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Scoring hundreds and lots of them is considered, specifically speaking, among the biggest responsibilities and big key targets of Test batters. Then to score vital hundreds that actually aid the team's cause is something considered even more special.
But what is truly brilliant and rather interesting is to note those great batters who actually happen to have scored their hundreds in Test cricket when beyond their peak.
Isn't it?
As one would put it, when a batter scores a Test hundred being on the wrong side of his cricketing caeer, age-wise, the feat does stand out.
Therefore, let us take a look at some batters who've been the oldest to score a Test century and we have it covered for you here under:
Jack Hobbs (England): 46 years and 82 days
A bonafide cricketing great, a batter of legendary class and focus, the great Jack Hobbs, with no fewer than 5410 Test runs at an average touching 57 (56.9, to be precise) is the oldest batter ever to hit a Test century.
A cricketer marvelled at by world cricket fans, not just the English, Hobbs, with 61 Tests to his name, was 46 years and 82 days when he scored 142 against the Aussies. That was back in the year 1929. Imagine just how far back in the day that was.
EH Hendren (England): 45 years and 151 days
Elias Henry Hendren from Middlesex is widely considered a batting legend not just for his Middlesex county but for his English country, on the whole.
During the course of a checkered 51 Test match long career, the right-hander, nicknamed 'Patsy' struck 7 Test centuries, one of which was his 205 not out. His career ended with a fantastic batting average of 47.
But when aged 45 years and 151 days, to be precise, the right-handed batter struck a fine 132. This is second on the list of the hundreds scored in Test cricket by the oldest (then) active batters.
And that it came during an Ashes contest is something to savour, especially for the English fans. Hendren would end his Test career with north of 3500 runs, which was a very fine achievement back in those days given so little of cricket was played in comparison to its current intensity and recurrence.
Warren Bardsley (Australia):
Born in Nevertire, New South Wales in Australia, Bardsley is widely considered one of the greatest left-handed batters to have played for the mighty strong cricketing force that is Australia. During the course of his 41 Test match-long career, Bardsley scored 6 Test hundreds, with a highest score being that of 193 not out.
However, his epic 193 not out came in the year 1926, nearly a hundred years ago, when the Aussie batter was 43 years and 202 days old.
Call that some power and persistence, ha?
Arthur Nourse (South Africa): 42 years and 291 days old
Some talents simply never tire or tire out at all, as one would say. The only Protea name in the list of top five oldest cricketers to hit a Test century, Nourse, a product of Croydon, England, birth wise, came to be called the 'The Great Old Man Of South Africa'.
In 1921, in Jo'burg, Nourse scored a fantastic 111, the 'nelson', a fine knock that came against Australia, and it was the world's 146th Test match.
At that time, the man behind 14,200 plus First-Class runs was 42 years and 291 days old.
