Most Time Spent on Crease in Test Cricket History
Table of content:
Introduction
Test cricket can be defined as the traditional format of the game, which is played widely among the major cricket-playing regions. It is also the longest format of cricket with matches that lasts up to 5-days. Its slow pace action brings the best out of players while testing their endurance, spirits, and abilities at the same time. Batsmen are known to play more carefully in this format to maximize their runs without losing their wickets and sometimes they can hold their ground for several hours, which sets them apart from an average player. Let us have a look at the top 5 players with the most time spent on crease in Test cricket in an innings.
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Brief About the Top 5 Longest Test Innings with Most Time Spent on the Crease
A Table of Players Who Spent the Most Time on Crease in Test Cricket
Here’s the list of players with the most time spent on crease in Test cricket in an innings;
1. Hanif Mohammad - 970 Minutes
Hanif Mohammad was a right-handed batsman for Pakistan and is often regarded as “the original Little Master.” Hanif started playing for the Pakistan men’s cricket team with his debut Test match against India on October 16th, 1952 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. He was a proficient run-scorer who played a total of 55 Test matches with Pakistan and scored 3915 runs with an average of 43.5. Hanif Mohammad is also the number one player on this list with the most time spent on crease in Test cricket in an innings.
This took place during a Test match against West Indies at Bridgetown on January 17th, 1985. He came to the crease to stun cricket fans of the world forever, by showing his raw talent and endurance level. He batted for a total of 970 minutes straight alongside the support of his fellow partners from time to time. He was like an anchor and refused to leave the crease by giving away his wicket. He made a total of 337 runs in that innings with twenty-four 4s, which helped his team to draw that game against all odds. His phenomenal 337-run strike is also the highest score of his Test cricket career.
2. Gary Kirsten - 878 Minutes
The second name on this list of cricketers with the most time spent on crease in Test cricket is former South African left-handed batsman, Garry Kirsten. Kristen played more than 100 matches in both Test and ODI formats of cricket with South Africa. He made his Test debut against Australia on December 26th, 1993 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He was a very conventional-minded player and showed his sheer concentration and commitment to the sport at often times and one of his brilliant innings really shows this to the full extent.
Kirsten’s longest innings with the most time spent on crease in Test cricket comes during a match against England on December 26th, 1999 at the Durban. South Africa’s win on that day was behind all odds, but they sent Kirsten to strike in order to keep their boats sailing. As Kirsten began to strike, there was no stopping him as English bowlers failed to claim his wicket. He batted for a massive 878 minutes, which is the second most time spent on crease in Test cricket in an innings, and scored 275 runs with 26 boundaries. This 275-run haul remains his career-high score and within the 101 total Test matches that he played, he made a total score of 7289 runs.
3. Alastair Cook - 836 Minutes
Former English cricketer, Sir Alastair Cook, was a left-handed batsman for the England men’s cricket team. Cook made his Test cricket debut against India on March 1st, 2006 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground. He played a total of 161 Test matches in his career, where he scored 12,472 runs total including 33 Test centuries. But one of his fantastic innings remains golden in the history of English and world cricket. Alastair Cook is the third player on this list with the most time spent on crease in Test cricket in an innings. This took place when team England was facing off team Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on October 13th, 2015.
In that game, Pakistan batted first and set a scoreline of 523 runs and in order to come ahead of the competition, the English side needed a miracle. And it was brought by Cook himself, as he went on for batting and scoring runs without losing his wicket. He scored a massive 263 runs before being dismissed in the duration of what seemed to be an eternity to the Pakistani player. However, they eventually could not pull the victory as the match was drawn, Cook’s phenomenal 263-runs strike while staying 836 minutes on the crease remains an outstanding record.
4. Sanath Jayasuriya - 799 Minutes
The legendary left-handed batsman from Sri Lanka, Sanath Jayasuriya, is often described as one of the best batting-allrounders of all time. He made his Test cricket debut back on February 22nd, 1991, against New Zealand at Seddon Park. He played his fair share of Test matches in his career, 110 to be exact, and scored 6973 runs and took 98 wickets in total. However, his marvelous performance deserves enormous praise. This took place during Sri Lanka vs India matchup in Colombo (PRS) on August 2nd, 1997.
After India’s run haul of 538 runs by batting first, Sanath Jayasuriya came to strike and started to score without a stop. He made a massive total of 340 runs in his innings and his partnership with Roshan Mahanama for 576 runs remains the second highest Test cricket partnership score. Jayasuriya batted for a massive 799 minutes in total, which makes him the fourth player with the most time spent on crease in Test cricket. The match was however called a draw but it did give the world of cricket plenty of moments and records to cherish.
5. Len Hutton - 797 Minutes
English cricketer Sir Leonard Hutton, first debuted for the England men’s cricket team against New Zealand in a Test match at Lords, on June 26th, 1937. He played a total of 70 Test cricket matches and scored 6971 runs in total with 19 centuries, an average of 56.22, and a high score of 364 runs. His memorable strike performance during a Test match between England and Australia at The Oval on August 20th, 1938, remains the most impressive one in his career. England won the toss and chose to bat first and played very carefully, all while scoring runs and not losing wickets.
They tortured the Australian fielders for three days straight as they piled up 903 runs in the team total. Hutton was a 22-year youngster who left quite a mark on the cricket scene with his performance. He, along with his partner Leyland, piled up runs after runs as the days passed by. Hutton made a total of 364 runs that day and stayed on the crease for 797 minutes in total, along with 35 boundaries. With this, he remains the fifth player with the most time spent on crease in Test cricket.
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