Last Updated on 6 months by Charbel Coorey
Harry Brook, Joe Root and England took Pakistan’s attack to the cleaners in the first match of their 2024 series in Multan. The visitors racked up over 800 in response to Pakistan’s 556, with Brook slamming his first triple hundred after Root struck his sixth double hundred.
Where does Brook’s 317 rank among the highest individual scores for England in Test cricket? Here is a look at the top five.
List of highest individual scores by an England player in Tests
5. Harry Brook 317 vs Pakistan, Multan, 2024
Harry Brook comes in at fifth. His love affair with Pakistan continued, not only hitting his fourth century in six innings, but going huge. After his sixth knock in the country, he averages 130.83 with 785 runs.
Brook joined Root with England 249/3, still trailing Pakistan by 307. The two put an England record partnership of 454 to completely break the spirit of the hosts.
After Root was dismissed, Brook continued on his merry way. He finished with 317 off just 322 balls with 29 fours and three sixes in a testament to his fitness in sapping conditions Multan. England finished with a huge 823/7d and won by an innings and 47 runs.
4. Andy Sandham 325 vs West Indies, Kingston, 1930
Andy Sandham’s 325 in 1930 was quite the contrast to Brook’s 317. Opening the innings, Sandham batted for 640 balls and led the way as England piled on 849 – their second-highest Test total in history.
There were contributions right down the order – most notably Les Ames’ 149 – as the hosts were made to toil for 258.2 overs. In the end, the match was drawn as West Indies finished on 408/5 chasing a (slightly) improbable 836 for victory.
3. Graham Gooch 333 vs India, Lord’s, 1990
Graham Gooch is one of England’s finest players. To finish with 8,900 runs at an average of 42.58 in the era he played in is testament to his talent.
A highlight was his 333 against India at Lord’s in 1990. He set up England’s mammoth score of 653/4d batting first, batting through until the score reached 641.
Incredibly, Gooch also made a century (123) in the second innings as England set India 472 to win. The visitors fell short by 247 runs.
2. Wally Hammond 336 vs New Zealand, Auckland, 1933
The great Wally Hammond’s 336 in the 1933 Auckland Test is one of cricket’s incredible achievements. The next-best score in the Test was Stewie Dempster’s 83, followed by Bob Wyatt’s 60. No other player scored above 40.
Hammond batted 318 minutes for his 336. “The crowd swelled to 15,000 as news of the onslaught spread, and after passing 200 Hammond “hit out with almost reckless abandon” and he raced to 250 in 22 minutes,” the report read. “He moved from 200 to 300 in 47 minutes – and that included a delay when he broke his bat when he was on 297 and was forced to send for a replacement.”
1. Leonard Hutton 364 vs Australia, The Oval, 1938
One of the most one-sided Tests in history. Leonard Hutton wore out the Australians over 797 minutes in the 1938 Ashes Test at The Oval, hitting 364 off 847 balls. The iconic Hutton would go on to score 6,971 Test runs at an average of 56.67, with his highest score showcasing his greatness.
England piled on 903/7d, which remains their highest Test total to date. Australia were obliterated in response, bundled out for 201 and 123 to lose by an innings and 579 runs.
