4 instances of significant ‘batting contribution’ by No 11 batsman in Test matches : Runs scored off the bat by a player in any position goes a long way in adding to the team’s total tally. More often than not, those contributions could make a difference between a victory and a defeat for a team.
However, if a sizable contribution is made by a batsman batting at No 11, then it proves to be the ‘icing on the cake’.
Let us take a look into four such instances where the batting talent of a No 11 batsman has gone on to pull the team out of dire straits.
1. 98 runs by Ashton Agar for Australia in July 2013
The 2013 Ashes Series will remain etched in memory for quite a few reasons. One of them is the significant contribution with the bat made by Australia’s No 11 batsman, Ashton Charles Agar, who made his debut,, that provided some respectability to their first innings score.
The first Test of the series was played at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, between 10th July, 2013 & 14th July, 2013. Winning the toss, England skipper, Alistair Cook, decided to bat. With not a single batsman scoring a half-century, the closest being Jonathan Trott with 48 runs off deliveries with the help of 9 fours, England finished their first innings at 215 runs.
Peter Siddle was the most successful bowler for Australia who returned with the figure of 14-4-50-5. Aussies did not have a good start. They were struggling at 53 runs for the loss of 4 wickets when Phil Hughes walked into join the Steven Smith.
The young duo batted well to put on a 53-run partnership for the 5th wicket. After scoring a 79-ball 53 runs, with the help of 7 fours and a solitary six, Smith departed at the team score of 108/5.
With half the team back in the hut, Phil Hughes just had the company of the wicket-keeper and the tail-enders. They were still trailing by 107 runs.Getting not much of a help and having to do bulk of the scoring, Hughes found himself completely stranded and the team reeling at 117 runs for the loss of 9 wickets.
It is at this juncture that the then 19 year old debutant, Ashton Agar walked into the middle to give company to Phil Hughes. Every cricket connoisseur worth his salt would have expected the innings to finish in a couple of overs, at the most.
But what followed was a stubborn young Aussie at No 11, matching ‘shot by shot’ with the other youngster in the middle. None of the English bowlers could intimidate this young man, playing his first international game and at a position where any other batsman would hardly be able to block the ball, let alone scoring.
Agar played as if he was a seasoned batsman with very good technique. He provided a very good support to Hughes. They both went on to register a 163-run partnership for the 10th wicket which was a world record at that point in time. Australia went on to finish their first innings at 280 runs, thereby taking a lead of 65 runs.
While Phil Hughes remained unbeaten at 81* runs off 131 deliveries aided by 9 fours, Ashton Agar, batting for 134 minute, facing 101 deliveries scored 98 runs with the help of 12 fours and 2 sixes. He missed a century by a whisker. This is the highest score by a No 11 batsman in Test matches, thus far. Even though Australia lost this Test match, Ashton’s contribution is commendable. England went 1-0 up in the series.
In fact, the Australian legend, Glenn Mcgrath handed over the ‘baggy green’ to the youngster. Commenting on the radio, McGrath had said, “I thought that I was presenting a baggy green to a bowler.”
2. 95 runs by Tino Best for West Indies in June 2012
The third Test match of the three-match of The Wisden Trophy between West Indies and England was played at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, between 7th June, 2012 an 11th June 2012. The hosts were 1-0 up in the series.
England, under the captaincy of Andrew Strauss, won the toss and elected to field.The English bowlers made a very great impact on the opposition and reduced them to a situation of 152 runs for the loss of 5 wickets. With the exception of Marlon Samuels (76 runs, 114 deliveries, 10*4, 1*6) no other batsman could withstand the onslaught.
Samuels along with the wicket-keeper, Danesh Ramdin, went on to register a 56-run partnership for the sixth wicket.With the departure of Samuels at the team score of 208/6, Ramdin only had the tail-enders to follow.
Given the impact of the English bowlers, the end of West Indies’ first innings was very much in sight. West Indies skipper, Darren Sami, Suneil Narine and Ravi Rampaul returned to the dressing room, faster than they had gone in to bat.
At 283/9, the batsman No 11, Tino Best, walked into the middle to give company to Ramdin who was doing the bulk of the scoring.
Tino and Ramdin stayed together to put up a very valuable partnership of 143 runs for the 10th wicket. This is the fifth best ‘last wicket’ partnerships in Tests.
West Indies finished their first innings at 426 runs. For England, Onions was the most successful bowler with a figure of 29.3-7-88-4, while Bresnan and Finn took 3 wickets each.
While Ramdin remained unbeaten on 107* runs made off 183 deliveries with 9 four, Tino registered a well made 95 runs in 138 minutes, facing 112 deliveries, aided by 14 fours and a solitary six. He also took 2 wickets in the England’s un-concluded innings.
This is Tino’s ‘Best’ individual score in 25 matches. His 95 runs was the highest individual score in a Test match by a No 11 batsman unless Ashton Agar broke the record by scoring 98 runs.
The first two days being lost on account of inclement weather the match was played over three days and hence remained inconclusive.
Since England were ahead 2-0, they won the series. Tino Best was adjudged the Player of the Match.
3. 81 runs by James Anderson for England in July 2014
The first Test of the five-match Pataudi Cup between India and England was played at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England, between 9th July, 2014 and 13th July, 2014.
India, under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, won the toss and elected to bat.With a century from the opener, Murali Vijay (146 runs, 361 deliveries, 25*4, 1*6), 82 runs scored in 152 deliveries with 7 fours by Dhoni and a 19-ball 58 runs (5*4) by Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, India folded up their first innings with 457 runs on the board.
England had a shaky start and stood at 172 runs for the loss of 4 wickets.Joe Root took over and tried to steady the innings but kept on losing partners at the other end. With a 78-run partnership with Stuart Broad (47 runs, 42 deliveries, 9*4), Root took the team score to 298 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. They were still trailing by 159 runs.
At this juncture, the No 11 batsman, James Anderson , walked to the middle to join Joe Root.None of the Indian bowlers seem to trouble the duo, more so Andersen. The 10th wicket partnership yielded a world record 198 runs. England eventually went on take a 39-run lead in the first innings.
Joe Root remained unbeaten on 154 runs off 295 deliveries with 15 fours. Andersen had scored 81 runs, batting for 230 minutes facing 130 deliveries with 17 hits to the fence. This is his personal best in Tests, thus far and the third highest by a No 11 batsman.
The weather-interrupted match, however, remained inconclusive. James Andersen was adjudged the Player of the match.
4. 75 runs by Zaheer Khan for India in December 2004
The first Test match (of the two-Test series) between India and Bangladesh was played between 10th December, 2004, and 13th December, 2004, at National Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Team India, led by Saurav Ganguly, won the toss and elected to field. Except for Mohd Ashraful (60* runs, 135 deliveries, 6*4) and Mohd Rafique (14 runs, 69 deliveries, 8*4), no other Bangladeshi batsmen could stand the onslaught of the Indian bowling and their first innings came to an end with 184 runs on the board.
Irfan Pathan tore into the opposition batting line up and returned with an impressive figure of 16-5-45-5. He was ably supported by Zaheer Khan (15-2-51-2) and Anil Kumble (13.5-2-45-2).
Losing the first three wickets (Gambhir,Sehwag and Dravid) with just 68 runs on the board, a 164-run fourth wicket partnership between Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Gangly enabled Team India to overcome the Bangladesh total and also take a lead. Saurav Ganguly scored 71 runs off 123 deliveries with 13 fours.
With contributions from VVS Laxman (32 runs, 39 deliveries, 6*4), and Dinesh Karthik (25 runs, 43 deliveries, 6*4) helped India reach 393 runs for the loss of 9 wickets.
At the fall of the 9th wicket in the form of Harbhajan Singh (8 runs, 14 deliveries, 2*4) with the team score at 393 runs, in walked the last batsman, Zaheer Khan to give company to Sachin Tendulkar, who was very well set by that time.
Ably assisted by Zaheer, Sachin went on the rampage taking on the Bangladeshi bowlers. The duo put up a 133-run partnership, the overall seventh best, for the 10th wicket.
Sachin remained unbeaten on a well made 248* runs, playing for 552 minutes, off 379 deliveries with the help of 35 fours.
Zaheer Khan, batting for 123 minutes, facing 115 deliveries scored 75 runs with 10 fours and 2 sixes. This is his personal best in Tests, thus far. India took a lead of 342 runs over the opposition.
This was the best 10th wicket partnership for India against any opponent.It would be interesting to note that the 95th over of the Indian innings, had a 7-ball over. India won the match by an innings and 140 runs and went up 1-0 in the series