Batters who fell on 99 on most occasions as Warner becomes latest to suffer heartbreak

While chasing a target of 259 in the 4th ODI against Sri Lanka yesterday, David Warner looked all set for a century at the top of the order, prepared to guide his team home and level the series. However, luck didn't favour the left-handed batter: while on 99, needing just a run to reach his milestone and his 19th ODI century, Warner stepped out of the crease to Dhananjaya de Silva, and found himself stumped by Lankan wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella. An unfortunate end to an innings that deserved a century, and a wicket which meant Australia never really recovered, losing by 4 runs and going down 3-1 in the series.

Warner's misfortune prompted us to look at other batters who have suffered from the same ignominy multiple times, or been left stranded not-out on 99. Here is a list:

Geoffrey Boycott — thrice

Legendary English batter Geoffrey Boycott was the first player to have been dismissed on 99 twice and then thrice in his career. The first occurred in 1974 in a tour of the West Indies, where he faced 340 deliveries to score his 99 before getting out. His second time would be the misfortune of left on 99*, as Boycott played the lone guard while his teammates fell around him versus Australia. Boycott's third time would also be the first time in ODI cricket that someone got out for 99, in 1980, as he was dismissed by the Australians at the Oval having faced 159 deliveries.

Sachin Tendulkar — thrice

Sachin Tendulkar was notoriously dismissed on 99 thrice in a six-month spell in 2007, all in ODI cricket. It first occurred against South Africa in Belfast, then against England in Bristol, and the last, the fastest of the lot, against Pakistan in Mohali. Tendulkar also holds the record for most dismissals in the 90s - firm at the top with 17, ten clear of the next highest.

Misbah-ul-Haq — thrice

Misbah is one batter who had the misfortune of seeing this event occur to himself twice in the span of one series. In the first Test of the tour of West Indies, he would be stranded on 99* as the team got bowled out. In the following Test, he would reach 99 but not a century yet again, this time losing his wicket. To make matters worse, Misbah had experienced this before, in 2011 against New Zealand.

Richie Richardson — thrice

West Indian swashbuckling batter Richie Richardson is another who makes an appearance in this unfortunate list: he was stranded on 99* at Sharjah in 1985, before finding himself dismissed on the score against New Zealand in 1989 and Australian in 1991.

Dean Jones — twice

Australian icon Dean Jones once walked back to the pavilion for 99, dismissed against New Zealand in Perth in 1989, before which he was left stranded on 99* off 77 balls against Sri Lanka in Adelaide in 1985.

Sanath Jayasuriya — twice

Belligerent Sri Lankan opening batsman Sanath Jayasuriya was dismissed on 99 twice, both in attacking fashion, first against India in Colombo 2001, and next against England in Adelaide 2003, an 83-ball innings. Jayasuriya also has the misfortune of being dismissed on 199, this coming in Test cricket.

Virender Sehwag — twice

A batter very much in the Jayasuriya mould, Sehwag twice in 2010 saw the 99 befall him, that too in consecutive months against the same opponent. In July in a Test against Sri Lanka, he was dismissed for 99, and in August, the notorious occasion when Sehwag was batting on 99 with one run to win and Suraj Randiv delivered a massive no-ball. Sehwag hit the ball for six, but it wasn't counted, and Sehwag was left in the lurch on 99* — this time not because of rotten luck, but because of rotten sportsmanship from the Sri Lankans.

Alex Hales — twice

The only batter on this list to have accomplished such a feat through a T20I, England's Hales was the first batter dismissed on 99 in T20I cricket, happening in 2012 against West Indies. Surprisingly, there have been more players left not-out on 99* in T20I cricket (4) than those that have been dismissed on the score (2), He would double up on the misfortune by seeing himself dismissed on 99 in an ODI this time, against South Africa in 2016 in Pretoria.