Bob Borsley remembers a famous innings by one of England's great wicketkeepers.
The third Test in 1977 was notable for the debut of Ian Botham and the return of Geoff Boycott to the England team, but for me the highlight was Alan Knott's century. I was staying with my parents in North Wales at the time and I followed the match closely on TV (when not working on my PhD or visiting the beach).
Australia were all out for 243 on the first day (Botham 5 for 74) and England were 9 for 0 at the close. On day two England were 52 for 3 when Boycott managed to run out local hero Derek Randall, and soon afterwards they were 82 for 5. Boycott was then lucky not to be out. But Knott was at his best, and no more wickets fell that day. Knott reached his century the next morning after 3 hours and 22 minutes and Boycott also reached his century in the more sedate time of 6 hours and 18 minutes. When Boycott was out, England were 297 for 6. They eventually reached 364 and went on to win the Test and the series.
Knott's 135 was the highest of his five test centuries. He was a virtually perfect wicketkeeper, but also an invaluable batsman, 'an impish, scurrying irritant, and an improviser' in the words of one assessment. A comparison with recent England wicketkeepers does the latter no favours. Knott was a far better wicketkeeper than any of them and had a better batting average than either Geraint Jones or Tim Ambrose – 32.75 compared with Jones's 23.91 and Ambrose's 24.73. Matt Prior has a better batting average – 40.14 – but can't compare with Knott as a keeper. Oh for another Alan Knott!
From some contemporary accounts of Knott's innings:
With Australia now on top, Knott rose to the occasion in his own impudent style. When bad light ended the contest half an hour early that evening the Boycott-Knott stand had yielded 160 in two hours fifty minutes and left England only one run behind with half their wickets in hand: Boycott 88, Knott 87. - Wisden 1978
Knott applies thought to his own technique as thoroughly as anyone I know. He does not waste energy. When he watches, he looks very closely and with questions in mind, like a scholar reading a book. When he has a net, it is almost always to practise something specific, like playing high, or letting the ball go, or sweeping. Almost imperceptibly, he started to attack. He chipped the ball away on the leg side, and started to cut the short-pitched ball. Quite suddenly, the balance had shifted. - Mike Brearley, The Return of the Ashes
The situation did not daunt the jaunty Knott. From the moment he arrived at the crease he decided to attack the pace men who had caused his predecessors so much embarrassment. Immediately he was employing his educated slash high over the heads of the slips cordon to good effect. No matter how much Chappell chased him with a fly-slip or a deep third man, Knott found the gap. - Peter McFarline, A Game Divided
There was a palm-tingling excitement in the air as Knott and Boycott moved step by step through the nineties; then, after one vain swish, Knott cut Thomson firmly to third-man and the crowd of 20,000 rose to applaud a marvellous innings... At lunch Knott was 135 not out. Thomson's first ball afterwards was wide outside the off-stump and Knott sliced it to square third-man where Davis took a fine catch. - Christopher Martin-Jenkins, The Jubilee Tests
Who was to argue that his chanceless 135, made in just on five hours, was not his best, as well as easily his highest Test innings? - Greg Chappell and David Frith, The Ashes '77
[For links to the other posts in this series, see here.]