Debut stands, and a captain called Monkey
Ramps' average ratio, players who have been Mankaded, football-playing cricket stars, and more
Steven Lynch
01-Jun-2010
Ellyse Perry: cricket and soccer star • Paul McGregor/Getty Images
I am probably being a touch previous here, but I wonder if Mark Ramprakash is likely to be the first batsman in history to have played 50 or more Tests and end up with a first-class average that is double his Test one? asked Steve Fergus
Mark Ramprakash currently averages 54.63, which is nearly double his Test average of 27.32. Using your qualification of 50 Tests, he does indeed lead the way: the others nearly double (or half, depending on your point of view) are New Zealand's Chris Martin (2.28 in Tests, 4.01 in first-class), Graeme Hick of England (31.32/52.23) and Pakistan's Danish Kaneria (6.51/10.39). If you drop the qualification to 25 Tests then Maninder Singh of India comes in with a first-class average over four times higher than his Test one (16.91 to 3.80), while Sri Lanka's Nuwan Zoysa (8.47/17.64), and Sikander Bakht (6.34/14.18) and his fellow Pakistani Asif Mujtaba (24.42/49.39) all have first-class averages more than twice as high as their Test ones. If you go down to 10 Tests only Ken James of New Zealand (4.72/22.19) beats Maninder's ratio.
Mark Ramprakash currently averages 54.63, which is nearly double his Test average of 27.32. Using your qualification of 50 Tests, he does indeed lead the way: the others nearly double (or half, depending on your point of view) are New Zealand's Chris Martin (2.28 in Tests, 4.01 in first-class), Graeme Hick of England (31.32/52.23) and Pakistan's Danish Kaneria (6.51/10.39). If you drop the qualification to 25 Tests then Maninder Singh of India comes in with a first-class average over four times higher than his Test one (16.91 to 3.80), while Sri Lanka's Nuwan Zoysa (8.47/17.64), and Sikander Bakht (6.34/14.18) and his fellow Pakistani Asif Mujtaba (24.42/49.39) all have first-class averages more than twice as high as their Test ones. If you go down to 10 Tests only Ken James of New Zealand (4.72/22.19) beats Maninder's ratio.
Which current international cricketer also plays in their national football team? asked Nachiketa Guha via Facebook
This one got me thinking for a moment, as I couldn't think of a man who was currently playing both games - but the answer is actually a woman, Australia's Ellyse Perry, one of the stars of their recent World Twenty20 victory in Bridgetown, when she took 3 for 18 in her four overs. The Sydney-born Perry was only 16 when she made her cricket debut for Australia in Darwin in July 2007, and only a fortnight older when she played her first football international for Australia's football team, the Matildas.
This one got me thinking for a moment, as I couldn't think of a man who was currently playing both games - but the answer is actually a woman, Australia's Ellyse Perry, one of the stars of their recent World Twenty20 victory in Bridgetown, when she took 3 for 18 in her four overs. The Sydney-born Perry was only 16 when she made her cricket debut for Australia in Darwin in July 2007, and only a fortnight older when she played her first football international for Australia's football team, the Matildas.
I was looking at Stuart Law's (very brief) Test career, and spotted that he shared a century partnership with another debutant - Ricky Ponting. What's the record stand by two people making their Test debut?
The stand of 121 that you spotted - between Stuart Law (in his only Test) and Ricky Ponting (in the first of many) against Sri Lanka in Perth in 1995-96 - is one of 11 hundred partnerships in Tests between two players making their debuts. Top of the list is a stand of 249 - for the first wicket, too - by Khalid Ibadulla and Abdul Kadir (a wicketkeeper, not the similarly named legspinner) for Pakistan against Australia in Karachi in 1964-65. Ibadulla made 166 - he was the first Pakistani to score a century on Test debut - but Kadir just failed to join him, being dismissed for 95. For a full list of the best partnerships between debutants, click here.
The stand of 121 that you spotted - between Stuart Law (in his only Test) and Ricky Ponting (in the first of many) against Sri Lanka in Perth in 1995-96 - is one of 11 hundred partnerships in Tests between two players making their debuts. Top of the list is a stand of 249 - for the first wicket, too - by Khalid Ibadulla and Abdul Kadir (a wicketkeeper, not the similarly named legspinner) for Pakistan against Australia in Karachi in 1964-65. Ibadulla made 166 - he was the first Pakistani to score a century on Test debut - but Kadir just failed to join him, being dismissed for 95. For a full list of the best partnerships between debutants, click here.
Who has the most Test wickets of players who have had more batting innings than bowling ones? asked Cal Pritchard via Facebook
The leader in this rather esoteric list is the South African Jacques Kallis, whose 261 wickets have come from 227 innings in which he has bowled. His 10,843 Test runs so far have come from 231 innings.
The leader in this rather esoteric list is the South African Jacques Kallis, whose 261 wickets have come from 227 innings in which he has bowled. His 10,843 Test runs so far have come from 231 innings.
How many people have been "Mankaded" in Test matches? asked Ruel Markowitz from Sydney
First I should probably explain that "Mankading" is the term usually applied in Australia when the bowler runs out a non-striker who is backing up too far. This famously happened in the second Test in Sydney in 1947-48, when Australia's Bill Brown was run out by the Indian slow left-armer Vinoo Mankad while he (Brown) was backing up too far. The same thing had also happened earlier in the tour, which is why it's called "Mankading" in Australia. Since then it has happened on three occasions in Tests: to Ian Redpath (bowler Charlie Griffith) for Australia v West Indies in Adelaide in 1968-69; to Derek Randall (bowler Ewen Chatfield) for England v New Zealand in Christchurch in 1977-78; and to Sikander Bakht (bowler Alan Hurst) for Pakistan v Australia in Perth in 1978-79.
First I should probably explain that "Mankading" is the term usually applied in Australia when the bowler runs out a non-striker who is backing up too far. This famously happened in the second Test in Sydney in 1947-48, when Australia's Bill Brown was run out by the Indian slow left-armer Vinoo Mankad while he (Brown) was backing up too far. The same thing had also happened earlier in the tour, which is why it's called "Mankading" in Australia. Since then it has happened on three occasions in Tests: to Ian Redpath (bowler Charlie Griffith) for Australia v West Indies in Adelaide in 1968-69; to Derek Randall (bowler Ewen Chatfield) for England v New Zealand in Christchurch in 1977-78; and to Sikander Bakht (bowler Alan Hurst) for Pakistan v Australia in Perth in 1978-79.
Why was the former England captain AN Hornby nicknamed "Monkey"? asked Ashwath Sekhar via Facebook
This seems to have come about because Albert Neilson Hornby, who played for Lancashire for more than 30 years and captained them for 20, was fairly short. He was also very active, and this seems to have earned him the "Monkey" nickname during his schooldays at Harrow. His hyperactivity extended to most sports: he is one of only two men to have captained England at cricket and rugby (Drewy Stoddart is the other), and Hornby also played football for the Blackburn Rovers.
This seems to have come about because Albert Neilson Hornby, who played for Lancashire for more than 30 years and captained them for 20, was fairly short. He was also very active, and this seems to have earned him the "Monkey" nickname during his schooldays at Harrow. His hyperactivity extended to most sports: he is one of only two men to have captained England at cricket and rugby (Drewy Stoddart is the other), and Hornby also played football for the Blackburn Rovers.
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. Ask Steven is now on Facebook