One of the worst things that can happen to a hitter in a Test match is returning to the pavilion on an undefeated 99.
Only a handful of hitters in Test cricket history have suffered the misfortune of carrying the bat after reaching an undefeated 99 runs. In a similar way, James Anderson was recently bowled out by Cameron Green during the first innings of the fourth Test of the Ashes 2023. England’s innings ended with 592 after Anderson’s death. Jonny Bairstow was left stranded on an undefeated 99 as a result, preventing him from making a spectacular century. With Anderson’s unfortunate departure, Bairstow became just the second English cricketer in the illustrious Test event to narrowly miss the century mark.
Similar events occurred during the 1979 Ashes when Geoff Dymock removed Bob Willis, forcing Geoffrey Boycott to go back to the pavilion with Willis while also carrying his undefeated 99-run innings. There have been five further occasions in the Test format where players have reached 99 without being beaten, in addition to these two.
The five times that players carried the bat with their unbeaten 99-run knocks are as follows:
1. Misbah-ul-Haq vs West Indies in 2017
In 2017, Pakistan traveled to the West Indies and played a three-match Test series there. After dominating the hosts in the One-Day International (ODI) and Test series, Pakistan was feeling confident and destroyed the Windies team by seven wickets in the first Test. In the first game, Pakistan, who had won the toss, invited the West Indies to bat first.
The Caribbeans scored 312 runs because to the contributions of Roston Chase (63), Jason Holder (57), and wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich (56). With the assistance of Babar Azam’s 72 and Younis Khan’s 58, Pakistan successfully retaliated against the Windies team. In order to assist his team reach 400, captain Misbah also came through with some outstanding batsmanship. He scored 90 runs. Misbah and Mohammad Abbas, the tailender, were the only significant batters at the crease with nine out and the score at 407.
Pakistan’s innings was ended at 407 when Roston Chase trapped Abbas through leg-by-wicket (lbw) on the fourth delivery of the 139th over. Misbah, the Pakistani captain, was on 99 at the other end when Abbas was dismissed. As soon as Abbas was dismissed, Misbah followed suit and returned to the pavilion without scoring a century.
2. Alex Tudor vs New Zealand in 1999
Four Tests were played during New Zealand’s 1999 tour of England. New Zealand was defeated by the hosts by seven wickets in the first game at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground. After winning the toss, Kiwi captain Stephen Fleming elected to start batting for his team. Only Black Caps wicketkeeper batsman Adam Parore, who played a 73-run innings, appeared assured with the bat.
New Zealand scored 226 runs in the first innings thanks to Parore’s solid at-bat. England failed to make a major move after the Black Caps’ poor score, and they were defeated on 126. In the second inning, Andrew Caddick and Alan Mullaly destroyed the New Zealand batsmen and bowled them out for 107 runs.
Alec Stewart’s early departure on a duck dealt England a shock after the poor total of 208. Although he was unable to achieve his century, Alex Tudor maintained his composure and won the match for his team by seven wickets. Tudor needed to hit a home run in order to score a lot of runs, and before scoring the winning runs, he was batting on 95. Tudor’s 99-run unblemished inning resulted in a four rather than his clearing the fence. He then strolled back home. Tudor also won Player of the Match for his courageous batting performance that helped his team win the game.
3. Andrew Hall vs England in 2003
In 2003, South Africa played five Test matches in England. After three matches, the series was exciting because each team had one victory. The Proteas played admirably in the fourth Test at Headingley, defeating the hosts by a resounding margin of 191 runs.
In the match, South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first. Led by Gary Kirsten’s 130, Jacques Rudolph’s 55, and Monde Zondeki’s 59, South Africa scored 342 runs in the first innings. England showed bravery by sticking to the total and responding with 307 runs.
South Africa was in trouble at 219-6 in the second innings, but the game’s trajectory shifted when Andrew Hall produced some outstanding shots that enabled his team to surpass 350 runs. Dewald Pretorius was dismissed by James Kirtley, bringing South Africa’s innings to an end with a total of 365. Hall was prevented from reaching his first international century by Pretorious’s death, and the Protea returned to the changing rooms with an unbroken 99.
4. Shaun Pollock vs Sri Lanka in 2002
A few Test matches and five One-Day Internationals were played in South Africa in 2002. The Proteas sought to dominate the visitors in the second Test at SuperSport Park and win the red-ball series after their decisive victory over the island nation in the first Test by an innings and 64 runs. Shaun Pollock, the captain of South Africa, requested that Sri Lanka bat first after the coin was flipped in his favor.
Sri Lanka’s hitters, in contrast to the first Test, displayed some resilience and finished their first innings with a respectable total of 323. On South African soil, Hashan Tilakaratne scored his first and only century with a 104-run knock. South Africa outscored Sri Lanka by 448 runs in response, building a commanding 125-run lead.
Shaun Pollock’s undefeated 99-run knock made him the team’s leading scorer for the innings. If South Africa’s last man, Makhaya Ntini, had stayed at the wicket for a little bit longer, Pollock might have reached a century. The Proteas kept their composure and won the game with three wickets remaining in the second innings despite considerable resistance from Sri Lanka’s bowlers, who managed to save 121 runs. Pollock won Player of the Match for South Africa’s fascinating victory.
5. Steve Waugh vs England in 1995
Australia was in a good position in the 1994 Ashes after four Test matches, dominating their bitter rivals England 2-1 in the series. Australia kept the “urn” after winning a number of games in the tournament, but they wanted to defeat England in the championship game and take home the overall trophy.
After winning the toss, Australia elected to bat first and scored 402 runs in its opening innings. From the perspective of the Australian squad and fans, everything went perfectly for them save from their number 11 batter Craig McDermott being run out by Chris Lewis and Graham Gooch.
Steve Waugh was aiming for a century after helping Australia pass the 400-run mark, but McDermott’s dismissal devastated him and the fans of the Australian side as the stylish right-handed batter returned to the dugout on an undefeated 99. Waugh won Player of the Match honors for his effective unbroken 99 and outstanding 80 in the match, which ultimately resulted in the Aussies winning the fourth Test by a score of 329 runs.
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