Bowling in a Test match can be a tedious task, especially when batters have flat surfaces to bat on. Bowling consistent and accurate lines and lengths in a Test match for longer periods is the key to success for any bowler. However, this requires a great deal of concentration, fitness, and vigour on the part of the bowler. In the following article, we shall look at some of the Australian bowlers to bowl the most balls in a Test innings.
1. Tom Veivers
Tom Veivers was a former right-arm off break bowler from Queensland who played for Australia in Test cricket from 1963 to 1967. Tom played in 21 Test matches and picked up 33 wickets at an average of 41.66. In 1964, in a Test match against England at Old Trafford, he bowled 571 balls in an innings, the most for an Australian bowler in Test cricket. He picked up three wickets for 155 runs.
2. Chuck Fleetwood-Smith
Chuck Fleetwood-Smith is a former left-arm wrist spinner from Stawell, Victoria. Chuck played for Australia in Test cricket from 1935 to 1938 in 10 matches. He bowled 522 balls in an innings in a Test match against England in 1938 at Kennington Oval. In 87 overs, he took one wicket for 298 runs and picked up 11 maidens.
3. Bill O’Reilly
Bill O’Reilly was a right-arm leg-break bowler from New South Wales who first played for Australia in 1932 against South Africa at Adelaide. Until 1946, he played in 27 matches and took 144 wickets at an average of 22.59 and an economy rate of 1.94. He bowled 510 balls in a match against England at Kennington Oval and took three wickets for 178 runs.
4. Jim Higgs
Jim Higgs was a right-arm leg-break bowler from Victoria who played for Australia in Test cricket from 1978 to 1981. In 22 matches, he picked up 66 wickets at an average of 31.16. He bowled 478 balls in an innings against England in 1979 at the Sydney Cricket Ground and took five wickets for 148 runs.
5. George Giffen
George Giffen was a right-arm medium bowler from Adelaide, South Australia. In 1881, he made his Test-match debut against England at Melbourne. Until 1896, he took 103 wickets in 31 matches at an average of 27.09. In a Test match against England in 1894 at Melbourne, he bowled 470 balls in an innings and picked up six wickets for 155 runs.
6. Stephen O’Keefe
Stephen O’Keefe was a slow left-arm orthodox bowler for Australia, born in Malaysia. Stephen made his Test match debut in 214 against Pakistan at Dubai and was part of the Test team until 2017. In nine matches, he took 35 wickets. He bowled 462 balls in an innings against India in 2017 and picked up four wickets for 164 runs.
7. George Giffen
George Giffen is the only one to appear twice on this list. In 1894, in a Test match against England at Sydney Cricket Ground, he bowled 450 balls and picked up four wickets, giving away 164 runs. He played his last Test match in 1896 against England at The Oval.
8. Mervyn Waite
Mervyn Waite was a right-arm medium bowler from Adelaide, South Australia. Waite played for Australia in Test cricket in just two matches and picked up one wicket. In 1938, in a Test match against England at Kennington Oval, he bowled 432 balls (72 overs) in an innings and picked up one wicket for 150 runs.
9. Kerry O’Keeffe
Kerry O’Keeffe was a right-arm leg-break bowler from Sydney, New South Wales. Kerry made his Test cricket debut in 1971 against England at Melbourne. Before retiring in 1977, he played in 24 Test matches and took 53 wickets. He bowled his longest spell in Test cricket in 1976 against Pakistan at Adelaide, where he bowled 424 balls in an innings and picked up three wickets for 166 runs.
10. Shane Warne
Shane Warne was a right-arm leg break bowler from Victoria and probably one of the best wrist spinners of all time. From 1992 to 2007, he played in 145 Test matches and picked up 708 wickets at an average of 25.41. He bowled his longest spell in a Test against South Africa in 2002 at Cape Town, where he bowled 420 balls in an innings and picked up six wickets for 161 runs.
