Boys on burning decks

Question: What did West Indian opener Adrian Barath do at the Gabba in 2009 that England's Jack Crawford first achieved at Newlands in 1906?

Answer: They both made the highest score of the Test, even though their teams lost by an innings. Crawford was the first to do it, making 74 in England's first innings of 187 in Cape Town. The next best score was Bert Vogler's unbeaten 62 in South Africa's reply of 333. England were then skittled for 130 in their second, 16 runs short of making South Africa bat again. When Barath made 104 - a century on debut - in West Indies' innings-and-65-run defeat in Brisbane, the next best score of the match was Simon Katich's 92.

Between Crawford and Barath, 14 batsmen have done it - top scored in a Test that their team lost by an innings. New Zealand's John Reid did it twice. His 73 in Auckland, 1955, was 20 runs more than England's best score. How did England manage to win that match by an innings when Len Hutton's 53 was their best effort? Trailing by 46, New Zealand crashed to 26 all out in their second innings - the lowest total in Test cricket. Seven years later, Reid made 142 at the Wanderers, beating South African opener Jackie McGlew's 120, but New Zealand lost by an innings and 51 runs.

This next bit is a little convoluted but here goes … The lowest top score in a Test that a team has lost by an innings is Shivnarine Chanderpaul's 62, also at the Gabba in 2000. West Indies were shot out for 82 in the first innings and Australia replied with 332. Brett Lee's 62 was their highest score and Chanderpaul equalled that when West Indies were dismissed for 124 in the second. A few other bits of trivia about that Test: it was the first played on a drop-in pitch; the win was Australia's 11th in a row, equaling West Indies' record; and Glenn McGrath's match figures of 10 for 27 was the second cheapest ten-wicket haul after Bert Ironmonger's 11 for 24 against South Africa at the MCG in 1931-32.

Only once has a team lost a Test by an innings despite one of their batsmen making a double-century: England against West Indies at The Oval in 1950. West Indies batted first and Frank Worrell contributed 138 to their total of 503. All the England batsmen, apart from Hutton, struggled during the reply. Hutton, who opened the innings, batted for nearly eight hours and carried his bat, scoring 202 as England was dismissed for 344, conceding a 159-run lead. That was enough for a follow-on in those days and West Indies enforced it. Hutton went straight back out to open but this time was dismissed for 2 as England crumbled to 103 all out.

Batsmen whose teams suffered innings defeats at least had two opportunities to make the Test's highest score. Bowlers whose teams were in a similar predicament, on the other hand, had only one innings to take wickets, while their opponents had two to compile the match's best figures. So it's extremely rare that a bowler from the team losing by an innings emerges from the Test with the best match figures. It's happened only thrice.

The most recent occurrence was in 2003. Bangladesh were hosting South Africa in Dhaka and Mohammad Rafique took 6 for 77 in the first innings as the visitors made 330. Bangladesh were dismissed for 102, with Makhaya Ntini's 3 for 32 being South Africa's best figures. Robin Peterson took three in the second innings and finished with 5 for 68 in the match as Bangladesh were bowled out for 210.

If there's a particular List you would like to see, email us with your comments and suggestions.