3. Michael Clarke 151 v South Africa in Cape Town (Nov 11). In the first game of a tough series, Clarke came to the wicket at 3-40, passing ex captain Ponting on the way to a hostile reception from the world's best new ball bowlers, Steyn and Morkel and an excited debutante, Philander. Despite some neat glides of his pads, he was soon in Steyn's cross hairs for a physical and verbal barrage. The resolve he showed to stare Steyn down but say nothing was the start of him winning the battle. By stumps, he had half the side's total and had raised his hundred and in the space of 80 minutes on the second day was the last out after passing 150. He faced only 176 balls and was 53.2% of the teams score but if calculated on the basis of runs scored whilst he was at the wicket, it was nearly 62%. It was an innings of class, skill and determination which only the very best leaders can play in the most trying of circumstances.
4. Bill Murdoch 153x v England at the Oval (Sept 1880). In only the fourth Test match, Murdoch came to the wicket after a first innings duck with Australia following on at 1-8. WG Grace (152) had scored more than the entire Australian first innings and when Boyle and Grouble followed Bannerman, it was looking like the match would end in two days. Murdoch batted through the remainder of the innings, defying the Poms for five hours and making them bat a second time, thanks to Alexander and Moule helping him add 140 for the last two wickets. Murdoch would make a double century on the same ground four years later but it was his glorious defiance which rated this, along with Charlie Bannerman's 165 in the first of Test cricket's history which were rated the greatest in its first twenty years.
5. Steve Waugh 102 v England at the SCG (Jan 02). How can it be left out? Its hard to imagine that Waugh's heroic innings happened nearly ten years ago. It was high drama and reminiscent of the months that led up to Allan Border's stormy, bad tempered exit from the captaincy and Test cricket. Waugh had been hounded all summer despite his form being reasonable and no worse than some of Australia's best that summer ... a summer in which the English were easily subdued. After a migraine made Waugh play a demented short innings as Australia won the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, he came to the crease in Sydney just before tea and had 9 by the break. He dominated a partnership of 90 with Damien Martyn and lost Martin Love immediately. He was joined by Adam Gilchrist and soon after raised his 50 off 61 balls and at 69, he joined an elite band of batsmen with 10 000 Test runs, only Gavaskar and Border getting there before him. The partnership with Gilchrist was rapid with both of them after the English, the first 50 in less than 45 minutes off 53 balls. As the overs counted down, the crowd started calculating what Waugh had already realised. As Dawson started the last over, Waugh was on 95 and hit him for three deep into the over and the dream looked to be close but no cigar. Gilchrist, the ultimate professional cricketer, pushed a single, leaving Waugh needing 2. Naser Hussain did his best to build the drama and the pressure but with 30 000 willing him on, Waugh hit one of those back foot drives past cover point which were his signature and it rocketed to the boundary. People were still cheering him 45 minutes after the end, when he appeared on the players balcony to acknowledge the crowd. Cricket being the master of irony, made sure Waugh was dismissed quickly the next morning without adding to his score.
6. Graham Yallop 121 v England at the SCG (Feb 79). Made from a team total of 198 at the end of the long second summer of the Packer split, Yallop's team of babies had been thrashed by a merciless England. On the opening day of the 6th Test, it was a familiar story as only Kim Hughes (16) and Graeme Wood (15) made double figures. Yallop seemed to shrug of the shackles of the captaincy and batted for himself. He may not have been a good skipper but the man was a quality batsmen. This innings (61.1%) is beaten only by Charlie Bannerman and Michael Slater for the highest percentage of a team total by a Aussie.
7. Mark Taylor 129 v England at Edgbaston (June 97). By the time the first Test of the Ashes series started in 1997, Mark Taylor was a man under siege. It had been 18 months and 21 Test innings since he had a score above fifty opening the innings for Australia. His lead in form to the first Test had been poor, with his only score coming when Dean Jones, playing county cricket, dropped him early in an innings which yielded him some time in the middle. He was out quickly in first innings in which all failed and then watched as England built a lead of 360. He walked out for the second time, knowing it was his last chance.He added 133 with Elliott and then 194 with Blewett and by the time he left, Australia had some sort of chance of a draw. It was great courage by the chunky left hander and the ultimate victory of mind over form. There would be four more hundreds, including 334x against Pakistan 12 months later to equal The Don.
8. Clem Hill 191 v South Africa at the SCG (Dec 1910). Coming to the wicket after Trumper had been run out, Hill set after the South Africans in what can only be described as a massacre. A left hander who established many first class records with South Australia since the turn of the century, Hill had a penchant for big scores but on this occasion smashed the bowlers. His innings lasted just on three and a half hours - that's thirty minutes short of two sessions - and in that time he faced just 200 balls. He added 224 with Bardsley and 144 with Gehrs and when he left, Australia had added 427 for 3 just after tea on a first day that saw 494 runs scored.
9. Ricky Ponting 143x v South Africa at the SCG (Jan 06). After scoring a first innings hundred in a game which South Africa controlled up until the last day, Ponting scored half of the target Graeme Smith set the Australians in the second. It was Ponting at his most aggressive as he took apart Andrew Nel, the first innings nemesis. This match probably marks Ponting at the height of his powers as a batsman.
10. Herbie Collins 203 v South Africa at Jo-Berg (Nov 1921). Opening the innings, Collins was ninth out by which time Australia was well past 400. He added 113 with Jack Ryder and then 209 with Jack Gregory who also reached three figures. The Australian innings closed just on stumps of the first day for 450. Collins own innings took less than four and a half hours. Although the Test was drawn, it established a bridgehead for the victory that finally came in the third Test.
Like all lists, this one invites argument.
Allan Border was my hero growing up; my first bat was a DF 5 star with his name on it. Perhaps this explains my dour approach to batting.
ReplyDeleteHe was simplicity personified in his approach to batting. Only a few shots in his repetoir but he made the most of it like great batsmen do.
I've looked through scorecards from decades past and the reason he may have felt 'it all came down to him' was because it looks like it did. So often the first real partnership Aus had was when he came to the crease. He batted time striking at 35 often and repeatedly has the highest score for his team.
Completely about Australia and part of the dynasty commencing. He deserved the 1989 Ashes success and would be appalled by the lack of application Aus batsmen too often demonstrate now.