Ashton Agar's 98 Runs In The Ashes Set A New Test Match Record

An email from reader Tim:

A 19-year-old lefty spin bowler named Ashton Agar, making his test match debut, came in to bat at the eleventh spot with Australia trailing badly and looking doomed and put up 98 runs, the world record for an 11th batsmen in test matches. This is basically the equivalent of a Dwight Gooden or Fernando Valenzuela type pitcher at 19 hitting a grand slam in his first World Series at bat multiplied by an order of magnitude or two. This is only day 2 of the first test match of 5 test matches, but it was pretty amazing. England was sure they had this one in the bag, and then this kid steps up and gives the Aussies the lead, and now it's anybody's match. Agar had this goofy grin the whole time. He's a national hero in Australia at the moment.