Top 5 Test centuries in a losing cause

1. Nathan Astle 222 vs England (England in New Zealand, Christchurch, 2002)

Nathan Astle

This was the quickest double hundred in the history of test cricket, coming off just 153 deliveries. And it came in the fourth innings, when the Kiwis needed 550 to win. Nathan Astle almost accomplished the impossible. England won the test match by a mere 98 runs, after setting a mammoth 549 for the Kiwis to chase, which they almost did. England came up with some brilliant performances that won them the match- man of the match Graham Thorpe who got a double hundred in the 2^nd innings, and among the bowlers Caddick and Hoggard who got 9 and 8 wickets in the game respectively.

New Zealand started their chase on the end of day 3 itself. Astle started his innings with the team total a little above 100, and held up one end as wickets kept tumbling at the other, and NZ were 9 down when Chris Cairns joined him at the crease with still a good 217 needed to win. Nobody- neither the English bowlers, nor the crowd, not even the New Zealanders in the dressing room themselves were ready for what was to follow.

Nathan Astle weighed his options and decided to take on the bowling with no one to bat after the current pair. He first targeted Caddick (who had already been successful 6 times in the innings), and treated him with utmost contempt- scoring 38 off the 11 balls that he faced from him, hitting 2 boundaries, and 5 biggies- one over third man, one over square leg and the rest over the cover boundary. Hoggard also got the beating of his life, going for 46 in the 16 balls that he bowled to Astle. Cairns played the role of a partner well, and got to a quick 20 at almost as many balls. The 10^th wicket stand was worth 118 and it came of just 69 balls, which was enough to scare the opposition.

New Zealand went from 350 to 400 in just 20 deliveries and to 450 in the next 39. England really felt the heat when the required margin was reduced to below a 100 runs, and with the rate those two were going and all the time in the world left, England seemed to be heading towards an impossible loss. They heaved a huge sigh of relief when Foster caught Astle for 222 off the bowling of Matthew Hoggard who got his only but most important wicket of the innings.