what is this? Gooch 154* not there? Sorry that list is fail. Lara's 153* is MILES better than his 213. Kim HUghes 100* in 1981 is better than half of those innings in that top 10.
Have to agree, Gooch's innings was awesome.
England 1st inns 198
Gooch 34, Smith 54. Patterson 3/67, Marshall 3/46
West Indies 1st inns 173
Simmons 38, Richards 73. De Freitas 4/34
England 2nd inns 252
Gooch 154no. Ambrose 6/52, Marshall 3/58
West Indies 2nd inns 162
Richardson 68, Dujon 33. De Freitas 4/59, Watkin 3/38
England won by 115 runs
Gooch scored DOUBLE the next highest score in a Test where that was only one of four scores over fifty. England were 124/6 in the 2nd innings, Pringle hung around for 94 balls to make 27 in a 98 run partnership. Gooch batted for 452 minutes, more than double the next longest innings.
And his innings was only just less by 10-20 runs than the two West Indies innings TOTALS which included HAYNES, Richardson, Hooper, RICHARDS, Logie and Dujon. The rest of the England top four scored 31 runs between them in six innings. Ramps
scored ground out 27 in each innings off 100+ balls
1st Test: England v West Indies at Leeds, Jun 6-10, 1991 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo
How many of the top 10 feature no other 100s? ONE other knock. I forgot to check how many were 2nd innings knocks like Gooch's, none I believe
Graham Gooch (ENG) 154no vs WIN (1991) : 100x1, 50x3 (England win)
Garry Sobers (WIN) 365no v PAK (1958) : 100x4, 50x4 (Draw)
Don Bradman (AUS) 299no v SAF (1932) : 100x1, 50x7 (Australia win)
Virender Sehwag (IND) 201no v SRI (2008) : 100x1, 50x7 (India win)
Don Bradman (AUS) 270 v ENG (1937) : 100x3, 50x3 (Australia win)
Bill Ponsford (AUS) 266 v ENG (1934) : 100x3, 50x3 (Australia win)
Len Hutton (ENG) 202no v WIN (1950) : 100x3, 50x2 (West Indies win)
Brian Lara (WIN) 213 v AUS (1999) : 100x2, 50x2 (West Indies win)
Virender Sehwag (IND) 306 v PAK (2004) : 100x3, 50x3 (India win)
Len Hutton (ENG) 364 v AUS (1938) : 100x3, 50x3 (England win)
Virender Sehwag (IND) 319 v SAF (2008) : 100x4, 50x5 (Draw)
Bradman's 299no was a big knock compared to the next highest of 95, but the lowest completed innings of 274 was higher than any in Gooch's 1991 Test.
Sehwag's was awesome, especially in a total of 329, but bar the last innings of 136 all completed innings again were higher than in 1991.
Hutton's 364 was in a massive win for England, but two other batsmen scored big 100s (187 and 169no)
Ponsford's 266 came in the same innings Bradman made 244, off a lot more balls so I'm somewhat bemused why that score in a total of 701 made it. Same attack Bradman faced, more balls, nothing noteworthy I can see like he batted with one hand, a broken leg, concussion and was hit 100 times by bodyline.
And wasn't Sehwag's 306 at Multan actually 309? I would have rated Lara's knock of 153no to guide the windies to an unlikely win the better knock of his, windies were 105/5
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Botham's 149no was explosive, exciting, but in the context of the match it was Willis' bowling which won it. Or put another way, without someone bowling brilliantly then all Botham's runs would have done is delayed defeat.
Was a great knock, but if you factor in how big a part it played then it was on par with Willis' bowling whereas say Gooch's innings was the decisive factor 10 years later.
