Twins scores, and most caught-behinds
Also, IPL century in an unsuccessful chase, oldest living Indian Test player, Eranga's firsts, and playing for England and Australia
Steven Lynch
03-Jun-2014
Shaminda Eranga: took a wicket in the first over of his Test, ODI and T20 debuts • AFP
What's the highest score a batsman has made twice in the same match? asked Gerry O'Donnell from London
This record has stood since 1949, when the Sussex batsman John Langridge made 146 and 146 not out against Derbyshire in Worthing. The highest score for which a batsman has been dismissed twice in the same game appears to be 125, by Niel Bredenkamp for North West against Namibia in Windhoek in 2007-08. The Test record is Duleep Mendis' pair of 105s for Sri Lanka against India in Madras in September 1982.
This record has stood since 1949, when the Sussex batsman John Langridge made 146 and 146 not out against Derbyshire in Worthing. The highest score for which a batsman has been dismissed twice in the same game appears to be 125, by Niel Bredenkamp for North West against Namibia in Windhoek in 2007-08. The Test record is Duleep Mendis' pair of 105s for Sri Lanka against India in Madras in September 1982.
Which bowler has dismissed most batsmen caught behind in Tests (and ODIs)? asked Shafique Ahsan from Pakistan
There's a clear leader on this list: some 152 of Glenn McGrath's 563 Test wickets for Australia were caught behind - 90 by Adam Gilchrist, 58 by Ian Healy, and the other four by Phil Emery in his solitary appearance. Only two other bowlers have managed a century of catches to the keeper: Courtney Walsh had 111, and Allan Donald exactly 100. Dennis Lillee and Shaun Pollock fell just short with 97 each (95 of Lillee's were caught by Rod Marsh, which remains the most frequent scorecard dismissal involving two people in Tests). No one has quite managed a similar century in one-day internationals: Wasim Akram had 93 batsmen caught behind and Brett Lee 92; McGrath comes next with 89. The current leader in T20 internationals is Stuart Broad with 13.
There's a clear leader on this list: some 152 of Glenn McGrath's 563 Test wickets for Australia were caught behind - 90 by Adam Gilchrist, 58 by Ian Healy, and the other four by Phil Emery in his solitary appearance. Only two other bowlers have managed a century of catches to the keeper: Courtney Walsh had 111, and Allan Donald exactly 100. Dennis Lillee and Shaun Pollock fell just short with 97 each (95 of Lillee's were caught by Rod Marsh, which remains the most frequent scorecard dismissal involving two people in Tests). No one has quite managed a similar century in one-day internationals: Wasim Akram had 93 batsmen caught behind and Brett Lee 92; McGrath comes next with 89. The current leader in T20 internationals is Stuart Broad with 13.
Who's the only batsman to score a century in an unsuccessful IPL chase? asked Joel Pojas from the Philippines
There have now been 30 individual hundreds in the seven seasons of the IPL: for the full list, click here. The only one of them scored in vain in the second innings was Yusuf Pathan's 37-ball 100 for Rajasthan Royals against Mumbai Indians in the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai in March 2010 - Mumbai still won by four runs. Only four other hundreds came in a losing cause: Andrew Symonds' 117 not out for Deccan Chargers against Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad in 2008; Sachin Tendulkar's 100 not out for Mumbai Indians against Kochi Tuskers Kerala in Mumbai in 2011; Shane Watson's 101 for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in Chennai in 2013; and, most recently, Wriddhiman Saha's 115 for Kings XI Punjab against Kolkata Knight Riders in the final on Sunday.
There have now been 30 individual hundreds in the seven seasons of the IPL: for the full list, click here. The only one of them scored in vain in the second innings was Yusuf Pathan's 37-ball 100 for Rajasthan Royals against Mumbai Indians in the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai in March 2010 - Mumbai still won by four runs. Only four other hundreds came in a losing cause: Andrew Symonds' 117 not out for Deccan Chargers against Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad in 2008; Sachin Tendulkar's 100 not out for Mumbai Indians against Kochi Tuskers Kerala in Mumbai in 2011; Shane Watson's 101 for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in Chennai in 2013; and, most recently, Wriddhiman Saha's 115 for Kings XI Punjab against Kolkata Knight Riders in the final on Sunday.
Sunil Gavaskar's uncle Madhav Mantri recently passed away at the age of 92. Who is now India's oldest living Test cricketer? asked Moses Abas from Zimbabwe
Following the sad news of the demise of Madhav Mantri, the oldest surviving Indian Test player is now Deepak Shodhan, who is due to celebrate his 86th birthday in October. A left-hander from Gujarat, Shodhan played only three Tests - but scored a hundred in the first of them, 110 against Pakistan in Calcutta in 1952-53. For the full list of the oldest surviving Test players, click here.
Following the sad news of the demise of Madhav Mantri, the oldest surviving Indian Test player is now Deepak Shodhan, who is due to celebrate his 86th birthday in October. A left-hander from Gujarat, Shodhan played only three Tests - but scored a hundred in the first of them, 110 against Pakistan in Calcutta in 1952-53. For the full list of the oldest surviving Test players, click here.
Who's the only bowler to take a wicket in his first over in all three forms of international cricket? asked Dennis de Silva from Sri Lanka
The answer to this tricky one is the Sri Lankan fast bowler Shaminda Eranga, who started his international career by taking the wicket of Australia's Brad Haddin with his second ball in one-day internationals, in Hambantota in August 2011. A month later Eranga struck with his first ball in a Test, also against Australia, having Shane Watson caught at point at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. And in August 2012, in Pallekele, Eranga bowled India's Gautam Gambhir with his fourth ball in a T20 international.
The answer to this tricky one is the Sri Lankan fast bowler Shaminda Eranga, who started his international career by taking the wicket of Australia's Brad Haddin with his second ball in one-day internationals, in Hambantota in August 2011. A month later Eranga struck with his first ball in a Test, also against Australia, having Shane Watson caught at point at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. And in August 2012, in Pallekele, Eranga bowled India's Gautam Gambhir with his fourth ball in a T20 international.
How many cricketers have played Tests for England and Australia against each other? asked Don Henadeera from Australia
There's only one man who has played for England against Australia and for Australia against England - and it was an awfully long time ago, when the qualification rules were rather more elastic (if not non-existent). Billy Midwinter was born in Gloucestershire in 1851, but was taken to Australia at the age of nine. He played for Australia in the very first Test of all, at Melbourne in March 1877. A handy allrounder, he returned to England later that year, and played for Gloucestershire. An Australian team toured England in 1878, and Midwinter played a few games for them - until in a famous incident he was more or less kidnapped by WG Grace, Gloucestershire's captain, and "persuaded" to turn out for the county. In 1881-82 Midwinter was part of Alfred Shaw's privately raised team which toured Australia, and played in four games now considered Tests - before resuming his Australian connections and playing six more Tests for them, in 1882-83, 1884 (in England) and 1886-87. In all Midwinter appeared in 12 Tests, scoring 269 runs at 13.45 and taking 24 wickets at 25.20, with a best return of 5 for 78 in the very first Test of all, at the MCG in 1876-77.
There's only one man who has played for England against Australia and for Australia against England - and it was an awfully long time ago, when the qualification rules were rather more elastic (if not non-existent). Billy Midwinter was born in Gloucestershire in 1851, but was taken to Australia at the age of nine. He played for Australia in the very first Test of all, at Melbourne in March 1877. A handy allrounder, he returned to England later that year, and played for Gloucestershire. An Australian team toured England in 1878, and Midwinter played a few games for them - until in a famous incident he was more or less kidnapped by WG Grace, Gloucestershire's captain, and "persuaded" to turn out for the county. In 1881-82 Midwinter was part of Alfred Shaw's privately raised team which toured Australia, and played in four games now considered Tests - before resuming his Australian connections and playing six more Tests for them, in 1882-83, 1884 (in England) and 1886-87. In all Midwinter appeared in 12 Tests, scoring 269 runs at 13.45 and taking 24 wickets at 25.20, with a best return of 5 for 78 in the very first Test of all, at the MCG in 1876-77.
And there's an update on last week's question about Jack the Ripper, from Nick Ryan from the United States
"It's true that Montague Druitt was a suspect and had links to the MCC. But another main suspect was James Maybrick, who was an active member of Liverpool CC and lived a few yards from the Aigburth ground."
"It's true that Montague Druitt was a suspect and had links to the MCC. But another main suspect was James Maybrick, who was an active member of Liverpool CC and lived a few yards from the Aigburth ground."
Steven Lynch is the editor of the Wisden Guide to International Cricket 2014. Ask Steven is now on Facebook