Cataloguing the best innings of X runs in test history

[SillyCowCorner1]

This should be in the 0 contention:

Pedro Collins to Hannah Sarkar, 0(1) x3

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Hadlee's 99 (off 81 balls) on a tough batting pitch in 1984 - NZ 307, England 82 and 93 has got to be right up there.

 

[OverratedSanity]

16 runs:

Lucky Denton vs SA, 1910. Scoring 114% of a 4th innings runchase by yourself is kinda unusual. Statistically one of the greatest innings of all time.
(https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...rica-vs-england-5th-test-62505/full-scorecard)

and the Mullally innings Bijed mentioned (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...alia-vs-england-4th-test-63817/full-scorecard)

 

[Immenso]

21 runs A nondescript score but a memorable innings by Jeff Thomson. Joining Alan Border at the crease in the '82/'83 Ashes Boxing Day Test, Australia needed 73 runs for victory. Thommo lasted 62 balls before he fell to Ian Botham courtesy of a rebound catch (a drop by Chris Tavara) taken by Geoff Miller. Australia was just 3 runs short of victory

Would have to be rivalled by Ewen Chatfield's 21* at Carisbrook 84/85. Match winning unbeaten 50 run partnership with Coney, Coney didn't Shield him from the strike

 

[TheJediBrah]

I'm just waiting out to see who gets 69





inb4 "not you"

 

[trundler]

I'm just waiting out to see who gets 69

Your mum

 

[OverratedSanity]

17 runs:

Ashley Giles vs SL, 2003. After taking 8 wickets in the game, keeps out Murali in a 107 ball match saving effort (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...anka-vs-england-1st-test-64056/full-scorecard)

18 runs:

Craig McDermott vs WI 1993. Heroic last wicket stand with May to almost drag them to a series sealing win. Probably robbed of a win because it looks like he was caught off the helmet not the glove, losing by 1 run. But its Australia so the heartbreak was well deserved. https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-vs-west-indies-4th-test-63593/full-scorecard

and Brett Lee Old Trafford 2005 Ashes with his second rearguard innings in consecutive games, this time not ending with flintoff calling him a loser. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...d-vs-australia-3rd-test-215686/full-scorecard)

 

[OverratedSanity]

19 runs:
I'm sure there might be better contenders here but this one is strange. Hedley Verity apparently was sent in to open the batting in a game in the 1937 Ashes. I know he was no mug with the bat but making him opener seems a very lolrandom move by the captain. Ignorant of his first class career, so if he's actually opened there I get it. Anyway, the experiment was kinda successful even though England lost, as he put on two solid opening stands of 53 and 45. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...alia-vs-england-4th-test-62644/full-scorecard)


20 runs:

Mushtaq Ahmed vs Australia, Karachi 1994: One of the greatest tests of all time with a great last wicket Inzi-mushy partnership to bring Pak home by 1 wicket. It's assisted by some typical hilariously bad "what even are LBWs" home umpiring (especially the one I timestamped below) but its still a good watch and Mushtaq smacks Warne around at the end before Healy's choke. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...an-vs-australia-1st-test-63654/full-scorecard)

Honorable mention: JJ Ferris making his highest test score after coming at at 18/7 to take australia to a match winning 60 allout. ****, pre war cricket sounds great. The ahmedabad pitch curator has the right idea. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...nd-vs-australia-1st-test-62423/full-scorecard)

 

[Fuller Pilch]

19 runs

Lance Cairns vs the West Indies 1980

NZ were chasing just 104 to win but had slumped to 54/7 when Cairns came out to join Richard Hadlee. Cairns (19) and Hadlee (17) were the two highest scorers as NZ reached 104/9 to record a victory against a red-hot attack. Cairns was the last man out at 100/9 but then the 10 and 11 got NZ over the line.

 

[OverratedSanity]

21 runs:

Jeff Thomson vs England Melbourne 1981. Put on 70 for the 10th wicket with the racist prick but ****ed it up 3 runs from the finish line after Border refused to shield him in a shocking display of cowardice. England in turn almost said hold my beer and choked an easy catch in the slips too before grabbing the rebound(https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...alia-vs-england-4th-test-63327/full-scorecard)

22 runs

Sameer Dighe vs Australia, Chennai 2001. Scored 22 priceless runs to complete which was ,arguably until earlier this year, the greatest series win in Indian history. Kolkata would've all been for nought if not for this innings which had barely 2-3 runs come from somewhere close to the middle of the bat. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ia-vs-australia-3rd-test-63921/full-scorecard)

Honorable mentions:

Paul Collingwood vs Australia, Adelaide 2006. While his teammates all gagged under the pressure of an awkward 3rd innings, collingwood played as bad an innings as any of the others who threw it away. In the context, runs were valuable if England were to save the game. Lack of intent killed them (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...lia-vs-england-2nd-test-249223/full-scorecard)

Muralitharan vs Pakistan in 2000 with some vintage Murali high farce that even cracks Azhar Mahmood up who he smacks for 5 hilarious fours. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...nka-vs-pakistan-2nd-test-63886/full-scorecard)

23 runs

No brainer. Hanuma Vihari vs Australia, Border gavaskar 2021. on a torn hamstring saving a game which was way closer to disaster than the final scorecard makes it seem (only jadeja with a broken hand and 3 complete bunnies to come). Showed massive balls and grit and one day some dumbass will look at statsguru series averages with no context and say he was a complete failure. He couldve gone yolo and might have scored a jammy hundred and lost his wicket in the process but nope, thank god he wasnt a selfish ****. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...alia-vs-india-3rd-test-1223871/full-scorecard)

Also gave us an ATG tweet after the game

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1349285961994182662

 

[honestbharani]

The Dighe and Vihari innings are like cult knocks for me. Dighe kept late cutting from various parts of his bat against Colin Miller who was looking genuinely unplayable on a last day Chennai wicket which had broken up enormously in the March heat.

 

[OverratedSanity]

24 runs:

Honorable mentions go to :

Devendra Bishoo's innings in a low scoring game that prevented chanderpaul's snailpaced 36 from becoming another mere red inker. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...es-vs-pakistan-1st-test-489218/full-scorecard)

Mark Butcher nurdling England to a narrow win against WI in a game he was only played last minute because Ramprakash had the flu (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...dies-vs-england-3rd-test-63785/full-scorecard)

But the winner is Mullaly's highest test score purely for the comedic value it provides. Some genuinely glorious shots, a couple of hilarious Murali-esque swipes where neither he nor the fielders have any idea where the ball went, and a lolpakistan dropped catch (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...and-vs-pakistan-3rd-test-63718/full-scorecard)

 

[OverratedSanity]

25 runs

Honourable mentions to :

Rick McCosker famously batting with a broken jaw in the Centenary test (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...lia-vs-england-only-test-63189/full-scorecard)

Amla with one of the lesser talked about deadbat masterclasses which that SA team's batsmen seemed to specialize in. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...s-south-africa-2nd-test-730091/full-scorecard)

But the winner is Angelo Mathews's 13 ball cameo to finish off a miraculous run-chase v Pakistan in Mahela's final test (edit: second to last actually). SL were chasing 99 in 21 overs. A dark cloud hung over the stadium threatening a draw and while they got there technically with a handful of overs remaining, they might have actually won the game off the very last ball possible because literally seconds after Mathews runs the winning single, it started pouring down. Probably one of the most exciting last few overs of a test which a lot of other countries fans might not know about. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ka-vs-pakistan-1st-test-745153/full-scorecard)

 

[sunilz]

25 runs

Honourable mentions to :

Rick McCosker famously batting with a broken jaw in the Centenary test (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...lia-vs-england-only-test-63189/full-scorecard)

Amla with one of the lesser talked about deadbat masterclasses which that SA team's batsmen seemed to specialize in. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...s-south-africa-2nd-test-730091/full-scorecard)

But the winner is Angelo Mathews's 13 ball cameo to finish off a miraculous run-chase v Pakistan in Mahela's final test (edit: second to last actually). SL were chasing 99 in 21 overs. A dark cloud hung over the stadium threatening a draw and while they got there technically with a handful of overs remaining, they might have actually won the game off the very last ball possible because literally seconds after Mathews runs the winning single, it started pouring down. Probably one of the most exciting last few overs of a test which a lot of other countries fans might not know about. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ka-vs-pakistan-1st-test-745153/full-scorecard)

Isn't this the time when Matthews was one of the best test batsman in the world?

 

[Daemon]

But the winner is Angelo Mathews's 13 ball cameo to finish off a miraculous run-chase v Pakistan in Mahela's final test (edit: second to last actually). SL were chasing 99 in 21 overs. A dark cloud hung over the stadium threatening a draw and while they got there technically with a handful of overs remaining, they might have actually won the game off the very last ball possible because literally seconds after Mathews runs the winning single, it started pouring down. Probably one of the most exciting last few overs of a test which a lot of other countries fans might not know about. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...ka-vs-pakistan-1st-test-745153/full-scorecard)

SA cameramen can usually spot the birds in the crowd but the SL guys have outdone themselves at 0:32

 

[OverratedSanity]

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)

 

[sunilz]

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)

There was a similar innings played by Gillespie against India at Sydney in 2004. India could have otherwise asked AUS to follow on.

 

[ataraxia]

19 runs:
I'm sure there might be better contenders here but this one is strange. Hedley Verity apparently was sent in to open the batting in a game in the 1937 Ashes. I know he was no mug with the bat but making him opener seems a very lolrandom move by the captain. Ignorant of his first class career, so if he's actually opened there I get it. Anyway, the experiment was kinda successful even though England lost, as he put on two solid opening stands of 53 and 45. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...alia-vs-england-4th-test-62644/full-scorecard)

It's recounted in Christopher Martin-Jenkins' The Complete Who's Who of Test Cricketers. IIRC England were really struggling with openers that series, and those two partnerships he put on were the best of the series. (Verity was generally a solid, 20 averaging bat so it kind of made sense. I think in NZ conditions travelling teams could genuinely be better off using this tactic with such defensive bat bowling all-rounder type players to protect the rest of the lineup.)

 

[ataraxia]

It's recounted in Christopher Martin-Jenkins' The Complete Who's Who of Test Cricketers. IIRC England were really struggling with openers that series, and those two partnerships he put on were the best of the series. (Verity was generally a solid, 20 averaging bat so it kind of made sense. I think in NZ conditions travelling teams could genuinely be better off using this tactic with such defensive bat bowling all-rounder type players to protect the rest of the lineup.)

also lol that 19 was off 121 deliveries according to Charles Davis, fun times. (I don't believe he opened in FC BTW)

 

[OverratedSanity]

27 runs:

Derek Pringle vs WI 1991. Graham Gooch's legendary knock might simply have ended up a nice hundred in a losing effort instead of arguably the greatest innings ever played if Pringle hadnt stubbornly stuck around for a critical 98 run partnership. Hit some glorious shots off Marshall too. Incidentally, Ramprakash got a useful 27 in the same innings too. (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...-vs-west-indies-1st-test-63557/full-scorecard).


Honourable mention:

Vasbert Drakes chasing down a world record total vs Australia. Hit a very memorable, absolutely massive six off Macgill (David Hookes on commentary went something like "He's gone for it, will it go for six? Oh wait its hit the ****ing roof") (https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...es-vs-australia-4th-test-64027/full-scorecard)