Most Test Half-Centuries By A Visiting Player Batting At Number Nine Or Below In England

Hitting a century or a half-century in England by any visiting batsman is a tough ask. In England, the pitches assist swing bowling and in overcast conditions, it sometimes makes a batsman’s life a living hell. Hence, the players must know how to counter the swing if they are to play long and reach milestones.

In England, picking a five-for in Test Cricket is perhaps easier than scoring a century for any visiting player. Yet, there have been occasions when a tailender has gone on to score half-centuries in English Conditions. There are several visiting batsmen who batted at number nine or below in England and went on to score half-centuries in Test Cricket. Here’s a look at the top 6 of them:

Most Test Half-Centuries By A Visiting Player Batting At Number Nine Or Below In England:

Mohammed Shami: 2 half-centuries

Mohammed Shami, perhaps, loves batting in England. He played some heart-warming shots in the recently concluded second Test against England at Lord’s. On day 5 of the Test when the team was in trouble, he stitched a match-winning 89-run partnership for the ninth wicket and went onto score his second half-century in England.

He scored 56 runs off 70 balls, including 6 fours and 1 six. India, eventually won the game by 151 runs. This was his second half-century in England in Test Cricket. His first fifty in England came at Nottingham during India’s 2014 tour of England. That game, however, resulted in a draw.

2. Ray Lindwall: 2 half-centuries 

The former Australian cricketer, Ray Lindwall was regarded as one of the feared fast-bowlers of his era. His fiery pace and control made him the most feared paceman of all time. He took 228 wickets in 61 Tests at an average of 23,03, including 12 five-wicket hauls.

Having said that, Lindwall was handy with the bat as well lower down the order. He often improved Australia’s position while batting at lower order. He has in fact 2 centuries for Australia in Test Cricket. Ray Lindwall has hit 2 half-centuries while batting at number 9 in England in Test Cricket. In his Test Cricket Career, he scored 1502 runs in 61 Tests, averaging 21.15.

3. Michael Holding: 2 half-centuries 

Michael Holding, a legendary fast bowler from West Indies, doesn’t need any introduction. He was part of the West Indies’ daunting fast bowling line-up of the late 70s and early 80s. Holding was an integral part of that setup. His height would allow him to extract a lot of bounce from the surface which troubled the opposition batsmen. He took 249 wickets in just 60 Tests at an average of 23.68.

He wasn’t the most affluent batsman but has 6 half-centuries in Test Cricket. Of those, 2 came in England while batting at number nine or lower.

4. Asif Iqbal: 2 half-centuries 

Asif Iqbal played domestic cricket in Hyderabad before he emigrated to Pakistan in 1961. He was known for swinging the ball and opened the bowling for Pakistan. Constant problems in his back meant he started focusing more on his batting and slowly made his way up in Pakistan’s batting order.

His maiden Test century came against England in 1967. Coming in at number 9, he scored 146 runs at The Oval. Overall, he scored 2 half-centuries in England.

He played 58 Tests for Pakistan, scoring 3757 runs at an average of 38.9

2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 3 half-centuries 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar enjoyed a great outing during India’s 2014 tour of England. In the very first Test, he scored two half-centuries in two innings. He scored 58 in the first innings and followed it up with an unbeaten 63 in the second innings.

With that, he also became the first man to take 5 wickets and score 2 half-centuries in a single game while batting at number 9 or lower. Bhuvneshwar Kumar went onto hit 3 half-centuries during that tour and thus sits at second position in the list.

In his Test Cricket Career, he has 63 wickets in 21 Tests at an average of 26.1.

1. Mitchell Starc- 4 half-centuries

Mitchell Starc has been a vital cog for the Australian Cricket Team for almost a decade now. He has been an indispensable asset for them across formats. The Australian fast-bowler is known to step up on big occasions. Be it ICC tournament, Ashes, or other major bilateral series, Mitchell Starc has always stepped to the occasion.

He has a pretty impressive record in The Ashes series hosted in England. He scored his maiden Test half-century in England in 2013. He followed it up with two more during the 2015 Ashes. In the 2019 Ashes hosted in England, Starc scored a half-century in the fourth Test.

Overall, he has 4 half-centuries in Test Cricket while batting at number 9 in England.