Ashes: Best Batting Performances in History
Test Cricket is helmed as the ultimate format of the game. It tests the cricketing skills, temperament, determination, and mental and physical strengths of the players. Years after years, cricketers thrive to represent their respective countries in whites. It's a matter of pride for every budding cricketer to wear a test cap.
Since its inception, Australia and England have been facing each other in test series called, The Ashes. The long and rich history of Ashes serves a great amount of respect between these two fierce rivals. Their competitiveness on the field makes it even more intense. In order to fight for the 'Urn', each Ashes series witnesses batting masterclasses over the years by specialist batters.
Their batting display is etched into our memories. Speaking of the top five run-getters in Ashes have four Aussie blood and one English cricketer. Among them, only Steve Smith is an active cricketer, the rest have retired long back. Interestingly, all four Aussie cricketers are from New South Wales and have led Australia at some point in their careers.
5. Steve Smith
If modern-day cricket has a true batting genius, it has to be Steve Smith. He lives and breathes Test batting. From starting his career as a leg spinner to becoming the Australian batting's mainstay, he has come a long way. The 97-Test-old Smith is a class apart, who's still instilling fear in bowlers' minds even after a 13-year-old career.
Till now, the Sydney-based batter has played 32 Tests against the arch-rivals, England. He has amassed 3,044 runs in 56 innings, which ranks fifth in all-time best batting performances in the coveted series. The last time, he visited England for Ashes right after Cricket World Cup 2019; he displayed one of the best test batting masterclasses ever. His 774 runs in just seven innings put Smith in the fifth position of most runs scored in a single Ashes.
He averages close to 60 with 11 centuries and as many half-centuries for Australia. Even, Smith registered his best Test score of 239 during the Perth Test in 2017. But during the last Ashes at his home, he had a pretty ordinary outing with the bat. So, he's more keen and hungry this time to score the bulk of runs, and with the form he's in he can achieve that landmark.
4. Steve Waugh
Before Steve Smith, there was another child prodigy who made his international debut at the age of 20. From there, he started his cricketing journey and ended as Australia's one of the most successful cricketers of all time. The legendary Steve Waugh had a solid technique and a determined personality which made him a fierce competitor in the game of cricket.
Waugh played in 46 Tests against England scoring 3,200 runs in 73 innings. During this time, he touched the three-figure mark, 10 times and had fourteen half-centuries to his name. His highest score of 177 in Ashes came at Leeds in a tough situation. He was regarded as one of the best middle-order batters during his playing days.
Waugh senior made his Ashes debut in Brisbane in 1986. But he didn't have fond memories of that tour, which includes his first golden duck in Tests that too at his home ground. But life came to a full circle when he scored a well-fought 102 in his last Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Sadly, this match became his only Ashes Test loss as captain, while he won all eight previous matches.
3. Allan Border
If Australia's modern-day dominance has to be traced back, it would go back to Allan Border's days from where it all started. Border was the epitome of toughness one can display on the cricket field. During his captaincy tenure, he revived Australian cricket and transformed into World beaters.
In a career spanning over 150 Tests, Border took part in 47 Tests against England. He scored 3,548 runs averaging 56.31, which is above his whole career batting average. He struck eight centuries and twenty-one half-centuries in 82 innings. Interestingly, like his teammate Steve Waugh, Border also had his Ashes best score of 200* at Leeds.
As a captain, he made the most number of appearances (28) and was the most successful captain registering 13 victories for Australia. AB as he's fondly called, impacted Australia's style of play and dominance. His adaptability to bat at any batting position and still make standard contributions are second to none.
2. Sir Jack Hobbs
Sir John Berry Hobbs, popularly known as Jack Hobbs, is the only English cricketer to feature in the all-time leading run scorers list in Ashes. He's one of the most prolific batters in cricket, as he scored a surreal 61,760 runs in First-Class cricket while 5,410 runs in Tests, in what was an illustrious career spanning over 30 years. If World War didn't intervene, he would have added many more runs to his run tally.
Hobbs made his Ashes debut way back at MCG on New Year's Eve in 1908. After playing 41 tests against Australia, he scored 3,636 runs at an astonishing average of 54. Keeping in account the bare pitches and rules back then; it was a top-notch batting effort from him. With twelve centuries and fifteen half-centuries to his name, Hobbs delivered his best Ashes score of 187 at the Adelaide Oval.
Sir Jack was a batter of all sorts of wickets, especially bad ones. His ability to take the shine off the ball and counter-attack the bowlers was second to none. Even some of the yester years cricket experts helm him close to Sir Don Bradman.
1. Sir Don Bradman
This list would have remained incomplete if Sir Don Bradman's name wasn't mentioned. He was the epitome of batsmanship of the 20th century and arguably the greatest run-scorer in that era. Having made his Ashes debut in 1928, he scored 5,028 runs against England averaging 89.78.
Maybe WG Grace can be compared to Sir Don Bradman in terms of batting, except for him no one comes a mile closer to Bradman. He's a true example of a complete batter, who not only survived that era but also scored runs heavily. He crossed 200 runs mark record six times against England. If not for World War, the world would have witnessed more of his batting.
He still holds the record for scoring the most runs in an Ashes series with a mind-boggling 974 runs from just seven innings. It was during that Ashes; he registered the then-highest Test score of 334 runs at Leeds. Interestingly enough, four years later, at the same venue, Bradman scored another triple century (304). Sir Don is also the record holder of most centuries (19) in Ashes.
from Cricket Appeal: The Best and Funny Appeals in Cricket History – HOWZAT!!! | CricTracker.com https://ift.tt/W0E6913
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