Top 5 highest successful run-chases at the SCG, Sydney in test cricket

Six times a target of over 200 runs has been chased successfully in test cricket matches at the SCG.

Batting in the fourth innings of a test match is generally the toughest period to bat as the pitch deteriorates over the course of the game, giving bowlers the chance to exploit variable bounce and increased seam or spin movement.

The challenge becomes even more difficult on Australian surfaces, where cracks on the pitch widen as the game progresses.

The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) offers up a good test match pitch, where batsmen make hay for the first three days before it becomes challenging to score. The pitch at the SCG assists both pacers and spinners, while batsmen with the tenacity of batting long can produce match-defining knocks.

In this article, we will take a look at the top five highest successful run-chases at the SCG in Sydney.

Top five highest successful run-chases at the SCG, Sydney in test cricket:

5. Australia – 219/4 vs England, 1980

During the Sydney test against England in the 1979/80 Ashes, Australia successfully chased down the target of 216 runs.

Batting first, England scored 123 runs while Australia were bundled out for 145 in their first innings. England made 237 in their second innings after David Gower and Derek Underwood made 98 and 43 runs respectively.

While chasing 216, Greg Chappell slammed an unbeaten 98 off 202 balls. The SCG win helped Australia lead the series 2-0.

4. Australia – 260/6 vs New Zealand, 1985

Australia chased down 260 runs during the Sydney test against New Zealand in 1985. New Zealand made 293 after John Bracewell played a brilliant knock of 83 runs. In reply, Australia were knocked over for 227, where Greg Ritchie top-scored with 89 runs.

New Zealand finished their second innings at 193, setting the hosts a target of 260. During the chase, David Boon made 81 runs and David Hookes supported him with an unbeaten 38. Australia got over the line with four wickets in hand.

3. Australia – 275/8 vs England, 1907

During the 1907/08 Ashes, Australia won the Sydney test by gunning down the target of 274 runs.

Batting first, England made 273 after George Gunn slammed 119 runs. The hosts managed to score 300 runs in their first innings on the back of Clem Hill’s 87-run knock.

England then posted 300 in their second innings and set a target of 274 runs. While chasing, Tibby Cotter (33*) and Gerry Hazlitt (34*) registered a match-winning 56-run partnership for the ninth wicket. It was a thrilling match as Australia won with only two wickets to spare.

2. Australia 276/4 vs England, 1898

Australia recorded a terrific run-chase of the target of 275 runs in the Sydney test of the 1897/98 Ashes series.

Batting first, England scored 335, while Australia replied with 239 in their first innings. England middle-order batsman Tom Hayward’s 43 runs powered the visitors to 178 in their second innings.

Chasing 275, Aussie opener Joe Darling’s 160-run knock led the hosts to an impressive victory by six wickets.

1. Australia 288/2 vs South Africa, 2006

The highest successful run chase at the SCG, Sydney in test cricket came in 2006 in the third test of South Africa’s tour of Australia when the hosts chased down a target of 287 runs.

The victory remains one of the best for Australia’s in the 21st century because the Proteas had a 92-run lead after the first innings and then posted 194/6d in the second innings, setting Australia a target of 287.

Captain Ricky Ponting led Australia’s chase with a brilliant 143* off 159 balls, while opener Matthew Hayden supported him with 90 off 134 balls. The hosts won the game by eight wickets.

(All stats are updated till 4th January 2025)

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