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A previous article talks about the significance of centuries in cricket but here I’m going to talk about Daddy Hundreds.
I can’t say for certain that this is an official phrase but it’s more commonly used in modern day cricket. So what, exactly, is a daddy hundred and who are the players who bring them up more than most?
Daddy Hundred – What Does it Mean in Cricket?
A daddy hundred basically refers to a very big century in which the batsman scores more than 150 runs. Similarly, a 100 to 120 score might be referred to as a ‘baby hundred’ although that term is less frequently used.
It’s significant because it marks a batter down as a heavy run scorer and, naturally, they become vitally important for their side.
The Highest Daddy Hundreds in Test Cricket
The chart below shows the batsmen with the biggest daddy hundreds, that is the highest individual scores in test cricket. Feel free to click on the chart to find out more info about each record!
Who Coined the term ‘Daddy Hundred’?
There is a slight difference of opinion as to who first used the phrase ‘daddy hundred’. Depending on who you speak to, it was either Andy Flower or Graham Gooch. Both men enjoyed coaching stints with England at around the same time and the term seems to have emerged around 2010.
Both men would have been qualified to speak about the subject, having made big scores for Zimbabwe and England respectively in test cricket.
Batsmen with the most Daddy Hundreds
In terms of one day cricket, India’s Rohit Sharma is the man to catch. He’s already passed 200 twice and is the only player to have done so on two separate occasions within the format.
In test cricket, Virat Kohli is known to go big and statistics show that he adds an average of 45.53 runs to every century that he makes. Other players to make big Daddy Hundreds with regularity include Steve Smith, Joe Root, Brian Lara and Alastair Cook.
As some of these players (namely Brian Lara and Alastair Cook) are among the most renowned cricketers in history, it should come as no surprise that they are also on the list of players with the most runs in test cricket.
