Gray-Nicolls has armed some of the great players of all time with the tools to dominate Test cricket, but who has scored the most runs with their trusted bat in hand.
Generations of Runs. One Iconic Brand.
Some of cricket’s most memorable and iconic innings have been played with Gray-Nicolls cricket bats. From David Gower’s Ashes double hundred to Matthew Hayden’s world record breaking 380, the biggest moments in history are synonymous with Gray-Nicolls.
These acts of brilliance ensure that Gray-Nicolls isn’t just about equipment, it’s a unique part of cricketing heritage.
In this blog we’ll dig deeper into the illustrious heritage of Test cricket and look at the greatest run scorers that used Gray-Nicolls.
Sir Alastair Cook – England’s Run Machine - 12,472 runs
You know we had to start with Cookie. The man who is quintessentially Gray-Nicolls scorer 12,472 runs in his illustrious Test career. It was a career bookmarked by tons against India, with a debut ton in Nagpur that launched an incredible career, which came to end at The Oval when Cook’s final knock saw him reach three figures.
In between, it was century after century. 33 in all by the time Sir Alastair packed away his bat for the final time.
His high point came in the away Ashes series of 2010/11, when Cook delivered one of the great individual performances, scoring three centuries including a double, to score 776 runs across the five Tests, helping England to a 3-1 win.
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David Warner – Explosive and Enduring - 8,786 runs
Not many cricketers can claim to have change the way the game was played, but David Warner can confidently say that he opened the batting like few before.
Warner in fact made his Test debut before he’s even played a first class match – the first to so for Australia since 1877 - he was picked for his country based on his explosive exploits in white ball cricket, which gave selectors the confidence his ability would translate to the Test stage.
His debut against New Zealand was unspectacular, but his second Test is where he showed his brilliance. A second innings 123 not out from 170 balls in a total of 233 got Australia soo close to a famous run chase.
If that innings was a sign of the mindset and patience Warner possessed, his second Test ton in the same summer against India, with his T20 batting plugged straight in to the longest form of the game. 100 from 69 balls, 180 overall from 159 deliveries.
At his best, Warner was the complete Test opener.
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Kane Williamson – The Quiet Genius - 9,276 runs
New Zealand’s finest is perhaps the most consistent current player in Test cricket. An average of 54.88 attests to that. But it’s the manner in which Kane Williamson scores his runs, and the volume of them – that is so impressive.
A maiden ton on debut – 131 in Ahmedabad – showed what was possible, although there wouldn’t be another for over a year, since then he’s scored at least one century in every season since.
His best year in century terms came in 2015, when he notched three figures on five occasions. Home tons against Sri Lanka bookended the year, in between which a ton at Lord’s and one each in Brisbane and Perth showed that Williamson was a man for all conditions.
Kane has played significantly fewer Tests than his modern day counterparts in the fab four – 105. Compared to Joe Root (156 matches, 37 tons) Steve Smith (119, 36) and Virat Kohli (123, 30), his ratio of hundreds to matches is the best by some distance.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul - The Heart of West Indies - 11,867 runs
One of the great batters in West Indies history, Shiv Chanderpaul bucked the trend of the stereotype of calypso cricket.
Chanderpaul was gutsy, dependable, and above all a run machine. 11,867 of them to be precise. 30 centuries, an average of 51. It wasn’t until 2002 when Chanderpaul really found his way, with four centuries coming in that year when only two had been scored in the eight years before. After that Shiv the most consistent performer for his country, regularly the thorn in the side of the opposition as West Indies struggled to recapture their glory years.
Fun fact: did you know Chanderpaul’s name is quoted in Sean Paul’s most famous songs?
Past Greats: From Gower to Lara to Hayden
There are many other Gray-Nicolls icons on the all time Test run scorers list.
Brian Lara sits 8th, with 11,953 but given his time with the brand was relatively short he only gets an honourable mention – but we’ll never forget his world record 375.
David Gower’s effortless grace propelled him to 8,231 runs for England. Gower was a batter of unequalled style, and likely would have scored more if he’d conformed to the system more, but he’s remember all the more fondly as a result, alongside iconic innings like his 215 in the 1985 Ashes.
Matthew Hayden changed the way Australia batted in the 2000s, and there were few more intimidating sights in cricket then him walking towards a bowler ready to hit the ball to all parts regardless of format.
Hayden held the world record shortly after he scored 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003, but his overall record of 8,625 at an average is highly impressive for an opener.
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Today’s Rising Star Carrying the Legacy
Who from the new crop of stars is likely to challenge the top of the Test run scorning charts? At just 26, Harry Brook is making a strong case. With nine tons already to his name in 28 Tests and 2,653 runs, he has all the makings of the next all time great.
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What Makes Gray-Nicolls the Choice of Run-Scorers
Walking out to bat with Gray-Nicolls in hand is a true confidence boost for a batter; it means that no matter what’s thrown at you, you are equipped for the battle.
The relationship between bat and bat maker is so important. It’s why batters like Cook stuck with Gray-Nicolls for his entire career; the trust in the tool of their trade powers them to glory.
And with 150 years of bat making experience, there’s no one you can trust more in the game than Gray-Nicolls.
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