Most overs with no wickets, and Gubby's bowling action
Strings of fruitless overs, the other Bodyline series, top scores in each innings, and the most 190s
Steven Lynch
22-Jul-2008
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Monty Panesar bowled 60 overs in the second innings of the recent Lord's Test against South Africa without taking a wicket. Has anyone ever bowled more overs without picking up a wicket? asked Jason Hill from New Zealand
Monty Panesar did indeed bowl 60 overs against South Africa at Lord's without taking a wicket, but rather surprisingly that puts him only a modest ninth equal on that particular list. The most overs anyone has bowled in a Test innings without reward is 72, by the West Indian medium-pacer Denis Atkinson, whose figures were 0 for 137 against England at Edgbaston in 1957. (Sonny Ramadhin sent down a Test-record 98 overs in the same innings, but he did at least managed a couple of wickets). The most overs bowled in a match without taking a wicket is a round 100, by England's Maurice Tate (62-26-108-0 and 38-13-76-0) against Australia in Melbourne in 1928-29.
Monty Panesar did indeed bowl 60 overs against South Africa at Lord's without taking a wicket, but rather surprisingly that puts him only a modest ninth equal on that particular list. The most overs anyone has bowled in a Test innings without reward is 72, by the West Indian medium-pacer Denis Atkinson, whose figures were 0 for 137 against England at Edgbaston in 1957. (Sonny Ramadhin sent down a Test-record 98 overs in the same innings, but he did at least managed a couple of wickets). The most overs bowled in a match without taking a wicket is a round 100, by England's Maurice Tate (62-26-108-0 and 38-13-76-0) against Australia in Melbourne in 1928-29.
I've just been watching the old TV mini-series Bodyline, and some of the characters' bowling actions were quite comical. Were any of them real cricketers or just actors? asked Dennis Flint from Sydney
I'm sure many of them were club players, but as far as I know there was only one "proper" cricketer in the cast - the former Australian legspinner Peter Philpott, who portrayed an even older Australian legspinner, Clarrie Grimmett. Philpott was initially hired to coach the others to look more like cricketers - in his 1990 book Spinner's Yarn he recalled that when the actor playing Harold Larwood tried to bowl off a long run for the first time, "he simply fell over". I was working at Lord's when the series was first screened in England, and remember MCC's eminence grise Sir George Allen - who played in the series - getting frightfully hot under the collar when someone joked: "Gubby, I was watching that Bodyline thing on the telly, and I didn't think much of your bowling action!"
I'm sure many of them were club players, but as far as I know there was only one "proper" cricketer in the cast - the former Australian legspinner Peter Philpott, who portrayed an even older Australian legspinner, Clarrie Grimmett. Philpott was initially hired to coach the others to look more like cricketers - in his 1990 book Spinner's Yarn he recalled that when the actor playing Harold Larwood tried to bowl off a long run for the first time, "he simply fell over". I was working at Lord's when the series was first screened in England, and remember MCC's eminence grise Sir George Allen - who played in the series - getting frightfully hot under the collar when someone joked: "Gubby, I was watching that Bodyline thing on the telly, and I didn't think much of your bowling action!"
Can you tell me which batsmen have made the highest scores in the first, second, third and fourth innings of a Test match? asked Nathan Prescod
Brian Lara leads the way in the first innings of a match with his 400 not out - the highest Test score - for West Indies against England in St John's in 2003-04. The highest in the second innings of any Test (the second innings of the match, not a side's second innings) is Mahela Jayawardene 's 374 for Sri Lanka against South Africa in Colombo in 2006. The only triple-century in the third innings of a Test was Hanif Mohammad's 337 for Pakistan against West Indies in Bridgetown in 1957-58, while the highest score in the fourth innings of any Test is 223, by George Headley for West Indies against England in Kingston in 1929-30. You can do this sort of query yourself, using the "Advanced" filters on Cricinfo's Statsguru.
Brian Lara leads the way in the first innings of a match with his 400 not out - the highest Test score - for West Indies against England in St John's in 2003-04. The highest in the second innings of any Test (the second innings of the match, not a side's second innings) is Mahela Jayawardene 's 374 for Sri Lanka against South Africa in Colombo in 2006. The only triple-century in the third innings of a Test was Hanif Mohammad's 337 for Pakistan against West Indies in Bridgetown in 1957-58, while the highest score in the fourth innings of any Test is 223, by George Headley for West Indies against England in Kingston in 1929-30. You can do this sort of query yourself, using the "Advanced" filters on Cricinfo's Statsguru.
In the last Test there were six centuries. Is that a record for a Lord's Test? asked Sameer
There were indeed six individual centuries in the first Test at Lord's. That equals the ground record: there were also six hundreds in the Test there between England and India in 1990. There have been three instances worldwide of seven individual centuries in a Test, but the overall record is eight - in the match between West Indies (four) and South Africa (four) in St John's in 2004-05. For a full list, click here.
There were indeed six individual centuries in the first Test at Lord's. That equals the ground record: there were also six hundreds in the Test there between England and India in 1990. There have been three instances worldwide of seven individual centuries in a Test, but the overall record is eight - in the match between West Indies (four) and South Africa (four) in St John's in 2004-05. For a full list, click here.
Which cricketer has fallen the most number of times in the 190s in Test cricket? Is it Brian Lara by any chance? asked Sriram from India
Brian Lara is one of nine players to have been out twice in the 190s in Tests - he made 191 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 2003-04, and 196 against South Africa in Port-of-Spain in 2004-05. But Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf has, uniquely, been dismissed three times in the 190s: he made 192 against England at Headingley in 2006, 192 again v West Indies in Lahore in 2006-07, and 191 against West Indies in the very next Test, in Multan.
Brian Lara is one of nine players to have been out twice in the 190s in Tests - he made 191 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 2003-04, and 196 against South Africa in Port-of-Spain in 2004-05. But Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf has, uniquely, been dismissed three times in the 190s: he made 192 against England at Headingley in 2006, 192 again v West Indies in Lahore in 2006-07, and 191 against West Indies in the very next Test, in Multan.
Who was the first man to make a quadruple-century in first-class cricket? And how many players have scored more than 400 runs in an innings? asked Keith D'Souza from Nigeria
The first man to break the 400 barrier in first-class cricket was the England batsman Archie MacLaren, who made 424 for Lancashire against Somerset at Taunton in 1895. Since then there have been nine further scores of 400 or more, two of them by Brian Lara and two by Australia's Bill Ponsford. The highest score remains Lara's 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham at Edgbaston in 1994. For a full list of the highest first-class scores, click here.
The first man to break the 400 barrier in first-class cricket was the England batsman Archie MacLaren, who made 424 for Lancashire against Somerset at Taunton in 1895. Since then there have been nine further scores of 400 or more, two of them by Brian Lara and two by Australia's Bill Ponsford. The highest score remains Lara's 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham at Edgbaston in 1994. For a full list of the highest first-class scores, click here.
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