Alan Knott’s top 3 performances in Test Cricket

For a long time, wicket-keeping was considered a specialized job, and teams used to play someone in the XI solely based on their wicket-keeping skills. If that player scores some runs with the bat, it was considered as a bonus, but England’s wicket keeper batter Alan Knott changed the game. 

Born on April 9, 1946, in Kent, Alan Knott was one of the finest wicketkeepers produced by England. Apart from being one of the finest glove men of his time, he was a handy batter too which made him an indispensable part of the England Test team for a decade from 1967-1977.  

Alan Knott’s blemish-free work behind the stumps became a standard for all the wicket keepers of that time. Keith Fletcher, who played 51 Tests with him, doesn’t remember even a single drop catch or missed stumping during his time with Knott.  

In his career span of 95 Test matches, Alan Knott finished with 250 catches and 19 stumpings along with 6 Test hundreds and 30 fifties to go with it which remains a testament to his greatness. In this article, we will highlight the top 3 performances of his Test career. 

3) 116 vs Pakistan in Birmingham – 1971 

Another special knock from Alan Knott’s bat came against Pakistan in 1971 when he played a blistering knock of 116 runs to save the match for England. Pakistan batted first on a placid Edgbaston pitch and put a mammoth 608/7 on the board in their first innings. 

In response, the England batters were struggling at 148-6 but Alan Knott played a special knock of 116 runs including 22 boundaries to take England to a respectable total of 353 runs in the 1st innings. Although Pakistan imposed a follow-on, England recovered and managed to draw the Test match in which Alan Knott played a prominent role.  

2) 92 & 63 vs Australia in London – 1972 

It was Alan Knott’s show with the bat for England in both the innings. Although England lost the game by 5 wickets, Alan Knott scored two valiant half-centuries in both innings to save it for England but could not. 

In response to England’s first-innings score of 284 runs, Australia made 399 runs to gain a significant lead over England. In the 2nd innings too, England could not make it big with the bat and got all out for 356 runs giving a target of 242 runs in the 2nd innings which they chased down with 5 wickets in hand. 

1) 135 vs Australia at Nottingham – 1977 

Alan Knott’s best performance with the bat came in front of Australia in 1977 in Nottingham. England won the match by 7 wickets and Alan Knott played a significant part in their victory. His blistering 135 runs knock for England’s 1st innings gave them a considerable response to Australia’s 243 runs in the 1st innings. 

England, while chasing 189 runs in the 2nd innings got to the target pretty comfortably with 7 wickets left. While others failed with the bat in the 1st innings, Knott registered his highest Test score to give a sample of his batting prowess at a time when wicket keepers were not known for big centuries.