Jason Holder – 103 not out v England at North Sound, Antigua

A lot of man-love going on for Jason Holder who made his first first-class hundred in saving a test match for his team against England. His 103 not out was impressive, composed and just class in all he did. I’m a fan.

103 isn’t a great statistical number. This is the 120th score of 103 in tests, making it one of the most common numbers over the century mark (which is obvious given it would probably trigger declarations etc.). It was the 37th not out 103 in test matches. The last man dismissed for 103 was Faf du Plessis in a test match against the Windies at Port Elizabeth in the last knockings of 2014. Shiv Chanderpaul’s was the last 103 for the Windies at Bridgetown against Australia in 2012. AB DeVilliers and Rahul Dravid have three scores of 103. Michael Vaughan has been dismissed twice on that score.

This was the 78th test ton made from the number 8 position in the batting order. JP Duminy was the last to do it, against Sri Lanka, in July last year, but to be absolutely fair, he’s a recognised batsman. The last West Indian to do it was Darren Sammy against England at Nottingham, while the last to do it at home was Clive Lloyd (another you ask what he was doing down there) against India in 1983. Holder is the third player to make a ton from number 8 in the West Indies (Clairmonte Depeiza being the other) and the 7th at any ground (Gerry Alexander, Bernard Julien and Jerome Taylor being the others). The last Englishman to make a ton from number 8? Matt Prior’s match-saving knock in Auckland (we sent in a nightwatchman on the 4th evening). Last genuine number 8 (Matt Prior has another, v Australia in Sydney) for England was probably Ray Illingworth in June 1969.

Of those 78 test tons from number 8, 38 have been since 1 January 2000. Dan Vettori has the most, with four, while Kamran Akmal has three. The highest score made from the number 8 slot in the batting line-up is Wasim Akram’s 257 not out at Sheikhapura, while Pakistanis fill out the top three (Imtiaz Ahmed (209) and Kamran Akmal (154 v England) both at Lahore.

Jason Holder’s century came up off 146 balls and contained 15×4.