All Out Cricket's Discussion Of The Week – Who played the best Test innings of 2011?

We asked All Out Cricket's followers on Facebook and Twitter to tell us their favourite Test innings of 2011. Here's a rundown of their top five:

http://www.alloutcricket.com/blogs/comment/top-five-test-innings-of-2011

What do you think of the AOC readers' top five? And which innings would you have picked instead?

Would go for Clarke's 151 v SA, next highest score in the first 3 innings was 44

I would also go for Clarke's, given the match card.

KP's double against India was sublime. Cautious at first before tearing into the Indians.

Pietersen's would be my own choice, purely because it was what a top drawer innings should be all about.

Clarke's was a great knock, but it was a lot of graft, whereas Pietersen's really did have it all. Watchful first up in difficult conditions, Pietersen took a fair bit of time (particularly by his own standards) to reach his half century, and gradually stepped up the pace as the innings went on, ultimately blazing the beleaguered Indian attack to every single corner of the ground. It is my own view that when he is in such form there is no finer batsman playing in world cricket today.

Many criticisms have been levelled at Pietersen over the years for not being willing to put in the hard graft at the start of innings, or for throwing away his wicket once he is in. Not this time, the innings showed maturity, skill, confidence (bordering on dismissive arrogance!) and was paced absolutely perfectly. The knock of the year without doubt.

Honourable mentions to Clarke (as above) and Ian Bell for the sublime shots he played throughout his own double century. Not sure I'd agree with Cook's being number 1. A fine innings in terms of concentration and application but it was a drag to watch it!

Bell, Clarke, Dravid for me.

Cook bored me to sleep job his big innings, no change of pace whatsoever. Bells was a whole different class.

To add, and hold your hats on...


Kp's double against India was fantastic. Especially the change in pace between the two centuries. However he just misses out on the top 3

5 very different innings in there:

Cook's was a formidable effort of concentration and determination, given he had previously been struggling that series. The article is incorrect when it says he "inexplicably slashed [...] to deep point": the explanation is simple, England wanted to declare to have a few overs at India (and in the course of things did get the wicket of Shewag) and Cook unselfishly tried to get to his triple quickly, with the field set well deep.

Pietersen's was a fantasticly constructed knock and a perfect example of adapting to the situation. Coming in with the ball hooping around and Zaheer still fit, him and Trott first saw off the new ball, then when England were in a decent position Pietersen started to accelerate. His technique of batting outside off to counter Ishant Sharma's angle show how much he thinks. And he got to 200 in double quick time by smashing a few boundaries, as he knew England wanted to declare. Selfless again.

Bell's was the perfect innings: you can't play better than that (or if you can I'm sorry I missed it).

Dravid's was a terrific example of a great solo effort in a losing cause.

However for me when I first read the title, there was one innings which immediately sprung to mind. Clarke's 151, given the context of the game, was one of the great counter-attacking innings, which could arguably in times to come stake a claim in the top 5/10/choose your number innings of all time. Difficult pitch, the best bowler of his generation on fire, and Clarke produced a great knock. He gets my vote.

Gregers wrote:To add, and hold your hats on...


Kp's double against India was fantastic. Especially the change in pace between the two centuries. However he just misses out on the top 3

whose got to your laptop

either that or have you suffered a blow to the head recently?

For shher historical importance it surely had to be Tendulkars 100th hundred.....

Ian Bell's 159 at Nottingham would have been near no 1 for me but the controversy over him being run out on 136* and then recalled after the tea break tainted it.

The 136 he had scored however was a very good innings.

Sachin 146 at CT against India against Steyn who was bowling a superhuman spell

Clarke's and Pietersen's would be my top 2. Clarke's innings was remarkable when you consider nobody else looked remotely like scoring a run over the first two days. Pietersen's was a special knock as he came in with England in trouble, the ball doing lots, and gritted his way to the double hundred which really set the tone for England's summer.

Bell and Cook were nice innings, but in easier conditions and against already demoralised opponents.

KP'S double hundred against india.

Michael Clarke against SA.
Warner against NZ.

I like an innings which really stands out in the match context , when one player seems to be batting on a different surface to all his team mates (for which reason I like GG's nomination of Warner's knock recently in Hobart )

So I'd take Clarke's 151 first , with an honourable runner up for KP at Lord's.