Ask Bearders # 160
Welcome to Ask Bearders, where statistician Bill "" Frindall answers your questions on all things cricket.
Below are Bill's responses to some of your questions posed at the end of his last column and if you have a question for Bill, leave it at the end of this blog entry. Please do include your country of residence - Bill loves to hear where all his correspondents are posting from.
Bill isn't able to answer all of your questions, however. ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sport staff will choose a selection of them and send them to Bearders for him to answer.
Q. Can you please let us know which batsman has the best second innings Test record in terms of average, total runs and number of centuries? Is it the Don again? M Pattabiraman
Bearders' Answer: Qualifying my answer by imposing a minimum of 10 second innings, Don Bradman has the highest average - 104.50. He scored 2299 runs, with 10 hundreds and 8 fifties, in just 30 innings. The only others to average 70 or more are his fellow Australian, Mike Hussey, with 86.17 from 11 innings, and England's adopted Indian prince, K.S.Ranjitsinhji, with 70.00 also from 11 innings.
Alan Border scored the most second innings runs (4371, average 54.64, from 111 innings) and shared the record number of hundreds (11) with Sunil Gavaskar (90 innings).
Q. Australia have dominated world cricket for the last decade. Can you tell me when did Australia last lose a Test match by an innings? Was it against India in 1998 at Calcutta? Chetan
Bearders' Answer: Correct, Chetan. Australia have played 108 Tests since that last innings defeat in the Second Test of the 1997-98 rubber. Staged at Eden Gardens on 18-21 March, India inflicted Australia's biggest defeat since England massacred them by an innings and 579 runs at The Oval in 1938. Mark Taylor won the toss and Australia scored 233. India responded with 633 for 5 declared (Mohammad Azharuddin 163 not out) and dismissed Australia for 181 (Anil Kumble 5 for 62) to win by an innings and 219 runs.
Q. Is Gerrie Snyman's 196 against the UAE in the World Cricket League Division Two the highest score for a player in a List A limited-overs match? Sumantro Das
Bearders' Answer: No, it is the 10th highest in all List A limited-overs games, but it the highest in any international on that List:-
268 - AD Brown, Surrey v Glamorgan; The Oval, 2002
222* - RG Pollock, Eastern Province v Border; East London, 1974-75
207 - Mohammad Ali, Pakistan Customs v Defence Housing Authority; Sialkot, 2004-05
206 - AI Kallicharran, Warwickshire v Oxfordshire; Birmingham, 1984
203 - AD Brown, Surrey v Hampshire; Guildford, 1997
202* - A Barrow, Natal v South Africa African XI; Durban, 1975-76
201 - VJ Wells, Leicestershire v Berkshire; Leicester, 1996
198* - GA Gooch, Essex v Sussex; Hove, 1982
197* - Sajid Ali, National Bank of Pakistan v United Bank; Karachi, 1996-97
196 - G Snyman, Namibia v United Arab Emirates; Windhoek, 2007-08
Q. Who has the highest individual score in first-class and Test cricket on debut? Gary
Bearders' Answer: R.E. 'Tip' Foster holds the Test record with 287 for England v Australia at Sydney in December 1903. Scored in 419 minutes, it remains the highest score for England in Australia and was the highest individual Test score until Andy Sandham scored 325 in 1930.
The record in all first-class matches is 260 in 639 minutes by A.A. (Amol) Muzumdar for Bombay v Haryana in a Ranji Trophy pre-quarter final at Faridabad in February 1994.
Q. Can you tell me who is the oldest cricket player to make a Test match debut and what country, and the oldest for each country on their debut? Martin Sturgeon (Toronto)
Bearders' Answer: At 49 years 119 days, James Southerton remains the oldest man ever to begin a Test career having appeared for England in the Inaugural Test match at Melbourne in March 1877. A short, sturdily-built round-arm off-spin bowler, he was also the first Test cricketer to die.
The oldest debutants for the other countries are Miran Bux (47y 284d - Pakistan), Don Blackie (46y 253d - Australia), Nelson Betancourt (42y 242d - West Indies), Rustomji Jamshedji (41y 27d - India), Omar Henry (40y 295d - South Africa), Somachandra de Silva (39y 251d - Sri Lanka), Herb McGirr (38y 101d - New Zealand), Andrew Waller (37y 84d - Zimbabwe), and Enamul Haque (35y 58d - Bangladesh).
Q. What is the highest fourth innings score in a lost Test and drawn Test? Arun
Bearders' Answer: New Zealand's 451 against England at Lancaster Park, Christchurch, in March 2002 is the highest losing fourth innings total. The hosts came within 99 runs of an astonishing victory on a drop-in pitch when Nathan Astle (222) hit the fastest Test double century in terms of the fewest balls received (153). England's monumental 654-5, in pursuit of 696 to win the timeless Test at Durban in March 1939, is unlikely to be overtaken as the record in a drawn match. Started on the day I was born, the match ended 11 days later when the tourists had to begin a two-day train journey to catch their boat home.
Q. Is Graeme Hick the only player to have scored first-class triple centuries in three different decades? Paul
Bearders' Answer: Intriguing question, Paul. The answer is yes; Graeme Hick (1988, 1997 and 2002) is alone in scoring a first-class 300 in three separate decades. Don Bradman (6) scored his in the 1920s and 1930s, Bill Ponsford and Wally Hammond (4 each) all in the 1920s and 1930s respectively, W.G.Grace (3) in 1876 (2) and 1896, and Brian Lara (3) in 1994 (2) and 2004.
Q. A few years ago, I'm sure the ICC proposed only recording required winning scores in all matches. For instance, a team needs 120 to win a Test. They reach 118, then score a boundary, to total 122 and win the game. I'm sure the proposal was to only officially record the 120 required. A ludicrous idea, but did it ever happen, even briefly, or was it just quietly dropped? John Allison
Bearders' Answer: Since the 2000 Code of the Laws of Cricket was introduced, Law 21 (The Result), note 6 (c) has stated: 'If a boundary is scored before the batsmen have completed sufficient runs to win the match, then the whole of the boundary allowance shall be credited to the side's total and, in the case of a hit by the bat, to the striker's score.' Otherwise the match ends as soon as the winning run is scored and no additional runs count.
Q. During the second Test between Australia and Sri Lanka in Hobart earlier this month, Sri Lanka briefly looked capable of causing a sensation and scoring the 500 or so required for victory. The Australians had declared both innings (losing only 7 wickets in the process) and a work colleague posed the question - "what is the fewest number of wickets lost by a side that has gone on to lose a Test match?" David
Bearders' Answer: Excellent question. The fewest wickets lost in winning a Test is two and there have been four instances, three of them occurring in England. The fewest to lose must be South Africa's eight in their bookmaker-influenced forfeiture Test against England at Centurion Park, near Pretoria, in January 2000. After 3½ days had been lost to rain and saturated run-ups, Hansie Cronje and Nasser Hussain agreed to forfeit their second and first innings respectively. South Africa declared at 248-8, setting England a target of 249 from 76 overs, a goal they achieved with two wickets to spare.
Q. In his playing days, former England coach Duncan Fletcher made 4095 runs and scored 20 fifties, without ever reaching a first-class century. Are these record totals for a player who never reached three figures? Tom, Edinburgh
Bearders' Answer: No, G.A.R. ('Tony') Lock of Surrey, Leicestershire, Western Australia and England, holds those records with 10,342 runs, average 15.88, and 27 fifties, the highest of which was his 89 against West Indies at Georgetown in 1968 - his 49th and final Test. Fletcher averaged 23.67, with a best of 93.
Q. When was the last Test match played by Australia, in which Stuart MacGill or Shane Warne did not feature? Dave MJ
Bearders' Answer: Australia have played 31 Tests since neither leg-spinner was available in the Fourth Test against India at Bombay in November 2004. Warne fractured his thumb in the nets just before that match and MacGill was not on the tour. India won by 13 runs, Australia's spin attack being shared by Nathan Hauritz (off-breaks - 3 for 16 and 2 for 87 in his only Test) and Michael Clarke (left-arm - 6 for 9).
Q. Why is Ashley Giles known as the 'King of Spain'? My friend has a theory about incorrectly spelt mugs but I am not so sure (if this is the case it would be the best story EVER!). Dave Lane
Bearders' Answer: Sadly, that is the answer. One of a batch of mugs inscribed 'King of Spin' below Ashley's portrait (mug shot?), ordered by the Warwickshire CCC shop, arrived with 'King of Spain' painted on it. Either inscription could have had the shop served with a false representation writ.
°ä´Ç³¾³¾±ð²Ô³Ù²õÌýÌýPost your comment
Bill,
What happened to #159?
Thankas,
Pete H
Complain about this comment
With Ronnie O'Sulivan in the news again I was wondering if,like him, there are examples of ambidextrous cricketers. I know there are players who "swop hands" when batting, but what about bowlers.
Stirling
Complain about this comment
Don't be too quick to laugh at Gilo - I think it was Dean Jones who recommended execution or something similar if any of the Australian top order got out to him in 2005. Needless to say most of them did at one point, though it has to be said that that did not quite justify Ashley's selection for 2006 ahead of the one inspirational spin bowler England had managed to produce since Derek Underwood (who wasn't even a spinner) in a pitifully defensive move based, apparently, on Gilo's batting (quite what extra runs over Monty they thought he'd score in Australia was anyone's guess) and fielding (as to which his drop of Ponting ... I can't bear to describe!)
Complain about this comment
Does a hat trick have to be in the same match, or is it just 3 wickets in consecutive deliveries? If the latter, has a bowler ever taken the last two wickets of a match to be on a hat trick, only to complete it with his first delivery of a new over in a new match?
Complain about this comment
Since I am so obssessed with cricket I would like to know the most amount of beamers bowled in an innings
Complain about this comment
Can a ball be declared as a no-ball and a wide at the same time? I mean, if a bowler oversteps and bowls way down the leg-side (the ball is collected by the leg-slip fielder), is it a no-ball, a wide or both?
Complain about this comment
I recall Gavin Hamilton making a pair on debut and going wicketless after being chosen as an allrounder. Has this happened to anyone else, who has been taken on as an allrounder?
Complain about this comment
Can a ball be declared as a no-ball and a wide at the same time? I mean, if a bowler oversteps and bowls way down the leg-side (the ball is collected by the leg-slip fielder), is it a no-ball, a wide or both?
Complain about this comment
Bill,
Loved the comment about Gilo's mugs!! Fantastic and correct!!
Complain about this comment
Can a ball be declared as a no-ball and a wide at the same time? I mean, if a bowler oversteps and bowls way down the leg-side (the ball is collected by the leg-slip fielder), is it a no-ball, a wide or both?
Complain about this comment
Mike Parrett:
From Ask Bearders #137 (https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/tms/6203825.stm)
Tom Ford, England
Has any bowler taken a hat-trick over three consecutive balls in three consecutive innings?
Simon Tiernan, Sale
With reference to Andy P, and a hat-trick spanning three overs (#134). If the first wicket fell to the last ball of an over and the second wicket fell to the first ball of the next over, also ending the innings, what happens if that was the second innings? Would the bowler's hat-trick delivery have to be against the same opponents? A hat-trick could then take two years to play out.
A hat-trick can never involve more than two innings because it can only be achieved within one match.
Complain about this comment
Who has run out the most partners in Test Matches? I would guess Geoff Boycott would be somewhere up there as I can remember a few 'infamous' occasions. Following on from this who has been run out the most times? Inzy?
Roberto, Shoreham
Complain about this comment
Which batsman from the non test countries has the highest batting average? And also which bowler from the non test countries has the best bowling averages? is it ryan ten doeschate? or alex obanda?
for bowlers is it thomas odoyo? or peter ongondo?
Complain about this comment
Nice way to fill long winter evenings.
Complain about this comment
1. Pete - for some reason some ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sport admin person deleted the link to it. It's still there if you know where to look:
/blogs/tms/2007/11/ask_bearders_159.shtml
2. Phil - I remember a few years back there was a story about a Pakistani (I think) player in the under 15 World Cup who could bowl with either arm, and often switched in the middle of a spell. Of course, he would have been obliged to inform the umpire of his intention to do so (just as if he switched from over to round the wicket) otherwise it would have been a no ball.
3. James - admittedly Giles dismissed all of Australia's top 8 at least once during the series (including one which turned a couple of feet to bowl Damien Martyn), but he did still finish with an average of 57. It was Terry Alderman who made the suggestion that they should hang themselves.
4. Mike - it has to be the same match. There have been instances of bowlers taking three wickets in consecutive balls spread across more than one match (in some cases more than one season) but that doesn't count as a hat trick.
Complain about this comment
Bill,
What's the highest test score ever achieved where all the runs have come from boundaries only?
Thanks
Dave
(Preston, UK)
Complain about this comment
Gavin Hamilton had a disastrous test debut after being picked as an allrounder. He registered a pair and went wicketless. Have any other recognised allrounders had similar disastrous debuts?
Complain about this comment
Dear Bill,
What is the record for the number of consecutive balls from which runs have been scored in test cricket? Who were the unfortunate - or inaccurate - bowlers?
Thanks,
Huw
Complain about this comment
Hi Bill, a No Ball question for you. In a recent match, a bowler clean bowled a batsman, with the batsman setting off straight away to the pavilion, the quick minded keeper spotted the umpires arm out for a front foot no ball, and picked up a stump with ball to break the wicket and apealed. Although possibly not in the spirit of the game, should he be out ? Umpire gave it not out, as it was a stumping not a run out, but did say if another fielder had done the act, it would have been out as it would then be a run out ! This got me thinking, with the current fad of batsman walking down the wicket as the bowlers running in, could a bowler deliberatly run in and throw the ball to say the short leg batman who would then run out the batman ?
David - New Zealand
Complain about this comment
During India's successful 4th innings chase recently at Delhi, it was mentioned that this was the first instance that Sachin Tendulkar has scored a 50+ score in a winning 4th innings chase. Is that correct? If it is it must be a record for most # of runs scored in tests before registering a 50 in a successful chase!
Complain about this comment
Recently, Yuvraj Singh (169), Sourav Ganguly (239) and Irfan Pathan (102) all scored their best test scores in the Indian first innings of the 3rd test against Pakistan.
What is the maximum number of individual best scores that have been made in a single test innings?
Complain about this comment
Bearders,
First of all thanks for all the fun here.
My question is prompted by Paul Collingwood's double century against The Aussies last Winter. He scored very few boundaries as I recall. So I was wondering, if we assume twenty yards for each non-boundary run, what is the greatest distance anyone has actually had to run (literally run) to score a test century?
Thank you.
Complain about this comment
I would be interested to know the reasoning behind the fact that the fielder's helmet is treated differently from the rest of his clothing and equipment.
For example,
- the batsman is out caught if the ball lodges in the wicket-keeper's pads or a fielder's clothing, but not if it lodges in a fielder's helmet;
- he is run out if the ball rebounds on to the stumps off short-leg's shin pads, but not if it comes back off his helmet.
( Is it that the authorities don't yet accept that helmets are really "cricket" and hanker after the good old days when Men were Real Men, and just spat out their broken teeth and got on with the game !? )
Complain about this comment
Bill, with reference to the hat-trick debate. I once heard of a hat-trick being takenover the course of three innings'! (Most probably hypothetical!) A bowler dismisses a batsman in innings one with his final delivery. He then takes the final wicket of the second innings with his first ball. His first ball in a third innings also takes a wicket. Is this situation still regarded as a hat-trick as the bowler has taken a wicket with three consecutive deliveries? Julian
Complain about this comment
What proportion of hat-tricks in test cricket a "real" ones (ie three wickets with consecutive balls in the same over)? And who has most - Murali?
Also, what's the most test wickets with consecutive balls (including bowlers from both ends)
Complain about this comment
What proportion of hat-tricks in test cricket a "real" ones (ie three wickets with consecutive balls in the same over)? And who has most - Murali?
Also, what's the most test wickets with consecutive balls (including bowlers from both ends)
Complain about this comment
i believe there are 4-5 players who have taken wickets of there first ball in international cirkcet,,
Wavell hinds is one... can u name the other? thxs,,
Ps- this is the first time i have visited your fantastic blog.Your cricketing knowledge is ..well.. humungous.Cheers.
Love,Live Cricket.
Complain about this comment
David, at 19:
My answer is 'it depends'.
The ball is dead when the fielding side and both batsmen ceased to regard it as in play.
If the keeper (say) high-fived first, then I think the ball was dead and the bat is not out.
If he did not act as if the ball was dead, then I think your umpire was per incuriam.
A wicket can satisfy both criteria. If a wicket could be a run-out or a stumped, stumping has precedence.
This clearly was not a stumping as it was off a no ball. It does not matter that a batsman was not attempting a run.
As regards the 'throw', the ball is not dead as the run-up has started. I can see no reason why it is against the Laws, but as you rightly point out it is against the Spirit.
Pranev at 21. I assume you mean their best test scores *to date*, as I am confident Yuvraj will score 170+ in the near future. At Runs-galore we saw some of the most stylish shots since Compton yet he can still go at a decent strike rate (eg 600, Broadey).
If a duck can be your highest score (Gavin Hamilton's test record does have HS of 0 - as do others but he was mentioned above), there have been at least eleven instances when all players scored their highest test scores to date, including Eng v Aus at Melbourne in '77 when all eleven players of both sides achieved that.
South Africa's 94 return was not one, as Kepler 'Empty' Wessels had already played for Australia in their Not As Good As They Were From 1989 to 2004 phase.
Complain about this comment
RESPECTED SIR,
WHAT SHOULD A LEG SPINNER REALLY SHOULD CONCERTRATE ON.WHAT SHOULD HE DO FOR FITNESS THINGS. THANK YOU
Complain about this comment
5. Mark - the most beamers one bowler could bowl in one innings would be three, since after the third the bowler in question would be banned from bowling again in the innings. Thus the maximum possible in total would be 33, although I'm not entirely sure what the fielding captain would then do if every player on the team had been banned from bowling.
6/8/10. Divya - Law 24.10: "A call of No ball shall over-ride the call of Wide ball at any time."
7/17. Prashant - of the 37 players who have made a pair on Test debut, 20 took at least one wicket and 12 didn't bowl, leaving five who bowled but didn't take a wicket: Len Butterfield, Maninder Singh, Rashid Patel, Hamilton and Alamgir Kabir. Maninder, Patel and Kabir were specialist bowlers who just happened not to get a wicket, only Hamilton and Butterfield (FC batting average 22) could reasonably claim to be all-rounders. Of the five, only Maninder and Kabir played another Test.
12. Roberto - slightly surprisingly, Inzy has been run out "only" six times in Tests; the record is held by Alan Border, with 12.
13. Ashwin - the highest FC batting average for a batsman from a non-Test country is probably Steve Tikolo (53.47), not sure about the bowler.
19. David - interesting question! There are laws governing what happens if the bowler attempts to run out the non-striker, but nothing about running out the striker. Unless short leg was standing on the batsman's toes at the time it would presumably be a wide, although that doesn't preclude a run out. Possibly the fielder touching the ball before it reached the batsman might be construed as obstruction.
20. RA - yes, it's correct: Tendulkar has batted in 13 successful fourth innings chases now, with scores of 9*, 0*, 0, 44*, 39, 17, 36*, 42, 16*, 37, 32, 1 and 56*. It's not entirely his fault, though: against Pakistan at Chennai in 1999, when India were chasing 271 to win, he made 136 of them by himself, but of the other batsman only Nayan Mongia made more than 10, and they lost by 12 runs. It is indeed a record, since only Brian Lara has more runs than Tendulkar in Tests, and he made 50 in a successful chase three times; the first of them came after he'd made 5299 runs - the 153* which brought West Indies a one wicket victory over Australia at Bridgetown in 1999.
21. Pranev - I can't find any instance of more than three, although I might have missed one. The only other occurrence I've found of three in the same innings came at the Oval in 1938, when Len Hutton (364), Maurice Leyland (187) and Arthur Wood (53) made their highest scores. There are probably more instances of batsmen making in the same innings what was their highest score at the time, but wasn't by the end of their careers.
22. Steven - since no batsman has made a Test century with no boundaries at all, the record is 1,920 yards (96 x 20), or slightly over a mile. Obviously that excludes running for one's partner, byes and leg byes.
24. Julian - it's possible that someone took three wickets with consecutive balls spread over three innings and himself considered it a hat trick, but the scorers, statisticians etc. wouldn't have regarded it as such.
25/26. John - all except three Test hat tricks (those by Courtney Walsh, Merv Hughes and Jermaine Lawson) were taken in one innings. Ball by ball records aren't available (at least to me) for some Tests so I can't be certain in some cases whether all three wickets fell in the same over, but in the hat tricks by Johnny Briggs, George Lohmann, Hugh Trumble (first), Tommy Matthews (both), Peter Loader, Lindsay Kline, Dominic Cork, Darren Gough, Wasim Akram (first), Nuwan Zoysa, Abdul Razzaq, Glenn McGrath, Harbhajan Singh, Mohammad Sami, Andy Blignaut, Matthew Hoggard and Irfan Pathan definitely were "real" by your definition, and those by Trumble (second), Damien Fleming, Wasim (second), Alok Kapali and James Franklin weren't. The only players to have taken two Test hat tricks are Trumble, Matthews (in the same match) and Wasim; Murali has never taken one, although he was the third victim of Mohammad Sami's.
27. Prafull - 13 players have taken a wicket with their first ball in Tests (see for the list) and 14 with their first ball in ODIs (https://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283521.html), with Hinds included in the latter list.
Complain about this comment
Bill,
Which bowler holds the most dismissal of the top 5 order batsmen and which bowler holds the most dismissal against a particular batsman.
Keith (Germany)
Complain about this comment
Re: AB160 - your reply to Tom of Edinburgh.
I believe that Tony Lock briefly lost the record of Most FC runs without a century to Bob Taylor in the early 1980's, only for Bob to 'spoil' it by getting a century (exactly 100 against Yorkshire, I fancy), thereby losing the record - and in the process Tony Lock regaining it without raising a bat in anger.
Complain about this comment
question 31 - KEITH
Glen McGrath dismissed Mike Atherton 19 times in 17 matches to hold the Test record for taking the wicket of one batsman
Waquir Younis taking out Jayasuriya 13 times in 45 games is the one day record
for a full list see (Tests)
and (ODI)
Complain about this comment
A few years ago I ame across an old coaching manual (early 1900's) and it mentioned A TICE; this was described and it was evident this is what today we call a yorker. Do you know whether the term tice was common and if so when/why did it change to yorker.
Complain about this comment
Dear Bill
Which 'test playing' 'hundred scoring' batsmen has the highest ratio of runs scored in boundaries (4&6's)in their hundred?
Which batsman has scored the most 6's in his hundred?
Which batsman has scored the most 4's in his hundred?
Can this question be extended to 200's and 300's?
Thanks
Complain about this comment
Was your "quip" about Ashley Giles meant to be funny? If so, it falls well short of the mark. Pathetic.
Complain about this comment
Michael Jones.
Thanks for the link. Most helpful.
Pete H
Complain about this comment
Hey hey, bit harsh on Ashley Giles!
Complain about this comment
Mr Bill
What is regarded as the worst batting collapse in test cricket?
Complain about this comment
In SB No 160 you answered a question about the 196 scored by Gerrie Snyman for Namibia against UAE. Is this the highest individual score in any international limited overs match?
Complain about this comment
Mr. Michael Jones Article 29
Congratulations on an excellent set of responses to many of the queries. BUT
To suggest that the laws of Cricket do not cater for the bowler running out the striker is wrong.
This situation is perfectly well dealt within the laws as they stand.
More research on 'No-ball' and 'Run-out' required
Complain about this comment
Following on from your answer in SB No 160 about Gerrie Snyman's 196 for Namibia against UAE. Is this the highest score in any International Limited Overs match, List A or not?
Complain about this comment
Mr. Michael Jones Article 30
Congratulations on an excellent set of responses to many of the queries. BUT
To suggest that the laws of Cricket do not cater for the bowler running out the striker is wrong.
This situation is perfectly well dealt within the laws as they stand.
More research on 'No-ball' and 'Run-out' required
Complain about this comment
Recently Mohammad Sami, has taken 50 wickets and averaged more than 50, is that the worst average for someone who is recognised as a bowler who has taken more than 50 wickets in tests? What is then the worst avergage for someone who is recognised as a batsman in tests?
Thanks!
Complain about this comment
Does Uda Walawwe Mahim Bandaralage Chanaka Asanka Welegedara now have the longest name of anyone to have played Test cricket?
Complain about this comment
I hope that someone else finds this question interesting.
If L is considered to be the lowest score achieved by a batsman in an innings and H is considered to be the highest, what is the highest value of L and the lowest value of H in a fully completed Test innings (i.e. all ten wickets fall)? How do these results change if we include (i) declarations and (ii) successful run chases?
Complain about this comment
Hi Bill
I notice that the Australian bowling attack that beat New Zealand in the ODI on the 14th Dec bowled all 50 overs with bowlers who only had a paltry 23 letters in their combined surnames. (Lee Hogg Tait Bracken Hopes) Is this the lowest ever? What's the highest - A sri lnakan team I expect! Is this your most trivial question ever?
Richie H UK
Complain about this comment
Hi Bill
I notice that the Australian bowling attack that beat New Zealand in the ODI on the 14th Dec bowled all 50 overs with bowlers who only had a paltry 23 letters in their combined surnames. (Lee Hogg Tait Bracken Hopes) Is this the lowest ever? What's the highest - A sri lnakan team I expect! Is this your most trivial question ever?
Richie H UK
Complain about this comment
Dear Bill,
Chanaka Welegedara, left arm medium paceman, made his debut for SL in the current Test vs, ENG at Galle. He has six initials and his full name is Uda Walawwe Mahim Bandaralage Chanaka Asanka Welegedara! Is he the Test players with the longest name please?
Thanks.
Lionel Rajapakse
Kandy.
Complain about this comment
Bill,
Can you tell me what proportion of potential follow-on situations have been enforced in the last ten years and what proportion of enforcements have resulted in a win for the decision-maker, please?
Thanks,
Pete H
Complain about this comment
Dear Bill
I am in London using Playfair annual especially signed by you.
I am an Osteopath and wonder if you could answer my funny question?
Re Andrew Strauss,does he perform poorly when he has to bat after along spell hunched in the slips.
I am interested as I have found that club cricketers in these circumstances need their mid spine to be Osteopathically treated before going to the wicket even two minutes treatment seems to help.
Sorry for long windedness.
Your fan
Brian
Complain about this comment
With England sitting on 61 for 6 as I type against Sri Lanka with just one person out for a duck, I wondered what is the lowest Test score without any player in the eleven failing to score a run.
Complain about this comment
Its a fairly obvious question given the shambles in Galle and probably one the statistians will give us an answer to asap.
But could you tell me what the top few largest margins between first innings have been.
In particular for England.
I'm guessing that this is the largest gap between England and Sri Lanka.
Complain about this comment
Afternoon Bill,
After today's shambles, it seems to me that it must be a rare occurrence for three members of a batting side to outscore the entire opposition team. Is this unique? I suspect there will be maybe a dozen or so more.
Cheers,
Ian, Edinburgh
Complain about this comment
After the latest attack of butterfingers by England in the field, I got to wondering what is the most expensive drop in first class and test cricket in terms of runs scored by the surviving batsman? Shane Warne's drop of Pietersen at the Oval 2005 obviously being the costliest in terms of series result!
Complain about this comment
question 53 and 54 RICHARD and IAN
well the highest Test match difference between the 1st innings of the two side was 702
In the 5th Test vs AUS in 1938 ENG batted first and scored 903, AUS then got 201
however i suspect you wanted low scores, which is harder. the equal second lowest score of all time, 30 by SA was made in reply to ENG 438, making a difference of 408, which was bad but not as bad as the mess ENG find themselves in today, a difference of 418...
...but SIX ENG batters scored more than the total of 30 SA managed in their reply in the 1st test in 1924...
...and all but one of the ENG batsmen (and extras) outscored the best SA batsman, who scored 7 (the unfortunate ENG batsman was GECWood who scored 1) which if not a record (and i supect it is) must be 2nd!
while i'm talking about ENG's dismall performace today they would need to score the 13th highest difference between 1st and 2nd innings just to make SL bat again...to set them 100 or more they'd need the 2nd biggest difference ever! (the leader being PAK vs WI in 58, having a difference of 551)
Complain about this comment
Bill,
Can you explain to me why an LBW cannot be given if the ball pitches outside the line of the stumps, even if the ball is clearly going on to hit the stumps? There is presumably some logic to this illogical rule.
Thank you,
Tom from Glasgow
Complain about this comment
question 55 - RICHARD T
i suspect the costliest drop ever was by Durham wkt Scott off Simon Brown's bowling in 1994, when he dropped B.Lara on 18, Lara went on to score 501 NO
Scott's drop cost Durham at least 483 runs!
Complain about this comment
question 55 - RICHARD T
i suspect the costliest drop ever was by Durham wkt Scott off Simon Brown's bowling in 1994, when he dropped B.Lara on 18, Lara went on to score 501 NO
Scott's drop cost Durham at least 483 runs!
Complain about this comment
Re Glasgow Tom's question number 57; lbw decisions can be given if the ball pitches outside the off stump, but NOT the leg. This law shares its origin with the no more than 2 fielders behind square on the leg side. Both is intended to prevent teams bowling medium fast right arm around the wicket all the time which would render the game very tedious and "samey". The variety we now see in bowlers stems from this. Bowlers and batsmen are divided in their views about these rulings!
Bill (not Frindall) Ferring
Complain about this comment
Is the following dismissal a record for the total number of initial letters in the three players' names?
RS Bopara c UWMBCA Welegedara b WPUJC Vaas 0
I make this 16 letters in all .... !
Complain about this comment
Dear Bill
In Test cricket, balls are usually replaced after a minimum of 80 overs (at the captain's discretion). What was the age of the "oldest" ball ever to take a test wicket?
Ciaran, Edinburgh
Complain about this comment
In the last Test match v Pakistan in Bangalore, five out of the playing eleven for India were non-Hindus. Has there been an occasion when majority of the Indian playing XI i.e six or more players were non-Hindus?
Beburg, Canada
Complain about this comment
Dear Bill,
Can you tell me if there is a more recent Wisden Book of Cricket Records available, than the one published in 1997?
If not, is one due soon?
James, York
Complain about this comment
In the Boxing Day India-Australia test, it seems to me that the tally of test hundreds, by my rough and quick calculation 97 on the Indian side and 93 on the Aussies, is remarkably high. Is this a record?
Complain about this comment
Bill, I see on the opening day of the current Australia/India series all four openers (bowling and batting)are left-handers.
My question is whether this is a rare event, or not?
Julian.
Complain about this comment
Dear Bill,
As a long-suffering Northamptonshire fan with only Monty Panesar to cheer for in recent years I have constantly been disappointed by the lack of international recognition for our players. However, in the recent Australia V India test there were 5 players who played at some point for Northamptonshire - Hayden, Jacques, Hussey, Kumble, and Ganguly. To my memory, this has only been bettered once, with six players in the West Indies V England 1990 series (Larkins, Bailey, Lamb, Capel, Ambrose, and Baptiste). Is this correct?
Also, what is the record number of players playing in an international match who have at some point played for the same English county side?
Thanks,
Ian - Reading.
Complain about this comment
Regarding question 49, Edition 126 of this column tells of a Fijian player whose full name is Ilikena Lasarusa Talebulamainavaleniveivakabulaimainakulalakebalau, shortened to IL Bula.
As for longer Test-playing names, I can think of at least one just off the top of my head, while the name of Uda Walawwe Mahim Bandaralage Chanaka Asanka Welegedara is 49 characters long (excluding spaces), that of Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas is 52.
Meanwhile, the full name of EB Dwyer, a former Sussex player who picked up 61 first-class appearances between 1904 and 1909, is John Elicius Benedict Bernard Placid Quirk Carrington Dwyer, giving him, I am led to believe, more initials than any other first-class cricketer.
Complain about this comment
Unfair or Not..
When the Captain is fined for his teams slow over rate, does the fine solely come out of his match fee, or is it split evenly amongst the team??
Complain about this comment
Bill
Please can you tell me if a batsman is 'retired hurst' does it counts as a not out in averages?
I sometimes see 'retired out' often in University matches or tour warm up games against the counties. Does this count as an 'out' in averages?
Thanks
Complain about this comment
Hi I am Kent supporter since the age of 8 (82 now) When county games were played at Crabble Dover.
Which test bat scored most runs without scoring a ton.
Complain about this comment
Is it possible to relay how many wickets 1 to 11 Murali has taken in relation to Warne,I assume that Murali has taken more earlier wickets than Warne as he had no McGrath at the other end.
Complain about this comment
I recall an incident where Australia had bowled an under arm last ball of the match to New Zealand. The Kiwis need six to win the match.
Who was the Australian captain and who bowled the underarm delivery? Also, have there been other incidents of bowling under arm in First Class and International cricket?
Prakash from California
Complain about this comment
Question from California.
I recall an incident where Australia bowled the last ball of the match under arm. New Zealand needed six to win the match. Was Ian Chappell the captain of that team? Who was the bowler?
Also, has there been any other incident of under arm bowling in First Class or International cricket?
Complain about this comment
With talk of the 'Darrell Hair' Test Match having it's 'result' changed to a draw I wondered how this would affect statistics, if this was approved?
Also, will the 'Mike Denness' Test between SA & India (NOV 2001) ever be given Test Match status?
If so, it would affect 'Records' dramatically & give Kallis & Boucher, (especially) extra 100's & dismissals.
Thoughts please Sir?
:-)
Complain about this comment
Hi Bearders
I was hoping you could tell me what the most number of run-outs off consecutive deliveries in an ODI is please.
Thanks
Ciao
Zak
Complain about this comment
What is the most number of runs scored by a player in their final Test match and who scored them?
Cheers
Stephen
Complain about this comment
If a runner is needed at any point during a match, is it common, or even legal for him to communicate with the batsman he is running for regarding the decision run or not? I'm guessing that both the injured player and the runner can be stumped if out of their ground, but who decides whether to run or not?
Complain about this comment
Dear Mr Beaders
Is James Anderson the most expensive runs per over bowler in International one day cricket that has ever walked the Earth (minimum overs bowled 100) ?
I think he's more leaky than Thames Water!
Discuss
Complain about this comment
Dear Mr Beaders
Is James Anderson the most expensive runs per over bowler in International one day cricket that has ever walked the Earth (minimum overs bowled 100) ?
I think he's more leaky than Thames Water!
He is the Northern Rock of Economy bowling
Discuss
Complain about this comment