When Hamish Rutherford reached 166 in the Dunedin test he moved into the top ten highest scorers on test debut. Nick Knight, who was commentating at the time on Sky, mentioned this landmark, noting that he passed C Bannerman in the process. It was obvious from Knight's tone that he had no idea who he was, but Charles Bannerman not only holds a unique place in test cricket history, he is also the holder of a record that still stands today.
Born in Woolwich, Kent, Bannerman was a proud New South Welshman when at around 1pm on March 15th 1877 he faced the first ball in what later became recognised as the first ever test match. He then had the distinction of scoring the first test run from the second ball of Alfred Shaw's over and went on to play the first great test innings.
At the end of the first day, Australia were 166-6 but apart from Bannerman, who was 126 not out, no-one had passed twenty. At this stage Bannerman had scored a staggering 75.9% of his team's runs, a truly remarkable performance, especially as this was his first first class century and no Australian had ever scored a hundred against an English side before.
On day two, with good support from Jack Blackham, the Prince of Wicket-keepers, and eighteen year old Tom Garrett, he advanced his score to 165 before a ball from Ulyett split his finger and he had to retire hurt. The Australian innings didn't last long without him and they were all out for 245, Bannerman having contributed 67.34% of the total runs. Astonishingly, this is a record that still stands one hundred and thirty-six years later and only Michael Slater, with 123 out of 184 at Sydney in 1999, has ever really come close. Perhaps even more remarkably, this was not only Bannerman's only test hundred but the only first class hundred in a career in which he averaged just 21.62. He played two more tests and then umpired a further twelve between 1887 and 1902, his first class career having been cut short by illness.
Charles Bannerman wouldn't make it into the top ten Victorian cricketers by any stretch of the imagination and it is clear that he is all but forgotten today, but over two days in Melbourne in 1877 he played an innings that in some ways still hasn't been surpassed today and which has only just been knocked out of the top ten debut scores in test history, which is significantly more than Nick Knight ever achieved in test cricket.
Born in Woolwich, Kent, Bannerman was a proud New South Welshman when at around 1pm on March 15th 1877 he faced the first ball in what later became recognised as the first ever test match. He then had the distinction of scoring the first test run from the second ball of Alfred Shaw's over and went on to play the first great test innings.
At the end of the first day, Australia were 166-6 but apart from Bannerman, who was 126 not out, no-one had passed twenty. At this stage Bannerman had scored a staggering 75.9% of his team's runs, a truly remarkable performance, especially as this was his first first class century and no Australian had ever scored a hundred against an English side before.
On day two, with good support from Jack Blackham, the Prince of Wicket-keepers, and eighteen year old Tom Garrett, he advanced his score to 165 before a ball from Ulyett split his finger and he had to retire hurt. The Australian innings didn't last long without him and they were all out for 245, Bannerman having contributed 67.34% of the total runs. Astonishingly, this is a record that still stands one hundred and thirty-six years later and only Michael Slater, with 123 out of 184 at Sydney in 1999, has ever really come close. Perhaps even more remarkably, this was not only Bannerman's only test hundred but the only first class hundred in a career in which he averaged just 21.62. He played two more tests and then umpired a further twelve between 1887 and 1902, his first class career having been cut short by illness.
Charles Bannerman wouldn't make it into the top ten Victorian cricketers by any stretch of the imagination and it is clear that he is all but forgotten today, but over two days in Melbourne in 1877 he played an innings that in some ways still hasn't been surpassed today and which has only just been knocked out of the top ten debut scores in test history, which is significantly more than Nick Knight ever achieved in test cricket.
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