Why did South Africa change their kit between the first and second World Cup matches?
And have opening batsman ever been out for ducks in the World Cup before?
Steven Lynch
04-Jun-2019
South Africa debuted sported their yellow away kit for their second match, against Bangladesh, while they played their first match, against England, in their green home jerseys • Getty Images
Imran Tahir bowled the first over of the 2019 World Cup. Was this a first for a legspinner? asked Paramjit Das from India
The canny decision to give South Africa's Imran Tahir the first over of the World Cup opener against England at The Oval - he dismissed Jonny Bairstow second ball - was the first time the tournament's opening over had been entrusted to a spinner, whether bowling legbreaks or offspin. In fact, it was the first time the initial over had been bowled by anyone other than a right-arm seamer, even taking into account that the first three World Cups started with four matches on the same day.
The canny decision to give South Africa's Imran Tahir the first over of the World Cup opener against England at The Oval - he dismissed Jonny Bairstow second ball - was the first time the tournament's opening over had been entrusted to a spinner, whether bowling legbreaks or offspin. In fact, it was the first time the initial over had been bowled by anyone other than a right-arm seamer, even taking into account that the first three World Cups started with four matches on the same day.
My favourite stat in this area is that Sri Lanka's Nuwan Kulasekara bowled the last ball of the 2011 World Cup - MS Dhoni hit it for six to win the final in Mumbai - and the first delivery of the 2015 edition, against New Zealand in Christchurch.
Both Afghanistan's openers were out for ducks against Australia. Has this happened before in the World Cup? asked Michael Green from England
Mohammad Shahzad (third ball) and Hazratullah Zazai (second) both departed for ducks early on during Afghanistan's match against Australia in Bristol the other day. This was the fifth such instance in the World Cup. The first was in 1983, by Pakistan against New Zealand at Edgbaston: Mohsin Khan and Mudassar Nazar were both out for ducks; in between Zaheer Abbas was also out without scoring as Pakistan crashed to 0 for 3.
Mohammad Shahzad (third ball) and Hazratullah Zazai (second) both departed for ducks early on during Afghanistan's match against Australia in Bristol the other day. This was the fifth such instance in the World Cup. The first was in 1983, by Pakistan against New Zealand at Edgbaston: Mohsin Khan and Mudassar Nazar were both out for ducks; in between Zaheer Abbas was also out without scoring as Pakistan crashed to 0 for 3.
A week later, India lost Sunil Gavaskar and Kris Srikkanth before they had scored against Zimbabwe in Tunbridge Wells - that famous match in which the eventual champions were rescued by Kapil Dev, who smote 175 not out from No. 6 after coming in at 9 for 4.
The double didn't occur again for 16 years, when Bruce Patterson and 40-year-old Ian Philip fell without scoring for Scotland against Pakistan in Chester-le-Street in 1999. And it happened again in Dunedin in 2015, when Sri Lanka's openers Lahiru Thirimanne and Tillakaratne Dilshan both bagged golden ducks against Afghanistan.
Why did South Africa change the colour of their kit between the first and second World Cup matches? asked David Bright from Scotland
For the first time in a World Cup, the ICC has decided that teams should wear contrasting kits - so when two sides meet whose kit colour is predominantly the same, one of them has to change. With South Africa and Bangladesh both usually wearing green clothing, something had to give for their match at The Oval. According to the ICC, it was agreed before the tournament what colour clothing each side would wear in each match, and South Africa opted to wear the yellow kit for their games against Bangladesh and Pakistan.
For the first time in a World Cup, the ICC has decided that teams should wear contrasting kits - so when two sides meet whose kit colour is predominantly the same, one of them has to change. With South Africa and Bangladesh both usually wearing green clothing, something had to give for their match at The Oval. According to the ICC, it was agreed before the tournament what colour clothing each side would wear in each match, and South Africa opted to wear the yellow kit for their games against Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Less than 36 overs were bowled in the match between West Indies and Pakistan in Nottingham. Was this the shortest World Cup match ever? asked Sumit Kumar from the United Arab Emirates
That disappointing match between West Indies and Pakistan at Trent Bridge, which was over before the scheduled lunch interval, lasted just 35.2 overs - 212 balls - in all. Rather surprisingly, perhaps, there have been three shorter World Cup games with a positive result. Shortest of all, at just 140 deliveries, was the mismatch between Canada (36 all out in 18.4 overs) and Sri Lanka (37 for 1 in 4.4) in Paarl in 2003.
That disappointing match between West Indies and Pakistan at Trent Bridge, which was over before the scheduled lunch interval, lasted just 35.2 overs - 212 balls - in all. Rather surprisingly, perhaps, there have been three shorter World Cup games with a positive result. Shortest of all, at just 140 deliveries, was the mismatch between Canada (36 all out in 18.4 overs) and Sri Lanka (37 for 1 in 4.4) in Paarl in 2003.
The match between Bangladesh (58 all out in 18.5 overs) and West Indies (59 for 1 in 12.2) in Mirpur in 2011 lasted just 187 balls, while the encounter a few days earlier between Kenya (69 in 23.5 overs) and New Zealand (72 for none in eight) in Chennai was done and dusted in 191.
After five matches of this World Cup, we still haven't had an individual century. Is this the slowest such start? asked Martin Lee from Australia
You're right in thinking that most of the previous World Cups featured a century in the first game (or one of the opening round), but after five matches of this one - to the end of Bangladesh v South Africa at The Oval - no one has yet made it into the nineties. But the previous World Cup in England, in 1999, also featured a shortage of hundreds to start with: there were none in the first 14 matches, until Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid broke the drought against Kenya in Bristol. In all, in 42 matches in 1999 there were only 11 individual centuries (including two each by Dravid and Saeed Anwar).
You're right in thinking that most of the previous World Cups featured a century in the first game (or one of the opening round), but after five matches of this one - to the end of Bangladesh v South Africa at The Oval - no one has yet made it into the nineties. But the previous World Cup in England, in 1999, also featured a shortage of hundreds to start with: there were none in the first 14 matches, until Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid broke the drought against Kenya in Bristol. In all, in 42 matches in 1999 there were only 11 individual centuries (including two each by Dravid and Saeed Anwar).
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Steven Lynch is the editor of the updated edition of Wisden on the Ashes