Question

Can someone name a recent Test where there have been at least three innings with scores 500+?


This isn't trivia because I don't have the answer.

Maybe wrong but I don't think there's ever been one. Closest I can find is this:

Pakistan v. India, 2nd Test, Faisalabad, 21-25 January 2006

Pakistan were 10 runs short in the 3rd innings due to a declaration.

In the famous "Timeless Test" at Durban in March 1939 South Africa were bowled out for 481 in the 3rd innings after making 530 batting first, England made 316 & 654-5 (42 runs short of their victory target with Les Ames on 140*) when shipping schedules necessitated a closure to the match.

It's very unlikely as there just isn't the time. At a decent rate it takes at least 5 sessions to make 500. There are only a maximum 15 sessions in a test match so do the mathematics.

Does anyone know how to play the riff for Queen Bitch by Bowie?

Allan D wrote:Maybe wrong but I don't think there's ever been one. Closest I can find is this:

Pakistan v. India, 2nd Test, Faisalabad, 21-25 January 2006

Pakistan were 10 runs short in the 3rd innings due to a declaration.

In the famous "Timeless Test" at Durban in March 1939 South Africa were bowled out for 481 in the 3rd innings after making 530 batting first, England made 316 & 654-5 (42 runs short of their victory target with Les Ames on 140*) when shipping schedules necessitated a closure to the match.

Yeah, just as I expected. Now to find a test with 3 high scoring (if 500+ is impossible) innings OUTSIDE of Pakistan.

Eric Air Emu wrote:It's very unlikely as there just isn't the time. At a decent rate it takes at least 5 sessions to make 500. There are only a maximum 15 sessions in a test match so do the mathematics.

It would have been achieved in the match above if Imzie hadn't declared in order to put India in at the end of the game for a few meaningless overs. Assuming there is no 4th innings the minimum aggregate would be 1500 runs scored over 15 sessions which would be perfectly gettable at a rate of about 3.33 per over (assuming the fielding side always bowled their full allotment of overs). I think the unusual part is scoring that heavily in the 3rd or 4th innings.

DJ_Smerk wrote:

Allan D wrote:Maybe wrong but I don't think there's ever been one. Closest I can find is this:

Pakistan v. India, 2nd Test, Faisalabad, 21-25 January 2006

Pakistan were 10 runs short in the 3rd innings due to a declaration.

In the famous "Timeless Test" at Durban in March 1939 South Africa were bowled out for 481 in the 3rd innings after making 530 batting first, England made 316 & 654-5 (42 runs short of their victory target with Les Ames on 140*) when shipping schedules necessitated a closure to the match.

Yeah, just as I expected. Now to find a test with 3 high scoring (if 500+ is impossible) innings OUTSIDE of Pakistan.

I know it's not a recent Test but Durban is not in Pakistan, last time I looked.

Oh touche, Allan.

This match, although again not recent, is a rare (if not unique) example of all 4 innings making 350+. Probably the classic "batsman's match" it still holds the record for the match with the highest run aggregate that produced a positive outcome. Played over 7 days (with 1 rest day) it produced a total of 6 centurions and 7 half-centurions:

Aus. v. Eng., 3rd Test, Adelaide Oval, 14-20 January 1921

Although had they existed then the MoM award would probably have gone to Arthur Mailey for his match figures of 10-302.

Here is an instance of a 3-innings match, played over 4 days where all 3 innings were 400+ :

Eng. v. Aus., 1st Test, Trent Bridge, 10-14 June 1938

Interesting.


Would you say the said games, were down to the type of pitch, or down to the quality of batting or poor bowling?

Difficult to say as I have only read about these games but the pendulum certainly swung heavily in favour of the bat during the inter-war period. Pitches, especially at Test level, improved dramatically from their pre-WWI counterparts and the reputation of the bowlers was in no way diminished as from the example of Mailey I give at Adelaide ( McCormick, O'Reilly, Fleetwood-Smith, Farnes, Wright and Verity all bowled with some return, though expensively purchased, at Trent Bridge). I think it was a combination of good wickets, the difficulty of securing lbws compared to today, the belief of captains in using spinners as attacking bowlers for much longer periods than today combined with a reluctance to set defensive fields.

Here is another instance of a 3-innings match with all 3 innings 400+ but this time much more recent (and made over 5 days):

India v. Pakistan, 1st Test, Ahmedabad 16-20 November 2009