Partners in prose

Phil Mustard and Graham Onions: a tasty combo © Getty Images Enlarge

Related Links Players/Officials: Gareth Breese | Chris Gayle | George Beet | Fred Root | Dennis Lillee | Peter Willey | Graham Dilley | Matthew Bell | Matt Horne | Simon Cook | Phil Mustard | Graham Onions | Harry Lee | Frank Lee | Jack Lee | Allan Lamb | Clive Rice | Alan Kourie | Alan Butcher | Raymond Baker | Vic Marks | John Spencer | Dolar Mahmud | Stephen Fleming | Rubel Hossain | Shane Bond Teams: Australia | Bangladesh | England | New Zealand | South Africa | West Indies

Blowin' in the wind ...
The allrounder Gareth Breese, who later played for Durham, won his only Test cap against India in Chennai in October 2002, when one of his team-mates was Chris Gayle. They had turned out together quite a few times for Jamaica - but now Breese and Gayle were playing for the Windies.

c Beet b Root
Derbyshire's teams either side of the Great War often featured wicketkeeper George Beet and Fred Root, a medium-pacer who later played for England after moving to Worcester. Although Beet was a keeper, there was only one instance of "c Beet b Root" for epicures to savour, the unfortunate batsman being Herbert Chaplin (another name to conjure with!) of Sussex at Derby in 1913.

Lillee c Willey b Dilley
This famous scorebook entry was recorded - not long after a commentator had pointed out the possibility of it happening - during the second innings of the first Test between Australia and England in Brisbane in 1979-80. It couldn't have happened before: this was Graham Dilley's Test debut. At Lord's in 1980 Viv Richards was "c Dilley b Willey" - Dilley was fielding as a substitute at the time.

Horne and Bell
In the Boxing Day Test against India in Wellington in 1998, New Zealand's batting was opened by the musical pair of Matthew Bell and Matt Horne. They played in seven further Tests together. And music lovers in New Zealand this winter could well be entertained by a battle between Andrew Strauss of England and the Kiwis' new South African-born fast bowler Neil Wagner.

Cook c Mustard b Onions
In a county game between Kent and Durham in 2007, Simon Cook was caught behind by keeper Phil Mustard off the bowling of the England fast bowler Graham Onions. All the Durham pair need for the ultimate fast-food feast is to come up against the Namibian allrounder Kola Burger.

Lee c Lee b Lee
During a Championship match at Lord's in June 1933, the Middlesex batsman Harry Lee was caught by his brother Frank off the bowling of another brother, Jack: the unique scorecard entry was "HW Lee c FS Lee b JW Lee 82". Harry later wrote: "I do not believe that brothers had ever before behaved so unbrotherly in a first-class game."

Lamb c Kourie b Rice
Playing for Western Province against Transvaal in Johannesburg in February 1980, Allan Lamb was caught by Alan Kourie off the bowling of Clive Rice. This was in the final of South Africa's domestic competition - but, sadly, the one-day one rather than the Currie Cup (in which Lamb was once c Cook b Rice for 130).

Butcher and Baker
Surrey in the 1970s often fielded teams including both Alan Butcher, the batsman who later played for England and now coaches Zimbabwe, and fast-medium bowler Ray Baker. John Arlott once mused on TV: "Butcher, Baker... but no sign of the candlestick maker."

Marks v Spencer
Playing for Oxford University against Sussex in the Parks in 1975, the future England offspinner Vic Marks was dismissed in each innings (caught by John Snow both times) by the burly medium-pacer John Spencer. In the same fixture the following year, played at Pagham, Victor returned the favour: Spencer b Marks 6.

	Fleming and Bond: you can't hide from them © Getty Images Enlarge

Money, money, money
Bangladesh's new-ball pair in their one-day international against Zimbabwe in Mirpur in October 2009 were Dolar Mahmud and Rubel Hossain. It set off memories of Paul Franks and Vic Marks (again), not to mention the 1960s Glamorgan offspinner Euros Lewis...

Fleming and Bond
James Dignan, a frequent contributor to the Ask Steven page on Facebook (and thanks to other regulars for their suggestions for this article), recalled: "I still love the time when Henry Blofeld was commentating on a New Zealand Test involving [Stephen] Fleming and [Shane] Bond."