The best knock you've seen

[Smoooothy]

Thought this might be a good discussion point, probably been done before, but what the hell..

what the best knock you've seen?

For mine, I've got 2 that stand out. Laxman's 281 against us in 2001 in the 2nd innings after being asked to follow on, and Gilly's 204 against the South Africans in 2002 when he narrowly missed out on gold

What's yours?

 

[iluvparis]

First that comes to mind is Punters 150 in the draw in the 2005 ashes. Think it was Old Trafford?

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Remember answering this not long ago, but definitely Amla's near double hundred at the WACA. Sublime.

 

[Aussie_boy]

Rob Quiney's 9, just superb.

Nah seriously, live it would probably be Kevin Pietersen's double hundred in the 2010/11 Ashes series. Not sure about on TV but Michael Clarke's 329 was quality albeit against a weak attack.

 

[themidlandmaster]

Clarke's 151 in the same match we were rolled for 47. Scored it in South Africa when no one else scored anything for us.

 

[JackOutback]

My memory doesn't seem to lend itself to recalling specific innings in great detail but two spring to mind.

Gilly's 149 against Pakistan, taking us from a losing position to victory in just his second Test. And although this was heard rather than seen because it wasn't telecast, Dean Jones' 210 in India. The cramps, dehydration, vomit, ice baths, insults from AB, all ending in a hospital stay and saline drip. If there's been a tougher innings than that, I must have somehow missed it.

 

[Demosthenes]

Mark Waugh, 116, Port Elizabeth 1997.

 

[SouthSwans]

 

[ManWithNoName]

Thought this might be a good discussion point, probably been done before, but what the hell..

what the best knock you've seen?

For mine, I've got 2 that stand out. Sehwag's 281 against us in 2001 in the 2nd innings after being asked to follow on, and Gilly's 204 against the South Africans in 2002 when he narrowly missed out on gold

What's yours?

You mean Laxman?

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

My memory doesn't seem to lend itself to recalling specific innings in great detail but two spring to mind.

Gilly's 149 against Pakistan, taking us from a losing position to victory in just his second Test. And although this was heard rather than seen because it wasn't telecast, Dean Jones' 210 in India. The cramps, dehydration, vomit, ice baths, insults from AB, all ending in a hospital stay and saline drip. If there's been a tougher innings than that, I must have somehow missed it.

You know, I think I've heard that story at least six times now.

There was the time Dean Jones came to coach our junior side....
The time Dean Jones was commentating on the radio....
The time Dean Jones was having a beer in the members....
The time Dean Jones was commenting on the radio....
The time Dean Jones listed the greatest innings he'd seen....
oh, and the time Dean Jones rang up ABC to dispute Kerry O'Keefe's call of most important overseas performance by an Aussie.

 

[philreich]

Not a Test innings, but I was one of the 837 lucky spectators at Adelaide Oval in December 1982, when David Hookes scored a Shield century off 34 balls: 21 of which went to or over the boundary. I've never seen a ball hit harder before or since!

 

[STFU Donnie]

You know, I think I've heard that story at least six times now.

There was the time Dean Jones came to coach our junior side....
The time Dean Jones was commentating on the radio....
The time Dean Jones was having a beer in the members....
The time Dean Jones was commenting on the radio....
The time Dean Jones listed the greatest innings he'd seen....
oh, and the time Dean Jones rang up ABC to dispute Kerry O'Keefe's call of most important overseas performance by an Aussie.

Did he really ring up?

 

[Buzzasto DaSilva]

Andy Flower's second innings 232* against India in 2000 to save a test on a massive turner.

I would love to lock all Australian batsmen in a room to watch every ball he faced- it was perfect, chanceless batting.

 

[Smoooothy]

You mean Laxman?

I'm a dumbass... Yep

 

[strewthcobber]

153* from B Lara. Greatest innings of all time.

 

[JackOutback]

You know, I think I've heard that story at least six times now.

There was the time Dean Jones came to coach our junior side....
The time Dean Jones was commentating on the radio....
The time Dean Jones was having a beer in the members....
The time Dean Jones was commenting on the radio....
The time Dean Jones listed the greatest innings he'd seen....
oh, and the time Dean Jones rang up ABC to dispute Kerry O'Keefe's call of most important overseas performance by an Aussie.

It's a story that bears repeating.

 

[Demosthenes]

Dean Jones is a dickhead, but if you almost kill yourself scoring a Test double century then you've probably earned the right to brag about it as much as you want.

 

[Van_Dyke]

To be fair to Jones, it iwas quite some innings especially considering the circumstances

 

[SouthSwans]

My top 10

1. Nathan Astle's 222 v England @ Christchurch 2002
2. Brian Lara's 153* v Australia @ Barbados 1999
3. Michael Clarke's 161* v South Africa @ Cape Town 2014
4. Adam Gilchrist's 149* v Pakistan @ Hobart 1999
5. Mark Waugh's 116 v South Africa @ Port Elizabeth 1997
6. Ricky Ponting's 156 v England @ Old Trafford 2005
7. Adam Gilchrist's 204 v South Africa @ Johannesburg 2002
8. Adam Gilchrist's 102* v England @ Perth 2006
9. Steve Waugh's 102 v England @ Sydney 2003
10. Damien Martyn's 104 v India @ Chennai 2004

Unlucky to miss:
David Warner's 180 v India @ Perth 2012,
Justin Langer's 197 v Pakistan @ Perth 2004,
Justin Langer's 127 v Pakistan @ Hobart 1999,
Damien Martyn's 114 v India @ Nagpur 2004,
Matthew Hayden's 380 v Zimbabwe @ Perth 2004,
Michael Slater's 77 v England @ Edgbaston 2001

 

[PTizzle]

This was the first that came to mind for me as well.

Probably not in the 'best ever' category but I always think of KP's 186 vs India in Mumbai a few years ago whenever this topic comes up. England lost the toss and apart from Cook (who was also excellent) nobody else passed 30 in that English innings.

The thing that stands out to me is how easy he made batting look on that pitch when compared to others

 

[Super Hans]

Ponting vs England 2005 is the first thing that comes to mind. I remember thinking we could win it until he went out.

 

[Buzzasto DaSilva]

This was the first that came to mind for me as well.

Probably not in the 'best ever' category but I always think of KP's 186 vs India in Mumbai a few years ago whenever this topic comes up. England lost the toss and apart from Cook (who was also excellent) nobody else passed 30 in that English innings.

The thing that stands out to me is how easy he made batting look on that pitch when compared to others

That was the best away series performance I have ever witnessed. Cook, Pietersen, Panesar and Swann were absolutely outstanding that series.

 

[Donnie Darko]

KP in Mumbai.
He destroyed Ashwin and ruined him. Ashwin took a while to recover from that demolition job.

 

[Cotchin 9]

 

[Hellgood]

Yeah Pietersen on that Indian tour just defied belief. Amazing.

Like that call . Remember watching it as a kid.

de Villiers and Amla creaming us in Perth after the first two innings of the match were pretty cheap run wise is another one. Perhaps not quite so high considering the bowling attack we had for that game.

Ponting's rearguard in Manchester 2005 was mentioned, but deserves to be seconded.