It is quite obvious that there will be plenty of challenges when it comes to Test cricket. Facing the new ball in the initial stages is one of the hurdles that the batters would want to decode in the first place. Besides that, scoring runs in the fourth innings of Test cricket isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
History tells us that the majority of the batters fail to live up to their reputation when it comes to approaching the fourth innings. It is when the pitch goes through wear and tear after four days of cricketing action. When the pitch is being played for quite a long time, it starts to develop cracks.
As a result, there will be uneven bounce which makes it potentially tougher for the batsmen to play the game. We have seen plenty of batters making mistakes in the fourth innings, thus falling prey to the bowlers. In this article, let’s take a look at the two England cricketers with the most centuries against an opponent in 4th innings of Test cricket.
1. Ben Stokes
England Test captain Ben Stokes has been making waves in Test cricket for a long time now. More importantly, he showcased his potential to score runs in the fourth innings of Test cricket. It is worth mentioning here that he scored three centuries against Australia in the fourth innings of a Test match, which is indeed worth applauding.
Ben Stokes has played 94 Tests so far wherein he scored 5928 runs at an average of 36.37 including 13 centuries, 1 double century and 28 half-centuries so far. He registered his personal best score of 258 against South Africa.
Also Read:
- 5 Australians with Most Man of the Match awards in Ashes history
- 5 Players with Most Runs in 4th innings while batting at No.6 or below
2. Herbert Sutcliffe
Herbert Sutcliffe was the first English cricketer to score three centuries against Australia in the fourth innings of Test cricket. Herbert represented England in 54 Tests in his cricketing career.
Overall, he mustered 4555 runs at a superb batting average of 60.7 including 16 centuries and 23 half-centuries. The former England cricketer registered his personal best score of 310 against the Aussies.
