New Zealand’s Corey Anderson stunned the cricket world on New Year’s Day when he bludgeoned a world record century.
Against the West Indies in Queenstown, Anderson blasted 131 off 47 balls in the third one day international. His century was reached off 36 balls, and he walloped 14 sixes across his innings.
Anderson’s innings confirmed the rookie’s considerable promise and warned New Zealand’s rivals of the Black Caps’ Jekyll and Hyde nature.
In 2013, New Zealand only won seven of 17 games. They were whitewashed by Bangladesh, but shocked South Africa and England to win away series.
As stunning as Anderson’s assault was, his knock wasn’t even the best display by a Kiwi in the past 12 months, let alone the best of all time as some are suggesting.
The greatness of an innings must take into account some of the following factors: the calibre of the opposition, difficulty of the conditions, importance of the fixture and the quality of the stroke play.
A century in such rapid time is no doubt an extraordinary achievement, but against a pop gun attack on a minuscule ground in a revised contest (due to rain interruptions), the merits of Anderson’s efforts are somewhat diminished.
Kane Williamson’s 145 against South Africa in Kimberly last January won New Zealand a series for the first time in the Republic.
Williamson’s score, which included 19 boundaries, tallied more than half of New Zealand’s total and was achieved against a far more potent attack.
Similarly, Martin Guptill smashed a New Zealand record 189 against England in June to clinch a win in that series.
Guptill sustained a strike rate of over 120 for 50 overs against a good attack that included James Anderson, Tim Bresnan and Graeme Swann.
The following innings in New Zealand’s history also have far greater merit than Anderson’s record-breaking crash, bang and wallop.
Stephen Fleming 134 v South Africa, Johannesburg, 2003
South Africa needed to win this World Cup group game to guarantee qualification for the next round. An imposing total of 6-306 from 50 overs appeared to have the hosts on track.
Rain reduced the match to 38 overs, but still left New Zealand with a sizeable 229 to win.
Despite a sold out Wanderers stadium and a formidable South African attack that included Alan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis, Lance Klusener and Makhaya Ntini, New Zealand’s captain played a career-best knock.
Combing typical grace with extreme power, Fleming hit 21 of New Zealand’s 27 boundaries as the Black Caps eliminated the highly-fancied Proteas.
In 191 previous one-day internationals, Fleming had managed just three centuries. His innings lasted 132 balls and totalled 59 percent of New Zealand’s runs.
Martin Crowe 100 v Australia, Auckland, 1992
In the opening match of the 1992 World Cup, Captain Martin Crowe scored a great century on a low and slow pitch against the defending champions.
Arriving at the crease at 2-13, Crowe played with elegance and authority to bat New Zealand to a winning score.
Crowe’s performance was the catalyst for a memorable run by New Zealand in the tournament. New Zealand won seven games in a row on course to the semi-finals, which they narrowly lost to eventual champions, Pakistan.
Crowe faced 134 balls during his innings and stuck 11 boundaries. Crowe foiled a strong Australian bowling attack that included Craig McDermott and Bruce Reid.
Chris Cairns 102 v India, Nairobi, 2000
New Zealand, seeking its first piece of silverware in a major one day tournament, played India in the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy final.
Chasing 265 for victory, New Zealand staggered to 4-109 and then 5-132.
Chris Cairns, in the peak of his fine career, combined unusual restraint with typical bluster to rebuild New Zealand’s innings and then dominate an attack featuring Zaheer Khan, Anil Kumble and Ajit Agarkar.
Cairns faced 113 balls and hit 10 boundaries on his way to the best century he scored for his country.
The sight of Cairns scrambling a single in the last over to win the game is one of the enduring images in New Zealand cricket history.
Craig McMillan 117 v Australia, Hamilton, 2007
Before the 2007 World Cup, New Zealand beat Australia 3-0 in a short one-day series.
In the final game of that series, Matthew Hayden whacked an extraordinary 181 as Australia posted a massive score of 5-346 from 50 overs.
After nine overs of the chase, New Zealand was 4-44. Enter Craig McMillan.
A frequent underachiever, McMillan smashed a 67-ball century (13 fours and five sixes) as New Zealand chased down a record score to win.
Australia would go on to win the World Cup, extending their unbeaten run at the tournament to 29 matches.
Clark
Guest
I think that point is quite irrelvant in this case considering it was still an ODI and the fact it was Afridi who has always been just a slogger
Adam Julian
Roar Guru
Harris was one knock I thought about, Jamie How made a great 139 in a 340-340 tie with England a few years back and the other innings that I think is really underrated is the 102 made by Bruce Edgar in the Underarm match, he batted through the whole innings against a tough attack to give NZ a chance in that game.
dasilva
Guest
I will say that Afridi record is probably a better effort simply because it was a 50 over match. Scoring 100 of 37 balls in a 50 over match is a greater achievement than scoring something similar in a 21 over match where it is expected to slow every ball
trev
Guest
Would also add Chris Harris' 130 against Aus (McGrath, Warne and co) at 1996 WC to this list and Ross Taylor's innings against Pakistan at the 2011 WC. Anderson is a special talent though. If he can stay injury free, it adds so much to the NZ team. Williamson, Ryder and Anderson can all bat in the top 6 and add useful overs (in all forms)
IndianCricketFan
Guest
Tendulkar's record was phenomenal . Against Akhtar,Lee,Steyn,Warne,etc his record was umnatchable. Ponting and Waugh never had to face their bowling attack which was by far the best in the world. Also Tendulkar suffered from tennis elbow, after which he could not even hold a bat. And then to come and play some of the innings which he did surely puts him in the list of greatest of all time. He was a great hooker and puller of the ball but after his injury,one of his biggest strengths was eliminated but he still moved on. An entire generation in India grew up watching him and following his principles.He shouldered the expectations of billion people. His innings at Sydney where he didn't play a single shot outside off has to be made an example for the future generations.
Sylvester
Guest
I haven't seen or heard the word "greatest" used anywhere either. All of the knocks listed were far better and most would agree. It was however an immense display of power hitting, which is what all the fuss is about. There's been better players playing against worse attacks on smaller grounds, who have had the opportunity to take this record themselves but have not.
fredstone
Guest
Wowser, I wonder how many pages sould be needed to summize an Aussie, English or Indian greatest knocks eulogy? Unsurprisingly the NZ greatest knock spread is extremely thin.
ozinsa
Guest
Comparing the quality of an innings is subjective. I would agree that the Williamson innings against SA displayed better batsmanship but the stats are there for a reason. On a tiny ground, against a rubbish attack Anderson whacked a century off 36 balls. I saw an extended highlight package and it looked like school cricket but anybody who plays the game knows that hitting sixes as consistently as that is something only a very few can do and only on special days. All credit to him and to Ryder. It was great entertainment
Cantab
Guest
Yeah it's not the best, but it was pretty damn good, the thing that has surprised me the most about Anderson has been impact with the ball in test cricket, seems to pick up a wicket every spell. Really excited about the Black Caps future...for the first time since the 2007 WC
Ryan
Guest
Who exactly are suggesting its the best ever? I havent heard anyone say its the best, its just the quickest. . .
Clark
Guest
36 ball is better than 37, that's all that needs to be said really.
Brian
Guest
Basically any ODI Innings outside the World Cup are meaningless so Fleming ton against SA definitely the best.
Adam
Guest
The article sounds like sour grapes. Let's take tendulker"s record as a joke then. The majority of his runs cane on flat slow batsman paradise pitches In the sub continent, facing pop gun bowling attacks, with under 14 year old cricket sized boundries with these new big bats! That's why he cannot be regarded at a great. The Richards & chapels where 10 times the player tendalkar ever was
Adam Julian
Roar Guru
Shahid Afridi got his 37 ball century in his first bat for Pakistan. He was 16 years old and did it against Sri Lanka in the year they won the World Cup! I totally agree that his knock is better than Anderson's who can clearly play. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11180617
Stephen
Guest
Good question Sportsnut. I guess you can only play against what the Fixture dictates and the opposition serve up. But again I feel Borders' runs were largely understated - for that very reason.
Sportnut
Guest
Based on the logic used for this article (which I agree with) what is the collective wisdom on other record scores. Brian Lara 400 v England Matt Hayden 380 v Zimbabwe Mahela Jayawardene 374 v South Africa Using the logic above is Jaya's innings better? I never rated Lara's 400 cos it came against the poms on tour who are still able to go missing badly on a day or two. Hayden's was like watching a 5 year old in the 2 year olds sand pit. Anyway it's a good discussion point.
SteveW
Guest
Agree there have been much better Innings - The Fleming Century in Particular was outstanding given the attack SA had Having watched the match on the weekend, I think it was more of an exhibition of just how bad West Indies Cricket has got and how little idea they have... you tend to forget that Ryder also scored a quick fire century. Congrats to Anderson, however he should be thanking the west Indies bowling attack for mindlessly bowling the same delieveries over and over - reminded me of a net session where your deliberately bowling balls in an area to help the batsmen practice certain shots... West Indies Cricket really has a big hole to dig themselves out of (if they ever can)
Mits
Guest
Good article, what it shows is that the Kiwi's have had many wonderful, albeit at times inconsistent ODI batsman over the year (Crowe aside). I seem to remember Jacob Oram playing a brilliant knock at Perth a few years back against the Aussies with some of the cleanest hitting imaginable to nearly steal an impossible win. I agree that Guptill's innings was the best by a New Zealander. It was almost the perfect ODI innings, he opened, remained not out, a strike rate over 100 and his innings ensured New Zealand defeated the Poms in that particular series. It wasn't just crash-and-bash, it was well timed and executed and he allowed the bigger hitters in McCullum and Taylor to tee off at the other end whilst he remained the rock of the innings. On Anderson's innings, I'm personally sad to see Afridi's record disappear as to score a 36 ball century in his first ever ODI innings as a 16 year old before the invention of T20 cricket where nowadays players are not afraid to clear the boundaries is simply phenomenal. Taking nothing away from Anderson's knock as it was a gem but given the contest of the match (21 overs) I still rate Afridi's innings higher.
Stephen
Guest
I agree with the authors logic. Which is why I believe Allan Borders' record is so remarkable. He averaged over 50 in Test cricket with the bat. And his 11,000+ runs were made largely against the West Indies at their peak, Hadlee, Khan, Akram, Botham etc etc. There were no emerging Test nations to enjoy some respite and easy runs. Understated and underrated from my perspective.