Ask Steven

The 99 syndrome, and zero ODI runs

Plus: the youngest to 2000 ODI runs, and the highest totals without a century stand

Steven Lynch
Steven Lynch
09-Feb-2016
Shahid Afridi was in his teens when he crossed 2000 runs in ODIs  •  Getty Images

Shahid Afridi was in his teens when he crossed 2000 runs in ODIs  •  Getty Images

Alex Hales scored 99 in an ODI the other day, to go with one in a Twenty20 international. Has anyone else made 99s in more than one international format? asked Lakshmi Narayanan from India
Alex Hales' 99 in the second one-day international against South Africa in Port Elizabeth over the weekend made him the 18th player to have been dismissed for 99 more than once in international cricket. Of those, Geoff Boycott was out for 99 in a Test and an ODI - and also once made 99 not out in a Test. Stephen Fleming of New Zealand, Australia's Matthew Hayden and AB de Villiers of South Africa have also fallen one short in both Tests and ODIs. Richie Richardson (West Indies) was out for 99 twice in Tests, and made 99 not out in an ODI. Zimbabwe's Alistair Campbell, Dean Jones of Australia and India's Virender Sehwag were all out for 99 in Tests, and made 99 not out in ODIs. Sachin Tendulkar was out for 99 three times - all in ODIs. Mike Atherton, Greg Blewett, Sourav Ganguly, Simon Katich, Saleem Malik, MJK Smith and John Wright all made two Test 99s, while Sanath Jayasuriya was twice out for 99 in ODIs. Hales remains the only man so far to be out for 99 in a T20I (against West Indies at Trent Bridge in 2012), although his England team-mate Luke Wright finished with 99 not out against Afghanistan in Colombo later in 2012.
In the first ODI between South Africa and England both wicketkeepers scored a century. Is this unique? asked Siddhartha Kapila from India
Last week's match in Bloemfontein - in which Jos Buttler made 105 and Quinton de Kock 138 not out - was actually the sixth time that both wicketkeepers had scored centuries in the same one-day international. The first occasion was in Jaipur in 2005-06, when Kumar Sangakkara's undefeated 138 for Sri Lanka was trumped by MS Dhoni's 183 not out for India. In August 2007 in Harare AB de Villiers and Tatenda Taibu traded 107s for South Africa and Zimbabwe (Taibu was not out), and de Villiers was at it again in Johannesburg in 2011-12, scoring 125 not out against Sri Lanka, for whom Sangakkara countered with 102. In a World Cup qualifier in Lincoln in New Zealand in January 2014, Wesley Barresi hit 137 not out for Netherlands, and Kenya's Irfan Karim replied with 108. And at Lord's in 2014, Sangakkara made 112 while Buttler cracked 121.
Quinton de Kock reached 2000 runs in the first ODI against England. Is he the youngest to get there? asked Michael Malan from South Africa
At 23 years 48 days, Quinton de Kock is the youngest South African to reach 2000 runs in one-day internationals, undercutting Jacques Kallis by 114 days, or about four months. But de Kock lies only 12th on the overall list: Shahid Afridi was just 19 years 111 days old when he reached 2000 runs in 1999, while Tamim Iqbal and Sachin Tendulkar were both 20. De Kock reached 2000 in his 53rd innings, the third-quickest for South Africa after Hashim Amla (easily the fastest of anyone, in only 40 innings) and Gary Kirsten (50). De Kock's century was his ninth in ODIs, in his 53rd innings; only Amla has reached nine in fewer innings (52).
Was England's 399 for 9 at Bloemfontein the highest ODI total not to feature a century partnership? asked Anand from the United States
The highest partnership in England's big score in Bloemfontein last week was 97, between Joe Root and Jos Buttler for the third wicket. And you're right, 399 is the highest ODI total not to include a century stand. The previous record was set only in June, when the biggest partnership in England's 365 for 9 against New Zealand at The Oval was 96, by Buttler and Eoin Morgan. Before that, the mark stood at 358 for 6, by New Zealand against Canada in the 2011 World Cup in Mumbai (highest partnership also 96).
Josh Hazlewood played his 16th ODI on February 6, and still hasn't scored any runs. Is this a record? asked Jimmy Haslam from Australia
Josh Hazlewood still has a little way to go to break this particular record, which is held by another Australian fast bowler. Left-armer Doug Bollinger didn't score a run till his 20th one-day international, coincidentally also in New Zealand, in 2009-10. It was only his third innings, though; Hazlewood has had two - both 0 not outs - in his first 16 ODIs. Sreesanth, the Indian paceman, didn't score his first run until his 16th ODI, in May 2006. In T20Is the record is held by Krishmar Santokie, the West Indian left-arm medium-pacer, who played 12 matches, batted just once … and made 0 not out.
Is it true that Australia have never won an ODI when they were bowled out inside 50 overs? asked Kiran from India
That one is emphatically not true. Australia have won 24 one-day internationals despite being bowled out after batting first (the list includes three matches in which the tenth wicket fell to the last ball of the 50th over). This particular result seems to be an Asian specialty: India and Sri Lanka have both won 30 ODIs after being bowled out batting first, and Pakistan 28. New Zealand have managed it 17 times, England, South Africa and West Indies 14, Bangladesh 10 and Zimbabwe nine. Associate teams have done it 17 times (Ireland and Kenya four each).
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Steven Lynch is the editor of the updated edition of Wisden on the Ashes