364 vs Australia, The Oval, 1938

IN 1997, The Times listed the 100 Greatest Cricketers of All Time, chosen by the long-serving cricket correspondent and former Wisden editor John Woodcock.

- Len Hutton Jack Watkins

Sir Len Hutton returns to The Oval, where he set his astonishing world record, at the age of 72

Len Hutton was ranked number 11, behind other England batting greats, such as W. G. Grace, Jack Hobbs, Wally Hammond and Denis Compton. Were that list to be revised today, 'Sir Len' might drop a place further among his compatriots to make space for the remarkable Joe Root. Yet there was a time when Hutton was the supreme English batting titan. The innings with which he carved that reputation came at the Oval in the final Test of 1938. Remarkably, he was only 22, one year into his international career, playing in his sixth Test.

In this, the Bradman era of Ashes cricket, the Australians generally had the upper hand and they were already one up going to the Oval, which meant they had retained the Ashes. Even so, the match was eagerly anticipated. War clouds were gathering. When would England next see a touring Australian side? By 6am on the first day, there were long queues outside the Oval, some fans having slept there overnight. Designated as a timeless Test, to be played until a winning result was achieved, England hoped to draw the series, although 'Bosser Martin, the portly Oval groundsman, declared he'd produced a wicket to 'last until Christmas.'