The Birthday Boy Delivers: Michael Bevan's 146 for Leicestershire

Matt Ellis | May 08, 2023

Often I am asked what my most memorable moment as a spectator at a cricket match was, and immediately, my mind went to the heroics of Michael Bevan at the SCG on January 1, 1996. Australia was in massive trouble at 6-38, and it required a rescue mission initially from Bevan and Healy before Australia looked like getting anywhere near the target of 173 in the rain-affected match at the SCG.

In fact, a fair portion of the crowd had left the ground when the rain came making the occasion extra satisfying for the true believers who had witnessed a run chase for the ages. After Healy departed at 7-74, the man of the match Paul Reiffel who had earlier taken 4-29 from his 9 overs, contributed 34 invaluable runs in a partnership of 83 with Bevan.

After Pistol was dismissed and a mix-up resulted in the run out of Shane Warne, it was left to Narromine’s Glenn McGrath to try and get Bevan on strike so he could finish the task. McGrath played his part with distinction getting himself to the non-striker's end, leaving two deliveries for Bevan to get the job done.

After a dot ball from Harper on the penultimate delivery, the tension was well and truly at a climax, with Bevan with a chance to etch his name in history. As cool as a cucumber, he gave himself some room crunching Harper down the ground, raising his arms in victory and embracing his batting partner.

What I remember most as a spectator sitting in Bay 18 was the atmosphere when the final ball went to the fence. It is like nothing I have ever experienced before or since. A massive group of fans in sheer jubilation sang the national anthem and general celebration of the occasion for quite some time after the game had finished. None of us wanted to go home. We all wanted to soak up the occasion for as long as possible.

Recently I wrote Double the Celebrations for Bradman on his sixth wedding anniversary, which highlighted Bradman’s on-field performance correlated with a personal celebration.

With Michael Bevan celebrating his birthday today, I have delved into the archives to see if there were any memorable knocks for Bevo on his birthday.

As it turns out, an innings that does not have the reputation or acclaim of his last ball heroics at the SCG was an innings that started on his 32nd birthday. Playing for Leicestershire against Warwickshire at Grace Road, Michael Bevan had been looking to find form. With scores of 66, 27 and 34 in his first three hits of the season, Bevan was still working towards notching up his first ton of the summer. 

Batting was tough going early on with the Warwickshire attack consisting of Shaun Pollock, Melvyn Betts, Alan Richardson and Dougie Brown, supported by the guile of Ashley Giles bowling his left-arm tweakers. 

After Warwickshire made some early inroads, Bevan made his way to the crease when the score was 2-45. He and Iain Sutcliffe knuckled down and built a partnership that netted 127 runs before Sutcliffe departed with the total 3-172. 

Following this was a handy partnership with the skipper Vince Wells before he departed off the bowling of Giles for 33. 

Darren Stevens, who finished his career with over 15000 First Class runs, joined the birthday boy at the crease, ensuring safe navigation to stumps finishing the day 26 not out.

Despite spending a good portion of the final hour of play in the 90s, Bevan could not start his on-field celebrations until the next day leaving the field of play perilously close to a personal milestone on 99 not out.

Whether or not birthday celebrations were put on hold that evening, I am not sure. Still, the on-field celebrations commenced the following day, with Bevan going on to make 146 before finally being dismissed after spending over 7 hours in the middle. His batting partner would also raise the bat finishing on 125 before falling to Giles.

For the record, Leicestershire went on to win the game convincingly with Bevan also collecting 3-25 with the ball and a handy 38 not out at the top of the order to help polish off the run chase in the second innings. Bevan would finish the First Class season with just under 700 runs and a batting average of over 60.

We all love scoring runs no matter the occasion though I get the feeling that birthday runs would be extra special, as I am sure they were for Michael Bevan on his 32nd birthday.

Happy Birthday Michael Bevan!