#2. Geoffrey Boycott
Boycott became the second batsman in the history of Test cricket to bat all five days while making a comeback to the English team after a period of three years of self-imposed exile. The comeback match, in 1977, at Trent Bridge was special as it was the third Ashes Test of the English summer.
England were 1-0 up after the conclusion of the first two Tests and they had beaten Australia by a margin of 9 wickets at Manchester. The English public and the media were looking forward to Boycott's comeback and he did not disappoint.
Australia were bowled out for 243 in their first innings and Boycott came in to bat at the end of the first day's play and batted right through the second day and was dismissed on the third day. He scored a patient 107 of 315 balls. He added 215 runs with Alan Knott for the sixth wicket.
The Australian bowlers namely Jeff Thompson, Len Pascoe, Kerry O'Keeffe and Max Walker could not get through the defense of Boycott and he frustrated the Australian bowlers. Australia scored 309 in their second innings and England were left to chase a target of 189 late on day 4.
Boycott started his second innings at the end of the fourth day after Australia were bowled out in their second innings and continued to bat on day 5 and scored a match-winning unbeaten 80 of 231 balls to help England gain a 2-0 lead. He added 154 runs with his fellow opener Mike Brearley.
Boycott batted for 546 balls across 5 days and scored 187 runs, exhausting all the Australian bowlers and led England to a famous win.
#3. Kim Hughes
A centenary Test match was played between England and Australia in 1980 at Lord's to commemorate the first Test match in England at the Oval in 1880. Australia toured England for a solitary Test and it was Kim Hughes' turn to replicate Boycott's the marathon performance.
Though the Test ended in a draw, the Australian No 4 dominated the Test from the word go. Batting first, Australia scored 385 runs for the loss of 5 wickets and then declared the innings. Batting at No 4, Hughes batted through the first two days and got dismissed on the third day. He scored 117 runs in his first innings. The second day of the Test was affected due to rain and Hughes scored only 35 runs on the second day to add to 47 on the first day.
England were bowled out for 205 in their first innings and Hughes once again resumed batting on day 4 when he scored 38 runs and then continued into day 5 for a total of 84 runs in his second innings. He added 111 runs with Greg Chappell in the second innings.
The match ended in a draw, but Hughes also earned the distinction of being the only batsman in the history of Test cricket to hit a six on all five days of the same Test.
#4. Allan Lamb
West Indies were almost invincible in Test cricket in the year 1984 and the Test series against England in England that year was an anticipated one. The first Test at Birmingham was a reminder for the hosts as to what lay in store for them for the remaining of the summer as the visitors thrashed them by an innings and 180 runs.
The action shifted to Lord's, where once again the visitors dominated the Test and the hosts were beaten by nine wickets. However, Allam Lamb entered the record books as the second Englishman and only the fourth batsman to bat on all five days of a Test.
England ended day 1 on 167 for the loss of 2 wickets and Lamb scored 13 of those. He came in to bat at No 4 after the wickets of Chris Broad and David Gower. Lamb added 10 more runs to his tally on day 2 before being dismissed for 23 by Malcolm Marshall and England were bundled out for 286. West Indies, though, only scored 245 in reply.
Lamb was unbeaten on 30 at the end of day 3 in his second innings, and unbeaten on 109 at the end of day 4 and was finally dismissed on day 5 after scoring 110 runs of 260 balls. He played the likes of Joel Garner, Milton Small, Marshall, Eldine Baptiste and Roger Harper with relative ease on days 3 and 4 and batted without any discomfort. He added 128 runs with Ian Botham and helped England post 300 for the loss of 9 wickets in the third innings before the declaration was made.
However, West Indies were still able to win the Test by 9 wickets as Gordon Greenidge scored an unbeaten 214 off just 242 balls in the fourth innings to lead West Indies to a famous win. West Indies won the five-match series 5-0.
Also read – Ashes Most matches played
Follow IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates, News & Biddings at Sportskeeda. Get the fastest updates on Mega-Auction and cricket news