Ranking the Top 20 Lord's ODI Centurions by Strike Rate

The world-famous Lord's. At no ground is an international century more cherished. 

Of course, the milestone in a one-day international doesn't elevate a player on to the ground's decorated honour boards as it would for a Test match, but a century of any sort inside cricket's cathedral holds a special significance. 

Yet one of the oddities of Lord's is how few ODI hundreds have been made at the ground. 

Across 42 years of the original limited-overs format in London, only 28 one-day centuries have been scored at Lord's—a figure owing largely to the rather small number of ODIs (56) played at the ground. 

Compare those figures to a venue such as Sharjah (216 matches and 79 centuries) in the UAE, and it becomes clear that those to have scored a one-day hundred at Lord's a part of a select few. 

Across the following slides, we count down the 20 fastest ODI centuries seen at the ground.

20. Dinesh Chandimal

Year: 2011

Opponent: England

Score (Balls): 105* (126)

Strike Rate: 83.33

Only seven Sri Lankans had ever made an international hundred at Lord's when Dinesh Chandimal arrived at the crease against England in July 2011. 

Chasing the hosts' 246-7 in the third one-day international of the series, the precocious right-hander joined Mahela Jayawardene with the score at 21-1 in the fifth over. The task was a big one; the conditions unfamiliar.

But with more than a dash of extravagance, the then-21-year-old crashed his way to a sublime hundred that dripped with class to see the visitors home in a canter.

19. Martin Guptill

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Year: 2013

Opponent: England

Score (Balls): 103* (123)

Strike Rate: 83.73

For Martin Guptill, New Zealand's visit to England in 2013 was a breakout tour. And it started at Lord's.

In the opening one-day international of the series, the Kiwi cruised to a match-winning century as the visitors comfortably chased down England's 227-9 in the early-season conditions presented by the month of May. 

Blasting eight fours and four sixes, Guptill quickly developed a supreme level of confidence that was evident throughout the series as he thumped his runs at an average of 330.00. 

It was straight after Lord's when the New Zealander crashed his way to that memorable 189 not out at Southampton.

18. Graham Gooch

Year: 1989

Opponent: Australia

Score (Balls): 136 (162)

Strike Rate: 83.95

England's clash with Australia in the final match of the Texaco Trophy in 1989 featured a thrilling run chase from the visitors, with Steve Waugh hauling his side over the line with some frantic work in the final overs.

But the game had been set up by a stunning hundred from Graham Gooch, whose 136 was the 19th-highest score ever recorded in a one-day international at the time. 

Alongside David Gower, Gooch propelled the home side to a 123-run opening stand, but Waugh and Allan Border provided the impetus for Australia, who got home with three balls to spare.

17. Andrew Strauss

Year: 2004

Opponent: West Indies

Score (Balls): 100 (116)

Strike Rate: 86.20

Few players have ever enjoyed such a love affair with Lord's quite like former England captain Andrew Strauss. 

Indeed, when he broke on to the scene in 2004, the left-hander's first three international hundreds came at the famous ground, one of which was his maiden one-day century against the West Indies. 

Of course, that match will be remembered more vividly for another innings on this list, but Strauss' stylish knock at the home of cricket came as part of a glorious summer for the then-emerging star whose excellence propelled him to the leadership five years later.

16. David Gower

Barry Stevens/Associated Press

Year: 1985

Opponent: Australia

Score (Balls): 102 (118)

Strike Rate: 86.44

Four years prior to that pulsating Texaco Trophy final at Lord's in 1989, David Gower and Graham Gooch were busy compiling another mammoth partnership as the pair put on 202 for the second wicket against Australia in the corresponding match in 1985. 

While Gooch's hundred came at a modest pace, Gower's innings was a brisk and fluent affair, seeing the dashing left-hander flay 14 fours and a six to propel England to a strong victory as they chased down the visitors' 254-5 with six overs to spare. 

The knock, which was one of Gower's finest, was his first international hundred as captain.

15. Mark Waugh

Year: 1999

Opponent: Zimbabwe

Score (Balls): 104 (120)

Strike Rate: 86.66

Mark Waugh developed a serious liking for World Cups during his one-day international career. 

Indeed, when he struck this typically stylish hundred against Zimbabwe at Lord's in the 1999 edition of the global tournament, it marked Waugh as the first batsman ever to score four World Cup centuries. 

Alongside his brother Steve (62 from 61 balls), the elegant strokemaker propelled his side to a total of 303-4 in their Super Six clash with the Africans as Australia gathered momentum in what would be a triumphant campaign on English soil.

14. Marvan Atapattu

Clive Mason/Getty Images

Year: 1998

Opponent: England

Score (Balls): 132* (151)

Strike Rate: 87.41

At the height of Sri Lanka's dominance of 50-over cricket in the late 1990s, Marvan Atapattu struck a glorious hundred in the final of the Emirates Triangular Tournament in 1998 to seal yet another series triumph for Arjuna Ranatunga's men. 

Always easy on the eye, the technically sound right-hander overcame the loss of the dashing Sanath Jayasuriya in the the opening over and gracefully compiled an unbeaten 132 that included 14 boundaries, seeing the visitors home with three overs to spare. 

Atapattu would later add his name to the Lord's honour boards with 185 in a Test against England in 2002. 

13. Sir Viv Richards

Year: 1979

Opponent: England

Score (Balls): 138* (157)

Strike Rate: 87.89

One of the most iconic World Cup innings, Sir Viv Richards' 138 not out against England in the final of the 1979 tournament at Lord's helped the West Indies to a second successive world title. 

A colossal figure of the game, Richards provided the foundation of his team's innings and allowed Collis King to provide the fireworks, as the West Indies set an imposing total of 286-9 for the hosts. 

Without the same firepower, England were never in the hunt, and after setting up the crushing victory, the charismatic West Indian No. 3 was named Man of the Match.

12. Nasser Hussain

Year: 2012

Opponent: India

Score (Balls): 115 (128)

Strike Rate: 89.84

In one of the most thrilling one-day clashes ever seen at Lord's, England captain Nasser Hussain put together this fine hundred as the hosts raced to a mammoth total of 325-5 in the final of the NatWest Series against India in 2002. 

Alongside Marcus Trescothick (whose innings features later in this list), Hussain powered England into a position from which they looked unbeatable. 

But an early onslaught from Sourav Ganguly and some late, lusty hitting from Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif saw India claim a historic victory with three balls to spare at the home of cricket.

11. Neil Johnson

Year: 1999

Opponent: Australia

Score (Balls): 132* (144)

Strike Rate: 91.66

Neil Johnson's fine hundred came in the same World Cup match as Mark Waugh's 104 in 1999 and could have led Zimbabwe to a famous victory had a middle-order collapse not hampered their charge. 

According to ESPN Cricinfo, it was 16 years to the day after Zimbabwe had claimed a monumental victory over Australia in the 1983 World Cup, and when Johnson was flying along with Murray Goodwin, it looked possible that the Africans might repeat the result at Lord's. 

But a Paul Reiffel onslaught in the middle of the innings brought Zimbabwe to a halt, leaving Johnson to glide his way to 132 not out in a losing cause.

10. Dennis Amiss

Year: 1975

Opponent: India

Score (Balls): 137 (147)

Strike Rate: 93.19

The opening match of the 1975 World Cup saw the hosts blast the highest 60-over score (the game hadn't yet switched to the 50-over format) seen in England until that point as they raced to 334-4 against a listless Indian outfit. 

Leading the charge was opener Dennis Amiss, who blazed his way to 137 in rapid time and struck 18 boundaries to set up a commanding total for England. 

Unfortunately, the game is more notable for Sunil Gavaskar's decision to crawl his way to 36 from 174 balls and effectively end India's chase before it started. 

9. Marcus Trescothick

Tom Shaw/Getty Images

Year: 2001

Opponent: Pakistan

Score (Balls): 137 (142)

Strike Rate: 96.47

The only player to feature twice on this list, Marcus Trescothick put together one of his best knocks against Pakistan in 2001, despite his team's alarming collapse that resulted in a disappointing defeat at Lord's. 

Chasing just 243 for victory, Trescothick powered the hosts to 196-3 in his partnership with Owais Shah before the latter's run-out kick-started an implosion around the opener. 

Crunching 11 fours and three sixes, the left-hander watched as his team-mates disintegrated around him, seeing England fall three runs short in the final over.

8. Ricky Ponting

Year: 2005

Opponent: England

Score (Balls): 111 (115)

Strike Rate: 96.52

At the back end of a long limited-overs campaign preceding the now-famous 2005 Ashes series, Australian captain Ricky Ponting produced this masterclass to steer the visitors to a strong victory in the second match of the three-game NatWest Challenge. 

After a difficult opening to the tour, Ponting broke out with 14 fours and a six at Lord's to register his first century of the trip and level the series—one that Australia would eventually go on and win. 

Unfortunately, the decorated Australian was never able to add his name to the honour boards at the ground with an equivalent innings in a Test match.

7. Andrew Symonds

Year: 2004

Opponent: Pakistan

Score (Balls): 104* (103)

Strike Rate: 100.97

The first of the hundreds on this list compiled at better than a run-a-ball, Andrew Symonds struck this powerful century at Lord's to guide Australia to victory over a gallant Pakistan in 2004. 

Still basking in the warm glow of his 2003 World Cup heroics, the reborn Australian was in the prime of his career for this clash with Inzamam-ul-Haq's men and mixed aggression with ingenuity to set up a match-winning total for Ricky Ponting's side. 

6. Neil Fairbrother

Year: 1991

Opponent: West Indies

Score (Balls): 113 (109)

Strike Rate: 103.66

Led by Neil Fairbrother, England cruised to an emphatic victory over the West Indies in the third game of the Texaco Trophy in 1991 and secured a clean sweep in the process. 

Against a bowling attack boasting Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and Malcolm Marshall, Fairbrother struck 10 fours and two sixes as England chased down the visitors' total of 264-9 with ease. 

Interestingly, it was the only hundred Fairbrother ever made in his international career. 

5. Kumar Sangakkara

Year: 2014

Opponent: England

Score (Balls): 112 (104)

Strike Rate: 107.69

Like the 1999 World Cup contest between Australia and Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka's clash with England at Lord's in 2014 produced two of the innings to feature on this list. 

The first was Kumar Sangakkara's elegant 112 in the first innings of the game that pushed the visitors on to a total of 300-9 in the critical fourth match of the series. 

Ably supported by Tillakaratne Dilshan, the left-hander's knock proved to be the match-winning contribution, and pleasingly, he added his name to the honour boards at Lord's with a century in the subsequent Test series.

4. Marcus Trescothick

MAX NASH/Associated Press

Year: 2002

Opponent: India

Score (Balls): 109 (100)

Strike Rate: 109.00

The early years of the 2000s represented a fruitful time for Marcus Trescothick, who enjoyed a prolific English summer in 2002. 

But this stunning century at Lord's came alongside Nasser Hussain in a losing cause during that remarkably tense defeat to India in the final of the NatWest series of that year. 

It had been the same earlier in the series, when Trescothick's rapid 86 wasn't enough to haul England over the line against a powerful India.

3. Andrew Flintoff

Year: 2004

Opponent: West Indies

Score (Balls): 123 (104)

Strike Rate: 118.26

The most perplexing of games: Andrew Strauss struck a fine hundred, Andrew Flintoff set the record for sixes hit by an Englishman in a one-day match on his way to a century of his own and yet, somehow, England still lost to the West Indies.

The result, however, shouldn't overshadow the performance put forward by Flintoff, whose seven sixes awed the crowd at Lord's and still stand as an English benchmark in the 50-over game. 

The third one, a ferocious heave over wide mid-on, was undoubtedly the highlight. 

2. Clive Lloyd

Year: 1975

Opponent: Australia

Score (Balls): 102 (85)

Strike Rate: 120.00

Quite simply, it was an innings ahead of its time. A performance that became a prototype. 

For Clive Lloyd and the West Indies, it captured the inaugural World Cup in the 1975 final against Australia after the men from the Caribbean had powered their way to 291-8 on the back of the captain's blistering 102 from 85 deliveries. 

Prior to that knock, only two men (Majid Khan and Ken Wadsworth) had ever reached a century at better than a run-a-ball in one-day cricket, but neither had done it with the style of Lloyd, who butchered a strong Australian bowling attack led by Dennis Lillee to complete one of the game's most famous innings. 

1. Jos Buttler

Year: 2014

Opponent: Sri Lanka

Score (Balls): 121 (74)

Strike Rate: 163.51

The fastest and most spectacular one-day innings ever seen at Lord's came in 2014 from England's Jos Buttler.

Like other centuries from Englishmen on this list (Andrew Flintoff, Andrew Strauss, Nasser Hussain, Marcus Trescothick and Graham Gooch), the stunning performance came in a losing cause but will forever be remembered as one of the most breathtaking displays of hitting ever witnessed on English soil. 

And with a strike-rate of 163.51 for the innings, Buttler's position at the top of this list could remain for a considerable stretch of time.