Most famous innings in test history.

OK, most egregiously non-famous innings then.

What, like Braddles' blob?

Least famous innings? Jesus, if it ever comes to that then we will really be scraping the barrel.

How about the least famous over ever bowled? I'm creaming my pants with excitement already.

Thinking about other counties...


Pak - Hanif's 337*

NZ - maybe Astle's 222. Or Bert Sutcliffe's 80* v Safs (with Bob Blair at the other end)

Safs - Pollock's 274? Maybe Faulkners 204 in a losing effort v us? Or Dudley Nourse's 208?

Sri Lanka - Mahela's 374 or Jaya's 340 or Aravinda's 267?

Bangles - that guy who got a ton in their first test

Zimboks - Flower's mighty double v Safs? Houghton's debut?





.

I think you mean most exceptional overlooked innings. I think Morris' 182 (which outscored Bradman's 173*) at Headingley in 1948 and Dravid's 180 at Calcutta in 2001, already mentioned above, fall into that category, as does Ames' 140* (made largely after Edrich got out) at Durban in 1939 but then I'm doing what I suggested you shouldn't do.

Allan D wrote:I think you mean most exceptional overlooked innings. I think Morris' 182 (which outscored Bradman's 173*) at Headingley in 1948 and Dravid's 180 at Calcutta in 2001, already mentioned above, fall into that category, as does Ames' 140* (made largely after Edrich got out) at Durban in 1939 but then I'm doing what I suggested you shouldn't do.

Mark Waugh's ton while Steve got his 200?

Again, along the lines of match-winning innings batting last - Mark Butcher's 173* at Headingley in 2001 (remarkable how often this ground keeps cropping up in this thread, especially when the year ends in '1'). Not only was it an outstanding performance but it marked a return to respectability and the top flight for Butcher after divorce and alcoholism.

It was a great innings against a great attack.

Delayed the whitewash by 5 years as well.

If you are looking at 4th innings efforts - Mark Waugh's ton against Saf at Port Elizabeth in 1997 was up there with the best. THe next highest score in that match was 55.

Maybe that innings should be on the other list as well.

JGK wrote:

Allan D wrote:I think you mean most exceptional overlooked innings. I think Morris' 182 (which outscored Bradman's 173*) at Headingley in 1948 and Dravid's 180 at Calcutta in 2001, already mentioned above, fall into that category, as does Ames' 140* (made largely after Edrich got out) at Durban in 1939 but then I'm doing what I suggested you shouldn't do.

Mark Waugh's ton while Steve got his 200?

Yep, Dilley's 56 next to Botham's ton, Larry Gomes' 92 next to Greenidge's double, even Jack Russell's 29 at The Wanderers. You can go on forever which is why I think solo efforts like Bannerman, Jessop, Compton and Gooch, especially when made in difficult circumstances, stand out more.

Another solo effort that almost took his side to an improbable victory was Gavaskar's 221 out of 429-8 (9 runs short) at The Oval in 1979.

JGK wrote:

Allan D wrote:I think you mean most exceptional overlooked innings. I think Morris' 182 (which outscored Bradman's 173*) at Headingley in 1948 and Dravid's 180 at Calcutta in 2001, already mentioned above, fall into that category, as does Ames' 140* (made largely after Edrich got out) at Durban in 1939 but then I'm doing what I suggested you shouldn't do.

Mark Waugh's ton while Steve got his 200?

Grouse times.

Innings highlights start at 2 mins 30. Interesting preamble before then.



Power with elegance. Brilliant.

The Don called it the best innings he'd seen in Oz. Which probably counts for something.

Fail.

Just going to mention Sobers' 254 as the best innings not granted Test recognition which should have been.

Also best ODI innings: 175 by Herschelle Gibbs at The Wanderers in 2006 followed by Viv Richards' 189* at Old Trafford in 1984. Perhaps should go on a different thread but I can't see much argument about those 2.

If you are from Lancs, you don't care that this wasn't a Test match either ... and it was an innings that only lasted an over and a half.

The BBC had its light filters/enhancers on full, so i may not be obvious, but it was done just about in the dark!

JGK wrote:Fail.

Pah! Just because it was v Oz, you become a pedant!

PeterCS wrote:If you are from Lancs, you don't care that this wasn't a Test match either ... and it was an innings that only lasted an over and a half.

That's about the attention span of the average Lancastrian!

PeterCS wrote:The BBC had its light filters/enhancers on full, so i may not be obvious, but it was done just about in the dark!

They postponed the news (then at 8:50) so Jim Laker could do the commentary. Let's keep it to Tests, though, or else I'll start boring on about Ted Alletson's "40 minutes of madness" at Hove in May 1911 again!

Or the bowl the over whilst the clock chimes twelve.

PeterCS wrote:If you are from Lancs, you don't care that this wasn't a Test match either ... and it was an innings that only lasted an over and a half.

The BBC had its light filters/enhancers on full, so i may not be obvious, but it was done just about in the dark!

Cricket is missing this kind of fun excitement these days. Players still going in a day game approaching 9pm these days? They'd sook off...

They did in those days, too but there was serious money at stake in that match. I went to Lord's for the final that year (the next round) when Lancashire played Kent. I remember a great all-round performance, batting, bowling and fielding, in a losing cause by Asif Iqbal who took his side tantalisingly close to beating Lancs but was deprived of what would have been a well-deserved hundred as well as victory for his side by an extraordinary catch by Lancs' veteran skipper (who later captained Notts), Jack Bond.

Allan D wrote:Just going to mention Sobers' 254 as the best innings not granted Test recognition which should have been.

Also best ODI innings: 175 by Herschelle Gibbs at The Wanderers in 2006 followed by Viv Richards' 189* at Old Trafford in 1984. Perhaps should go on a different thread but I can't see much argument about those 2.

I don't see how Gibbs' innings is at the top. It was only just the highest score in a high scoring match.

For me, tons in WC finals always get a head start - hence Lloyd, Aravinda, Ponting and Gilly are all near the top of the tree. I'd add Symonds 143 v Pak and Waugh's ton in the "you've dropped the World Cup" match and Bevan's 78* against the Windies on New Years Day 1996 as the other best JAMODI innings' by Aussies.

For under rated JAMODI innings I'd go with Veletta's 48 off 50 balls in the Gilly semi and then 45 off 31 in the Final ...and Marto's 88 off 84 at the other end to Punter in Joburg

embee wrote:For under rated JAMODI innings I'd go with Veletta's 48 off 50 balls in the Gilly semi and then 45 off 31 in the Final ...and Marto's 88 off 84 at the other end to Punter in Joburg

Getting back on topic. What about Marto's non event at Sydney?

JGK wrote:I don't see how Gibbs' innings is at the top. It was only just the highest score in a high scoring match.

You were obviously watching a different game to the one I saw then. The consensus halfway through amongst commentators and, I suspect, spectators and viewers, Australian, South African and neutral alike, was that given Australia's record-breaking score and the quality of their attack an Australian victory was a formality and, also, that the power and quality of Ponting's 164 could not be bettered under any circumstances.

To score 175 out of 299 in just short of 32 overs is no mean feat but to do so given the weight of runs South Africa faced is nothing short of incredible. Although it is true that Gibbs' innings was not quite a match-winning one as South Africa still had a hill to climb in scoring 136 in the last 18 overs and Australia still had every reason to feel confident Gibbs' performance had instilled the self-belief in his side that swept them to victory.

To see one once-in-a-lifetime innings is a rare privilege. To see two on the same day is worth a price beyond rubies.