THE SHANNONS Nationals will get closer to a major milestone this weekend, as the series inches its way to a big 100^th round milestone that will be celebrated during May’s adventure to Phillip Island.

This weekend’s 2017 season opener at Sandown Raceway in Melbourne, however, marks the 99^th round the series has staged since its foundation at Wakefield Park way back in 2006.

99 is an important number in Australian sport thanks mainly to the game of Cricket, where players have an incredible ability to get out for one run less than the big ton.

An Australian was the first ever to be dismissed for 99 in test cricket, actually: Left-handed Adelaide batsman Clement Hill was dismissed just one short against the old enemy, England, at the MCG on 1 January 1902.

In the intervening 115 years a lot of players have fallen just short of waving the bat, including some notable Australians that include Matthew Hayden and Simon Katich and, famously, Michael Slater – who had a knack for getting out just short of a century.

Slater, who now works for Channel 9 as a commentator, was dismissed in the 90s a remarkable nine times in his test match career – though he still went on to triple figures 14 times.

Incidentally, Donald Bradman made his 29 test centuries without once getting dismissed in the 90s, though it must be said that the infamous duck in his final test innings left his career batting average stranded at 99.94..

Again, so agonisingly short of perfection..

Given we’re in Melbourne this weekend, it’s notable that one of the most frustrating incidences of 99 in Australian sport goes to an iconic Victorian: the one and only Shane Warne.

Though unquestionably the greatest ever spin bowler to play the game, Warnie fancied himself with the Willow and was a staple of Australia’s middle-to-lower order during his test career, regularly contributing valuable late-order runs to the tally in long and short forms of the game.

He backed himself as a century-maker and was desparate to add that milestone to his already gilttering career when Australia fronted New Zealand for a three-test series in the early Summer of 2001.

With the previous two test matches in Brisbane and Hobart drawn, a result – any result – in the third test at the WACA in Perth would determine the series.

However, Australia was in trouble early chasing the impressive first-innings total of 534 posted by the Kiwis, thanks to storming centuries to Vincent, Astle, Flemming and Perore: Matthew Hayden bowled for a duck by Shane Bond on the seventh ball of the innings – and the Aussies never really fired from there.

Though Hayden’s fellow opener Justin Langer survived to make 75, Australia’s middle-order didn’t contribute significantly with a solid 60 from local Damien Martyn and contributions from Mark Waugh (42) and Ricky Ponting (31) the only highlights.

Well behind and with his team in trouble, in came Warne at No. 8 looking in good touch.

A 77-run stand with number six batsman Martyn, and then 72 with fast bowler Brett Lee (who contributed just 17 of those runs) saw him quickly reach 50 and ultimately charge into the 90s: But Warne was running out of partners, and it looked ominous when Glenn McGrath ambled to the crease after Daniel Vettori saw off No. 10 Jason Gillespie, for 0.

With Warne on 94*, surely McGrath could hold on long enough to allow Warne the the time and opportunity to finally grab a maiden Test ton?

As it turned out, it wouldn’t be the fast bowler who would end his hopes: the great leggie was caught off Vettori’s bowling on – you guessed it – 99, leaving McGrath stranded on 0 at the other end as the the Australian innings came to a disappointing end, all out for 351.

Though Australia fortunately saved the match and ensured the three-test series would end a nil-all draw, Warne would never have another chance at the test ton in another notable incidence of the number 99 cropping up.

Still, there will be no such stumbles for the Shannons Nationals as the series’ this weekend swings the bat into a New Year and lofts short-pitched off breaks into the grandstand with aplomb on the way to 100 and more.

The 100th will be a good celebration, that’s for sure, because it’s been a long-time building towards this moment – the Nationals has definitely been like a test match rather than a T20. It will be nice to take time to savour that iconic 99* number this weekend.

It’ll make that 100th celebration at Phillip Island even sweeter.

WORDS & ARTSY NON CRICKET RELATED IMAGE: Richard Craill

PS: If you think this story was a thinly-veiled excuse to write about Cricket on a motor racing website, you’re damn right it was. Not sorry.