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The last man becoming the top-scorer in a Test innings

30 Mar 2022

  • Sri Lanka’s Jayantha Amerasinghe is the fifth in the list 
By M.L. Fernando THE USEFUL ‘LAST MEN’ The full list of No. 11 batsmen who top-scored in an innings in the 145 years of Test cricket history (1877-2022) Key: No. / Name of batter / Country / Score / Total / Opposition / Venue / Years
  1. Fred Spofforth / Australia / 50 / 163 / England / Melbourne / 1884-85
  2. Tom McKibbin / Australia / 16 / 44 / England / The Oval / 1896
  3. Bert Vogler / South Africa / 62 n.o. / 133 / England / Cape Town / 1905-06
  4. Asif Masood / Pakistan / 30 n.o. / 199 / West Indies / Lahore / 1974-75
  5. Jayantha Amerasinghe / Sri Lanka / 34 / 215 / New Zealand / Kandy / 1983-84
  6. Lajha Jubair / Bangladesh / 31 / 124 / India / Chittagong / 2004-05
  7. Steve Harmison / England / 42 / 304 / South Africa / Cape Town / 2004-05
  8. Nathan Lyon / Australia / 14 / 47 / South Africa / Cape Town / 2011-12
  9. Ashton Agar / Australia / 98 / 280 / England / Nottingham / 2013
  10. Shane Shillingford / West Indies / 53 n.o. / 216 / New Zealand / Kingston / 2014
  11. Tim Muttagh /Ireland / 54 n.o. / 172 / Afghanistan / Deharadun / 2018-19
  12. Saqib Mahmood / England / 49 / 204 / West Indies / St. George’s / 2021-22
Jayantha Amerasinghe bowls for Sri Lanka during a Rothmans Asia Cup match between Cricketers Benefit Fund Series XI and Sri Lanka at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium on 10 April 1984 England lost their third and final cricket Test against West Indies at National Cricket Stadium, St George’s, Grenada on Sunday (27) mainly because of their poor batting display. During the first innings, England were 114 for nine at one stage but they recovered to put on 204 all out. During their second innings, though, they were bowled out for 120 to set hosts West Indies a target of just 28 runs in the morning session of play on day four of the Test. The home team achieved the target in just 4.5 overs without losing any wicket. The 12 man to do so in history Interestingly, during England’S first innings, the top-scorer was their No. 11 batsman Saqib Mahmood who scored 49 runs. The 25-year-old Warwickshire-born cricketer is playing for England mainly as a right-arm fast-medium bowler. Mahmood thus became only the 12th batsman in the world of Test cricket to top-score in an innings after coming into bat as the No. 11. Sri Lanka’s Jayantha Amerasinghe It is more interesting to note that our own Jayantha Amerasinghe, a left-arm orthodox spinner, top-scored for Sri Lanka with 34 runs on 13 March 1984 against New Zealand in Kandy. That was when Sri Lanka were all out for 215 runs. It was his debut Test match too. Ashton Agar On his way to 34, before he was run out, Amerasinghe shared 60 runs for the last (10th) wicket with Vinothen John, who made 27 runs not out. The other No. 11 debutant to top-score in an inning was Ashton Agar of Australia, who scored 98, out of a total of 280, against England at Nottingham in 2013. Caption:  Saqib Mahmood top-scoring for England on 24 March coming into bat as their No. 11 batter, in a total of 2004, on the first day of the third and final Test against West Indies at the National Cricket Stadium, St George’s, Grenada PHOTO © CWI


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