Stats: Fastest players to score 19 centuries in ODI cricket

Ross Taylor produced one of the greatest ever innings in the limited-overs cricket to help his team to stay alive in the 5-match ODI series against England. Walking out to bat at 2/2 in a 336-run chase, Taylor brought out his experience under pressure in the must-win game to guide his side to a remarkable win. The 33-year-old came into the game recovering from a thigh injury and suffered the same during his innings on Wednesday. Taylor hobbled during the second half of his unbeaten 181-run knock that came off just 147 deliveries with 17 fours and six sixes.

This former New Zealand captain used to be a six-hitting machine for nearly half of his career before he changed his game. As a result, a significant drop in his six-hitting frequency and he did not even hit one six in his previous 21 ODI innings where he scored 950 runs. Ross Taylor set the record books on fire with his 181-run knock by recording New Zealand’s highest individual ODI score in a run-chase. Thus, he went Martin Guptill’s 180* which came against South Africa last year.

Taylor’s innings is also the 3rd highest individual ODI score for New Zealand and is also the 2nd highest by a player batting at No.4 and a lower position. Sir Viv Richards scored an unbeaten 189 against England in 1984. He also scored 181 against Sri Lanka later in 1987 both coming while batting at No.4. The Kiwi batsman became the first player to scored 150+ in an ODI chase batting at No.4 and lower. This was Ross Taylor’s 19th ton in ODI cricket but never scored more than 131 before this match.

Taylor scored his 19th ODI century in his 190th innings in this format which are the 5th fewest among the 15 players who have scored as many hundreds. Hashim Amla is the quickest to score 19th ODI ton taking 104 innings. The South African surpassed Virat Kohli, who scored his 19th hundred in the 124 ODI innings. AB de Villiers (171 innings) and Chris Gayle (189 innings) are only other players to take fewer innings than Taylor to score their 19th hundred in the ODI format.

Fewest innings for scoring career’s 19th hundred in ODI cricket:

(Stats as on March 7, 2018)