The Greatest Ever Test Innings Played At Perth

[SillyCowCorner1]

Roy Fredericks, 169 off 145 balls. Freaking legendary. Some may agree that it was one of the greatest innings ever played. Period.

In just 145 balls he scorched to 169 against an attack that included Dennis Lillee at his most fearsome and Jeff Thomson at his fastest. His hundred came in 71 balls. This was not a one-dayer but a Test match, for god's sake.

Shine on me, Roy

Roy Fredericks' manic innings in Perth 40-odd years ago left you seeing stars in the daytime

www.thecricketmonthly.com

 

[Burgey]

Absolutely crazy knock. Can't think of a better innings in Perth, ever.

I can't say I've ever seen much in the way of highlights of it, sadly.

 

[honestbharani]

Perth, or at least the WACA, seemed to be best placed to produce some of these counter attacking gems. That sounds like an amazing innings.

Amongst the ones I have watched, there was Sachin in 1992, and Lara in 1995/96. And more recently the Virat knock in 2018.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Mark Greatbatch 1989

146* off 485 balls to salvage a draw for an under strength NZ (Hadlee and Jones both injured) against a nasty 4-man pace attack (backed up by giant medium pacer Tom Moody and AB's slas). He batted for about 2.5 days after Australia had enforced the follow on. (One of) the greatest innings by a Kiwi. This was the same Aussie team that had beaten the Poms 4-0 in the Ashes and their sledging was in top form. I expect Merv Hughes spat at Greatbatch a fair few times too.

 

[mr_mister]

I've always wanted to see highlights of this. Do they exist?

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Crazy to think NZ got 4 100s in one innings there (Vincent, Fleming, Astle, Parore) against McGarth, Shaneo, and co. Shame the deaf umpire robbed us of a once in a lifetime win.

 

[Burgey]

I expect Merv Hughes spat at Greatbatch a fair few times too.

I suspect he really didn't.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Langer/Ponting 1999
Warne 2001 (robbed of ton by blind umpire)
Langer 2004
Hodge/Duminy 2005
Stokes 2013
Kohli can't remember what year, maybe more than one

 

[anil1405]

Crazy to think NZ got 4 100s in one innings there (Vincent, Fleming, Astle, Parore) against McGarth, Shaneo, and co. Shame the deaf umpire robbed us of a once in a lifetime win.

Mate check again. McGrath or Warne would've been half fit in that game which prompted an unexpected batting performance from Kiwis.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

I suspect he really didn't.

He did on other occasions. I remember him spitting at Greatbatch in NZ a few times. Probably jealous because Greatbatch had a better mo.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Mate check again. McGrath or Warne would've been half fit in that game which prompted an unexpected batting performance from Kiwis.

Of course. You understand Australians very well.

 

[Burgey]

Langer/Ponting 1999
Warne 2001 (robbed of ton by blind umpire)
Langer 2004
Hodge/Duminy 2005
Stokes 2013
Kohli can't remember what year, maybe more than one

They're all decent (except Hodge because he's a flog), but this Fredericks thing was off the charts.

 

[TheJediBrah]

They're all decent (except Hodge because he's a flog), but this Fredericks thing was off the charts.

I'm not saying they're better just the best I've seen. The WACA definitely lends itself to gun knocks.

Might add Warner 2011 v India to the list actually, that was brutal

 

[tony p]

Doug Walters century in the final session against England in 1974/75, hooked Willis for 6 to bring it up i think.

I know he was out first ball the next day.

 

[Burgey]

Lol yeah, epic knock too. There's some decent highlights of that one at least.

I love watching guys from the 70s and 80s, cos you can see how techniques have changed so much since helmets. The amount of back foot driving guys did to full balls back then is astonishing compared with today. They played a lot later than is the norm today.

 

[Gob]

Its difficult to plant the front foot down when there is a legitimate chance of getting killed tbh

 

[Burgey]

Well indeed. It's very instructive to watch them. By the late 80s-early 90s techniques had changed a lot.

 

[The Sean]

Doug Walters century in the final session against England in 1974/75, hooked Willis for 6 to bring it up i think.

I know he was out first ball the next day.

Both lines there are just classic Doug Walters.

 

[Calm_profit]

Ab de Villiers and Graeme Smith while chasing 414.

 

[Kirkut]

Perth, or at least the WACA, seemed to be best placed to produce some of these counter attacking gems. That sounds like an amazing innings.

Amongst the ones I have watched, there was Sachin in 1992, and Lara in 1995/96. And more recently the Virat knock in 2018.

Did you watch that 114 live?

So much hype about that knock that even Sunil Gavaskar still rates it as his best ever innings in his 24 year career. Sachin's backfoot game was beyond his years considering it was his first ever experience of playing on bouncy wickets without any practice games.