England’s 1,000th match milestone
England will play their 1,000th Test match when they face India at Edgbaston on Wednesday.
Their overall Test record currently reads, played 999, won 357, lost 297, drawn 345.
Here, we look back at six particularly memorable encounters from those 999 matches:
GILBERT JESSOP
1902: v Australia, The Oval England won by one wicket
England seemed set for another defeat in an Ashes series they had already lost when they collapsed to 48 for five chasing a victory target of 263. But Gilbert Jessop’s rapid century got them back in the game before the last-wicket Yorkshire pair of George Hirst and Wilfred Rhodes saw them to a thrilling win.
LEONARD HUTTON
1938: v Australia, The Oval England won by an innings and 579 runs
England’s colossal winning margin was built on Leonard Hutton’s 364. He batted for nearly 800 minutes – 13 hours – as he posted what was the then-highest individual score in Tests. It would be 20 years before West Indies great Garry Sobers topped Hutton’s mark with 365 not out
COLIN COWDREY
1963: v West Indies, Lord's: Drawn
This match went all the way to the very last ball. England were six short of their target with two balls left when Colin Cowdrey, who had suffered a broken arm batting in the first innings, batted with his forearm in plaster at No 11. But Cowdrey didn’t face, with David Allen blocking Wes Hall’s final two deliveries.
IAN BOTHAM
1981: v Australia, Headingley: England won by 18 runs
England, following on, were all set to go 2-0 down in the series when Ian Botham, in his first match since being relieved of the captaincy, produced a breathtaking counter-attacking innings of 149 not out. Veteran fast bowler Bob Willis inspired with a return of 8/43.
STEVE HARMISON
2005: v Australia, Edgbaston: England won by two runs
England were on top for most of the match until Australia’s last two wickets added 104 runs to take them to within touching distance of victory. But Steve Harmison had tailender Michael Kasprowicz caught down the legside by wicket-keeper Geraint Jones to take England home.
MONTY PANESAR
2012: v India, Mumbai England won by 10 wickets
Contrasting hundreds from Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen, who shared a double-century stand, put the tourists in control. Spinners Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann outbowled their India counterparts in both innings as England completed one of their best away wins.