Flashback: The fastest 4th innings Test hundred

Scoring a century in the fourth innings of a Test match itself is a big achievement. It’s never easy to score runs in the final innings of the game because of various factors. The pressure of chasing the target and the fifth-day wicket are some of the reasons that a batter finds it difficult to score big. But England’s Gilbert Jessop not only scored a ton to win the match for his side but also smashed the fastest one in 1902.

The former player slammed the fastest century for his country in the oldest format of the game, in just 76 balls against Australia at The Oval. His century is not only an England record for the fastest ton but is also the fastest by any batter in the fourth innings of a Test match, a record that stands even after 120 years.

Australia toured England for the Ashes series in the year 1902 and had already won the series going into the fifth and final match. The first and the second games were drawn, while the Australians won the third and fourth. In the last encounter, hosts England were set a target of 263 and they found themselves in big trouble at 48/5.

Jessop came in to bat at No. 7 and then began the carnage. He played for 77 minutes and struck 104 runs with the help of 17 fours. On the back of his exceptional ton, the English side won the thriller of a match by just one wicket. With the win, they avoided a third straight defeat in the series.

Jessop wrote his name in the record books with both of his feats still not achieved by any player since then. Recently, England’s Jonny Bairstow came close to breaking his record against New Zealand in Nottingham in June 2022. However, he fell just short, reaching his century in 77 deliveries in the final innings.