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The fastest to 3000, and England's one-day 200

KP's upcoming record, the lowest total by a side batting all 50 overs in an ODI, the first umpire to stand in 50 Tests

Steven Lynch
Steven Lynch
21-Oct-2008


Kevin Pietersen needs to score a little over a hundred Test runs in nine months to beat Marcus Trescothick's record to become the fastest to 4000 © Getty Images
I see that Kevin Pietersen is approaching 4000 runs in Tests, in a very short time. Did anyone get to 3000 faster than KP, and whose record does he have to beat for 4000? asked David Norman from Brighton
You're right, Kevin Pietersen did reach 3000 runs quicker than anyone else - he got there in 884 days, or well under three years - which beat the previous record, by his team-mate Andrew Strauss, who got there in 1124 days, four quicker than South Africa's Graeme Smith. Currently quickest to 4000 Test runs is another England player, Marcus Trescothick, who reached that milestone in 1597 days - which means that KP has about nine months in which to score the 110 runs he needs to reach 4000 in Tests quicker than anyone else.
I know that England have used well over 600 different players in Tests - but how many are they up to in one-day internationals? asked David Lawson from Huddersfield
As I write, England have used 207 different players in official one-day internationals - the latest one was Nottinghamshire's Samit Patel. The 100th player was Kim Barnett, back in 1988 - he scored 84 in his only ODI, against Sri Lanka at The Oval - while No. 200 was none other than Monty Panesar, against Australia in Melbourne in 2006-07. For a full list of England's ODI players, click here.
What is the record low total in an ODI for a team batting the entire 50 overs? asked Srikanth from the United States
The lowest total by a team batting throughout its 50 overs in a one-day international is 118 (for 9) by Sri Lanka against New Zealand in Dunedin in 1982-83. The Wisden match report states, "Although accurate bowling, on a pitch of variable bounce, confined New Zealand to 183 for eight wickets, this was a total Sri Lanka never looked like overhauling. Their calling and running between the wickets were poor throughout the tour: on this occasion they suffered three run-outs. These costly errors, and two accurate and lively spells by Hadlee, wrapped up the Sri Lankan innings in cold and murky conditions." There was one lower innings total that lasted longer - during the 1975 World Cup, at Edgbaston, East Africa made 94 in 52.3 overs against England.
I noticed that in Sanath Jayasuriya's debut Test, two men - Andrew Jones and Asanka Gurusinha - scored centuries in both innings. Was this a first? asked Santosh Prakash Kumar from the United States
Actually, it was the third instance of two batsmen scoring twin centuries in the same Test. In that match, in Hamilton in 1990-91, New Zealand's Andrew Jones made 122 and 100 not out, while Asanka Gurusinha of Sri Lanka scored 119 and 102. The first time this happened was in the 1946-47 Ashes series, in Adelaide, when Denis Compton scored 147 and 103 not out for England, and Arthur Morris replied with 122 and 124 not out for Australia. The third occasion involved two members of the same team, and brothers at that: against New Zealand in Wellington in 1973-74, Australia's captain Ian Chappell scored 145 and 121, while his brother Greg Chappell hammered 247 not out and 133.
Who was the first man to umpire in more than 50 Tests? asked Jim Corbie from Bournemouth
The first umpire to stand in 50 Tests was Harold "Dickie" Bird, who officiated in his first Test in 1973, his 50th in Zimbabwe in 1992-93, and his 66th and last in 1996. Bird is now one of nine umpires who have stood in 50 or more Tests, the leader being Jamaica's Steve Bucknor, who has so far done 124. For a full list, click here.
Regarding last week's question about people making their first-class debuts in a Test, didn't Arjuna Ranatunga play in Sri Lanka's first Test as a schoolboy? Also, a few years ago, wasn't there a 16-year-old in Pakistan's Test side? asked Michael Fernando from the United States
Arjuna Ranatunga did indeed play in Sri Lanka's inaugural Test - against England in Colombo in 1981-82 - while still at school, but that was actually his second first-class match. He'd made his debut the week before, for the Sri Lanka Board President's XI against the England tourists in Kandy. The Pakistan player I think you're referring to is Hasan Raza, who was reportedly 14 years 227 days old when he played against Zimbabwe in Faisalabad in 1996-97, in what was his third first-class match. Medical tests subsequently suggested he was a little older than that, but he remains on top of the list of the youngest Test cricketers.

Steven Lynch is the editor of the Cricinfo Guide to International Cricket. If you want to ask Steven a question, use our feedback form. The most interesting questions will be answered here each week