Set 342 in 78 overs by David Gower's declaration, Gordon Greenidge made an unbeaten 214 at better than a run a ball to win the Lord's Test for West Indies with two overs to spare.
Gower had been criticised for over-cautious declarations earlier in the series and chose Lord's to be aggressive.
England declared their second innings at 300/9 leaving West Indies 342 to win in 78 overs, calculating the pitch was wearing.
Gower's controversial declaration on the final morning set West Indies a target most teams would have tried to bat out for the draw. Greenidge had other ideas. He went after Bob Willis, Ian Botham and the spinners from the start, taking 29 from a single Geoff Miller over and reaching his double hundred from 241 balls. Larry Gomes supported with an unbeaten 92. The pair put on 287 in the largest fourth-innings chase ever completed at Lord's at the time, finishing on 344 for 1 with two overs in hand. Greenidge's innings — 214 not out off 242 balls with 29 fours and two sixes — has been ranked by Wisden among the greatest fourth-innings hundreds ever. Gower spent the rest of his life defending the declaration.
Gower's morning declaration
Greenidge takes 29 off a Geoff Miller over
287 partnership with Gomes
Double hundred reached off 241 balls
Target reached with two overs to spare
Day 5, morning
Gower declares setting 342 in 78 overs
Day 5, lunch
WI 100/0 from 18 overs
Day 5, tea
Greenidge past 150
Day 5, late session
344/1; WI win by 9 wickets with 11 balls to spare
“He took the game away from us in a session.”
“Gordon was on a different planet that afternoon.”
Gower's declaration was second-guessed for years; he maintained he had backed his bowlers, not condemned his team.
One of the great fourth-innings counter-attacks; Greenidge converted a generous declaration into a record-breaking thrashing.
Greenidge's 214* is on every shortlist of the greatest fourth-innings innings ever played and remains the highest individual score in a successful Test chase at Lord's.
Yorkshire v Essex
1932-06-16
On 15-16 June 1932 Herbert Sutcliffe (313) and Percy Holmes (224*) put on 555 for the first wicket against Essex at Leyton, breaking the world first-class record for any wicket and adding a layer of folklore — including a scoreboard that read 554 for several minutes and a hastily reversed declaration — that has clung to the partnership ever since.
Australia v England
1933-02-14
With the fate of the Bodyline series in the balance and England 216 for 6 chasing 340, Eddie Paynter checked himself out of a Brisbane hospital where he was being treated for acute tonsillitis, taxied to the Gabba in pyjamas and a dressing gown, and batted for nearly four hours to score 83. England drew level on first innings, won the Test by six wickets and the series 4-1.
Australia
1934-09-25
Days after the 1934 Oval Test, Bradman fell seriously ill with appendicitis that progressed to peritonitis. With antibiotics not yet available, he was given little chance of survival; his wife Jessie left Adelaide on a sea voyage to England prepared for the worst. He recovered after weeks of intensive nursing in a London nursing home and returned to first-class cricket the following Australian summer.