Wally Hammond is one of the greatest test batters of all time and one of the absolute all time England players in the format. Wally Hammond was the earliest test batter to have so many test runs and at a staggering average of over 55. Wally Hammond played test cricket for 20 years and throughout those 20 years he was at the top of his game. He played 85 Test Matches for England and in those Matches he scored 7249 runs at an average of 58.46. He had 22 Test Hundreds as well as 7 double hundreds and a triple hundred to his name. He had a highest score of 336* and no other England player has been able to get past that in test cricket.
Let’s look at the Top 5 Best Innings of Wally Hammond and celebrate the greatness:
1) 336* vs New Zealand (1933)
The best test innings in the career of Wally Hammond came against New Zealand when he made an unbeaten 336*. He played this test match in 1933 and by that time Don Bradman had arrived on the scene. This match was one sided and Wally Hammond came to bat at number 3. He smashed 34 fours and 10 sixes in this innings meaning a total of 196 runs in boundaries Alone. Wally Hammond had a strike rate of 59.65. This innings was the best test innings at that time.
2) 251 vs Australia (1928)
Wally Hammond loved batting against Australia and the Ashes was always a battle between the best in test cricket. This innings of Wally Hammond was a special one. He batted for 605 balls which is 100 overs and 5 balls of a test innings. He hit 30 fours in his innings meaning 120 Runs in boundaries. He had a strike rate of over 41 in this innings. He was a wall between England and the Australian bowlers as he did not allow them to get him out. Wally Hammond made 250 for the first time in his test career in this match.
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3) 240 vs Australia (1938)
This next innings is also against Australia but this was 10 years later than the incredible 251 that he made. This innings was a more fast paced innings as he only took 394 balls to make 240. He hit 32 fours in this innings meaning 128 runs in boundaries. His strike rate was 60.91. This innings was special and Wally Hammond was a special player and he narrowly missed out on 250 in this match.
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4) 231* vs Australia (1936)
Wally Hammond against Australia was a one way domination Street. He used to make double hundreds after one other when he played the Ashes. This innings was an unbeaten one and in this one he Batted for 579 balls which is a little more than 96 overs of a test innings. Wally Hammond hit 27 fours in this innings meaning 108 runs in boundaries. He had a strike rate of 40 in this innings. He could play the defensive innings at a strike rate of 40 and he can also bat at a strike rate of over 60.
5) 217 vs India (1936)
The last innings of Wally Hammond in this list is against India. This innings was against India was against an Indian team that was not at their best. Wally Hammond absolutely destroyed India and he made 217 runs and he smashed 30 fours in this innings meaning 120 runs in boundaries. He has a strike rate of 62 in this innings and Wally Hammond was going through a golden phase in his batting. He would go on to play till 1947 and be one of the greatest of all time.
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