The history of cricket suggests that the West Indies were the most dominant team in the 1970s through the early 1990s. A number of superstars came through the ranks during this period. They produced a number of great fast bowlers and incredible batting icons. The West Indies played their first test against England in June 1928.
Since then, this became the best format for the Men in Maroon. Former West Indian captain Brain Lara holds the record for the highest individual test score of 400 not out. Like these, there are some other big records by this team in red-ball cricket. Here we will talk about the highest test partnerships for West Indies in the history.
Highest Partnership in Test by West Indies
| Pair | Runs | Wkt | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conrad Hunte and Garry Sobers | 446 | 2nd | Pakistan | Kingston | 26 Feb 1958 |
| Garry Sobers and Frank Worrell | 399 | 4th | England | Bridgetown | 6 Jan 1960 |
| Denis Atkinson and Clairmonte Depeiaza | 347 | 7th | Australia | Bridgetown | 14 May 1955 |
| Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell | 338 | 3rd | England | Port of Spain | 17 Mar 1954 |
| Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul | 336 | 1st | Zimbabwe | Bulawayo | 4 Feb 2023 |
| Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan | 331 | 2nd | South Africa | St John’s | 29 Apr 2005 |
| Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels | 326 | 3rd | Bangladesh | Khulna | 21 Nov 2012 |
| Brian Lara and Jimmy Adams | 322 | 5th | Australia | Kingston | 13 Mar 1999 |
| Richie Richardson and Viv Richards | 308 | 3rd | Australia | St John’s | 7 Apr 1984 |
| Viv Richards and Alvin Kallicharran | 303 | 3rd | England | Nottingham | 3 Jun 1976 |
3. Denis Atkinson and Clairmonte Depeiaza (347 runs) vs Australia in 1955
The third highest partnership for the West Indies came way back in May 1955, when they played against Australia in Bridgetown. It came in the fourth test of the five-match series. Batting first, Australia scored 668 runs, with Keith Miller (137) and Ray Lindwall (118) scoring centuries. In reply, the West Indies scored 510 runs in 157.1 overs. Denis Atkinson and Clairmonte Depeiaza added 347 runs for the 7th wicket, which is the highest for the 7th wicket.
Skipper Atkinson made 219 runs, and Depeiaza scored 122 runs in that inning. With a lead of 158 runs, Australia added another 249 runs in their second inning. The West Indies needed 408 runs to win. In 72 overs, they were at 234/6 when the game ended in a draw. This game saw the highest seventh wicket partnership.
2. Garry Sobers and Frank Worrell (399 runs) vs England in 1960
West Indies registered their second highest partnership in test, which came for the fourth-wicket in Janaury 1960. They played England in Bridgetown in the first game of the five-match series. In the first inning, England was dismissed for a score of 482 runs in 188.4 overs. Ken Barrington (128) and Ted Dexter (136*) scored centuries for England. In reply, the West Indies had a mixed start.
But then, they had a huge partnership for the fourth wicket between Garry Sobers and Frank Worrell. Both batters added 399 runs to take their team to a big score. Sobers made an excellent double century and made 226 runs, and Worrell remained unbeaten on 197. West Indies declared at 563/8 in 239.4 overs with a lead of 81 runs. England was at 71/0 in 42 overs when both teams settled for a draw.
1. Conrad Hunte and Garry Sobers (446 runs) vs Pakistan in 1958
The biggest partnership for the West Indies in the longest format came in March 1958, when they faced Pakistan in Kingston. It was Pakistan who batted first and scored 328 runs in their first inning with the help of a century from Imtiaz Ahmed (122). West Indies responded it in a grand fashion and registered their highest ever test score. They made 790/3 in 208.1 overs and declared their inning, with a lead of 462 runs.
Conrad Hunte and Garry Sobers added 446 runs for the second wicket, which is still their highest test stand. Both batters also scored their career-best scores. Hunte made 260 runs, while Sobers smashed 365 not out with 38 boundaries in it. In the second inning, Pakistan got dismissed for just 288 runs and lost the match by an inning and 174 runs.