10 cricketers to bat on all five days of a Test

2. Sir Geoffrey Boycott – England vs Australia,1977

Sir Geoffrey Boycott, who has been a recognized voice in the commentary box, was well renowned for his stoic defence and backfoot drives. Boycott was knighted in September 2019. He is the second batsman in Test cricket to bat on all days of a game.

It was the third Test of the 1977 Ashes which England was leading 1-0. There was an added pressure on Boycott as he was making a comeback to the English side. Australia were bowled out on the first day courtesy of a five-for from Ian Botham. Boycott came into bat at the end of the first day’s play, exasperated the Aussie bowlers by batting the entire second day, and was dismissed on the third day morning at the score of 107 from 315 balls.

Australia in their second innings scored 309 runs and set a target of 189. Boycott walked out to open on the evening of the fourth day and scored an unbeaten 80 of 231 balls to take England home on the fifth day. The Yorkshireman played a total of over 500 balls in the game and showcased outstanding batsmanship. Boycott piled up over 8000 runs in at an average of 47 in his 108 Test match career.