The Greatest ODI Innings of All Time

[Godard]

What about Viv’s 138 vs Lloyd’s 102?

 

[subshakerz]

Except it was in a JAMODI.

His knock in the 1979 World Cup final was more significant.

Significant but not better. That WC knock was sedate by his standards plus he had big help down the order who outpaced him in hitting.

 

[subshakerz]

It depends on how much importance you place on context and quality of attack vs percentage of total score and doing all that with the tail. I'm with Days of Grace on this one. Viv's innings was astonishing, but it was only part of a 3 match series that was just an hors d'ouevres before the main business of the test series. Lloyd's innings meant that his side won the WC Final. And Australia's attack was way superior to the England guys that Viv faced at that stage of their careers.

Here is a simple criteria: if the knock wasn't in a WC game, would we talk about it? If not, then it shouldn't be considered a greatest ever knock.

Yes, the game status is important, but not so much as the quality of the innings context and attack, etc.

Having said that, Lloyd's 102 is still up there.

 

[subshakerz]

Great knocks that are not talked about enough.

Viv's 153* off 130 balls against Lillee, Hogg and Thomson in Australia

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/benson-hedges-world-series-cup-1979-80-60807/australia-vs-west-indies-4th-match-65290/full-scorecard

Bevan's 102* against a Bond-led NZ, rescuing them in a chase from 6/82 to victory.

AUS vs NZ Cricket Scorecard, 10th Match at Melbourne, January 29, 2002

Live Cricket Scoreboard: Get Australia vs New Zealand 10th Match, cricket scorecard, VB Series 2001/02 dated January 29, 2002.

www.espncricinfo.com

 

[mr_mister]

I remember as a kid thinking the Bevan 102 trumped the 78 just because he reached 3 figures in it. Looking back the 78 was better due to the bowling attack I think

Both great though

 

[wpdavid]

Here is a simple criteria: if the knock wasn't in a WC game, would we talk about it? If not, then it shouldn't be considered a greatest ever knock.

Yes, the game status is important, but not so much as the quality of the innings context and attack, etc.

Having said that, Lloyd's 102 is still up there.

I think we both know that there's a degree of subjectivity here, which is why I usually talk about 'my favourite' rather than 'the best'. And, being honest, Lloyd's knock had a bigger impact on me because I was still a teenager when I saw it, whereas I had become relatively blase about Viv's 1984 knock because I had seen him deliver so many great innings by then, not least in the 1979 WC Final of course. All that being said, as you say, the quality of the attack does matter. Looking at Viv's 1984 innings, we see Willis two months short of retiring, Botham being rather weightier and not as nearly good as he had been, plus Pringle, Foster and Miller. Arguably the most amazing feature of that match is how on earth England had WI seven down for not many.

EDIT
Sorry, mate, I decided to add a bit after you liked the post. I hope there was nothing controversial in the last few sentences.

 

[subshakerz]

I think we both know that there's a degree of subjectivity here, which is why I usually talk about 'my favourite' rather than 'the best'. And, being honest, Lloyd's knock had a bigger impact on me because I was still a teenager when I saw it, whereas I had become relatively blase about Viv's 1984 knock because I had seen him deliver so many great innings by then, not least in the 1979 WC Final of course.

Yup, we each have our own criteria. I just think the circumstances of Viv's 189 are special to the point of being near unrepeatable.

 

[subshakerz]

I remember as a kid thinking the Bevan 102 trumped the 78 just because he reached 3 figures in it. Looking back the 78 was better due to the bowling attack I think

Both great though

It's hard to separate because it was Bevan with the same playbook every innings, as it was with the WC 2003 knocks.

 

[Godard]

Significant but not better. That WC knock was sedate by his standards plus he had big help down the order who outpaced him in hitting.

Ya the 189 was a single handed effort, more destructive and still against a decent attack(I mean they had WI in deep trouble).

 

[ankitj]

If we think great knocks are only played in world cups, then as a corollary we must believe great bowling spells must come only outside of world cups. Because if batting is extra challenging in world cup, bowling must be easier to the same extent. Amirite?

 

[subshakerz]

If we think great knocks are only played in world cups, then as a corollary we must believe great bowling spells must come only outside of world cups. Because if batting is extra challenging in world cup, bowling must be easier to the same extent. Amirite?

DeSilva's and Lloyd's would be great knocks regardless of which tournament it was played. But as WC final knocks they become ATG.

 

[TheBrand]

I'm only counting innings I've watched live (or on TV live).

1. Stoinis 146* at Eden Park 2017. - Gotta be one of the greatest if not greatest ODI innings in a losing cause.
2. Taylor 181* at Dunedin 2018. Batted on one leg for most of the latter half of his innings and to tie the series and take it to a decider.
3. Elliot 84* at Eden Park 2015 WC SF. Was actually there for this one and will never forget the emotion of it.

 

[OverratedSanity]

If we think great knocks are only played in world cups, then as a corollary we must believe great bowling spells must come only outside of world cups. Because if batting is extra challenging in world cup, bowling must be easier to the same extent. Amirite?

It's not extra challenging it's just more meaningful. Your post is a cope for India being odi chokers. ?

 

[ankitj]

It's not extra challenging it's just more meaningful. Your post is a cope for India being odi chokers. ?

Yes agree on more meaningful. But that's our emotional response, not actually a measure of how difficult, challenging and therefore great a knock was.

And I have held this view even in 2011 after India's ODI world cup win. I said specifically that Dhoni didn't suddenly become a greater batsman because of his world cup final knock.

 

[subshakerz]

Yes agree on more meaningful. But that's our emotional response, not actually a measure of how difficult, challenging and therefore great a knock was.

And I have held this view even in 2011 after India's ODI world cup win. I said specifically that Dhoni didn't suddenly become a greater batsman because of his world cup final knock.

He definitely did. You can't get more pressure than chasing in a WC final with match in the balance.

 

[ankitj]

He definitely did. You can't get more pressure than chasing in a WC final with match in the balance.

Then you have to concede that defending a total in a WC final is one of the easiest thing to do. This is straightforward logic that you can only deny by appealing to emotion.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Yes agree on more meaningful. But that's our emotional response

Haha what. Its more meaningful because it's the world cup and it matters more. End of. "Difficulty" isn't the only factor for a great innings. Your insistence that all odi games are of equal importance is not based in reality.

 

[ankitj]

Never said they are all equally important. I disagree that performing (for all players - batsman or bowlers) is harder in important games. You don't look at a pitch and say it's difficult pitch for all batsmen and all bowlers, do you?

#MyHillToDieOn

 

[subshakerz]

Then you have to concede that defending a total in a WC final is one of the easiest thing to do. This is straightforward logic that you can only deny by appealing to emotion.

No, the idea is that the final game is the ultimate test of nerves from beginning to end, so performing regardless of 1st or 2nd innings has the added boost of doing so in a higher pressure situation.

 

[subshakerz]

Never said they are all equally important. I disagree that performing (for all players - batsman or bowlers) is harder in important games. You don't look at a pitch and say it's difficult pitch for all batsmen and all bowlers, do you?

#MyHillToDieOn

I am flabbergasted by this logic. The WC semifinal and final has the added mental challenge regardless of the pitch or match conditions for every player involved. No player on Earth is going to treat a final like any other game. That adds a layer of difficulty for any player to perform, which is why those who do get the extra credit. Which is why the ones who have traditionally performed in finals and semis are usually among only the top ODI cricketers in history with rare exception.

You don't think chocking is a real phenomenon, that certain teams falter in knockout games because they feel the pressure of the moment?