Now a veteran at this ground, Bob Borsley comes in to bat once more with a cricket memory.
Just two batsman played for England throughout the 1990s: Alec Stewart and Michael Atherton. Both captained England, Atherton for over four years, Stewart for just one. Stewart also kept wicket in 82 of his 133 Test matches. As a specialist batsman he averaged 46.90. As a wicketkeeper batsman he averaged a respectable 34.92. Overall he averaged 39.54, while Atherton averaged 37.69.
Both men reached their 100th Test in the third match of the series against the West Indies at Old Trafford in 2000. Old Trafford was Atherton's home ground, but he did very little, with scores of 1 and 28. Stewart, however, was in magnificent form and scored a fine century from 153 balls with 13 fours, emulating Colin Cowdrey, Javed Miandad and Gordon Greenidge, each of whom also scored a hundred in his 100th Test. When he reached his century Stewart was given a long and well-deserved standing ovation. The crowd clearly didn't mind at all that it was not their man who had produced a century in his 100th Test.
A few weeks later in the fifth Test at his home ground, the Oval, Stewart scored just 0 and 25. Atherton, however, was at his best, scoring 83 and 108. When he reached his century he received a standing ovation, much like that which Stewart received at Old Trafford. The Oval crowd also didn't mind that it was not their man who was delivering the goods.
Wisden on Stewart at Old Trafford:
Stewart's innings was simply sprinkled with stardust. Like Atherton, he was playing his 100th Test match. But while Atherton had an indifferent game, Stewart unleashed a parade of dazzling and nonchalant-looking strokes: the sort of batting that used to be regarded as specifically West Indian.
.....
This... was the day Britain was celebrating the Queen Mother's 100th birthday. In came a revered cricketing survivor, Stewart, to reach his own regal century... He struck the ball square of the wickets with monumental assurance; anything off line... was clattered away... The innings of a man without a smidgin of doubt about his cricket or his life, it lasted three hours... and took the breath away. - Wisden 2001
And on Atherton at The Oval:
Atherton's 108, chiselled out in 444 minutes from 331 balls, was more than four times greater than the second highest contribution. - Wisden 2001
[For links to the other posts in this series, see here.]