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ACF 25: Highest Partnerships by No. 10 and 11 Batters in Test Cricket

Batting partnerships are quite crucial for a team to score huge totals, more so in Test cricket. And it’s pretty common to see top-order batters come together and stitch partnerships with patience.

But there’s nothing more frustrating for a fielding side than watching the No. 10 and 11 batters make them sweat. It adds a bit of fun to the match as the two not-so-proper batters keep the scorecard ticking with their unusual batting bursts.

In almost 150 years of Test cricket history, we have seen some gritty partnerships for the last wicket. In this piece, we’ll look at the highest partnerships recorded by No. 10 and 11 batters in Test cricket.

5. Percy Sherwell & Albert Vogler (South Africa) | 94 Runs vs England, 1906

The fifth instance on the list is more than a century old. England were on a five-match tour of South Africa in 1906.

The hosts had already bagged the series by 3-1 going into the fifth Test at Cape Town. South Africa wrapped up England for 187 runs in the first innings before finding themselves in trouble at 182 for seven.

Then No. 8 Tip Snooke and No. 9 Reggie Schwarz showed resistance. The duo put up a 44-run stand before Schwarz handed a catch on the score of 226.

With South Africa eight down, their captain Percy Sherwell walked out at No. 10. Snooke and Sherwell couldn’t put up a big partnership, with Snooke falling for 239.

But then the skipper held on to one end, along with Albert Vogler. The duo of wicketkeeper and pacer built a 94-run stand, taking South Africa’s total to 333.

That last wicket partnership proved crucial as South Africa defeated England by an innings and 16 runs to take the series by 4-1.

4. Matt Henry & Ajaz Patel (New Zealand) | 104 Runs vs Pakistan, 2023

Matt Henry and Ajaz Patel started 2023 by scripting a piece of history. The two Kiwis posted only the fourth century partnership by Nos. 10 and 11 batters in Test cricket.

Henry, a right-arm pacer, and Patel, a left-arm spinner, showed their batting abilities during the 2023 Karachi Test. The first Test of the two-match series ended in a draw, with both teams looking for a win in the second.

New Zealand elected to bat first, and openers provided a solid start. With a 134-run stand for the first wicket and a 100-run partnership for the second wicket, New Zealand were looking comfortable at 234 for two.

But then the visitors lost seven wickets within 110 runs, leaving them reeling at 345 for nine. Then the last batting pair of Henry and Patel stepped up to steer their team out of the rut.

They put together a valiant 104-run partnership for the 10th wicket, helping New Zealand reach a fighting total of 449 runs. Henry remained unbeaten on 68, smashing eight fours and two maximums, while Patel fell for 35, hitting four boundaries.

The Test spiced up on the last day after New Zealand set a target of 319 runs against Pakistan. The hosts came well within reach, but bad light ended the match in a draw.

Check: Indian players who picked 10 wickets in an innings in first-class cricket

3. Reggie Duff & Warwick Armstrong (Australia) | 120 Runs vs England, 1902

When a player makes their debut, there’s already a lot of pressure to prove their mettle in the first match. Reggie Duff and Warwick Armstrong perhaps felt it harder as England tasted their batting skills in the 1902 Melbourne Test.

It was the second Test of the Ashes, with both Duff and Armstrong making their Test debuts. Thanks to heavy rain, the Melbourne pitch was difficult to bat on.

And as a result, Australia and England were all out on 112 and 61 in their respective first innings within the two sessions on day one. Australia managed to take a lead of 51 runs, but it wasn’t going to be easy to bat on the sticky wicket.

So Australia’s skipper Joe Darling decided to hold back his best batters and asked the bowlers to see through the first day. The decision proved to be right as Australia closed the day at 48 for five.

The second day saw small yet crucial partnerships from Australian batters. But the most remarkable one came from the two debutants.

Duff, a fine right-hand batter, walked in at No. 10 and had a 66-run stand with Clem Hill, who lost his wicket on 233 after a fighting 99. Then Duff got the company of his fellow debutant, Armstrong, who was an all-rounder.

The two debutants applied themselves on the tricky surface and put up a stand of 120 runs. Duff brought up 104 runs, making him just the second No. 10 batter to score a Test century. He also became the third batter from Australia to score a hundred on his Test debut.

Armstrong, meanwhile, remained not out on 45, with Australia scoring 353 and taking a lead of 404 runs. That target was way out of reach of England as they faltered on 175, with Australia bagging the match by 229 runs.

Check: Instance of a bowler attaining an unique hattrick of picking 3 wickets in three different overs

2. John Bracewell & Stephen Boock (New Zealand) | 124 Runs vs Australia, 1985

Another No. 10 and No. 11 pair from New Zealand makes it to the list. Unlike the pace-spin duo of Henry and Patel, John Bracewell and Stephen Boock were both spinners, though the former was a handy batter.

After being asked to bat first by their trans-Tasman neighbours, New Zealand were nine down on 169 runs. Then the spin duo took matters into their own hands on a dry Sydney surface.

Eight Kiwi batters faltered against the Australian spin pair of Bob Holland (6 wickets) and Ray Bright (2 wickets). But Bracewell and Boock countered the spin with a fine balance.

Bracewell executed shots with confidence while Boock showed his solid defence to take New Zealand from 169 to 293. Dave Gilbert somehow managed to beat Boock’s defence, ending the partnership on 124 runs.

Boock got out on 37, while Bracewell returned to the pavilion unbeaten on 83. Thanks to the mighty effort, New Zealand managed to take the first innings lead, though they eventually lost the match by four wickets.

Despite that, Bracewell won the Player of the Match award for his valiant batting and taking five wickets across both innings.

1. Ken Higgs & John Snow (England) | 128 Runs vs West Indies, 1966

Ken Higgs and John Snow registered the highest partnership by No. 10 and 11 batters in Test cricket. The two England pacers showed their batting abilities to bring a positive result in what was a disappointing home summer.

The West Indies toured England for a five-match series in 1966 and swept three of the four Tests. Going into the fifth Test at the Oval, England had nothing to lose, with the series already gone out of their hands.

The Windies opted to bat first and mustered 268 runs. In response, England’s batters put in yet another poor performance, with the visitors reducing them to 166 for seven.

It seemed England would be all out under 200, but Tom Graveney (165) and John Murray (112) held their ground. The duo pulled England out of the tricky situation with a 217-run stand for the eighth wicket.

As England lost Gravaney on 383, followed by Murray on 399, the Windies felt they were back in the game. But there was a twist in the tale.

The new ball pair of Higgs and Snow put up a delightful last-wicket partnership with the bat. They countered the pace and spin of the Caribbean side quite well in two hours, stitching 128 runs together.

Prior to this innings, neither batter had ever scored a fifty in their first-class careers. But Higgs and Snow surpassed the fifty mark for the first time to take England to 527 runs. Higgs scored 63 runs, including three fours and a six, while Snow accumulated an unbeaten 59, including eight boundaries.

The 361 runs fetched by the four batters helped England end the summer with a consolation win as they beat the Windies by an innings and 34 runs