|
When 42 Test wickets fell on a day
On January 28, there was a glut of wickets in three Tests being played in Adelaide, Abu Dhabi and Napier. We look at more such days, filled with wickets and runs
Travis Basevi and George Binoy
February 1, 2012
|
|||
|
Related Links
|
|||
If you are the sort of person who likes seeing wickets fall you'd have had a good time watching the cricket on January 28. It was the final day of the Adelaide Test, the fourth of the Abu Dhabi Test and the third of the Napier Test, and bowlers were raising hell everywhere. Australia's attack mopped up the Indian tail, taking 4 for 35 to complete a 4-0 whitewash; England claimed 6 for 89 against Pakistan, after which they imploded for 72; and New Zealand, after losing 2 for 103 and declaring, razed Zimbabwe twice - for 51 and 143. Never before had so many Test wickets - 42 - fallen on a day across the world.
December 28, 1996 was the third day of Boxing Day Tests in Melbourne, Durban and Harare. Forty Test wickets fell on that day. The match at the MCG went no further as West Indies lost their last first-innings wicket for 22 runs, bowled out Australia for 122 in their second innings, and lost four wickets during their successful chase of 87. The Kingsmead Test also hurtled to a finish with South Africa losing 6 for 95 in their second innings and, having set India a target of 395, demolishing them for 66. India had earlier been dismissed for 100 in the first innings. They lasted 73.2 overs in total. In Harare, Zimbabwe collapsed from 110 for 2 to 215, taking a lead of only 59 when they could have got much more. England were 17 for 1 at stumps, and would go on to reach 195 for 3 before rain and a wet outfield ruined the game.
March 21, 1998, which is at No. 4 in the table below because it had 36 wickets, was the first time four Tests were played on a day. India beat Australia at Eden Gardens; South Africa played Sri Lanka at Newlands; Zimbabwe and Pakistan squared off in Harare; and West Indies hosted England at the Rec, in the sixth match of the last six-match series in Test cricket. New Zealand were the only team chilling. They were playing Pakistan in Auckland the next time four Tests happened on a day, on March 11, 2001. India were playing Australia at Eden Gardens again, the start of one of the most memorable of Tests. Four Tests have never been played on a day since.
| Date | Mat | Runs | Wkts | List |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Jan 2012 | 3 | 493 | 42 | Aus v India 35/4, Eng v Pak 161/16, NZ v Zim 297/22 |
| 28 Dec 1996 | 3 | 531 | 40 | Aus v WI 231/15, SA v India 161/16, Zim v Eng 139/9 |
| 24 Nov 1990 | 3 | 568 | 38 | Aus v Eng 192/13, India v SL 143/12, Pak v WI 233/13 |
| 21 Mar 1998 | 4 | 904 | 36 | India v Aus 143/9, SA v SL 249/9, WI v Eng 217/8, Zim v Pak 295/10 |
| 29 Nov 1998 | 3 | 559 | 36 | Aus v Eng 216/12, Pak v Zim 193/14, SA v WI 150/10 |
| 17 Mar 2001 | 3 | 793 | 36 | NZ v Pak 276/4, SL v Eng 229/22, WI v SA 288/10 |
| 10 Nov 2002 | 3 | 641 | 36 | Aus v Eng 264/12, SA v SL 138/13, Zim v Pak 239/11 |
| 19 Dec 2004 | 3 | 748 | 36 | Aus v Pak 54/9, Ban v India 397/16, SA v Eng 297/11 |
| 16 Dec 2006 | 3 | 1039 | 36 | Aus v Eng 427/5, NZ v SL 289/11, SA v India 323/20 |
| 28 Oct 2004 | 3 | 759 | 33 | Ban v NZ 310/15, India v Aus 241/8, Pak v SL 208/10 |
| 23 Nov 1996 | 3 | 650 | 32 | Aus v WI 258/7, India v SA 123/13, Pak v NZ 269/12 |
| 28 Feb 1998 | 3 | 675 | 32 | NZ v Zim 296/11, SA v Pak 211/8, WI v Eng 168/13 |
| 29 Dec 1998 | 3 | 751 | 32 | Aus v Eng 341/18, NZ v India 250/11, SA v WI 160/3 |
| 28 Dec 1999 | 3 | 667 | 32 | Aus v India 308/14, NZ v WI 176/8, SA v Eng 183/10 |
| 23 Feb 1986 | 3 | 604 | 31 | NZ v Aus 241/4, SL v Pak 167/14, WI v Eng 196/13 |
| 17 Nov 2001 | 3 | 657 | 31 | Ban v Zim 209/9, SA v India 307/13, SL v WI 141/9 |
| 19 Mar 2004 | 3 | 878 | 31 | NZ v SA 266/11, SL v Aus 423/12, WI v Eng 189/8 |
| 26 Dec 1996 | 3 | 622 | 30 | Aus v WI 248/11, SA v India 237/10, Zim v Eng 137/9 |
| 3 Jan 1999 | 3 | 725 | 30 | Aus v Eng 233/10, NZ v India 279/10, SA v WI 213/10 |
| 3 Dec 2001 | 3 | 731 | 30 | Aus v NZ 325/11, India v Eng 262/11, SL v WI 144/8 |
December 16, 2006 was a pretty action-packed day. It had 36 wickets, the fourth best for a day, and 1039 runs, the second highest number of runs. There were only three Tests played too. The bulk of the runs were scored in Perth, where Adam Gilchrist's 102 off 59 balls helped Australia amass 408 for 4 against England in a day. In Wellington*, it was relatively more balanced between bat and ball, with New Zealand and Sri Lanka scoring 289 runs for 11 wickets. At the Wanderers, however, the bowlers lorded it. India lost their last five first-innings wickets and their first five second-innings wickets for 239, and South Africa were shot out for 84 in between.
In comparison to those wicket-filled days, November 15, 2010 was so dreary. On flat pitches in Hyderabad, Dubai and Galle, a total of 923 runs were scored and only nine wickets fell. New Zealand and India made 273 for 5, Pakistan and South Africa scored 288 for 2, and a Chris Gayle-inspired West Indies made 362 for 2 against Sri Lanka.
| Date | Mat | Runs | Wkts | List |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Dec 2001 | 3 | 1086 | 24 | Aus v SA 361/9, NZ v Ban 336/11, SL v Zim 389/4 |
| 16 Dec 2006 | 3 | 1039 | 36 | Aus v Eng 427/5, NZ v SL 289/11, SA v India 323/20 |
| 1 Mar 2009 | 3 | 1008 | 19 | Pak v SL 317/4, SA v Aus 334/11, WI v Eng 357/4 |
| 12 Mar 2005 | 3 | 991 | 17 | India v Pak 324/4, NZ v Aus 300/7, SA v Zim 367/6 |
| 5 Jan 2008 | 3 | 970 | 19 | Aus v India 269/4, NZ v Ban 349/6, SA v WI 352/9 |
| 11 Mar 2001 | 4 | 956 | 23 | India v Aus 291/8, NZ v Pak 343/3, SL v Eng 70/3, WI v SA 252/9 |
| 27 Dec 2003 | 3 | 956 | 21 | Aus v India 354/9, NZ v Pak 267/7, SA v WI 335/5 |
| 13 Dec 2003 | 3 | 945 | 25 | Aus v India 336/9, SA v WI 280/8, SL v Eng 329/8 |
| 12 Dec 2003 | 3 | 938 | 15 | Aus v India 400/5, SA v WI 368/3, SL v Eng 170/7 |
| 19 Oct 2002 | 3 | 923 | 21 | Aus v Pak 298/3, India v WI 312/9, SA v Ban 313/9 |
| 15 Nov 2010 | 3 | 923 | 9 | India v NZ 273/5, Pak v SA 288/2, SL v WI 362/2 |
| 11 Mar 2005 | 3 | 917 | 30 | India v Pak 326/10, NZ v Aus 309/10, SA v Zim 282/10 |
| 11 Mar 2004 | 3 | 915 | 23 | NZ v SA 282/8, SL v Aus 322/6, WI v Eng 311/9 |
| 18 Dec 2004 | 3 | 915 | 21 | Aus v Pak 364/6, Ban v India 260/11, SA v Eng 291/4 |
| 21 Mar 1998 | 4 | 904 | 36 | India v Aus 143/9, SA v SL 249/9, WI v Eng 217/8, Zim v Pak 295/10 |
| 4 Dec 2009 | 3 | 896 | 30 | Aus v WI 336/6, India v SL 294/8, NZ v Pak 266/16 |
| 9 Nov 2002 | 3 | 890 | 27 | Aus v Eng 278/10, SA v SL 327/7, Zim v Pak 285/10 |
| 2 Jan 1999 | 3 | 887 | 17 | Aus v Eng 322/10, NZ v India 283/5, SA v WI 282/2 |
| 19 Mar 2004 | 3 | 878 | 31 | NZ v SA 266/11, SL v Aus 423/12, WI v Eng 189/8 |
| 26 Nov 2009 | 3 | 874 | 28 | Aus v WI 322/5, India v SL 220/13, NZ v Pak 332/10 |
The day with the most runs and wickets in ODIs, and the day with the most runs and wickets across formats, is the same - February 4, 2007. There were six one-dayers that day, one in Melbourne, three in Nairobi, one in Harare and one in Centurion. A total of 3119 runs were scored and 88 wickets fell.
*February 1, 2012, 6.50GMT: The New Zealand v Sri Lanka 2006-07 Test was played in Wellington and not Dunedin as was written. This has been corrected
Travis Basevi is a cricket statistician and UK Senior Programmer for ESPNcricinfo and other ESPN sports websites. George Binoy is an Assistant Editor at ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: George Binoy
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
| Comments have now been closed for this article |
||||||
TopE-mail
Feedback
Print
George Binoy
Assistant Editor After a major in Economics and nine months in a financial research firm, George realised that equity, capital and the like were not for him. He decided that he wanted to be one of those lucky few who did what they love at work. Alas, his prodigious talent was never spotted and he had to reconcile himself to the fact that he would never earn his money playing cricket for his country, state or even district. He jumped at the opportunity to work for ESPNcricinfo and is now confident of mastering the art of office cricket
Bought as a rookie for an eye-popping fee, Sunil Narine and his knuckle ball have delivered in the IPL. Next up? Watch out, Test cricket. By Nagraj Gollapudi
Young quick with lower back pain?
Bone stress injuries cannot be taken lightly - they have ended many careers and put others on hold, says Andrew Leipus
A pretty good day to be a 'Sam'
Two Chucks: Darren Sammy shuts everyone up, England bowlers look knackered, and what fans think of Nick Knight
The best batsman in Twenty20 cricket
The Numbers Game: Chris Gayle has scored 2591 runs at a strike-rate of 170 in the last 17 months. No other batsman comes close
Better win than be second favourites
Kimber: WI need to do more than just challenge teams
Free-spenders can't buy consistency
Despite splashing money this season, Mumbai Indians were rarely at the top of their game and most of their wins came through last-over heists
Six Indian IPL players to watch out for
Four young batsmen and two medium-pacers should be on the selectors' radar
Analysis of individual batting and bowling performances in IPL 2012
A look at which team needs to do what to make it to the playoffs
More holes than Gayle could plug
Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Muttiah Muralitharan could only do so much. Royal Challengers Bangalore's campaign suffered because their Indian players struggled
Welcome to fortress England (183)
The England team are utterly professional, confident in their skills and exude an air of superiority over touring opposition
'I like football more than cricket' (105)
Is the world's top allrounder trapped in the wrong sport? Hear it from the man himself
The madness of benching Morne Morkel (92)
To make up for Irfan Pathan's absence, Delhi Daredevils made two changes, one of which was leaving out Morne Morkel. And that made a significant difference
England in for test of nerve and character (87)
Fourth-highest chase at Lord's the target for a line-up that has poor previous experience of small chases
More holes than Gayle could plug (83)
Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Muttiah Muralitharan could only do so much. Royal Challengers Bangalore's campaign suffered because their Indian players struggled
Sponsored Links
Watch Bollywood movies for free
Citibank NRI Account, Fast Reliable & Secure Way to
Transfer Money. Apply Online Now!
Access your Indian Rupee earnings from anywhere in the world.
ICICI Bank Money2India brings " locked exchange rate" and a free gift
on registering and transfer of USD 250 and above.
BUY England 2012 official Test & ODI kit
Available now at Cricshop
The 42 could well have been 48 had Australia batted a little longer on day 4 and left India to bat it out on Day 5!
Posted by MrKricket on (February 02 2012, 11:48 AM GMT)I wonder what's the LONGEST that Test cricket has been played over concurrent Tests in different time zones? Can it overlap if there's a Test in the Windies, NZ, Australia and India perchance?
Posted by Puffin on (February 01 2012, 23:55 PM GMT)it seems December is a good month to witness mayhem of one sort or another.
Posted byThe E vs WI series in 1998 only went to six matches because of the abadonment in in the first game in Jamaica. The last planned six match series was the previous summer between England & Australia in England where A won 3-2
Posted by stormy16 on (February 01 2012, 12:52 PM GMT)This is a love or hate analysis - for me its a pointless exercise. Doesnt really tell one much other than coincidents.
Posted by hussainD on (February 01 2012, 12:39 PM GMT)Other similarities: January 28 was the day on which three tests concluded - each in a result - prematurely. At least 4 sessions remaining in each of the three tests. All three results also ensured that the winning team maintained a 100% record in the series. Aussies completing the whitewash; Pak taking a 2-0 lead and on track for a whitewash; and the Kiwis winning the one-off test. And thirdly, in all three concluded matches, the man of the match was a bowler; Martin (NZ), Rehman (Pak) and Siddle (Aus). Too bad Siddle didn't take 6 wickets in India's final demolition - or else another would have be added when in each of the three tests, the man-of-the-match performance was a 6-wicket haul by the winning team's bowler. I bet this is without precedence. Or is it, I Ask Steve
Posted by G-Wyll on (February 01 2012, 09:36 AM GMT)Incredible, Donda's awful reductionist attitude. Only 8 test playing nations in the world? So you want to take Test cricket back to the medieval ages just because a team playing their first test overseas in seven years had a batting collapse? Too many wickets in a day means good NZ bowling mate, as well as bad batting, i'm sick of our awesome, democratic, talented and free country being underrated by people who can't hold a bat, because we're considered 'small'. We are rising, are you worried Donda? Maybe your team might not be in the top 8 in a year or two, considered that? Of course you haven't. I welcome Ireland to test status in the next few years, and in maybe 50 years, we can see the growth of the most beautiful game on earth with new test teams from the Netherlands, Afghanistan, Kenya, the USA, Central Africa and Canada. T20 is injecting money and therefore class into these areas, unfortunately Donda, it is you and only you who shows no respect.
Posted by ajithpraveen on (February 01 2012, 08:40 AM GMT)i don't know how u guys find this and makes a list. really a cricket genies.....
Thanks to SachTLG for pointing out the error in the venue of the New Zealand-Sri Lanka 2006-07 Test. This has been corrected from Dunedin to Wellington.
I think on 16 dec 2006 SL and NZ played in Wellington as opposed to Dunedin as mentioned here.