Birthday hundreds, and the fastest to 2000 Test runs
Also, the best averages with hundred-plus Test wickets, and back-to-back ODI centuries by Bangladesh batsmen
Steven Lynch
28-Apr-2015
Ross Taylor celebrated his 27th birthday with a blazing 131 against Pakistan in the 2011 World Cup • AFP
Joe Root reached 2000 runs in his 24th Test, in Grenada. Where does he stand on the England and all-time lists in this regard? asked Carl Whitham from England
Joe Root scored his 2000th Test run during his first-innings century against West Indies in St George's: it was his 43rd innings, in his 24th Test. The fastest to 2000 in Tests in terms of innings was Don Bradman, who needed only 22, a remarkable ten fewer than anyone else. West Indian George Headley got there in 32 innings, while the England record is Herbert Sutcliffe's 33: Michael Hussey also needed 33. The other England players who were quicker than Root to 2000 were Denis Compton (37 innings), Wally Hammond (39), Jonathan Trott (40), Jack Hobbs, Ken Barrington and Kevin Pietersen (all 41), and Len Hutton (42) - so Root is in distinguished company!
Joe Root scored his 2000th Test run during his first-innings century against West Indies in St George's: it was his 43rd innings, in his 24th Test. The fastest to 2000 in Tests in terms of innings was Don Bradman, who needed only 22, a remarkable ten fewer than anyone else. West Indian George Headley got there in 32 innings, while the England record is Herbert Sutcliffe's 33: Michael Hussey also needed 33. The other England players who were quicker than Root to 2000 were Denis Compton (37 innings), Wally Hammond (39), Jonathan Trott (40), Jack Hobbs, Ken Barrington and Kevin Pietersen (all 41), and Len Hutton (42) - so Root is in distinguished company!
Pietersen was the quickest in terms of time, reaching 2000 in 523 days; that beat Michael Slater's old record of 612. Viv Richards (629 days) and Andrew Strauss (720) also got there in less than two years: Alastair Cook (743 days) just missed out, while Marcus Trescothick (826 days) was also quicker than Root (862; Trott took 882). In terms of age, Root beat David Gower to 2000 by six days, but he is older than Cook was when he got there (23 years 79 days). The youngest of all was Sachin Tendulkar, when not quite 21; in all 18 players made it to 2000 at a younger age than Root.
I remember Sachin Tendulkar scoring a hundred against Australia on his birthday in 1998. Has anyone else done this in Tests or one-dayers? asked Sanket Kelkar from India
That innings by Sachin Tendulkar - 134 against Australia in Sharjah on his 25th birthday in 1998 - was the second instance of someone reaching three figures in a one-day international on their birthday. The first was by Tendulkar's old schoolmate Vinod Kambli, with an undefeated 100 against England in Jaipur to mark his 21st in 1993. It has happened twice more since: Sanath Jayasuriya celebrated his 39th birthday in 2008 by making 130 against Bangladesh in Karachi, while during the 2011 World Cup the New Zealander Ross Taylor spanked 131 not out against Pakistan in Pallekele.
That innings by Sachin Tendulkar - 134 against Australia in Sharjah on his 25th birthday in 1998 - was the second instance of someone reaching three figures in a one-day international on their birthday. The first was by Tendulkar's old schoolmate Vinod Kambli, with an undefeated 100 against England in Jaipur to mark his 21st in 1993. It has happened twice more since: Sanath Jayasuriya celebrated his 39th birthday in 2008 by making 130 against Bangladesh in Karachi, while during the 2011 World Cup the New Zealander Ross Taylor spanked 131 not out against Pakistan in Pallekele.
There are nine instances of a batsman completing a Test century on his birthday, the most recent being by Ramnaresh Sarwan for West Indies v India in St Kitts in 2006. South Africa's Lee Irvine (1969-70) and Chris Lewis of England (1992-93) both completed their only Test century on their birthday. The others to make birthday tons are Reg Simpson (1950-51), Peter Richardson (1957), Graeme Pollock (1966-67), Imran Khan (1980-81), Andrew Hudson (1993-94) and Alec Stewart (1993-94). Patsy Hendren (1929-30) and Jason Gillespie (2005-06) both completed Test double-centuries on their birthday.
Is Tamim Iqbal the first Bangladeshi to make back-to-back centuries in one-day internationals? asked Paula Samra from Kuwait
Well, he's the first one to do it for about a month! During the World Cup, Mahmudullah scored 103 against England in Adelaide, then 128 not out in his next innings, against New Zealand in Hamilton four days later on March 13. Tamim followed suit with 132 and 116 not out against Pakistan in Mirpur last week. But the first Bangladesh batsman to do this was Shahriar Nafees, who scored 123 not out in Jaipur and 105 not out in Khulna in successive innings against Zimbabwe spread over two series, in October and November 2006.
Well, he's the first one to do it for about a month! During the World Cup, Mahmudullah scored 103 against England in Adelaide, then 128 not out in his next innings, against New Zealand in Hamilton four days later on March 13. Tamim followed suit with 132 and 116 not out against Pakistan in Mirpur last week. But the first Bangladesh batsman to do this was Shahriar Nafees, who scored 123 not out in Jaipur and 105 not out in Khulna in successive innings against Zimbabwe spread over two series, in October and November 2006.
I see that Ryan Harris has the excellent bowling average of 23 in Tests. Can any other current/recent bowlers with 100+ wickets beat this? asked David Williams from England
Ryan Harris currently has 113 Test wickets at 23.52, which puts him 28th overall among the 171 bowlers who have so far reached 100. But you're right in assuming this is an exceptional average these days: the top six all date from before World War I, including the top man, England's George Lohmann, who took 112 wickets at 10.75 (which included 35 in three matches against a very weak South African team, at an average of 5.80). The only current bowlers with a better average than "Rhino" are the South African pair of Vernon Philander (121 at 21.95) and Dale Steyn (396 at 22.55). The others who appeared in the current century are Curtly Ambrose (405 at 20.99, and 11th overall, just behind Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner), Glenn McGrath (563 at 21.64), Allan Donald (330 at 22.25), Muttiah Muralitharan (800 at 22.72) and Shaun Pollock (421 at 23.11). Harris is currently a fraction ahead of Waqar Younis (373 at 23.56) and Wasim Akram (414 at 23.62).
Ryan Harris currently has 113 Test wickets at 23.52, which puts him 28th overall among the 171 bowlers who have so far reached 100. But you're right in assuming this is an exceptional average these days: the top six all date from before World War I, including the top man, England's George Lohmann, who took 112 wickets at 10.75 (which included 35 in three matches against a very weak South African team, at an average of 5.80). The only current bowlers with a better average than "Rhino" are the South African pair of Vernon Philander (121 at 21.95) and Dale Steyn (396 at 22.55). The others who appeared in the current century are Curtly Ambrose (405 at 20.99, and 11th overall, just behind Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner), Glenn McGrath (563 at 21.64), Allan Donald (330 at 22.25), Muttiah Muralitharan (800 at 22.72) and Shaun Pollock (421 at 23.11). Harris is currently a fraction ahead of Waqar Younis (373 at 23.56) and Wasim Akram (414 at 23.62).
Which player was known as the Black Bradman? And did he ever play in a Test that featured the real Bradman? asked Ibrahim Kamara from Sierra Leone
The "Black Bradman" was a nickname given by some to the great batsman George Headley, who averaged 60.83 in 22 Tests for West Indies stretching from 1929-30 to 1953-54, when he was 44. The story goes that some in the Caribbean preferred to call Bradman the White Headley! The pair opposed each other in Australia in 1930-31, during West Indies' first tour there. Bradman had a pretty good series - 447 runs at 74.50, including 223 in the third Test in Brisbane - although unusually he was outscored by a team-mate, as Bill Ponsford collected 467 at 77.83. Headley led the way for West Indies with 336 runs at 37.33, including two centuries - 102 not out in the third Test in Brisbane, and 105 in the fifth in Sydney. Australia's success (they won the series 4-1, with three innings victories and another by ten wickets) meant Bradman batted only six times, to Headley's ten.
The "Black Bradman" was a nickname given by some to the great batsman George Headley, who averaged 60.83 in 22 Tests for West Indies stretching from 1929-30 to 1953-54, when he was 44. The story goes that some in the Caribbean preferred to call Bradman the White Headley! The pair opposed each other in Australia in 1930-31, during West Indies' first tour there. Bradman had a pretty good series - 447 runs at 74.50, including 223 in the third Test in Brisbane - although unusually he was outscored by a team-mate, as Bill Ponsford collected 467 at 77.83. Headley led the way for West Indies with 336 runs at 37.33, including two centuries - 102 not out in the third Test in Brisbane, and 105 in the fifth in Sydney. Australia's success (they won the series 4-1, with three innings victories and another by ten wickets) meant Bradman batted only six times, to Headley's ten.
I noticed that Vernon Philander took his 50th Test wicket less than five months after his debut. Has anyone got there quicker? asked Shivaji Maneck from India
Vernon Philander did indeed bring up a half-century of Test wickets in 139 days in 2011-12, edging Terry Alderman who took 163 days in 1981. But they both have to give best to Rodney Hogg, who zoomed to 50 in just 116 days - that's less than four months - in 1978-79. Hogg got there in eight Tests, while Philander and Tom Richardson needed seven: the record, though, is held by the 19th-century Australian Charles "Terror" Turner, who took his 50th wicket in his sixth Test match, in 1888. The slowest to 50 were Mark Waugh, who got there in his 99th Test, and Mushtaq Mohammad, who took nearly 18 years.
Vernon Philander did indeed bring up a half-century of Test wickets in 139 days in 2011-12, edging Terry Alderman who took 163 days in 1981. But they both have to give best to Rodney Hogg, who zoomed to 50 in just 116 days - that's less than four months - in 1978-79. Hogg got there in eight Tests, while Philander and Tom Richardson needed seven: the record, though, is held by the 19th-century Australian Charles "Terror" Turner, who took his 50th wicket in his sixth Test match, in 1888. The slowest to 50 were Mark Waugh, who got there in his 99th Test, and Mushtaq Mohammad, who took nearly 18 years.
And a clarification to last week's question about Galle's victory after being bowled out for 31:
I should probably have made it clearer, when talking about Galle beating the Air Force after being bowled out for 31 in Panagoda recently, that I was referring to the first innings of the match, not either side's first. As a number of clued-up readers have pointed out, the lowest total in either first innings that still led to victory was Hampshire's 15 against Warwickshire (who batted first and made 223) in a famous match at Edgbaston in 1922. Following on, Hampshire piled up 521, and Warwickshire got barely halfway to their target of 314.
I should probably have made it clearer, when talking about Galle beating the Air Force after being bowled out for 31 in Panagoda recently, that I was referring to the first innings of the match, not either side's first. As a number of clued-up readers have pointed out, the lowest total in either first innings that still led to victory was Hampshire's 15 against Warwickshire (who batted first and made 223) in a famous match at Edgbaston in 1922. Following on, Hampshire piled up 521, and Warwickshire got barely halfway to their target of 314.
Steven Lynch is the editor of the Wisden Guide to International Cricket 2014. Ask Steven is now on Facebook