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New Zealand cricketers must be scratching their heads in frustration. How did it happen? How did they lose the Lord’s Test on Monday after scoring 523 runs in the first innings and then leading England by 134 runs?
I can imagine New Zealand’s no. 3 batsman Kane Williamson banging his head against the wall when his country lost by 124 runs. He scored 132 in the first innings and 27 in the second after the Kiwis lost two wickets for no runs and three wickets for 12.
It may console him that his countryman Nathan Astle had scored 222 runs in the second innings of the Christchurch Test against England in March 2002 and still New Zealand had lost by 98 runs. It was then the highest individual score for a losing side.
Astle’s 222 included 11 sixes (only Pakistan’s Wasim Akram had hit more sixes, 12, in a Test innings) and was the fastest double century in Test history, hit off only 153 balls, an astounding strike rate of 145.09.
Wisden 2003 summed up this Christchurch Test as perhaps the most glorious failure in Test history. When an injured Chris Cairns walked in at no. 11, New Zealand needing 550 to win were 9 for 333. Now they required 217 more runs for an impossible victory.
Astle was 134 at the fall of the ninth wicket. To quote Wisden, “he proceeded to treat England’s attack as if they had been drafted from the local kindergarten.”
Astle and Cairns (23 not out) added an incredible 118 for the last wicket, Astle contributing a flamboyant 78.
Back to this Monday’s Lord’s Test. It may console Williamson’s team mates to learn that it had happened 12 times in the past in the 138 years history of Test cricket that a team scoring 500 plus in the first innings ended up losing.
But it happened for the first time to New Zealand.
I recall two Tests in Adelaide in the new millennium when a team scoring 550 plus in the first innings ended up losing.
The first instance was against India in December 2003. Winning the toss Australia amassed 556 runs, Ricky Ponting scoring a majestic 242.
With Rahul Dravid stroking 233 and VVS Laxman 148, India totalled 523. Ajit Agarkar surprised an over confident Australia by capturing 6 for 41 and the home team was rolled out for 196.
Dravid nicknamed “the wall” made an unbeaten 72 and India won by four wickets. Ponting went past Astle’s record by recording the highest score (242) for a losing side.
The other instance I recall of a team recording 550 plus in the first innings and losing was in the Ashes Test of December 2006.
England declared at 6 for 551 (Paul Collingwood 206, Kevin Pietersen 158). Australia replied with 513 (Ponting 142, Michael Clarke 124).
Then Shane Warne struck with a 4 for 49 spell and England was bowled out for 129 and Australia won by six wickets.
Like these two hair-raisers in Adelaide, the just concluded Lord’s Test showed that Test cricket is alive and well.
It was one of the most exciting Tests I have watched as it fluctuated every day. In all 1610 runs were scored in this Test which is a record aggregate in a Test since 1930 when all 40 wickets fell.
Can’t wait for the second Test to start and then for the Ashes. Can you?