Five Best Scores In An Innings By A Nightwatchman
Published - 28 Mar 2020, 07:19 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:04 AM
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Test cricket is the primary form of gentleman’s game that goes on for five-days with at least two innings in a single match. With the game going on for a longer duration, teams have to plan their batting squads to score maximum runs with minimum damage at the end of the day. And in order to do so, many times the batting side calls in a lower-order batsman.
Such cricketers are known as the nightwatchman who as the term suggests, had to guard the wickets for the next day.
However, many times the nightwatchman turns to be the unexpected life saviour for the teams. Not only do they maintain the strike but they also add ample scores for their teams.
Here is the list of the best five scores compiled by a nightwatchman in an innings.
Five best scores in an innings by a Nightwatchman:
Syed Kirmani – 101*
Syed Kirmani is the former Indian cricketer who scored the fifth-best runs as a night watchman in an innings in Test. Although he had to sit by the sides of the ground for most his cricket career, Kirmani was awarded as the best wicketkeeper in the 1983 World Cup.
The wicketkeeper-batsman was also dropped from the 1979 World Cup. However, Kirmani was back in the team for the series against Australia in 1979-80. He knocked a hundred as a nightwatchman in Bombay.
Kirmani remained unbeaten at 101 in the first innings of the 6th Test that India won by an innings and 100 runs.
Tony Mann – 105
Tony Mann was the former Australian cricketer who scored the fourth highest runs as a nightwatchman in an innings. He earned his Test cap in 1977 and played as the leg-break googly bowler for the team.
Mann had one of the shortest Test careers as he played a total of four Tests in the year-long international career.
Nevertheless, he was selected for the visiting India team in 1977. And Mann successfully bagged the figures of 3/12 in the first innings of his debut match.
However, he could not contribute much in the second match against the ruthless Indians. But soon he emerged as the boon for the hosts. Mann scored an unbelievable century while chasing the target of 339 runs. Australia won the match by two wickets.
Mark Boucher – 108
South Africa is a team that may not have achieved much success in the game but has certainly contributed to several best players. Mark Boucher is the former wicketkeeper-batsman of the South Africa National Cricket team. He is regarded as one of the greatest keepers to play for South Africa, to date.
Boucher’s world record of 555 dismissals in his Test career is unbeatable for even the best of the bests in the game. And it shouldn’t be of many surprises to see his name in other records as well. Being the lower-order batsman, Boucher has the third-highest scores recorded by a night watchman.
South Africa hosted another Test series with England in December 1999. After getting out for the golden duck in the first session, Boucher was called in to bat at number six in the second innings.
He scored his career second-best in the match and added his 108 runs in the total 572 runs accumulated by the Proteas. Even though the hosts played a spectacular game, the match was drawn.
Mark Boucher – 125
Earlier to his second-best runs in Test career, Boucher had scored the second-highest runs as a nightwatchman in an innings. The then-keeper-batsman of the South Africa Cricket Team became the second-highest run-scorer as a night watchman.
Boucher achieved the feat in November 1999 in the match against Zimbabwe. He scored 125 runs in the victorious Second Test.
Jason Gillespie – 201*
Jason Gillespie is the former Australian cricketer who played across all the formats of the game. At present, he is an Australian cricket coach who used to be the right-arm pacer for the national team. Gillespie has also served as a competent lower-order batsman.
In fact, Gillespie is the only nightwatchman who has the record of hitting a double ton in an innings. He remained unbeaten as he bagged his maiden double century in the first innings of the 2nd Test against Bangladesh.
Gillespie was called in to bat at number three and set the world record for the highest individual score by a nightwatchman. He scored 206* runs while bagging three wickets in the victorious game at Chittagong.
