You must have often heard the word nightwatchman in Test cricket, after which a question comes to your mind about it. A nightwatchman is someone who is weak in terms of batting and is a bowler by profession. However, in earlier times, the wicketkeeper was not considered a good batsman, due to which many times he was sent to bat as a nightwatchman.
Nightwatchman is used when a team is batting in the last overs in the evening and one of its batsmen gets out. In such a situation, to save the wicket of a good batsman, a player of the team is sent to bat who can play a few overs, so that the wicket of a good batsman can be saved till the end of that day’s play.
In Test cricket history, Nightwatchman has often been seen making a good contribution in batting for his team. Many nightwatchmen have also done a lot of benefit to their team by scoring half-centuries or centuries. So far, 5 nightwatchmen have scored centuries in Test cricket, out of which one has also scored a double century. Here we are going to tell you about those 5 nightwatchmen who have scored a century in Test cricket.
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Nasim-ul-Ghani
Former Pakistan spinner Nasim-ul-Ghani scored 101 runs while batting as a nightwatchman in the second inning of the match played against England at Lord’s in 1962. However, Pakistan had to face defeat by 9 wickets in that match.
Syed Kirmani
Former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Syed Kirmani came out to bat as a nightwatchman in the first innings of a Test match played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in 1979. He scored 101 runs off 206 balls in the first inning of that match. Due to his brilliant innings, India declared the innings at 458/8. India won that match by an inning and 100 runs.
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Tony Mann
Former Australian spinner Anthony Longford Mann, popularly known as Tony Mann, batted as a nightwatchman in the second innings of the match played against India in Perth in 1977. He scored 105 runs off 165 balls in that innings, due to which Australia won by 2 wickets.
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Jason Gillespie
Former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie is the only nightwatchman in Test cricket history to have scored a double century. Gillespie came out to bat at number three as a nightwatchman in a Test match played in Chittagong in 2006. He scored 201* runs in 425 balls in the first inning of that match. Due to his brilliant innings, Australia declared the innings at 581/4. Australia won this match by an innings and 80 runs.
Mark Boucher
Former South African wicketkeeper-batsman Mark Boucher is the only nightwatchman in Test cricket history to have scored two centuries. He played a brilliant innings of 125 runs in 236 balls in the match played against South Africa in Harare in 1999. After this, in December 1999, as a nightwatchman, he scored 108 runs in 220 balls in the second inning.
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