Great Test Innings <100

Butcher didn't play in that series, it was Tres and Vorn by then.

Nah, Butch was there, batting at three.

Butcher & Hussain put on a great partnership at P.O.S when we were 8-2 or something.

Terrible pitch too...

Rob I wrote:

Henry wrote:I seem to remember Nasser and Butch making some hard earnt and vital 50's in the Windies in 2004. Edwards and Best are hardly Garner and Marshall, but they were bowling damn quick at the time, and the pitches were pretty dodgy.

Butcher didn't play in that series, it was Tres and Vorn by then.

He did too you Surrey denier. Got injured in the summer of 2004 and hasn't played since but featured very prominently in that series you'll find.

In the Wisden 100, the only 2 sub-100 innings to make the list were:

#35, AW Nourse's 93* v England in 1905-6 where Nourse (the old one) put on 50 for the last wicket for a 1 wicket win.

==> http://www.howstat.com.au/cricket/Statistics/Matches/MatchScorecard.asp?MatchCode=0088



#38, Vishy 97* v WIndies at Madras in 75 in a match where the 3 of the 4 innings failed to reach 200 (and the other only just made 250).

http://www.howstat.com.au/cricket/Statistics/Matches/MatchScorecard.asp?MatchCode=0748



For the record, two small but legendary tons split them:

Bradman's 103* in the Bodyline series and Jessop's mighty 104 in 1902.

Cannot believe how little you cunuts know about cricket . .. . Benaud's 97 v the unwashed at Lords in 56


or Ron Archer's 49 against Lock and Laker at Kennington Oval in '53.

How could you all forget Alex Tudor? 99*

Thorpey what were you thinking?

Big Keysie saw England home against the Windies the other year with 93*.

Wasn't great. Wasn't overly memorable. Wasn't particularly taxing (England chased 231 for loss of just 3 wickets). But it's forum law that Bobby gets a mention in every thread.

Actually, now I think of it, Geraint Jones' 85 in the first innings at Trent Bridge (Ashes 4th Test, 2005) was much-needed. Came in at 241/5 and the innings on the brink - dismissed with the score on 450 and England in a pretty commanding position.

Robin Smith's 90 against the Windies in 1995 at Lords.

Aah Robin Smith and his giant popeye wrists.

Eric Air Emu wrote:Aah Robin Smith and his giant popeye wrists.

Aye - another career sawn off by Ray Illingworth.

To be honest, and it pains me to say it, he had been in decline for a few years. Always good for a scrap against some quality pace bowling but just didn't score heavily enough in his last few years (hadn't made a century for a couple of years before he was permanently jettisoned) and his county career tailed off at the same time.

And he had a stupid haircut..

Eric Air Emu wrote:To be honest, and it pains me to say it, he had been in decline for a few years. Always good for a scrap against some quality pace bowling but just didn't score heavily enough in his last few years (hadn't made a century for a couple of years before he was permanently jettisoned) and his county career tailed off at the same time.

There was the perception that he was poor agaist spin. Even if he was - the answer was blindingly obvious (well, not to England's selectors!) - he should have been given an extended trial as an opener.

JKL- Robin Smith had foregone the perm in his latter years and had truly beautifully sculpted proper man's hair by the end of his test career. And even you have to admit he carried off that 'tache like no other man could. And those beautiful wide brown eyes...I could spend days just lost in them.

In '95 they tried him as an opener for all of one test if my memory serves me correctly and he didn't come off. Cast iron proof he was just not an opening batsman.

Actually my Robin Smith memory banks have just been stimulated and I believe he opened in a test away to SL a couple of years before and made a ton. Maybe you have a point.

Ray Illingworth...what a c*nt.

apres dix ans wrote:

lardbucket wrote:Good nomination Augustus ...

How many did Paynter make when he got out of his hospital bed?

Check the second post of this thread.

Missed that line, thanks.

doremi wrote:Gavaskar scored 96 or so against Pak in 87 on an absolute minefield, didn't he?

Whaddya know, I was right. Gavaskar's last test innings, rated by himself as one of his best, I think. Apparently that pitch was an absolute minefield.

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/india/engine/match/63456.html

I don't think anyone mentioned a masterpiece by AB in the Windies in 1984, when he was twice undefeated in the match and made 98 then an even 100 in what turned out to be an epic draw.

peterg wrote:I don't think anyone mentioned a masterpiece by AB in the Windies in 1984, when he was twice undefeated in the match and made 98 then an even 100 in what turned out to be an epic draw.

Someone touched on it earlier but worth bringing up again what a freaking little champion AB was. I seem to recall Dujon once saying it was his greatest disappointment in cricket not seeing AB get twin tons in that match.

Phurt, Dujon says that now.

Basil wrote:Colin Milburn's 83 against Australia at Lords in 1968

Geoff Boycott's 99 against W.I. in 1974 at P-o-S

I agree with Milburn. One of many changes after England's defeat in the 1st Test at OT (including Basil D'Oliveira who was dropped after topscoring with 87* in England's 2nd innings and didn't return until the final test at The Oval, courtesy of an injury to Roger Prideaux, when he scored a chanceless 158 and thus sparked "The D'Oliveira Affair"). Milburn batted 3 after Boycott and Edrich and came in early on a foul opening day after Edrich had been caught by Jarman off his gloves protecting himself (no helmets in those far off b/w TV days) from a rising ball from McKenzie. He made 16 looking as if he was batting with a stump rather than a bat and being exceptionally fortunate before rain in that very wet summer before rain brought a merciful end to the day's proceedings.

However Friday dawned brightly and whatever Milburn had had for his no doubt capacious breakfast must have been very agreeable indeed and he seemed a totally different player as he proceeded to smite the Ozzie bowlers to all parts of St John's Wood before being caught on the boundary about half an hour before lunch hitting Gleeson against the spin. Had he stayed put he would have undoubtedly made three figures before lunch. After watching him I went off reinvigorated to do my Latin O-level.

Sadly, the great man was injured for the next two games and only returned for the last match at The Oval where he opened with Edrich and made little impact with the bat but made two astonishing reflex bat-pad catches, belieing his reputation as a poor fielder (for which he was dropped for the last match of the 1966 series against the Windies, despite topping the England batting averages at the time). His was his last Test appearance in England before his tragic car accident the following season which robbed him of the sight of an eye although he was summoned from playing for Western Australia to England's winter tour of Pakistan (in place of his Northamptoshire partner, Prideaux) when he scored a century in his last innings (the last time this feat was achieved by an England batsman until Nasser Hussain against the Kiwis at Lord's in 2004).

Alex Tudor's 99* against the Kiwis in '99? It did win the match against the odds, as I recall.

"Ray Illingworth...what a c*nt"

Never a truer word spoken.

Colin Milburn, drunken Geordie legend.

No-one's mentioned David Steele's 50, 73, 92, 66 & 45 against the might of Lillian Thomson or his 64, 44 & 42 against the might of Roberts, Holding, Daniel and Holder. Well, I am. A few of them were loneish hands.

What about Gavaskar's 90-odd in the test against Pakistan, out of a total India score of about 200? The top came off the wicket at once, Immo didnt bowl and the spinners were all turning it square....

No-one's mentioned David Steele's 50, 73, 92, 66 & 45 against the might of Lillian Thomson or his 64, 44 & 42 against the might of Roberts, Holding, Daniel and Holder. Well, I am. A few of them were loneish hands.

aye. A daggy but dogged little count.

Mick Sawyer wrote:
aye. A daggy but dogged little count.

Aye, certainly was a 'dag'. Not sure where he got his **ahem** 'Steele' from. He was interviewed the other month on our local TV. Looks about the same all these years on.

The other Poms haven't mentioned him so far because they're biased, snotty little sh!ts. Disgrace.