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The great knocks

nightprowler10

Global Moderator
Good innings, no doubt about it, but it wasn't that good to credit it as the greatest innings under pressure. I'm no expert on Pakistan cricket, but surely there are atleast a dozen innings better than that.
That was certainly one of the best I have seen in my lifetime. Pakistan were 0/3 and then 36/6 at one point against India of all teams and on the verge of losing the series at home. Akmal, a relatively nothing batsman, produced, under such immense pressure, a knock so technically great that it reminded commentators of Gavaskar. The knock itself instilled such confidence in the rest of the team that we went on to win the match by 350+ runs. I feel that you may not think much of the knock solely because its Kamran Akmal and not some greater batsman who produced it. I certainly can't think of a dozen Pakistani knocks that were better than his. I'd agree with Xuhaib and say it was one of the top 5 tons from a Pakistani. I'll even go as far as to say it was better than anything Yousuf did that year.
 

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
That was certainly one of the best I have seen in my lifetime. Pakistan were 0/3 and then 36/6 at one point against India of all teams and on the verge of losing the series at home. Akmal, a relatively nothing batsman, produced, under such immense pressure, a knock so technically great that it reminded commentators of Gavaskar. The knock itself instilled such confidence in the rest of the team that we went on to win the match by 350+ runs. I feel that you may not think much of the knock solely because its Kamran Akmal and not some greater batsman who produced it. I certainly can't think of a dozen Pakistani knocks that were better than his. I'd agree with Xuhaib and say it was one of the top 5 tons from a Pakistani. I'll even go as far as to say it was better than anything Yousuf did that year.
The fact that I didn't see the innings itself probably has something to do with it.
 

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
Given the conditions and circumstances, Akmal’s knock is probably one of the best innings this decade. It was that good and more crucially that significant.

It’s a shame to see Akmal’s stock fall so much since then for he did at one time look a huge talent.
 

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
I thought Graeme Smith’s unbeaten hundred at Wellington (2004) was one of the best by a South African in recent times. Guy was a playing on a different planet to everyone else, even his match winner collaborator Gary Kirsten (in his final test) looked like a walking wicket for his first hundred deliverers whilst Smith just effortlessly dismantled the New Zealand attack, on a worn day five pitch. Really was a top knock by Smith, for up until this point the New Zealanders had bowled well to him and his creditability had been dented severely by Stephen Fleming, who had outfoxed Smith in every department throughout the tour but like in the recent series against Pakistan and India, when South Africa need an innings, Smith will nine times out of ten (in spite of all the earlier failures) came through.
 
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allout

Cricket Spectator
well,
The match is Asia XI vs Rest of the World XI at Dhaka --8 April 2000

Asia XI 320 for 9 beat Rest of the World XI 319 for 7.

Michael Bevan scored 185 of 132. What an innings that was!!!!!!!
 
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Xuhaib

International Coach
Given the conditions and circumstances, Akmal’s knock is probably one of the best innings this decade. It was that good and more crucially that significant.

It’s a shame to see Akmal’s stock fall so much since then for he did at one time look a huge talent.
He may still turn out one since you have to remember he had a sustained period of excellence though that has been followed by equally lengthy period of mediocrity.
 

Matt79

Global Moderator
Sober's innings for the ROW XI against Australia.

Langer and Gilchrist's efforts against Pakistan in Hobart.
 

nightprowler10

Global Moderator
Given the conditions and circumstances, Akmal’s knock is probably one of the best innings this decade.
This gave me an idea. Are there enough great knocks in this decade to do a battle of the post-2000 knocks? Maybe even include knocks from 2000.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Sorry if this has been done, wondering what people thought were some of the all-time great knocks.

Just quickly some obvious Australian ones off the top of my head to get this started:

Kim Hughes 100* vs WI, Melb 81/81 - just watched this, with scores at 5 for not very many against Holding, Garner, Roberts and Croft - Hughes played out of his skin to put Australia into position to break the WI 15 match undefeated streak.

Stan McCabe 187* vs England, Melb 32/33 - Pure brilliance againt Bodyline which many regard as the all time greatest knock against brutal bowling.

Ricky Ponting 156 vs England, Old Trafford 2005 - So much has been said, can't really add to it tbh.

Don Bradman 334 vs England, Headingley 1930 - Casual 300 in a day's play. Not really sure which is his greatest innings. This one, the 254 at Lord's, the Bodyline century. There are so many amazing knocks from the greatest batsman ever it's really hard to choose (deserves a thread of its own itbt).

Anyways, let the lists begin.
Bradman always said his best was the 254 at Lord's, as already said, and as Stedman said, every ball went exactly where he aimed it. Surely unsurpassable.

The best I've seen, by masses, was Astle's 222. Sort of a scaled-down version - not everything went right, but a chanceless 222 off 157 (or whatever it was) balls is pretty astonishing, and some of the shots he was playing - and having come-off perfectly - were just shots to strain belief.

I only managed to stay awake all night once that series. How greatful I am that it was that night.
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
Probably. The original Battle of the Test Innings was highly enjoyable.

From an English POV, Hussain's 207 V Australia in 97 pretty much got me into Cricket, so that's a personal favourite of mine, mainly for nostalgia tbh.

Of those that haven't been mentioned, I can't think of any stand-out tons without digging through scorecards, which I CBF to do. However, Andrew Flintoff's 73 (I think) in the 2nd dig at Edgbaston 05 is one of the best non-100s ever IMO, when taken in context it was worth so much more than so many centuries have been (see England V West Indies @ Lords/Pak V India first two tests last year) and he scored so many runs with the last man. Sure, it's not as technically good an innings as the ones previously discussed, but all things considered (included the fact that he was batting through the pain barrier for a period) it was a great knock.

(yeah yeah, devoted pom :ph34r:)
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Then you still had the guts to have a sarcastic laugh.
TBF, the comment quoted from IMO deserved a sarcastic laugh. One of the best knocks ever by a Pakistani the innings may well be, but it wasn't what dear old itduzz claimed it as.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Of those that haven't been mentioned, I can't think of any stand-out tons without digging through scorecards, which I CBF to do. However, Andrew Flintoff's 73 (I think) in the 2nd dig at Edgbaston 05 is one of the best non-100s ever IMO, when taken in context it was worth so much more than so many centuries have been (see England V West Indies @ Lords/Pak V India first two tests last year) and he scored so many runs with the last man. Sure, it's not as technically good an innings as the ones previously discussed, but all things considered (included the fact that he was batting through the pain barrier for a period) it was a great knock.
Atherton's 45 against West Indies at Lord's in the second-innings, for mine, is one of the best innings I've seen. Better than most centuries, and better than any century Matthew Hayden (... for instance... :ph34r: ) has ever scored.
 

nightprowler10

Global Moderator
As knocks go where the batsman failed to reach a hundred, Inzamam's 94* at Port Elizabeth this year was the absolute best. Carved out a 10th wicket 74 run partnership with Asif on the other end.

@GIMP: I wasn't around for BOTI so it gives me even more of an incentive to start one.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Was Akhil IIRR... he's certainly the most (unfairly) harsh on Aseem on the board.

Good job Aseem takes it in good spirits.
 

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