• Home
  • Top Most
  • List Of Highest Successful Run Chases In Test Cricket At The Oval

List Of Highest Successful Run Chases In Test Cricket At The Oval

Aashay Chopade

Sri Lanka chased down 219 at the Oval in 2024 (Source:@ESPNcricinfo/X.com)Sri Lanka chased down 219 at the Oval in 2024 (Source:@ESPNcricinfo/X.com)

India and England are up against each other in the final Test of the five-match series at the Oval. The game has swung from one end to another so far, and after toiling hard, India have managed to take their lead close to 373.

India scored 224 in the first innings of the Test, and in reply, England managed to get a lead of just 23 runs despite a 92-run opening stand. Now, in the second innings, Yashasvi Jaiswal delivered for India, and it has helped India get a healthy lead. The pitch is also quite tough to bat on, and thus England have a tough task in front of them.

Also, a chase in the final innings of a Test is always tough, and let's see what the highest run-chases at the Oval in the purest format are.

5. Target: 219 - Sri Lanka (219/2) vs England, 2024

The fifth-highest successful chase and the only one in the 21st century came in 2024 when Sri Lanka beat England by eight wickets by chasing down 219. Ben Stokes was not playing that game, and the stand-in captain Ollie Pope led from the front in the first innings with his 154. 

His efforts helped England get a decent lead of 72 runs in the first innings, but the home team was bowled out for just 156 in their second outing. Lahiru Kumara was the tormentor-in-chief with his four-fer, and then young Pathum Nissanka stepped up with an unbeaten 127 to take his side to a famous win.

4. Target: 225 - West Indies (226/2) vs England, 1988

The fourth-highest run-chase also came in the 20th century when the Windies chased down the target of 225 against England in 1988. Graham Gooch-led English side managed to take a lead of 22 runs in the first innings, but they faltered with the bat in the second innings to get bowled out for just 202. 

Winston Benjamin picked up a four-fer for the West Indies in that innings, and then the experienced opening duo of Haynes and Greenidge stitched a stand of 131 runs. It made the job easy for the incoming batters, and the Windies won the game by eight wickets.

3. Target: 242 - Australia (242/5) vs England, 1972

Third in the list is the run-chase of 242 during the Ashes series of 1972 by the visiting Australian side. It was a game where Denis Lillie was at his absolute best and picked up a 10-fer in the match. He had five-wicket hauls in both innings. Also, Chappell brothers scored centuries in the first innings of the Test, which helped Australia get a sizeable lead and in the final innings, Rod Marsh and Paul Sheahan took the visitors over the line.

2. Target: 252 - West Indies (255/2) vs England, 1963

The second-highest run-chase at the Oval is 252, which was achieved by the West Indies against England in 1963. It was a game where things looked evenly poised right till the end. England secured a slim lead of 29 runs at the end of the first innings and were then bowled out for 223 in the second innings with West Indies pacers picking all 10 wickets between them. In reply, Conrad Hunte stepped up with an unbeaten 108 as the visitors won the game by eight wickets.

1. Target: 263 - England (263/9) vs Australia, 1902

The highest successful run-chase came way back in 1902 when England managed to get over the line against the Aussies. It was quite a thrilling win for the home side as they clinched the game by just one wicket after they gave away a lead of 141 runs at the end of the first innings of both sides. However, they bowled out Australia for just 121 in the second innings with Bill Lockwood picking a fifer.

Gilbert Jessop followed up that effort with a stunning century in the final innings, and then George Hirst scored an unbeaten 50 to take England to a memorable win.