Best Test Centuries in England since 2000

[Top_Cat]

I wanted to mention this but feared the riposte. Thanks

The thing I liked about it was what led to it. He'd obviously been batting really well in the year or so leading up to it but mainly by being Freddie the basher. And the couple of 50's he scored at Edgbaston were along similar lines. This knock, however, was proper boot to the throat stuff. The series was tied up after the Aussies escaped at OT and they would have felt like they were still in it but they were teetering so it was set up for someone to step up and take control. That, for me, was the knock that finally deflated the Aussies. Yeah they came at England hard at The Oval but from that point, they were playing from behind.

Considering the pressure, the moment and the style of it, was a great innings.

 

[Marius]

KP Headingley 2012 deserves a mention

That's the first one that came to mind.

One of the best innings I've watched on TV.

We had no answer to KP that day.

 

[weldone]

Rahane at Lord's last year deserves a mention.

It's got more than a mention before you mentioned it.

 

[OverratedSanity]

That's the first one that came to mind.

One of the best innings I've watched on TV.

We had no answer to KP that day.

In terms of entertainment, that's one of the best ever. Steyn has never before or since been taken apart quite like that. Some of the shots he played off Steyn that day (the slow motion pull, the baseball slap down the ground and a massive straight six to a perfect outswinger) were absolutely bonkers.

 

[wpdavid]

Root's at TB a great shout actually.

Too right it is. To bat that sublimely on a pitch that was supposed to be a mine-field given Aus' 60ao was just a ridiculous effort.

 

[Furball]

Only got out because he attempted to slog after the lower order fell like a pack of cards. ****ing Dhoni. Will never forgive him for that dismissal.

I think it was about the one weakness that England found all summer.

"Isn't brilliant at slogging with the tail" isn't exactly what you want to identify as a batsman's only weakness in a team meeting. Thankfully the rest of his colleagues were dreadful.

 

[morgieb]

Root's at Cardiff

Come at me, GIMH.

 

[Spark]

Root's at Cardiff

Come at me, GIMH.

Pretty sure any outrage is wasted on a MOTM performance in what turned out to be the critical Test.

 

[Burgey]

Sadly he didn't make it to 100, but Ponting's 70 odd on day one at Headingly in 2009 was a ****ing ridiculously good knock after England got rolled for 100. Just walked in and batted on a different pitch to everyone else. Any hope England had of getting back into the game just evaporated in about a half hour. Was a brilliant knock.

 

[Black_Warrior]

KP's a 149 at Headingly where he smacked Steyn, Philander and Morkel as if they were school boys bowling off spin

 

[GIMH]

Sadly he didn't make it to 100, but Ponting's 70 odd on day one at Headingly in 2009 was a ****ing ridiculously good knock after England got rolled for 100. Just walked in and batted on a different pitch to everyone else. Any hope England had of getting back into the game just evaporated in about a half hour. Was a brilliant knock.

Yes. I was there that day and I maintain that it's the best innings I've ever seen live.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Sadly he didn't make it to 100, but Ponting's 70 odd on day one at Headingly in 2009 was a ****ing ridiculously good knock after England got rolled for 100. Just walked in and batted on a different pitch to everyone else. Any hope England had of getting back into the game just evaporated in about a half hour. Was a brilliant knock.

Yeah I was about too mention that one. Awesome innings. The bowling was pretty atrocious but some of the shots Ponting played were incredible... Remember a pull shot off Onions especially. Was a bad ball down leg and Ponting just helped it on its way and it rent 20 rows back.