Wisden 100 top batting performances Andy Flower's valiant double for Zimbabwe against South Africa at Harare - he hit 142 in the first innings and 199 not out in the second - is rated as the fourth-best batting performance in any Test match by the Wisden 100.

Neither of Flower's individual efforts quite makes it into the overall Top 100 (mainly because Zimbabwe eventually lost the match), but when you add the ratings for both innings together the total has been exceeded only three times - and never in a match which the player's side eventually lost. The next-best double for a losing side comes in 31st - Clyde Walcott's 155 and 110 for West Indies against Australia at Kingston in 1954-55.

Top of the list is VVS Laxman, whose epic 281 in the Calcutta Test against Australia earlier this year - which India won after following on - was preceded by a handy 59, top score in the low-scoring first innings of 171. Second is Glenn Turner, whose brace of centuries at Christchurch in 1973-74 inspired New Zealand to their first-ever victory over Australia. And England's nemesis Steve Waugh lies third, for his twin tons in a low-scoring game at Old Trafford in 1997.

Graham Gooch has two entries in the Top 30 - at 8th and 11th - and so does the retiring Mike Atherton. His double at Christchurch, which lifted England to a narrow victory over New Zealand, lies seventh, while his stubborn 83 and 108 at The Oval in 2000, which sealed England's first series win over West Indies since 1969, comes in 27th.

The only other batsman with two entries in the Top 30 of the match list is Inzamam-ul-Haq of Pakistan. The great Don Bradman comes in 29th for his 13 and 270 (the top-rated single innings) for Australia against England at Melbourne in 1936-37.

Name	Match	Rating
1 VVS Laxman	59 and 281, Ind v Aus, Calcutta, 2000-01	354.5
2 Glenn Turner	101 and 110*, NZ v Aus, Christchurch, 1973-74,	337.1
3 Steve Waugh	108 and 116, Aus v Eng, Old Trafford, 1997	334.6
4 Andy Flower	142 and 199*, Zim v SA, Harare, 2001-02	326.0
5 Ian Botham	50 and 149*, Eng v Aus, Headingley, 1981	325.6
6 Jack Russell	140 and 111, Eng v SA, Durban, 1922-23	321.1
7 Mike Atherton	94* and 118, Eng v NZ, Christchurch, 1996-97	314.9
8 Graham Gooch	333 and 123, Eng v Ind, Lord's, 1990	313.0
9 Dean Jones	116 and 121*, Aus v Pak, Adelaide, 1989-90	312.9
10 Gordon Greenidge	134 and 101, WI v Eng, Old Trafford, 1976	309.1
11 Graham Gooch	34 and 154*, Eng v WI, Headingley, 1991	305.8
12 Mark Taylor	59 and 144, Aus v WI, St John's, 1990-91	305.8
13 Jack Ryder	201* and 88, Aus v Eng, Adelaide 1925-25	302.4
14 Allan Border	98* and 100*, Aus v WI, Port of Spain 1983-84	302.0
15 Doug Walters	242 and 103, Aus v WI, Sydney 1968-69	299.7
16 Alec Stewart	118 and 143, Eng v WI, Bridgetown, 1993-94	293.6
17 Rahul Dravid	190 and 103*, Ind v NZ, Hamilton, 1998-99	292.3
18 Inzamam-ul-Haq	101 and 83, Pak v Zim, Harare, 1994-95	290.9
19 Greg Chappell	84 and 144, Aus v Eng, Sydney 1974-75	289.4
20 Javed Miandad	104 and 103*, Pak v NZ, Hyderabad, 1984-85	288.1
21 Colin McDonald	133 and 51*, Aus v Eng, Melbourne, 1958-59	287.6
22 Seymour Nurse	95 and 168, WI v NZ ,Auckland, 1968-69	286.1
23 John Wright	75 and 138, NZ v WI, Wellington, 1986-87	285.9
24 Inzamam-ul-Haq	86 and 138, Pak v SL, Karachi, 1999-2000	284.0
25 Dilip Vengsarkar	61 and 102*, Ind v Eng, Headingley 1986	283.9
26 Johnny Tyldesley	97 and 62, Eng v Aus, Melbourne, 1903-04	283.5
27 Mike Atherton	83 and 108, Eng v WI, The Oval, 2000	281.6
28 Wally Hammond	119* and 177, Eng v Aus, Adelaide, 1928-29	280.1
29 Don Bradman	13 and 270, Aus v Eng, Melbourne, 1936-37	278.4
30 Greg Chappell	123 and 109*, Aus v WI, Brisbane, 1975-76	278.3

Steven Lynch is the database director of Wisden.com.

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