Century ( cricket ) - wikipedia Century ( cricket ) Sachin Tendulkar of India holds the record of highest number of runs and centuries scored in both Test and ODI forms of cricket. In the sport of cricket, a century is a score of 100 or more runs in a single innings by a batsman. The term is also included in `` century partnership '' which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for batsmen and a player 's number of centuries is generally recorded in his career statistics. Scoring a century is loosely equivalent in merit to a bowler taking five wickets in an innings, and is commonly referred to as a ton or hundred. Scores of more than 200 runs are still statistically counted as a century, although these scores are referred as double ( 200 -- 299 runs ), triple ( 300 -- 399 runs ), and quadruple centuries ( 400 -- 499 runs ), and so on. Accordingly, reaching 50 runs in an innings is known as a half - century ; if the batsman then goes on to score a century, the half - century is succeeded in statistics by the century. Chris Gayle holds the record of fastest hundred in the history of cricket when he smashed 100 in just 30 balls and scored 175 * runs off 66 balls overall in 20 overs in IPL against Pune Warriors India in 2013. Contents 1 Earliest known centuries 2 Highest number of centuries 2.1 First - class cricket 2.2 Test cricket 2.3 One Day International cricket 2.4 Twenty20 International cricket 3 Fastest centuries 4 See also 5 References Earliest known centuries Centuries were uncommon until the late 19th century because of the difficulties in batting on pitches that had only rudimentary preparation and were fully exposed to the elements. There is doubt about the earliest known century, but the most definite claim belongs to John Minshull who scored 107 for the Duke of Dorset 's XI v Wrotham at Sevenoaks Vine on 31 August 1769. This was a minor match. The first definite century in a top - class match was scored by John Small when he made 136 for Hampshire v Surrey at Broadhalfpenny Down in July 1775. The earliest known century partnership was recorded in 1767 between two Hambledon batsmen who added 192 for the first wicket against Caterham. It is believed they were Tom Sueter and Edward `` Curry '' Aburrow. When Hambledon played Kent at Broadhalfpenny in August 1768, the Reading Mercury reported : `` what is very remarkable, one Mr Small, of Petersfield, fetched above seven score notches off his own bat ''. Unfortunately it is not known if Small did this in one innings or if it was his match total. Hambledon batsmen Tom Sueter and George Leer are the first two players definitely known to have shared a century partnership when they made 128 for the first wicket against Surrey at Broadhalfpenny Down in September 1769. Highest number of centuries First - class cricket Main article : List of first - class cricket records § Most centuries W.G. Grace was the first batsman to score 100 career centuries in first - class cricket, reaching the milestone in 1895. His career total of 124 centuries was subsequently passed by Jack Hobbs, whose total of 199 first - class centuries is the current record. Test cricket Main article : List of Test cricket records § Centuries Tendulkar celebrates upon reaching his 38th Test century against Australia in the 2nd Test at the SCG in 2008, where he finished not out on 154 The first century in Test cricket was scored by Charles Bannerman who scored 165 ( before retiring hurt ) in the first ever Test between Australia and England ( played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from 15 -- 19 March 1877 ). The first century partnership in Test cricket was between W.G. Grace and A.P. Lucas, batting for England, in the first innings of the only Test match between England and Australia on the Australians 1880 tour of England, played at the Kennington Oval ( 6 -- 8 September 1880 ). The current holder of the record for most centuries in Test cricket is Sachin Tendulkar of India, who has scored 51 centuries. One day International cricket Main article : List of One Day International cricket records § Highest individual score See also : List of highest individual scores in ODIs The first One Day International ( ODI ) century was scored by Denis Amiss who amassed 103 runs against Australia at Old Trafford in 1972. ( the second official ODI on record ). Sachin Tendulkar currently holds the record for most ODI centuries, having scored 49 ODI Centuries. Twenty20 International cricket Main article : List of Twenty20 International records § Most centuries See also : List of centuries in Twenty20 International cricket The first Twenty20 International ( T20I ) century was scored by Chris Gayle who amassed 117 runs against South Africa at Johannesburg in the very first match of ICC World Twenty20 tournament in 2007. Colin Munro and Rohit Sharma currently holds the record for most T20I centuries, having scored 3 T20I Centuries. Fastest centuries The fastest recorded century in Test cricket terms of balls faced is held by Brendon McCullum who scored 100 runs from 54 balls against Australia at Christchurch, New Zealand in 2016, beating the previous record of 56 held jointly by Viv Richards and Misbah - ul - Haq. The record for the fastest recorded century in terms of balls faced in first - class cricket is held by David Hookes who scored 102 runs from 34 balls for South Australia vs Victoria in a Sheffield Shield match in 1982. Chris Gayle holds the record for the fastest century in Twenty20, during an Indian Premier League in April 2013, reaching the milestone off only 30 balls. In One day International cricket ( ODI ) the fastest century is held by South African batsman AB De Villiers. De Villiers ' century came up in just 31 balls against the West Indies in the 2nd ODI at Johannesburg on 18 January 2015. De Villiers ' hundred included 8 fours and 10 sixes. Corey Anderson ( New Zealand ) is second with 36 balls century against West Indies in Queenstown on 1 January 2014 and Shahid Afridi ( Pakistan ) is third with 37 balls century against Sri Lanka in Nairobi on 4 October 1996. David Miller of South Africa hit the fastest century in Twenty20 international cricket against Bangladesh on 29 October 2017. Miller brought up his century in just 35 balls. Rohit Sharma of India equalled the record of the fastest century in T20 international cricket against Sri Lanka on 22 December 2017. Rohit Sharma got his century in 35 balls then equalling the record. See also List of cricketers by number of international centuries scored Nervous nineties References Jump up ^ `` England gives it to Aussies at Ashes '', Sydney Morning Herald, 2 December 2006. Jump up ^ G.B. Buckley, Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket, Cotterell, 1935. Jump up ^ Arthur Haygarth, Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 ( 1744 -- 1826 ), Lillywhite, 1862. ^ Jump up to : H.T. Waghorn, Cricket Scores, Notes, etc. ( 1730 -- 1773 ), Blackwood, 1899. Jump up ^ Ashley Mote, The Glory Days of Cricket, Robson, 1997. Jump up ^ H.T. Waghorn, The Dawn of Cricket, Electric Press, 1906. Jump up ^ Most Hundreds in a Career, ESPN website. Jump up ^ See Variations in first - class cricket statistics. Jump up ^ `` 1st Test, England tour of Australia at Melbourne, Mar 15 - 19 1877 - Match Summary - ESPNCricinfo ''. ESPNcricinfo. Jump up ^ `` Records - Test matches - Batting records - Most hundreds in a career - ESPNcricinfo ''. Jump up ^ 1st ODI : England v Australia, 24 Aug. 1972, ESPN website. Jump up ^ `` Result : 1st Match, Group A ( N ), ICC World Twenty20 at Johannesburg, Sep 11 2007 ''. ESPN. Retrieved 5 February 2018. List of international cricket centuries International men 's cricket ( Test, ODI and T20I ) Sachin Tendulkar ( 100 ) Ricky Ponting ( 71 ) Kumar Sangakkara ( 63 ) Virat Kohli ( 62 ) Jacques Kallis ( 62 ) Mahela Jayawardene ( 54 ) Hashim Amla ( 54 ) Brian Lara ( 53 ) Rahul Dravid ( 48 ) AB de Villiers ( 47 ) Sanath Jayasuriya ( 42 ) Shivnarine Chanderpaul ( 41 ) Younis Khan ( 41 ) Matthew Hayden ( 40 ) Chris Gayle ( 40 ) Mohammad Yousuf ( 39 ) Tillakaratne Dilshan ( 39 ) Mark Waugh ( 38 ) Sourav Ganguly ( 38 ) Virender Sehwag ( 38 ) Alastair Cook ( 38 ) Graeme Smith ( 37 ) Michael Clarke ( 36 ) Ross Taylor ( 36 ) Sunil Gavaskar ( 35 ) Viv Richards ( 35 ) Desmond Haynes ( 35 ) Steve Waugh ( 35 ) Inzamam - ul - Haq ( 35 ) Herschelle Gibbs ( 35 ) David Warner ( 35 ) Gary Kirsten ( 34 ) Adam Gilchrist ( 33 ) Kevin Pietersen ( 32 ) Javed Miandad ( 31 ) Aravinda de Silva ( 31 ) Saeed Anwar ( 31 ) Steve Smith ( 31 ) Gordon Greenidge ( 30 ) Allan Border ( 30 ) Don Bradman ( 29 ) Mohammad Azharuddin ( 29 ) Kane Williamson ( 29 ) Graham Gooch ( 28 ) Greg Chappell ( 27 ) Marvan Atapattu ( 27 ) Nathan Astle ( 27 ) Joe Root ( 27 ) Rohit Sharma ( 27 ) Andrew Strauss ( 27 ) Garfield Sobers ( 26 ) David Boon ( 26 ) Marcus Trescothick ( 26 ) Ian Bell ( 26 ) David Gower ( 25 ) Note : Italics denote the players who are currently active at international level World Cup centuries World T20 centuries Champions Trophy centuries Asia Cup centuries Twenty20 International cricket centuries Women 's cricket Test cricket ODI cricket Twenty20 International cricket Cricket statistics Batting Innings Run Batting average Century Nervous nineties Strike rate Not out Four and Six Net run rate Required run rate Bowling Overs Wicket No - ball Wide Leg bye Bye Five - wicket haul Bowling average Economy rate Hat - trick Fielding Catch Wicket - keeper Stumping Lists of cricket centurions Test Australia Bangladesh England India Ireland New Zealand Pakistan South Africa Sri Lanka West Indies Zimbabwe ODI Australia Bangladesh England India Ireland New Zealand Pakistan South Africa Sri Lanka West Indies UAE Zimbabwe T20I T20I centurions Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Century_(cricket)&oldid=862351495 '' Categories : Cricket terminology Batting ( cricket ) Cricket records and statistics Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from July 2016 Talk Contents About Wikipedia বাংলা Français हिन्दी മലയാളം मराठी Nederlands नेपाली پنجابی தமிழ் डोटेली 3 more Edit links This page was last edited on 3 October 2018, at 20 : 48 ( UTC ). 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Question: who hit the fastest century in test cricket
Answer: Chris Gayle