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What is your definition of a match-winning innings?

Fuller Pilch

Hall of Fame Member
Ten notable fourth innings knocks in one-wicket wins. Number in batting order in brackets.

The Oval 1902 v Australia. Target 263. Jessop 104 in 77 minutes (7). Runs needed when dismissed 76.
Johannesburg 1906 v England. Target 284. Dave Nourse 93* (8). Last wicket stand 48.
Melbourne 1952 v West Indies. Target 260. Hassett 102 (3). Runs needed when dismissed 42.
Karachi 1994 v Australia. Target 314. Inzamam 58* (8). Last wicket stand 57.
Barbados 1999 v Australia. Target 308. Lara 153* (5). Last wicket stand 9.
Multan 2003 v Bangladesh. Target 261. Inzamam 138* (4). Last wicket stand 5.
Colombo 2006 v South Africa. Target 352. Jayawardene 123 (4). Runs needed when dismissed 11.
Mohali 2010 v Australia. Target 216. Laxman 73* (7). Last wicket stand 11.
Durban 2019 v South Africa. Target 304. Kusal Perera 153* (5). Last wicket stand 78.
Leeds 2019 v Australia. Target 359. Stokes 135* (5). Last wicket stand 76.
I'd also add Williamson's
Ten notable fourth innings knocks in one-wicket wins. Number in batting order in brackets.

The Oval 1902 v Australia. Target 263. Jessop 104 in 77 minutes (7). Runs needed when dismissed 76.
Johannesburg 1906 v England. Target 284. Dave Nourse 93* (8). Last wicket stand 48.
Melbourne 1952 v West Indies. Target 260. Hassett 102 (3). Runs needed when dismissed 42.
Karachi 1994 v Australia. Target 314. Inzamam 58* (8). Last wicket stand 57.
Barbados 1999 v Australia. Target 308. Lara 153* (5). Last wicket stand 9.
Multan 2003 v Bangladesh. Target 261. Inzamam 138* (4). Last wicket stand 5.
Colombo 2006 v South Africa. Target 352. Jayawardene 123 (4). Runs needed when dismissed 11.
Mohali 2010 v Australia. Target 216. Laxman 73* (7). Last wicket stand 11.
Durban 2019 v South Africa. Target 304. Kusal Perera 153* (5). Last wicket stand 78.
Leeds 2019 v Australia. Target 359. Stokes 135* (5). Last wicket stand 76.
Also Williamson's 121* last year when NZ won by 2 wickets with a scrambled leg bye on the final permissable delivery of day 5 (285/8). With 3 balls left in the final over of day 5 all 4 results were in play (NZ win, SL win, tie, draw).
However, without Daryl Mitchell's 81 off 86 it would've been a draw.
 

number11

State Regular
Noted that Inzi was in the list of heroic last stands twice. Inzamam was clutch as a batsman. Obviously his record has holes and he's not a T1 ATG but he is a great player. His record in wins is tremendous - averaging 78 including 17 of his 25 tons. He also ave 50+ for Pakistan with the 0.5 run dip a product of the super test v Aus.

With credit to cricinfo for the specific stats. He always seemed to do well v England, and the hunch is well supported.
 

Daemon

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Any innings where your teams chances of winning the match are far, far higher than it would've been if the innings hadn't happened is of a match winning calibre. The result of the game can still go either way it's dependant on too many other factors.
No it can't. It's not a match winning innings if you don't win the match
Agree, though his definition is a better indicator of quality than if you only restrict it to wins
 
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Coronis

International Coach
Record in losses is unironically a better indicator of a good player than record in wins (the latter being half minnow bashing).
Top 12 (cos thats where 40 hits) using this method (min 20 innings):

Sutcliffe 11 matches 22 innings 1198 @ 54.45 4 tons 6 fifties
Hutton 20 matches 39 innings 1700 @ 50.00 3 tons 12 fifties
Hobbs 22 matches 42 innings 1889 @ 46.07 6 tons 9 fifties
Bradman 12 matches 22 innings 952 @ 43.27 2 tons 6 fifties
Flower 34 matches 68 innings 2713 @ 43.06 7 tons 15 fifties
Hazare 11 matches 22 innings 902 @ 42.95 2 tons 6 fifties
Lara 63 matches 126 innings 5316 @ 42.19 14 tons 22 fifties
Nourse 17 matches 34 innings 1331 @ 41.59 2 tons 10 fifties
Walcott 13 matches 26 innings 1039 @ 41.56 4 tons 4 fifties
Trumper 14 matches 27 innings 955 @ 41.52 2 tons 3 fifties
May 15 matches 30 innings 1215 @ 40.50 2 tons 9 fifties
Chanderpaul 77 matches 153 innings 5370 @ 40.07 9 tons 32 fifties

Lowest guys from our recent top 50 I saw were
Greenidge 14 matches 28 innings 434 @ 15.50 1 fifty (below noted batsman Pat Cummins)
Worrell 17 matches 34 innings 626 @ 18.41 1 ton 3 fifties (below Zimbabwe great Grant Flower)

of top guys the low ones were
Sobers 25 matches 49 innings 1274 @ 27.10 1 ton 5 fifties
Hammond 18 matches 36 innings 1051 @ 29.19 6 fifties

tldr: Sutcliffe is truly the GOAT, still has a 4 point average lead despite having 0 not outs, thus leaving 0 runs on the board in a loss unlike his closest competitors Hutton (5 n.o) and Hobbs (1 n.o)

Chanders unsurprisingly has the most lost tests ever at 77. Anderson is actually second with 68 but will retire before catching him. Others with a shot are Rahim (57) and Root (54).

The highest innings in a loss was Ponting’s 242 vs India @ Adelaide in 03.
 

peterhrt

U19 Vice-Captain
Hundreds for winning team when margin of victory fewer than 10 runs:

Trumper 104 in 115 minutes v England, Old Trafford, 1902
Klusener 118* v Sri Lanka, Kandy, 2000
Kane Williamson 132 v England, Wellington, 2023

Other notable ones:

Won by 11 runs. Jack Ryder 201* and 88 v England, Adelaide, 1925
Won by 12 runs. Hammond 119* and 177 v Australia, Adelaide, 1929
Won by 12 runs. Shahid Afridi 141 v India, Chennai, 1999
Won by 18 runs. Botham 50 and 149* off 148 balls v Australia, Leeds, 1981. (And 7 wickets in match)
Won by 21 runs. Chandimal 155* v Pakistan, Abu Dhabi, 2017
 
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Coronis

International Coach
Hundreds for winning team when margin of victory fewer than 10 runs:

Trumper 104 in 115 minutes v England, Old Trafford, 1902
Klusener 118* v Sri Lanka, Kandy, 2000
Kane Williamson 132 v England, Wellington, 2023

Other notable ones:

Won by 11 runs. Jack Ryder 201* and 88 v England, Adelaide, 1925
Won by 12 runs. Hammond 119* and 177 v Australia, Adelaide, 1929
Won by 12 runs. Shahid Afridi 141 v India, Chennai, 1999
Won by 18 runs. Botham 50 and 149* off 148 balls v Australia, Leeds, 1981. (And 7 wickets in match)
Won by 21 runs. Chandimal 155* v Pakistan, Abu Dhabi, 2017
Trumper’s 104 was off 105 balls btw. Coincidentally in that same innings, Hill also batted for 115 minutes and 105 balls, for 65.
 

ataraxia

International Coach
You can easily filter it to include only tests between the 8 proper sides.
Making a small sample size smaller. Overall record is a much better indicator of how good a player actually is in wins than record in wins itself simply because sample size. We need a @Prince EWS myth-buster on this one.
 

TheJediBrah

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Agree, though his definition is a better indicator of quality than if you only restrict it to wins
Of course. And that would be a completely different categorisation, like "great innings" or something. Not "match-winning" innings, which is objectively wrong
 

Coronis

International Coach
Misbah was so good in successful 4th innings chases he doesn’t even have an average.
 

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