All 908 tons by Australian men in Test cricket

Shared from r/AusCricket

The old adage in Australia is that your best bat should be at 3. Australia has had some legends of the game score centuries at first drop through the years, with Bradman, Harvey, Chappell, Ponting, Gillespie and Smith all listed on honour boards across the world. However, Marnus Labuschagne’s Test century drought at #3 is now over three years, the second longest gap without a century at #3 since the First World War (excluding WW2)1.

Conversely Matt Renshaw’s excellently constructed 190 in Durban now means 6 separate batsman have tonned up at #5 since Marnus last saluted in 2023. Is this a sign of the changing nature of where Australia tons come from, an indication of where it’s ‘easiest’ to bat in the current game, or just a downward blip related to one particular players drought? Here’s a brief look at the numbers of where Australia’s tons come from.

Historical split

https://preview.redd.it/irft5no1y3wh1.png?width=984&format=png&auto=webp&s=31fa65fd7f2a74041020cb0536752eb2cb01d1bb

All up, 141 men have made a combined 908 Test centuries for Australia, with number 3 the most prolific of these positions, with the 181 centuries scored there being 30 more than the next highest (#5), and roughly 20% of all of Australia’s centuries.

Daddy tons

https://preview.redd.it/g0q1xuh4y3wh1.png?width=940&format=png&auto=webp&s=d54d83b5bdec0a5585e9eed46ba5cf9a2bb079a7

There have been 79 scores of 200+ by 39 separate Australian men.

It’s in the 200+ range that number 3 stands out, where first drop has scored just shy of a 3rd of these 200+ scores- though Don Bradman registering 9 of these alone likely skewing the numbers (he scored 12 in total- an absurd 15% of his total innings2)

Recent years

https://preview.redd.it/010n73y7y3wh1.png?width=940&format=png&auto=webp&s=ae0e85415cc9a2d8c80d1a4c3e925c001cd5ab49

Can you tell when Gilchrist retired?

Since the beginning of the 2020’s there has been a shift compared to both all-time and this millennium. Openers, number 3 and number 7 are all down in comparison, while #4 and #5 are significantly up.

Home versus away

https://preview.redd.it/vn1m3n4ky3wh1.png?width=1122&format=png&auto=webp&s=258ef2385cb3bd842b02e761286b12cca8dfdde3

https://preview.redd.it/9dzyrkmky3wh1.png?width=1198&format=png&auto=webp&s=7f0037b66830fbca7c30bd46fe6c6d61d1b37082

Spread of tons for the major Australian venues

https://preview.redd.it/o4rx3qqqy3wh1.png?width=940&format=png&auto=webp&s=09f7c8ff5408ad90d246e1d60f58e2fccc4100b0

Australian male cricketers have scored Test tons at 66 different venues- 10 in Aus, and 56 overseas.

517 (or roughly 57%) have been at home, with the remaining 391 away.

At home, the G leads the way with 116 separate centuries, while The Oval narrowly pips Lords as Australian happiest overseas batting venue.

At home, of the most regular Test grounds, the WACA was the toughest place to open with 21.3% versus 31.3% for all venues, and the only location where more centuries came from the middle order than the top order.

Extras

- The most successful Test for Aussie centurions was the 5th Test in Kingston in 1955- when 5 Aussies - Colin McDonald, Neil Harvey, Ron Archer, Keith Miller and Richie Benaud – raised their bats on the way to 8d/758 against the Windies, still Australia’s highest ever Test innings.

- 186 is the lowest final score not scored by an Australian

- Interestingly, Cricinfos statsguru has grouped some of the Australian grounds by city, rather than venue- Brisbane includes both the Gabba, and the Brisbane Exhibition Centre- which hosted 2 Tests between 1928 and 1931, where Don Bradman debuted and where he hit 223 against the Windies 3 years later. However the WACA and Perth stadium are regarded as separate.

- 1 Marnus’ drought at 3 is the second longest gap in days between centuries at number 3 since the first world war (excluding WW2), with the gap between Bob Cowper in May 1965, and Ian Chappell in December 1968 the only longer gap in this time frame.

- 2 Bradman (12), Ponting (6), Greg Chappell, Michael Clarke & Steve Smith (all 4) are the only sticks to have more than three 200+ scores.

submitted by /u/tim0mooko
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