Greatest innings by a number 11

Checking the scorecard from the 3rd Test of the 72/73 series Aus v pak in Aus, I note that Bob Massie's only 2nd innings wicket, and his last in Tests was Sadiq Mohammad, c Edwards b Massie.

Yes that was the same match. Lillee and Massie took an opener each on the second last evening before Walker went nuts on the last day. Edwards' catch was one of those wickets, Sadiq off Massie, and it was as you described.

Good times.

Rob I wrote:Didn't Underwood stick around for a long time for 40-odd holding off Lillee one time?

No, it was before Lillee and against McKenzie and Connolly when the ball was swinging furiously at Headingley in 1968 causing England to collapse from 123-1 to 241-9 when "Deadly" came in to bat. It was also not for a long time. Underwood struck 45* in 51 minutes off 46 balls adding 61 with David Brown. It was an exceptionally entertaining innings in what was generally a dull and insipid match made even more so by the total surprise it caused spectators, players and commentators alike when he unveiled an astonishing number of previously unseen strokes.

Unlike Snow, who had originally joined the Sussex staff as a batsman, Underwood had no pretensions to batting ability and in the early part of his Test career (he had made his debut in 1966) he had a Monty-like reputation as an enthusiastic but uncoordinated fielder and batsman (although he did become an occasional night-watchman later on). Underwood's innings was very different from Snow's at The Oval in 1966 which was a case of a tailender enjoying himself on a flat pitch when the attack had already been caned by two regular batsmen (Graveney and Murray had already put on 217 for the 8th wicket) nor was it a "backs-to-the-wall" effort like Willis' at The Oval in 1980 where his job was to give support to a regular batsman at the other end in a bid to save the match.

His was a case of simply "giving it a go" in an instance where there was nothing to lose and where the attack was still rampant and the conditions far from ideal for batting. It was one of those rare instances where, for almost an hour, such an approach came off and it was glorious to watch. Brown's dismissal cost "Deadly" his best chance of a Test 50. Despite playing Test cricket for a further 13 1/2 years (less the penalty for playing for Packer) he never exceeded his score made on that afternoon of totally delightful madness.

Eng. v. Aus., 4th Test, Headingley, 1968

PeterCS wrote:But John Snow's was better.

Arguable, see above.

I too thought that Underwood had made a forty odd against Lillee late in his career. I think it was in Australia. However, he might have been a nightwatchman & not a number eleven in that innings.

I think you must mean this effort in a losing cause at the SCG where he batted at 5 and put on 48 for the 4th wicket with Brearley. Fortunately he fell 2 short of his Headingley score which was made in half the time. He was eclipsed by Gower coming in at 7 making 98* with only Bob Taylor and the (other) bowlers for support:

Aus. v. Eng., 2nd Test, SCG, 1980

Although not a Test this does involve two former Test players. Leicestershire's first innings in this match must be one of, if not the most unusual score card in cricket history and certainly the most valuable last wicket partnership. The two batsmen had a combined age of 85 and 47 seasons in fc cricket (plus overseas tours). Short of some mammoth partnership by Hobbs and Hendren (which I cannot discover) it must also be close to the record for a partnership involving two batsmen over the age of 40 as well as for the highest percentage of the whole innings:

Leics. v. Northants., Leicester, 1977

Kenny H's finest hour, eclipsing even his partnership with Snow at The Oval 11 years earlier. Pity his legs denied him the magic three figures. Sadly although he continued to play, intermittently, into his 50th year almost a decade later he never came so close again.

Allan, you're a walking stats book man!

Why aren't you working for the BBC FFS

JKLever wrote:Allan, you're a walking stats book man!

Why aren't you working for the BBC FFS

Didn't know they still covered cricket.

Bill Frindalls got to give it up soon fella... TMS here you come.

Psssst. Slip something in Bearders' cocoa.

Jim Higgs. Any time he didn't get out first ball.

Seriously, he once hung around for ages (ages for him, anyway) to allow Doug Walters (I think) to reach a century.

Although it was only 25 and he wasn't batting 11, occurs to me some people might be thinking of this effort by 'Deadly' in support of Tony Greig's magnificent 110 at the Gabba in 1974. He hung around for a bit in the second dig as well.

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/match/63136.html

freddled gruntbuggly wrote:Jim Higgs. Any time he didn't get out first ball.

Seriously, he once hung around for ages (ages for him, anyway) to allow Doug Walters (I think) to reach a century.

Aye, that was a PMSL day. Robin Baillache gave Higgs not out caught off the gloves from a bouncer on the grounds of a short lived intimidatory bowling rule (the bowler was Lance Cairns FFS!!!). He then hung around while KDW added a further 20 odd to bring up his final Test ton. Snoozers were filthy.

Hey, to a batsman as bad as Jimmy Higgs, Lance Cairns would be terrifyingly intimidating.

In fact, to a batsman like Higgs any ball that got further off the ground than Trevor C's effort six weeks later would have been 'intimidation' so it would have been harder to get Higgs out than Bradman under that law.