to what came next.

Ganguly played well even in the first innings at Eden in 2001. In fact, so did Dravid.