Dream first-class debuts, and run-less tailenders
Plus: youngest bowlers to take five-fors, and batsmen dismissed on overnight score twice in a Test
Steven Lynch
03-Nov-2015
Imran Khan hasn't scored a run in his seven Tests so far • AFP
In the second Test against England, Misbah-ul-Haq was not out overnight twice, but dismissed without adding to his score next morning. Has this ever happened before in a Test? asked Michael Jones from England
Misbah-ul-Haq had 102 not out at the end of the first day of the recent second Test against England in Dubai, but was out without addition next morning. Then on the third evening he finished with 87 not out, only to be dismissed without scoring next morning again. My first thought was that this was probably a unique feat in Test cricket - but that's always a dangerous supposition! As it turns out, it had happened twice previously: to Champaka Ramanayake for Sri Lanka against New Zealand in Hamilton in 1990-91 (he went in twice as nightwatchman and survived, only to be out without addition next morning), and Dinanath Ramnarine for West Indies against South Africa in Port-of-Spain in 2000-01.
Misbah-ul-Haq had 102 not out at the end of the first day of the recent second Test against England in Dubai, but was out without addition next morning. Then on the third evening he finished with 87 not out, only to be dismissed without scoring next morning again. My first thought was that this was probably a unique feat in Test cricket - but that's always a dangerous supposition! As it turns out, it had happened twice previously: to Champaka Ramanayake for Sri Lanka against New Zealand in Hamilton in 1990-91 (he went in twice as nightwatchman and survived, only to be out without addition next morning), and Dinanath Ramnarine for West Indies against South Africa in Port-of-Spain in 2000-01.
Travis Dean recently scored a century in each innings on his first-class debut. How many others have done this? asked John Lynch from Vanuatu
Travis Dean, 23, became the seventh batsman to start his first-class career with two centuries in his debut match - but the first to make two unbeaten ones, 154 and 109, both not out, for Victoria against Queensland in Melbourne last week. The first to make twin centuries on debut was the future Australian Test opener Arthur Morris, who died earlier this year. Morris hit 148 and 111 for New South Wales against Queensland in Sydney in 1940-41. He was followed by another future Test captain, India's Nari Contractor, who made 152 and 102 not out for Gujarat in Baroda in 1952-53. Next up was Pakistan's Aamer Malik, who started with 132 not out and 110 for Lahore City against Railways in Lahore in 1979-80. Noor Ali Zadran achieved the feat in Afghanistan's maiden first-class fixture, with 130 and 100 not out against a Zimbabwe XI in the ICC Intercontinental Cup in Mutare in 2009-10. Since then Tharanga Indika made 158 and 103 not out on debut for Police against Seeduwa Raddoluwa in Colombo in 2010-11, and Virag Awate 126 and 112 for Maharashtra against Vidarbha in Nagpur in 2012-13. Awate played three more matches that season and hasn't appeared since.
Travis Dean, 23, became the seventh batsman to start his first-class career with two centuries in his debut match - but the first to make two unbeaten ones, 154 and 109, both not out, for Victoria against Queensland in Melbourne last week. The first to make twin centuries on debut was the future Australian Test opener Arthur Morris, who died earlier this year. Morris hit 148 and 111 for New South Wales against Queensland in Sydney in 1940-41. He was followed by another future Test captain, India's Nari Contractor, who made 152 and 102 not out for Gujarat in Baroda in 1952-53. Next up was Pakistan's Aamer Malik, who started with 132 not out and 110 for Lahore City against Railways in Lahore in 1979-80. Noor Ali Zadran achieved the feat in Afghanistan's maiden first-class fixture, with 130 and 100 not out against a Zimbabwe XI in the ICC Intercontinental Cup in Mutare in 2009-10. Since then Tharanga Indika made 158 and 103 not out on debut for Police against Seeduwa Raddoluwa in Colombo in 2010-11, and Virag Awate 126 and 112 for Maharashtra against Vidarbha in Nagpur in 2012-13. Awate played three more matches that season and hasn't appeared since.
Samit Patel returned to the England side in Sharjah, three years after his last cap. Who has missed the most matches between caps? asked Roland Delves from England
England played 35 Tests between Samit Patel's fifth cap (against India in Kolkata in December 2012) and his sixth, against Pakistan in Sharjah. But that - and the gap of just under three years - is well down the overall list. The Surrey seamer Martin Bicknell went 114 matches between his second England cap in 1993 and a brief recall against South Africa in 2003. Three other players missed more than 100 of their country's Tests between caps: Floyd Reifer of West Indies (109), Pakistan's Younis Ahmed (104) and Derek Shackleton of England (103). For the full list, click here. Bicknell's ten-year gap places him only 23rd on that particular list, which is headed by the offspinner John Traicos, who played three Tests for South Africa in 1969-70, then four more than 22 years later when Zimbabwe entered the Test arena in 1992-93. Second in that table, with the longest gap by an England player, is the Nottinghamshire opener George Gunn, with 17 years 316 days between 1911-12 and 1929-30, when he returned at the age of 50. For that list, click here.
England played 35 Tests between Samit Patel's fifth cap (against India in Kolkata in December 2012) and his sixth, against Pakistan in Sharjah. But that - and the gap of just under three years - is well down the overall list. The Surrey seamer Martin Bicknell went 114 matches between his second England cap in 1993 and a brief recall against South Africa in 2003. Three other players missed more than 100 of their country's Tests between caps: Floyd Reifer of West Indies (109), Pakistan's Younis Ahmed (104) and Derek Shackleton of England (103). For the full list, click here. Bicknell's ten-year gap places him only 23rd on that particular list, which is headed by the offspinner John Traicos, who played three Tests for South Africa in 1969-70, then four more than 22 years later when Zimbabwe entered the Test arena in 1992-93. Second in that table, with the longest gap by an England player, is the Nottinghamshire opener George Gunn, with 17 years 316 days between 1911-12 and 1929-30, when he returned at the age of 50. For that list, click here.
Is Mohammad Amir the youngest bowler to take five wickets in a Test innings? asked Ishtiaq Fazal from Pakistan
Mohammad Amir is actually second on this list - he was 17 years 260 days old when he took 5 for 79 for Pakistan against Australia in Melbourne in 2009-10. But another Pakistani was even younger: Nasim-ul-Ghani was two months short of his 17th birthday when he claimed 5 for 116 against West Indies in Georgetown in 1957-58. Nasim, a left-arm spinner, took another five-for before his 17th birthday - 6 for 67 in the next Test, in Port-of-Spain. For the full list, click here (note that it only shows the first instance by each player, and gives the age at the start of each match). The oldest player to take five wickets in a Test innings is another slow left-armer, Australia's Bert Ironmonger. He was 49 years 314 days old when he took 6 for 18 against South Africa in Melbourne in 1931-32. In the first innings he'd taken 5 for 6 in 7.2 overs. For that list, click here.
Mohammad Amir is actually second on this list - he was 17 years 260 days old when he took 5 for 79 for Pakistan against Australia in Melbourne in 2009-10. But another Pakistani was even younger: Nasim-ul-Ghani was two months short of his 17th birthday when he claimed 5 for 116 against West Indies in Georgetown in 1957-58. Nasim, a left-arm spinner, took another five-for before his 17th birthday - 6 for 67 in the next Test, in Port-of-Spain. For the full list, click here (note that it only shows the first instance by each player, and gives the age at the start of each match). The oldest player to take five wickets in a Test innings is another slow left-armer, Australia's Bert Ironmonger. He was 49 years 314 days old when he took 6 for 18 against South Africa in Melbourne in 1931-32. In the first innings he'd taken 5 for 6 in 7.2 overs. For that list, click here.
What were Sachin Tendulkar's stats when Brian Lara retired from Test cricket? asked Perry Hosein from Trinidad
Brian Lara announced his international retirement during the 2007 World Cup, although he hadn't actually played a Test since the previous December. When he retired in April 2007, Lara led the Test list with 11,953 runs from his 131 matches, at an average of 52.88, with 34 centuries. At that time Tendulkar stood fourth on the overall run-scorers' list - behind Allan Border (11,174) and Steve Waugh (10,927) - with 10,668 at 54.70, in 135 Tests, with 35 hundreds.
Brian Lara announced his international retirement during the 2007 World Cup, although he hadn't actually played a Test since the previous December. When he retired in April 2007, Lara led the Test list with 11,953 runs from his 131 matches, at an average of 52.88, with 34 centuries. At that time Tendulkar stood fourth on the overall run-scorers' list - behind Allan Border (11,174) and Steve Waugh (10,927) - with 10,668 at 54.70, in 135 Tests, with 35 hundreds.
Ishara Amerasinghe and Dinuka Hettiarachchi both faced 25 deliveries in their one and only Test, without getting a run. Has anyone faced more without scoring at all? asked Uwaisul Karnain from Sri Lanka
The short answer is no, not as far as we know. Dinuka Hettiarachchi played one Test, for Sri Lanka against England in March 2001, while Ishara Amerasinghe's only cap came against West Indies in Port-of-Spain in April 2008. Both of them faced 25 balls, but failed to score a run. Another Sri Lankan, Kosala Kuruppuarachchi, faced at least 20 balls without scoring in his two Tests, but ESPNcricinfo's database does not show the balls-faced details for the first of his two innings of 0 not out, against Pakistan in Colombo in March 1986. The old Lancashire and England fast bowler Arthur Mold had three scoreless innings during the 1893 Ashes series, during which time 11 runs were added at the other end, so he might just have faced more deliveries. Keep an eye on Pakistan's Imran Khan, though: he has now played seven Tests without scoring a run - four more than anyone else - and has so far faced ten balls during his four innings (two of them not-outs).
The short answer is no, not as far as we know. Dinuka Hettiarachchi played one Test, for Sri Lanka against England in March 2001, while Ishara Amerasinghe's only cap came against West Indies in Port-of-Spain in April 2008. Both of them faced 25 balls, but failed to score a run. Another Sri Lankan, Kosala Kuruppuarachchi, faced at least 20 balls without scoring in his two Tests, but ESPNcricinfo's database does not show the balls-faced details for the first of his two innings of 0 not out, against Pakistan in Colombo in March 1986. The old Lancashire and England fast bowler Arthur Mold had three scoreless innings during the 1893 Ashes series, during which time 11 runs were added at the other end, so he might just have faced more deliveries. Keep an eye on Pakistan's Imran Khan, though: he has now played seven Tests without scoring a run - four more than anyone else - and has so far faced ten balls during his four innings (two of them not-outs).
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Steven Lynch is the editor of the updated edition of Wisden on the Ashes