Top 3 Oldest Test centurions
Batting in Test cricket is one of the most taxing jobs in cricket, and it becomes increasingly difficult with age as the body refuses to hold itself for long durations, which is one of the bare necessities in red-ball cricket. But some batters have laughed at time in its face by playing well beyond the accepted norm these days. Here are some of the resolute characters in the game, who were the oldest players to score a ton in Tests cricket.
Warren Bardsley (Australia) – 43 years 202 days
Australia’s pioneering left-handed batter, Warren Bardsley, registered his name in the record books by becoming the oldest centurion in Test cricket back in 1926 when he scored a magnificent 193* in the second Test against England at the iconic Lord’s. His score was of great importance in the match, as he was the only Aussie batter in the first innings to cross the 50-run mark against a menacing English bowling lineup. The southpaw’s score propelled Australia to 383 runs in their first innings as the match eventually fizzled out in a draw.
Patsy Hendren (England) – 45 years 151 days
Patsy Hendren was one of the colossal figures in England’s domestic cricket as he amassed an eye-watering 57, 611 runs in first-class cricket along with a mindboggling 170 centuries to his name. He wasn’t any less prolific for the English national team either, and at the ripe age of 45 years and 151 days, he scored a magnificent century against a touring Australia team in the third Test in Manchester. Although the match ended in a draw, Patsy entered the record books for being the second oldest cricketer to breach the three-figure mark in Tests.
Jack Hobbs (England) – 46 years 82 days
Patsy Hendren’s compatriot and teammate Jack Hobbs was one of the most influential cricketers of his generation. The opening batter is the only cricketer to score more centuries than Hendren in FC cricket, with an insurmountable 199 tons to his name in the domestic circuit along with an unbelievable tally of 61,760 runs to his name. His name was immortalized when he scored 142 against Australia in the fifth Test at Melbourne in 1929, becoming the oldest cricketer ever to record a Test century, at 46 years and 82 days.
