The Ashes 2013: Ashton Agar's Record-Setting Outing Surprise of Rivalry Clash

Of the players on his 11-man roster for 2013's Ashes series against England, Ashton Agar would be Darren Lehmann's last choice as a potential breakout star—literally.

The Australian national coach put Agar in the No. 11 batsman spot, which is about the least complimentary thing he could have possibly done. A team's last batsman is typically considered their worst hitter, the guy you only allow to step up because the rules require you to give him a chance.

Well, Thursday's early action saw Agar get his chance to step to the plate—and a marvelous result came forth. The Australian batsman stepped up with Australia's backs against the wall, delivering the greatest performance in Test history by a No. 11 batsman.

As pointed out by the Wall Street Journal's Joshua Robertson, Agar posted 98 runs—a figure that bested the all-time record of 95 set by West Indies’ Tino Best, which happened just last year. The average of an eleventh batsman is just 8.56 runs over the history of Test events. This wasn't just a special performance, it was among the most historic events in Australian cricket history. 

OptaJim's Twitter feed pointed out that Agar's posting was responsible for 35 percent of Australia's first-inning runs. They also had a fantastic graphic, showing exactly where the skilled batsman found his holes against the vaunted English bowlers:

At the time, Australia were in dire straits during Day 2 of their Ashes meeting with England. The favored Australians fell behind during the early part of the event, putting them in at least some danger of losing their third straight and fourth in five Ashes.

That would mark just the third time since the turn of the 20th Century that Australia, generally considered the better of the two countries, would have lost three straight.

Instead, Agar's brilliance along with that of 10th batsman Phil Hughes, who scored 68 runs, brought Australia roaring back.

They were 117 for nine, essentially dead in the water, before Agar and his teammate stepped up and spurred a charge. It was the largest last-wicket stand in more than a century, helping surpass England to take a 65-run lead heading into the lunch break.

At one point, the Australian batsmen had lost five wickets in 32 balls, and their top-three batsmen were yet to even crack the 90 barrier, juxtaposed with this excellent late run by the Australians. Agar, Hughes and the like ruined an otherwise excellent performance by England's top bowlers, who were on the precipice of a daunting run of excellence. 

The overarching story, though, is Agar. The youngster even being a part of the 11-man lineup came as a surprise to most. At just 19 years old, he doesn't have the requisite experience usually needed for the national club to trust him. He had a batting average of 39.45 during his first-class cricket opportunities previously, but he had never appeared in a Test and was completely green behind the ears while wearing his first green baggy (sorry).

His run was completely unprecedented. ESPN Stats & Info's Twitter feed noted that he was the first-ever No. 11 to hit 50 during his first Test appearance—and he nearly doubled that score:

The Australians will certainly have him to thank should they continue Agar's grand finale and pull off the victory. They have a relatively healthy lead after the afternoon break and come back with all the momentum, facing a string of rattled English bowlers. 

Of course, most fans will be waiting to see what Agar has for an encore. The next time he steps up for an opportunity, it may be to lock a victory up for Australia. It's possible that he falls on his face, does what No. 11 batsmen normally do and everyone will look at his performance Thursday as a flash in the pan. 

Either way, the Australian spinner will always have his 98-run trip to bat to fall back on. At just 19 years old, he's had a moment that many Australian cricketers could only dream.

Now let's just hope there's more of that going forward.