In classic 2019 fashion, the battle for Wisden‘s men’s Test innings of the year ended in a tie between Ben Stokes and Kusal Perera. Ben Gardner explains why the innings really are two of a kind.
Ben Stokes 135* (219)
England v Australia
Headingley
3rd Test
August 22-25
Kusal Perera 153* (200)
South Africa v Sri Lanka
Durban
1st Test
February 13-16
So it’s a tie then. Ben Stokes, of course, won the innings of the decade poll but the vagaries of different panel make-ups and perhaps a few more weeks’ perspective for the decision to gestate have left us with this. No super overs, no resorting to boundary counts (19-17 to Stokes though, if you were wondering), no second referendum, just a good old-fashioned sharing of the points.
It took 142 years for someone to play a Test knock like Perera’s, and half a year for the next. It will surely be far closer to the latter than the former for the next all-time great innings to enter the conversation.
