Slowest Century in Test Cricket History

The record of the slowest century in Test cricket is quite a boring fact as it shows that it took a batsman a long time to achieve the feat. Probably, he was battling to save the match and had to take up as many balls as possible.

1. Thilan Samaraweera – 408 balls

Thilan Samaraweera’s game was ideal for Test cricket and he was one of the best batsmen produced by Sri Lanka. He was underrated despite his proven batting skills.

Overall, Samaraweera played 81 Tests, in which he scored 5452 runs at a 48.76 average with 14 hundreds and 30 fifties. Samaraweera’s highest Test score was 231.

England had to battle hard to save the first two Tests in Galle and Kandy in 2003-2004.

The guests did not have a chance in the decider. England first scored 265 and Sri Lanka batted quite slowly. Mahela Jayawardene and Samaraweera starred in a 262-run stand. Samaraweera took 408 deliveries for his century.

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2. Jimmy Adams – 365 balls

y Adams had excellent success in the first part of his career. He was born in Jamaica and was a talented left-hander with a willowy style and strong leg-side stroke-making skills. Adams boasted great concentration and scored many big hundreds.

He was defensive as a batsman and also adopted negative tactics as a captain. After retirement, he involved himself in technical cricket management.

Overall, Adams played 54 Tests, in which scored 3012 runs at a 41.26 average with 6 hundreds and 14 fifties. Adams’ highest Test score was 208 not out.

Against Zimbabwe in a Test match, it took Adams 365 balls to reach his hundred. The West Indies won the match despite the slow knock.

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3. Clive Radley – 396 balls

Radley was not innately gifted but gained success because of his riskless approach, hard work and determination. He made runs at a slow and steady pace. Radley was a valuable player in ODIs as he could take fast singles. Radley’s Test debut was made against New Zealand in 1977-78 at age 34.

In his second Test in Auckland, Radley scored a hundred. In 1978, playing against Pakistan, he scored a slow 115 in the first Test. In the last two Tests, he scored 59 and 77.

On the Australian tour, Radley suffered an injury in the first game and did not play for England again.

In total, Radley played 8 Tests in which he scored 481 runs at a 48.10 average with 2 hundreds and 2 fifties. Radley’s highest Test score was 158.

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4. Sanjay Manjrekar – 397 balls

match against Zimbabwe, India’s Sanjay Manjrekar took 397 balls to score one of the slowest Test centuries. Manjrekar was a talented batsman with excellent defensive skills who had much success initially. However, his emphasis on defence reduced his batting efficiency and brought down his batting figures.

In total, Manjrekar starred in 37 Tests, in which he scored 2043 runs at a 37.15 average with 4 centuries and 9 fifties. Manjrekar’s highest Test score was 218.