A real allrounder, and big opening stands
The regular Monday column in which Steven Lynch answers your questions about (almost) any aspect of cricket
Steven Lynch
09-Oct-2006
The regular Monday column in which Steven Lynch answers your questions about (almost) any aspect of cricket:
 |
|
That sounds like a quiz question ... but the compiler missed out an even more amazing fact: the player concerned started the match as the wicketkeeper! The allrounder was Tatenda Taibu, the recent Zimbabwe captain, who was captaining Mashonaland in their Logan Cup match against Midlands at Kwekwe in April 2004. In the second innings Taibu made 175 not out, to help his side to an overall lead of 514, then decided not to keep wicket and bowl instead. He then took 8 for 43 with his offbreaks as Midlands crashed to 185 all out.
What is the highest first-wicket stand ever in a first-class match? And a Test? asked Ewen McDonald from New Zealand
The Test record is 413, by Vinoo Mankad (who made 231) and Pankaj Roy (173) for India against New Zealand at Madras in 1955-56. That came under severe threat in January this year, when Virender Sehwag (254) and Rahul Dravid (180 not out) put on 410 for India against Pakistan at Lahore before Sehwag was out. The first-class record is a lofty 561, by Waheed Mirza (324) and Mansoor Akhtar (224 not out) for Karachi Whites against Quetta (who had been bowled out for 104 shortly beforehand) at Karachi in 1976-77. Just to complete the set, the highest opening stand in a one-day international was set in July this year: Upul Tharanga (109) and Sanath Jayasuriya (152) piled on 286 against England at Headingley as Sri Lanka sailed past England's imposing-looking total of 321 with amazing ease, winning with 12.3 overs to spare.
The Test record is 413, by Vinoo Mankad (who made 231) and Pankaj Roy (173) for India against New Zealand at Madras in 1955-56. That came under severe threat in January this year, when Virender Sehwag (254) and Rahul Dravid (180 not out) put on 410 for India against Pakistan at Lahore before Sehwag was out. The first-class record is a lofty 561, by Waheed Mirza (324) and Mansoor Akhtar (224 not out) for Karachi Whites against Quetta (who had been bowled out for 104 shortly beforehand) at Karachi in 1976-77. Just to complete the set, the highest opening stand in a one-day international was set in July this year: Upul Tharanga (109) and Sanath Jayasuriya (152) piled on 286 against England at Headingley as Sri Lanka sailed past England's imposing-looking total of 321 with amazing ease, winning with 12.3 overs to spare.
Has any batsman scored hundreds in both innings of the same Test match at the Adelaide Oval? asked Omkar Persaud from Canada
Five batsmen have scored two separate centuries in a Test at Adelaide - two of them in the same match, in 1946-47, when Arthur Morris made 122 and 124 not out for Australia, and Denis Compton replied with 147 and 103 not out for England. The following year Vijay Hazare made 116 and 145 for India there - but Australia still won by an innings. Rohan Kanhai made 117 and 115 for West Indies during the 1960-61 series that included the first Tied Test. The first instance was by England's Wally Hammond, with 119 not out and 177 in 1928-29, and the most recent was by Dean Jones, who made 116 and 121 not out for Australia against Pakistan in 1989-90. For a complete list of batsmen who scored a hundred in each innings of a Test, click here.
Five batsmen have scored two separate centuries in a Test at Adelaide - two of them in the same match, in 1946-47, when Arthur Morris made 122 and 124 not out for Australia, and Denis Compton replied with 147 and 103 not out for England. The following year Vijay Hazare made 116 and 145 for India there - but Australia still won by an innings. Rohan Kanhai made 117 and 115 for West Indies during the 1960-61 series that included the first Tied Test. The first instance was by England's Wally Hammond, with 119 not out and 177 in 1928-29, and the most recent was by Dean Jones, who made 116 and 121 not out for Australia against Pakistan in 1989-90. For a complete list of batsmen who scored a hundred in each innings of a Test, click here.
Who has scored the most centuries in one Test series? asked Ian James Bull from Surrey
The only man to score five centuries in the same Test series was the West Indian Clyde Walcott, who did it against Australia at home in 1954-55. Walcott, who sadly died recently, hammered 827 runs in that five-Test series, and his five centuries included two in the second Test at Port-of-Spain, and two more in the final Test, at Kingston. Walcott also made 108 in the first Test, which was also at Kingston - and yet despite his efforts Australia still won the series 3-0! Don Bradman (three times), Denis Compton, Sunil Gavaskar (twice, including his first series, in the West Indies in 1970-71), Walter Hammond, Neil Harvey (twice), George Headley, Jacques Kallis, Mudassar Nazar, Herbert Sutcliffe (twice), Doug Walters and Everton Weekes all scored four centuries in the same Test series.
The only man to score five centuries in the same Test series was the West Indian Clyde Walcott, who did it against Australia at home in 1954-55. Walcott, who sadly died recently, hammered 827 runs in that five-Test series, and his five centuries included two in the second Test at Port-of-Spain, and two more in the final Test, at Kingston. Walcott also made 108 in the first Test, which was also at Kingston - and yet despite his efforts Australia still won the series 3-0! Don Bradman (three times), Denis Compton, Sunil Gavaskar (twice, including his first series, in the West Indies in 1970-71), Walter Hammond, Neil Harvey (twice), George Headley, Jacques Kallis, Mudassar Nazar, Herbert Sutcliffe (twice), Doug Walters and Everton Weekes all scored four centuries in the same Test series.
|
|
|
Has anyone batted in all 11 places in the order in Tests? asked Jared Thorn from Australia
There are only three players who have batted in every position in Tests during their careers (this counts opening as both No. 1 and No. 2, as there's some doubt about who actually took first strike in several early Tests). The versatile trio are Wilfred Rhodes of England - who famously shared in record stands for the first and tenth wickets in Ashes Tests - Australia's Syd Gregory (who had one innings each at 9, 10 and 11, and managed eight runs in total from them), and Vinoo Mankad of India, who rather bizarrely went in at No. 11 in the first innings of the Barbados Test of 1952- 53, then opened in the second innings. Quite a few people just missed out on a full set, batting in ten different spots: Warwick Armstrong, Jack Blackham, Ian Johnson, Sammy Jones and Hugh Trumble of Australia, Farokh Engineer and Ravi Shastri of India, and Pakistan's Nasim-ul-Ghani, Shujauddin and Wasim Bari. In ODIs six players have batted in 10 of the 11 possible spots: Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik of Pakistan, South Africa's Lance Klusener, Mohammad Rafique of Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka's Hashan Tillekeratne.
There are only three players who have batted in every position in Tests during their careers (this counts opening as both No. 1 and No. 2, as there's some doubt about who actually took first strike in several early Tests). The versatile trio are Wilfred Rhodes of England - who famously shared in record stands for the first and tenth wickets in Ashes Tests - Australia's Syd Gregory (who had one innings each at 9, 10 and 11, and managed eight runs in total from them), and Vinoo Mankad of India, who rather bizarrely went in at No. 11 in the first innings of the Barbados Test of 1952- 53, then opened in the second innings. Quite a few people just missed out on a full set, batting in ten different spots: Warwick Armstrong, Jack Blackham, Ian Johnson, Sammy Jones and Hugh Trumble of Australia, Farokh Engineer and Ravi Shastri of India, and Pakistan's Nasim-ul-Ghani, Shujauddin and Wasim Bari. In ODIs six players have batted in 10 of the 11 possible spots: Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik of Pakistan, South Africa's Lance Klusener, Mohammad Rafique of Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka's Hashan Tillekeratne.
I noticed that Ray Lindwall took 228 Test wickets without ever taking ten in a match. Is this the highest number of wickets taken without a ten-wicket haul? asked Vikram Ravi Menezes from India
Ray Lindwall's 228 Test wickets without a ten-for is quite a long way off the record, as this table shows. Top of this particular list is Bob Willis, who took 325 wickets without ever quite managing ten, although he did take nine in a match four times - his best match figures were 9 for 92 against New Zealand at Headingley in 1983. The other bowlers above Lindwall are Joel Garner (259), Jason Gillespie (259 to date), Garry Sobers (235) and Darren Gough (229). Below Lindwall, Heath Streak, Brett Lee and Jeff Thomson all reached 200 Test wickets without the aid of a ten-for
Ray Lindwall's 228 Test wickets without a ten-for is quite a long way off the record, as this table shows. Top of this particular list is Bob Willis, who took 325 wickets without ever quite managing ten, although he did take nine in a match four times - his best match figures were 9 for 92 against New Zealand at Headingley in 1983. The other bowlers above Lindwall are Joel Garner (259), Jason Gillespie (259 to date), Garry Sobers (235) and Darren Gough (229). Below Lindwall, Heath Streak, Brett Lee and Jeff Thomson all reached 200 Test wickets without the aid of a ten-for
Steven Lynch is the deputy editor of The Wisden Group. For some of these answers he was helped by Travis Basevi, the man who built Stats Guru. If you want to Ask Steven a question, contact him through our feedback form. The most interesting questions will be answered each week in this column. Unfortunately, we can't usually enter into correspondence about individual queries.