Five of the greatest players in the history of cricket who have missed out on the Lord's Honours Boards

Ben Stokes became the ninth player in history to feature on both Honours Boards.

The honours boards in the Pavilion of Lord’s, the home of cricket, have always been a major attraction for any visiting side playing at the famous ground in London.

The boards have adorned the walls of the ‘home’ and ‘away’ dressing rooms since the tradition was started. The Honours Boards recognise any batsman or bowler who scores a century or picks-up a five-wicket haul respectively.

Many famous names in the world of cricket have etched their names into the permanent history of the picturesque ground at St. John’s Wood, none more than former England all-rounder Sir Ian Botham, who appears on the board a record 10 times.

Ben Stokes, an all-rounder much in the mould of Botham, became the latest addition to the Honours Boards after his five-wicket haul against the West Indies on Thursday.

Stokes, who has already appeared on the Honours Boards after his century against the Kiwis in May 2015, became only the ninth player in Test history to have his names marked on both the batting and bowling boards.

While there have been many legends who have found themselves permanently etched in the history of Lord’s, there have been some notable names in the world of cricket who have failed to make their mark in north London.

We look at five of the greatest players to have missed out on the honour of having their names immortalized at the cricket ground.

Ricky Ponting – Australia

The Aussie modern-day great has left his mark on cricket grounds galore around the globe with his 41 Test centuries but a century at Lord’s deserted him throughout his long and distinguished career.

The former Australian skipper played four Tests at the famous ground but his highest score stands at a disappointing 42.

Ponting did manage to score 111 in an ODI match against England at the venue but alas, there is no provision for recognizing achievements in the limited-overs format at Lord’s.

Shane Warne – Australia

Another Aussie legend, the maverick leg-spinner with 708 Test scalps to his name, Warne never managed to claim a five-wicket haul at Lord’s.

The iconic bowler did however come close to making the Honours Board thrice in the four Tests he played at the venue but each time he fell one wicket short.

Warne’s Lord’s debut saw him take four scalps in each of innings and he came agonizingly close to finally making the cut in his final Test at Lord’s where yet again, he fell short by a solitary wicket.

Jacques Kallis – South Africa

Undoubtedly one of the greatest all-rounders to ever grace the game, the phenomenal numbers the Cape Town-born man achieved speak for themselves.

With over 13,000 runs and just under 300 wickets with the red-ball, one would think that the South African would have found himself on the Honours Boards on a number of occasions.

But the Proteas great did not have the best of times with the bat at the venue with 31 being his highest score in his three Test outings there.

He did however come close to making the boards with his bowling performance, but like Warne, fell short at four wickets in an innings.

Brian Lara – West Indies

One of the greatest batsmen to emerge in the history of cricket, Lara has always enjoyed playing against England.

The Trinidad and Tobago man’s mammoth scores of 375 and 400 have all come against the Englishmen. In fact, his record of the highest ever first-class score – 501 – came at Edgbaston for Warwickshire against Durham in 1994.

Unfortunately for Lara, his three Tests at Lord’s only returned a highest score of 54 to make him one of the most notable omissions from the Honours Boards.

Sachin Tendulkar – India

No words are needed to describe the Little Master’s standing in the history of the Test game, with just under 16,000 runs and 51 Test centuries to his name.

Just like Lara, Tendulkar loved batting against the English and his performances in the country were very memorable.

An honorary member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) which Lord’s is home to, the Indian batting superstar’s highest score was only 37 in the five Tests he played there.

His only ton at the iconic ground came in the Princess of Wales memorial match in 1998 when he scored 125 runs for the Rest of the World XI against the MCC XI.

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