Inspired by Glenn Mitchell’s twin pieces on the best innings from Aussie batsmen, I’ve compiled a list of the best batting innings from Aussie bowlers. The only catch? They all occurred post-2009, during Australian cricket’s recent doldrums.
Yesterday’s piece listed six through four, today we finish with the top three batting performances from blokes more familiar with leather than willow.
3. Ben Hilfenhaus 56* at Lord’s Cricket Ground versus Pakistan, July 2010
It can be hard to follow the cricket when it is being played outside of Australia given the free-to-air television networks will only bother seeking the broadcasting rights if it’s an Ashes series. It’s therefore a bit of a shame our bowlers seem to wait until they’re safely out of sight before showing off their batting talents to the pay-per-viewers and terrorising the Johnny foreigners.
Anyway, I’ve got a riddle for you. What do Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, and Sachin Tendulkar all have in common?
Longevity? Prodigious batting ability? Less half-centuries between the three of them at Lord’s than Ben Hilfenhaus?
Yup, it’s all true. It’s the kind of statistic you just couldn’t make up: ‘Hilfy’ managed to one-up the batting powerhouses when he scored a solid 56 not out while playing at Lord’s against the ‘hosts’ Pakistan.
Hilfenhaus defied the Pakistani bowlers, hitting six fours and a six over two hours to notch his first (and only) Test half-century in front of what must have been a highly amused (if small) crowd of curious Englishmen.
Combining with Tim Paine and Dougy Bollinger, Hilfenhaus helped to contribute 126 runs to Australia’s second innings total of 334.
This effectively set Australia up for a big 150-run victory and put Australia ahead 1-0 in the two match series.
2. Mitchell Johnson 38* and 40* at The Wanderers Stadium versus South Africa, November 2011
Of all the knocks that have made this list, these were among the most important for Australia. The match in question took place at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, at a critical juncture in the (recent) history of Australian cricket.
In Michael Clarke’s second series in charge, his men had already conceded any chance of winning the two-Test tour after being belted at Newlands on a relatively benign pitch that had nevertheless claimed 18 wickets for 97 runs during a 40 over period in the second and third innings of the match.
The Aussies, stung from the criticism they had received for a meek and headless innings of 47 in which the number 11 had top-scored, arrived in Johannesburg desperate for something positive to come home with before facing back-to-back Test series against New Zealand and India.
Enter Mitchell Johnson. It was the second day of the Wanderer’s Test and Australia trail South Africa by 33 runs when Mitchell Johnson strode to the crease.
He got his eye in just as Brad Haddin was dismissed, and batted proficiently with the rest of the tail adding 41 runs following the keeper’s dismissal to give Australia a workable 30-run lead.
As it turned out, this would not be the last Australia required from Johnson.
Chasing 309 to win the match after a brilliant Hashim Amla century in the third innings, Australia were motoring toward the total courtesy of some very fine batting from Usman Khawaja and Ricky Ponting when a flurry of cheap wickets reduced Australia to five wickets for 165 runs.
After Hussey was dismissed for 39, South Africa were into the tail with 94 runs in hand and could smell the sweet scent of victory.
Once again, Mitchell Johnson strode to the crease.
The resulting partnership between Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson was without a doubt the difference between victory and defeat.
Although South Africa revived a glimmer of a hope of victory after dismissing Haddin and Peter Siddle with 18 runs in hand, Johnson and Pat Cummins were able to see the task through.
They won the match and tied the series for Australia, thus denying South Africa what would have been their first home series victory over Australia in 42 years.
1. Mitchell Johnson 92* at the MCG versus Sri Lanka, December 2012
You knew this one was coming, and if you didn’t, you should have. For all of my earlier objections (see part I) to his all-rounder status, I can’t deny that every so often, Mitchell Johnson shows he knows how to bat with great ability.
It’s been nearly four years since an Aussie bowler got anywhere near a century, and guess what? It was Mitchell Johnson last time too.
I won’t bore you with descriptors or try to build up what was essentially a great knock from a bowler long after the batsmen had already done the job.
Like Adam Gilchrist in 2006, this innings was not so much pivotal as it was just a privilege to watch.
It was the icing on the cake, the after dinner mints at the restaurant, the double-shot of whisky on Friday lunchtime before heading back to the office.
No? Nobody else does that? Oh. Oh well.
Still here? The highlights of Johnson’s knock is embedded below. Enjoy, you’ve earned it.
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