The tallest players, and most ODIs without a duck
No. 11 top-scoring, most wickets without a five-for, and identical scores in both innings of a Test
Steven Lynch
20-Oct-2009
His highness: At 6ft 10in, Will Jefferson is one of the tallest first-class players • Getty Images
A player called Mohammad Irfan, who has made his debut in domestic cricket this season, is 7ft 2in tall according to some reports (but only 6ft 8 in others). Is he the tallest first-class cricketer of all time? asked Osman Samiuddin
The precise heights of players have not always been recorded down the years, but I am aware of at least a couple who are also 6ft 10in tall: the opening batsman Will Jefferson, who has just left Nottinghamshire, and a 1970s fast bowler called Paul Dunkels, who played a few matches for Warwickshire. I believe the tallest Test players were Joel Garner and Bruce Reid, at 6ft 8in.
The precise heights of players have not always been recorded down the years, but I am aware of at least a couple who are also 6ft 10in tall: the opening batsman Will Jefferson, who has just left Nottinghamshire, and a 1970s fast bowler called Paul Dunkels, who played a few matches for Warwickshire. I believe the tallest Test players were Joel Garner and Bruce Reid, at 6ft 8in.
After all the fuss made about James Anderson's belated first duck in Tests, I wondered who had played the most ODIs without bagging a zero? asked Wade Jaskelic from Melbourne
The leader by a distance on this list is Kepler Wessels, who had 105 innings in 109 one-day internationals (54 for Australia, 55 for South Africa) without ever being out for a duck. In second place, a long way behind, are Peter Kirsten of South Africa and India's Yashpal Sharma, who both had 40 innings in ODIs without getting out for 0. For a full list, click here.
The leader by a distance on this list is Kepler Wessels, who had 105 innings in 109 one-day internationals (54 for Australia, 55 for South Africa) without ever being out for a duck. In second place, a long way behind, are Peter Kirsten of South Africa and India's Yashpal Sharma, who both had 40 innings in ODIs without getting out for 0. For a full list, click here.
Has there ever been a Test in which a player batting at No. 11 has made the highest score in an innings? asked Akhilesh Chandra Gupta from India
This has now been achieved seven times in Tests, most recently by Steve Harmison, with 42 of England's 304 against South Africa in Cape Town in 2004-05. The first instance came in 1884-85, when Fred Spofforth made 50 not out (the first of 12 half-centuries by No. 11s in Tests) out of Australia's 163 against England in Melbourne. For a full list, click here.
This has now been achieved seven times in Tests, most recently by Steve Harmison, with 42 of England's 304 against South Africa in Cape Town in 2004-05. The first instance came in 1884-85, when Fred Spofforth made 50 not out (the first of 12 half-centuries by No. 11s in Tests) out of Australia's 163 against England in Melbourne. For a full list, click here.
What is the highest score that a batsman has scored in both innings of a Test? asked Abdul Karim from Lahore
This list is topped by the former Sri Lanka captain Duleep Mendis, who scored 105 in both innings against India in Chennai. Next comes Alvin Kallicharran, who hit 80 in both innings for West Indies against England at The Oval in 1973, just ahead of Majid Khan, who made a brace of 79s for Pakistan against New Zealand in Wellington in 1972-73.
This list is topped by the former Sri Lanka captain Duleep Mendis, who scored 105 in both innings against India in Chennai. Next comes Alvin Kallicharran, who hit 80 in both innings for West Indies against England at The Oval in 1973, just ahead of Majid Khan, who made a brace of 79s for Pakistan against New Zealand in Wellington in 1972-73.
Who has taken the most Test wickets without ever taking five wickets in an innings? asked Colin
This bittersweet list is still headed by Mike Hendrick, the England seamer of the 1970s, who took 87 wickets with a best return of 4 for 28, against India at Edgbaston in 1974. He took four wickets in an innings on four further occasions, without ever managing a five-for. But coming up on the rails is Bangladesh's Mashrafe Mortaza, who has so far taken 78 Test wickets with a best analysis of 4 for 60 against England in Chittagong in 2003-04.
This bittersweet list is still headed by Mike Hendrick, the England seamer of the 1970s, who took 87 wickets with a best return of 4 for 28, against India at Edgbaston in 1974. He took four wickets in an innings on four further occasions, without ever managing a five-for. But coming up on the rails is Bangladesh's Mashrafe Mortaza, who has so far taken 78 Test wickets with a best analysis of 4 for 60 against England in Chittagong in 2003-04.
I noticed in one of the recent one-dayers against Zimbabwe that Kenya's Lameck Onyango went for 91 off his 10 overs. Is this a record? asked Gary Donoghue from Australia
In that match in Harare last week Lameck Onyango actually became the 15th bowler to concede 90 or more runs in a one-day international. Three of them topped the hundred mark: two New Zealanders, in Martin Snedden (12 overs for 105 against England at The Oval in the 1983 World Cup) and Tim Southee (10 overs for 105 against India in Christchurch in 2008-09), and the overall leader Mick Lewis, whose 10 overs in the famous run-fest against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2005-06 disappeared for 113 runs. It's probably no great surprise that that was Lewis' last match for Australia. For a full list, click here.
In that match in Harare last week Lameck Onyango actually became the 15th bowler to concede 90 or more runs in a one-day international. Three of them topped the hundred mark: two New Zealanders, in Martin Snedden (12 overs for 105 against England at The Oval in the 1983 World Cup) and Tim Southee (10 overs for 105 against India in Christchurch in 2008-09), and the overall leader Mick Lewis, whose 10 overs in the famous run-fest against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2005-06 disappeared for 113 runs. It's probably no great surprise that that was Lewis' last match for Australia. For a full list, click here.
Steven Lynch is the editor of the Cricinfo Guide to International Cricket (reviewed here). If you want to ask Steven a question, use our feedback form. The most interesting questions will be answered here each week