BBC SPORT | AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA | Pair are Aussies' best ever

Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden have become statistically Australian cricket's greatest opening batting partnership.

The two recorded their fourth double-century stand with a 219-run partnership against South Africa on the first day of the third Test.

It meant they had surpassed the scoring exploits of both Bob Simpson and Bill Lawry and Mark Taylor and Michael Slater partnerships.

Where they stand

More double centuries than any other Australian pair

Tie Greenidge and Haynes with record four double centuries

Best average of any Test opening pair

Third among left-handed pairs for total runs scored

Both of those pairs compiled three double-century stands.

Langer and Hayden can also now stand alongside the mighty West Indian combination of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes.

But while Greenidge and Haynes took 10 years to amass their four double-century stands from 1979-80 to 1989-90, Langer and Hayden have done it in a single season.

The two left handers passed 1,000 runs in their 10th innings together and now have 1,125 runs at an average of 112.50.

That is easily the best of the nine combinations which have scored more than 1,000 runs.

Justin Langer celebrates scoring his century against South Africa
Langer leaps for joy after his ton
The next best average of 63.75 belongs to Australians Bill Brown and Jack Fingleton who made 1,020 runs together in 16 innings.

Langer and Hayden now stand third among left-handed opening pairs in terms of runs scored, behind Kiwi combination John Wright and Bruce Edgar and Pakistanis Aamir Sohail and Saeed Anwar.

Wright and Edgar made 1,655 runs at 31.83 in 56 innings while Sohail and Anwar have made 1,563 runs at 44.66 in 37 innings.

Langer, a diminutive West Australian, and Hayden, a strapping Queenslander, are good friends and often embrace each other upon reaching batting milestones.

They came together only seven Tests ago, last August against England at The Oval, when Langer was brought in as a replacement for Slater.

They kicked off their astonishing scoring sequence with 158 in that match.

Matthew Hayden celebrates scoring his century against South Africa
Hayden takes the applause against SA

Langer and Hayden launched the Australian season with a 224-run stand against New Zealand in Brisbane followed by 223 in the next Test in Hobart.

Last week they put on 202 in the first innings of the Melbourne Test against South Africa and backed that up with 219 in four hours on Wednesday.

Langer scored 126 for his fifth century in seven Tests and 12th overall and Hayden's 105 was his third in successive Tests and fourth overall.

Langer became the first Australian batsman since former captain Taylor in 1989-90 to score four centuries in a season.

Hayden was the leading scorer in Test cricket last calendar year with 1,391 runs.

And he has now scored 705 runs in the 2000/01 season, to eclipse Greg Chappell's 702 in 1975/76.


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