5 spectacular fourth innings centuries that went in vain

#3 Nathan Astle 222: New Zealand vs England, 1st Test, Christchurch, 2002

An incredible double hundred from Nathan Astle

Astle came, he saw, he conquered – but he couldn't quite get his side over the line. This test match took place at the Jade stadium in Christchurch where the visitors, England, went on to win the test by 98 runs.

The Kiwis lost the test match in the first innings after they imploded for a paltry 147 in reply to the 228 posted by the English. England then rubbed it in by posting a massive 468 in the second essay, with Graeme Thorpe scoring an unbeaten 200. But as it turned out that was not the only double ton of the game.

Nathan Astle, coming in at no. 5, scored the fastest double hundred in test cricket (in 153 balls) and waged a lone battle for the Kiwis. It was absolute carnage and the likes of Caddick, Hoggard and Flintoff were flogged around the smallish stadium with disdain. An injured Chris Cairns batted at no. 11 in that innings and gave excellent support and allowed Astle to play with gay abandon.

Astle went on to score 222 off just 168 balls with a tremendous strike rate of 132.14 and hit as many as 28 fours and 11 sixes in that awe-inspiring knock.