Bottoms up! Top scores by number 11 batsmen for each country

Tags: Top scores, 11th batsmen, Ashton Agar, Tino la Bertram Best, James Michael Anderson, Zaheer Khan, Richard Owen Collinge, Albert Edward Ernest Vogler, Wasim Bari, Muttiah Muralitharan

Published on: Jul 14, 2014

James Anderson’s flamboyant 81 was the highest score by a number 11 batsman in Test for England.

James Anderson’s flamboyant 81 was the highest score by a number 11 batsman in Test for England. Here’s a look at the best score by number 11 batsmen in Tests for each of the top eight Test-playing nations.


Australia -- Ashton Agar (98): As with most other records in cricket. Australia lead the pack here as well. A young Aussie spinner was picked to represent the Aussies in the first Test of the Ashes series played at Nottingham last year. He was supposed to try and make an impact with the ball, but instead blasted 98 from 101 balls to create a new record for the highest score by a number 11 batsman.


West Indies -- Tino Best (95): BeforeAgar, the record stood in the name of the erratic West Indian fast bowler. Best smashed 95 from 112 balls against England at Birmingham in the third Test of the series, which was already lost. His knock provided some great relief for West Indies from the usual collapses, and was entertaining to the hilt before he fell five short of a maiden ton.


England -- James Anderson (81): In the previous Test against Sri Lanka, Anderson was left in tears as he couldn’t play out the last couple of balls to save the Test after having battled it out for well over an hour. But, there was joy for him on the docile Trent Bridge surface as he helped himself to 81 from 130 balls with the aid of 17 fours to frustrate India’s bowlers.


India -- Zaheer Khan (75): The Indian medium pacer struck a half century for India against Bangladesh during the first Test of the 2004 series at Dhaka. Zaheer blasted 75 from 115 balls with 10 fours and 2 sixes, and featured in a massive tenth wicket stand with Sachin Tendulkar 248*)


New Zealand -- Richard Collinge (68 not out): The New Zealand number eleven made an unbeaten 68 in the Test match against Pakistan at Auckland in 1973. The stats for the number of balls he faced are not available, but he did hit six fours and a six while batting for two and a half hours.


South Africa -- Albert Vogler (62 not out): The South African number 11 batsman registered his unbeaten fifty against England at Cape Town in fifth Test of the series in 1906. He 62 not out was scored in 75 minutes with 5 fours and 3 sixes. In fact, it was the highest score in South Africa’s first innings.


Pakistan -- Wasim Bari (60 not out): The Pakistani registered the highest Test score for a number 11 bat for his country against West Indies at Bridgetown in 1977 during the first Test of the series. He batted for 110 minutes and hit 10 fours in Pakistan’s second innings.


Sri Lanka -- Muttiah Muralitharan (43): The maverick Lankan smashed 43 from 28 balls (5 fours and 3 sixes) in the second Test of the 2004 series at Kandy against Australia. Sri Lanka, however, lost the Test, and went on to lose the series 3-0.


--By A Cricket Analyst

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