Fastest to Reach 4000 Runs in Test Cricket

Excelling in test cricket is one of the ultimate challenges for any cricketer and only the ones with a precise technique get to thrive for long in this demanding format. Thus, scoring a whopping four thousand runs in Test cricket is a major feat for any batter. Today, we are going to look back at the ten batters who have reached this brilliant milestone the quickest.

So, here is a list of the all-time greats in the world of cricket who scored the fastest 4000 runs in Test. Read on to know more about the ten exceptional cricketers.

1. Don Bradman (48 Innings)

The legendary cricketer from Australia, Sir Don Bradman, remains at the top of this list as he was the fastest to 4000 Test runs. He needed only 31 tests and 48 innings to reach 4,000 Test runs. Apart from being the finest batter of all time, Bradman was also a cricketing administrator, selector, and statesman.

All in all, Bradman played 52 Test matches, in which he gathered 6,996 runs with an average of 99.93 that included 13 fifties and 29 centuries. 334 was his highest Test score.

2. Herbert Sutcliffe (68 Innings)

Herbert Sutcliffe reached 4,000 Test runs in only 68 innings and 43 matches. His test cricket career lasted for eleven years, starting from 1924. These eleven years were marked by a sheer display of technique and concentration. In fact, Sutcliffe is known to have never let down his team in any season and performed exceptionally throughout his cricketing career.

He played 54 Tests in total in which he gathered 4,555 runs with an average of 60.73 that included 23 fifties and 16 centuries. 194 was his highest Test score.

3. Everton Weekes (71 Innings)

Sir Everton Weekes, the Caribbean powerhouse, managed to score 4,000 test runs in the 71^st innings and 42^nd Test match. With Sir Clyde Walcott and Sir Frank Worrell, Weekes was one of the three Ws of the West Indies team. The strength of Weekes lay in his attacking strokes that let him score rapidly.

Weekes might have retired early in 1958, but he had already played 48 test matches, where he gathered 4,455 runs at 58.61 average with 19 fifties and 15 centuries.

4. Viv Richards (71 Innings)

Viv Richards has always been a source of inspiration for generations of batters wanting to learn from his power hitting. He was the one who refused to wear a helmet even when facing the fastest bowling attack – such was his confidence in his eyesight and concentration.

He reached the 4,000-mark in his 71^st innings and 46^th game. In total, Richards played 121 Test matches, in which he gathered a whopping 8,540 runs with an average of 50.23 that included 45 fifties and 24 centuries.

5. Jack Hobbs (75 Innings)

England’s brilliant Jack Hobbs reached 4,000 Test runs in 75 innings and 45 Tests. He smashed an outstanding 199 centuries in first-class cricket. The number might have been higher if the First World War did not interrupt the proceedings.

One of the rare gems who kept playing even after the age of fifty, Hobbs was fondly called ‘The Master.’ He also holds the record for being the oldest cricketer (46-year-old) to score a hundred in a Test. 211 was his highest score in a Test match.

6. Wally Hammond (76 Innings)

Wally Hammond of England needed 76 innings and 47 tests to score 4,000 test runs. This strengthened his place among the greatest batters of yesteryears, such as Don Bradman, Jack Hobbs, and WG Grace. Apart from being an amazing cricketer, Hammond was a brilliant athlete and a wonderful football star. 

In his cricketing career between 1927 and 1947, Hammond took part in 85 Tests. He scored 7,249 runs with an average of 58.45, and this included 24 fifties and 22 centuries.

7. Brian Lara (76 Innings)

Brian Lara reached the 4,000 runs milestone in 76 innings and 45 Tests. His smashing exploits with the bat is the stuff of legends till this day. Lara had reached Bradman-like fame with his huge scores that included 501 not out in first-class cricket and 400 not-out in Test matches.  

But he went through a lean phase for a long time, or else he could have amassed more runs. In the 131 Tests that he appeared in, he scored a total of 11,952 runs with 48 fifties and 34 centuries and an average of 52.87.

8. Len Hutton (77 Innings)

England’s remarkable Sir Len Hutton reached 4,000 test runs in 77 innings and 44 Tests. Till today, he is regarded as one of the finest cricketers of England. His Test career spanned from 1938 to 1955.

He made his debut in first-class cricket really young at just seventeen years. Hutton played 79 tests, gathering 6,971 Test runs with an average of 56.67 runs.

9. Garfield Sobers (77 Innings)

Sir Gary Sobers has been one of the finest all-rounders in cricketing history. He needed 77 innings and 46 Tests to hit the milestone. Young cricketers can learn from his elegant yet powerful hitting as a batter. Sobers was equally great in his spin and pace attack.

All in all, Sobers took part in 93 Test matches, where he cracked 8,032 runs with an average of 57.79 that included 30 fifties and 26 centuries. Apart from having 365 as the highest Test score, he also took 109 catches and 235 wickets in Test cricket.

10. Mathew Hayden (77 Innings)

Affectionately called ‘Matt the bat,’ Hayden was such an outstanding batter who hammered it out of the park time and again with his hard-hitting shots. He was as excellent in Tests as he was in ODIs. He needed 77 innings and 46 tests to score 4,000 Test runs.

He had played 103 Test matches, where he gathered 8,625 runs at 50.73 average with 29 fifties and 30 centuries. 380 was his highest score in a Test match.

Endnote

More than the record set by these ten cricketers, the legacy they have left behind and the techniques they used, continue to inspire the young cricketers.