5 Cricketers Who Scored Big but Never Hit a Hundred

2024-09-09

In the world of cricket, centuries are often celebrated as the pinnacle of a batsman's achievement. However, some cricketers have shown remarkable consistency and played several significant innings without crossing the hundred-run mark. Here’s a look at five such cricketers who excelled with the bat across various formats but never registered a century.

Shane Warne

Shane Warne, one of cricket's greatest spin bowlers, also demonstrated notable lower-order batting prowess. Throughout his international career, Warne amassed 4,172 runs across 339 matches (306 innings), averaging 16.04.

In Tests, Shane Warne tallied 3,154 runs at 17.32 with 12 fifties. His flirtation with a century ended in heartbreak: out for 99 against New Zealand in Perth and a swashbuckling 90 in the 2005 Ashes. The elusive hundred always slipped just out of reach

Collins Obuya

Collins Obuya, the former Kenya all-rounder, had a prolific international career without ever reaching a century. Across 179 matches (159 innings), Obuya scored 3,786 runs at an average of 27.43, including 20 half-centuries.

In ODIs, Obuya accumulated 2,044 runs at an average of 25.55, with a highest score of 98* against Australia in the 2011 World Cup, narrowly missing out on his maiden hundred. His T20I career saw him score 1,742 runs at a strike rate of 119.31, with his best being 96* against Uganda.

Chamu Chibhabha

Zimbabwe’s Chamu Chibhabha carved out a niche as a top-order batsman who could never quite crack the century code. In over 150 international matches, he piled up 3,316 runs with an average of 21.81, racking up 22 half-centuries but always falling just short of that elusive ton.

In Tests, he scored 175 runs at an average of 17.50, with a best score of 60. His ODI career was more fruitful in terms of runs, accumulating 2,474 runs at an average of 23.12, with a highest score of 99 against Pakistan. In T20Is, he scored 667 runs at a strike rate of 109.52, with his highest score being 67 against India.

Tim Southee

Tim Southee, New Zealand’s reliable all-rounder, has swung both the bat and the ball with finesse but still hasn’t cracked the century code. Across 387 matches, he’s racked up 3,141 runs at a tail-ender’s average of 14.27, with seven fifties teasing a ton that remains stubbornly out of reach.

In Test cricket, Southee has amassed 2,098 runs at an average of 15.89, with his best being 77* on debut against England in March 2008. His ODI record includes 740 runs at an average of 12.13, with a highest score of 55 against India.

Mashrafe Mortaza

Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh's battle-hardened skipper, waged many a cricketing war but never quite breached the century fortress. In 310 international skirmishes, he carved out 2,961 runs at a gritty average of 13.45, with just four fifties to his name.

In Test cricket, Mortaza scored 797 runs at an average of 12.85, with a highest score of 79 against India. His ODI career saw him accumulate 1,787 runs at an average of 13.74, with a best of 51* against Scotland. In T20Is, Mortaza managed 377 runs at a strike rate of 136.10, with a highest score of 36.