Cataloguing the best innings of X runs in test history

[Howe_zat]

Cool thread OS. Just seen it and have enjoyed catching up this evening

 

[h_hurricane]

26 runs:

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that poor diet, bad genes and Jason Gillespie's 26 against India at Chennai 2004 are the top 3 reasons for hair loss among Indians. Most infuriating tailender innings I've ever watched as this stupid **** came in as night-watchman when Australia were 4 wickets down with no lead and put on 140 with Martyn. Well, atleast it had no effect on the result I suppose because thankfully rain stayed away on the final day. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ia-vs-australia-2nd-test-64100/full-scorecard)

Honourable mentions to Paul Collingwood against SA (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ica-vs-england-1st-test-387570/full-scorecard) and Kapil Dev bringing India home in a small runchase they were in the process of screwing up (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-vs-west-indies-4th-test-63229/full-scorecard)

Inzamam's 26 against England in the 3rd test at Leeds in 2006 probably deserves a mention, just because of the hilarious mode he got dismissed against Panesar, losing control and falling over the stumps. Was also involved in the run out of Younis Khan who was batting on 173 earlier.

Just Inzy deeds.

Full Scorecard of England vs Pakistan 3rd Test 2006 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com

Complete Scorecard of England vs Pakistan 3rd Test 2006, Pakistan tour of England and Scotland only on ESPNcricinfo.com. Find the complete scorecard of England vs Pakistan 3rd Test Online

www.espncricinfo.com

 

[OverratedSanity]

28 runs:

Kusal Perera vs WI, 2018. A very different kind of 4th innings Kusal perera match winner to the one most people know of. A few months before he treated Rabada and Steyn like club bowlers and sent Olivier packing to an England deal en-route to probably the most shocking 4th innings chase ever, an injured Perera nudged and prodded Sri Lanka to a series levelling win on a very difficult pitch when SL were struggling at 81-6. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-vs-sri-lanka-3rd-test-1135151/full-scorecard).

Should be noted that this came only a day after he legitimately almost killed himself trying to take a catch on the boundary as seen below:

 

[OverratedSanity]

29 runs:

There have been several genuinely great 29's in cricket history, from:

Ranatunga guiding SL home by 2 wickets with a broken thumb with an innings that included two glorious one handed fours off Waqar and Razzaq and some truly Ranatunga-tier running. Short highlights timestamped below (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...an-vs-sri-lanka-1st-test-63872/full-scorecard)

to McDermott's second tragic 4th innings failure after adelaide 1992, this time top scoring and almost chasing a small target by himself in the Fanie de villiers game (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...vs-south-africa-2nd-test-63629/full-scorecard)

Jack Russell's epic companion piece to Atherton's 185 (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...rica-vs-england-2nd-test-63701/full-scorecard)

But the greatest and arguably most famous sub-30 score is this innings by Wally Hammond on one of the most notorious stickies of all time. Must've been thinking "Why don't they just hit him back over his head" as Martindale was was tearing through England's lineup. So he proceeded to do just that, winning the game by bopping martindale for six. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...dies-vs-england-1st-test-62624/full-scorecard)

 

[OverratedSanity]

30 runs:

The righteous indignation of Sydney 08 fuelling RP singh to a match winning partnership with vvs. Ended up being the most vital sequence of the game as India looked ready to choke again in the 4th innings but this time without being screwed by the officiating. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ralia-vs-india-3rd-test-291353/full-scorecard)

Honourable mentions:

Len Hutton in a total of 52 allout against Lindwall and Miller. Also scored 64 in the second innings. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...nd-vs-australia-5th-test-62689/full-scorecard)

Courtney Walsh's highest test score which rescued WI from the depths of 199-8 to 280 allout. WI got a slim lead and won the game to seal the series win. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-vs-west-indies-3rd-test-63498/full-scorecard)

and Murali's magnificent 30 in just 36 balls to stretch SL's lead at the Oval in 1998. Yeah yeah he also took 16 wickets but without his quick runs, England might have ended up saving the game because there was less than an hour of play left by the time SL finished the small runchase. Unironically should be considered an atg all round performance. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...d-vs-sri-lanka-only-test-63809/full-scorecard)

 

[ankitj]

Did I say this thread is legendary? Just awesome to read it.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

 

[honestbharani]

View attachment 28620

Will happen at the same time Teja answers his interview questions............


Or when I get to make my next pick in the ascending order of tests draft.

 

[OverratedSanity]

30 runs:

The righteous indignation of Sydney 08 fuelling RP singh to a match winning partnership with vvs. Ended up being the most vital sequence of the game as India looked ready to choke again in the 4th innings but this time without being screwed by the officiating. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ralia-vs-india-3rd-test-291353/full-scorecard)

Honourable mentions:

Len Hutton in a total of 52 allout against Lindwall and Miller. Also scored 64 in the second innings. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...nd-vs-australia-5th-test-62689/full-scorecard)

Courtney Walsh's highest test score which rescued WI from the depths of 199-8 to 280 allout. WI got a slim lead and won the game to seal the series win. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-vs-west-indies-3rd-test-63498/full-scorecard)

and Murali's magnificent 30 in just 36 balls to stretch SL's lead at the Oval in 1998. Yeah yeah he also took 16 wickets but without his quick runs, England might have ended up saving the game because there was less than an hour of play left by the time SL finished the small runchase. Unironically should be considered an atg all round performance. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...d-vs-sri-lanka-only-test-63809/full-scorecard)

Just watched it on YouTube, and **** me, RP singh played some outrageous shots off Tait and Clark.

 

[honestbharani]

Just watched it on YouTube, and **** me, RP singh played some outrageous shots off Tait and Clark.

HIs interview post match was gold too. Basically said, so far they promote me only as night watchman but now I will ask to be pushed up as pinch hitter.

 

[OverratedSanity]

31 runs:

Ishant Sharma walked in at Mohali vs Australia with the score at 124/8. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...a-vs-australia-1st-test-464526/full-scorecard) Over the next couple of hours, he faced 92 balls, while VVS faced 38. Classic trolljob where Australia repeatedly gave Laxman the free single early in the over (usually after he'd hit a boundary) to get the tailender on strike. Clearly VVS doing this was a recipe for disaster as CW's posters agreed:

What the heck is laxman doing, single first ball, craaazzyyy

Laxman is a very poor batsman with the tail, from memory. Seen him do this in quite a few matches now.

Only Jono got it right. Never doubt vvs intentman and his methods.

Are you guys honestly suggesting that VVS should turn down singles and take the strike and try and get 80 runs himself? That's silly. Duminy didn't do that in his huge partnership with Steyn at the MCG in 2008. You gotta bat with the tail and protect them at times sure, but don't turn down free runs.

Tbf VVS' innings genuinely might have been looked at as a mini chanderpaul-esque red inker if not for ishant's stubborn defiance.

Honourable mention: Umesh Yadav with his highest test score, made in 10 balls. All but 1 run scored with DLF maximums. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-south-africa-3rd-test-1187009/full-scorecard)

32 runs:

Doug Ring had already had a pretty great all round series vs WI in 1952. He came up clutch with both bat and ball repeatedly. Took a 6fer and finished off a nervy chase in the first test, an important 65 in the second, a 67 as nightwatchman after the previous two nightwatchmen had gotten themselves out in the third. And finally in the 4th test, he sealed the series with 38 run 10th wicket partnership. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-vs-west-indies-4th-test-62733/full-scorecard)

Honourable mention: Graham McKenzie's vital last wicket stand with Davidson setting up Benaud's Ashes-winning spell. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...nd-vs-australia-4th-test-62896/full-scorecard). It remained the record 10th wicket stand for Australia in England until Agar and Hughes.

 

[Victor Ian]

I hope this thread gets all the way to 400.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I hope this thread gets all the way to 400.

It might take 10 years but itll get there. As long as CW still exists by then.

 

[honestbharani]

31 runs:

Ishant Sharma walked in at Mohali vs Australia with the score at 124/8. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...a-vs-australia-1st-test-464526/full-scorecard) Over the next couple of hours, he faced 92 balls, while VVS faced 38. Classic trolljob where Australia repeatedly gave Laxman the free single early in the over (usually after he'd hit a boundary) to get the tailender on strike. Clearly VVS doing this was a recipe for disaster as CW's posters agreed:



Only Jono got it right. Never doubt vvs intentman and his methods.



Tbf VVS' innings genuinely might have been looked at as a mini chanderpaul-esque red inker if not for ishant's stubborn defiance.

Honourable mention: Umesh Yadav with his highest test score, made in 10 balls. All but 1 run scored with DLF maximums. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-south-africa-3rd-test-1187009/full-scorecard)

32 runs:

Doug Ring had already had a pretty great all round series vs WI in 1952. He came up clutch with both bat and ball repeatedly. Took a 6fer and finished off a nervy chase in the first test, an important 65 in the second, a 67 as nightwatchman after the previous two nightwatchmen had gotten themselves out in the third. And finally in the 4th test, he sealed the series with 38 run 10th wicket partnership. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-vs-west-indies-4th-test-62733/full-scorecard)

Honourable mention: Graham McKenzie's vital last wicket stand with Davidson setting up Benaud's Ashes-winning spell. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...nd-vs-australia-4th-test-62896/full-scorecard). It remained the record 10th wicket stand for Australia in England until Agar and Hughes.

OS, wherever possible, you should link us to the respective threads from CW too. That would make this the best thread ever.

 

[ankitj]

Ishant doesn't show any resistance with bat these days

 

[Chewie]

OS, wherever possible, you should link us to the respective threads from CW too. That would make this the best thread ever.

you can click on the quote

 

[honestbharani]

you can click on the quote

No, meant some of the others..

 

[OverratedSanity]

33 runs:

This managed to be one of the most difficult choices so far, with several legit contenders.

- Garry Sobers saving West Indies from a massive collapse vs England (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...dies-vs-england-1st-test-63014/full-scorecard)

- Dominic Cork finishing a low scoring runchase to set England on their way to their first series win over west indies for 31 years. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-vs-west-indies-2nd-test-63889/full-scorecard)

- Bhuvneshwar Kumar's gritty innings vs a red hot attack on a virtually unplayable pitch. He also scored 30 in the first innings and picked up 4 wickets in the game. Good enough to get man of the match giving India their only win on an otherwise frustrating tour. But not good enough to be a test match cricketer apparently because he's never been in the frame for selection since then, much less actually play a game. Well atleast he ended his test career on a high. Thanks Kohli/Shastri . (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...rica-vs-india-3rd-test-1122278/full-scorecard)

All that being said, the most obvious choice is probably the best one here. TOTAB painfully crushing Peter Siddle's aorta one depressing block at a time. And even though he did get bowled by him 220 blocks later, the rope a dope had been successful. Smith and Amla completed the job a few days later where AB also enjoyed himself some richly deserved downhill skiiing. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...s-south-africa-2nd-test-573008/full-scorecard)

34 runs:

In the first test of the 1907-08 ashes, Gerry Hazlitt was on debut and had already scored a useful 18 in the first innings when he came in to bat with Australia 8 down and 54 runs from victory. His 34, along with Tibby Cotter ( who incidentally scored 33) took them to a famous win. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...alia-vs-england-1st-test-62491/full-scorecard)

Unfortunately, he went from hero to zero in the very next game which England won even more dramatically as with the last wicket pair stranded in the middle of the pitch, he decided to do a Steve-Smith-at-Mohali and threw it for four overthrows giving England a 1 wicket win. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...alia-vs-england-2nd-test-62492/full-scorecard)

 

[Immenso]

Craig Overton scored 33 out of 58 all out.

 

[ankitj]

- Bhuvneshwar Kumar's gritty innings vs a red hot attack on a virtually unplayable pitch. He also scored 30 in the first innings and picked up 4 wickets in the game. Good enough to get man of the match giving India their only win on an otherwise frustrating tour. But not good enough to be a test match cricketer apparently because he's never been in the frame for selection since then, much less actually play a game. Well atleast he ended his test career on a high. Thanks Kohli/Shastri . (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...rica-vs-india-3rd-test-1122278/full-scorecard)

Oh Bhuvi