Oldest maiden centurions in ODI, Test and T20I cricket

No run comes easy in international cricket and hence, scoring 100 in an innings is a daunting task. Best bowlers from a nation are in display, trying their best to pierce the batter’s defences. Also, the matter of the fact is it takes just one delivery to end a batter’s stay in the middle. Hence, an individual must bat with precision to get a ton.

Meanwhile, there have been quite a few players who have scored centuries for fun. It also must be noted that batters tackle different challenges in different formats. Test cricket is indeed a test of a batter’s character with the red ball doing more talking than the white one. On the other hand, limited-over matches demand a healthy scoring rate. Nevertheless, several batters have embraced this challenge with brilliance.

Meanwhile, let’s look at the oldest players to score their maiden century in all three formats (full-member teams):

Test – Dave Nourse – 42 years, 291days

It was the second Test of Australia’s 1921/22 tour of South Africa and the venue was Johannesburg. Aussies posted a massive 450 while batting first thanks to a double ton from Herbie Collins. In reply, the Proteas side was skittled out for 243 and subsequently, follow-on was imposed on them.

Nourse, who scored a valiant 64 in the first innings, put up an even better show and advanced to his maiden Test ton. He ended up scoring 111 as the game was drawn. Nourse was 42 years and 291 days when he scored the ton.

ODI – Geoffrey Boycott – 39 years, 51 days

Boycott slammed a plethora of runs in Test cricket but ODIs was introduced in the latter stages of his career. The former England batter, however, still managed to make a mark. During the 1979 Sydney OFDI against Australia, Boycott, at 39 years and 51 days, slammed his maiden and only ODI ton. The opener scored 105 off 124 balls as England recorded a 72-run win.

T20I – Morne van Wyk – 35 years, 100 days

As far as T20Is are concerned, former South African cricketer Morne van Wyk is the oldest player to slam a maiden hundred in the format. It was the third T20I of West Indies’ 2015 tour of the rainbow nation. Opening the batting, Van Wyk slammed a sensation ton, 114 off 70 balls, as the Proteas side won the contest by 69 runs.