Matches (13)
IPL (2)
SA v SL [W] (1)
ACC Premier Cup (6)
Women's QUAD (4)
ESPNcricinfo XI

That's my boy

Father and son pairs to have scored Test hundreds

Steven Lynch
Steven Lynch
24-Nov-2014
Chris Broad with five-year-old Stuart at Trent Bridge  •  PA Photos

Chris Broad with five-year-old Stuart at Trent Bridge  •  PA Photos

Amarnath
Pride of place has to go to the Amarnath family. Not content with making India's first Test century - on his debut, against England in Bombay in 1933-34 - the legendary Lala Amarnath then produced not one but two Test-centurion sons. Surinder emulated his father by scoring a hundred in his first match, against New Zealand in Auckland in 1975-76. Like Lala, Surinder never reached 100 in a Test again - but Mohinder made up for them. After a more modest start (no hundreds in his first 14 Tests, spread over eight years) he really got going, and ended up with 11 Test tons.
Broad
The only English pair on this list. Father Chris made six Test hundreds, four of them in Australia. Son Stuart only has one so far, but it was a biggie - 169 against Pakistan at Lord's in 2010, during a Test-record eighth-wicket stand of 332 with Jonathan Trott after England had been 102 for 7. Stuart also has the little matter of 264 Test wickets under his belt (that's 264 more than Dad).
Mohammad
The only father and son both to reach 200 in Tests. Hanif Mohammad's 12 Test centuries included a triple - an epic 337 against West Indies in Bridgetown in 1957-58 - and 203 not out against New Zealand in Lahore in 1964-65. Son Shoaib Mohammad also made 203 not out - twice! - against India in Lahore in 1989-90, and New Zealand in Karachi the following season. Hanif is remembered as Pakistan's first great batsman - but Shoaib (who scored seven Test hundreds in all) actually out-averaged his father, 44.34 to 43.98.
Hadlee
Walter Hadlee played 11 Tests for New Zealand either side of the Second World War, scoring 116 in a draw against England in Christchurch in 1946-47. Three of his five sons also played for New Zealand, but only Richard joined him as a Test centurion. Junior made two of them (plus a 99), including an unbeaten 151 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 1986-87. Rather more importantly, he took 431 wickets.
Pataudi
The Nawabs of Pataudi uniquely made their Test centuries for different teams. Iftikhar, the senior, made 102 on debut for England, in the first Test of the 1932-33 Bodyline tour in Sydney. He later captained India but was past his best by then and didn't reach three figures for them. That honour was left to his son, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who overcame the handicap of an accident that cost him an eye to score six Test centuries, including 203 not out against England in Delhi in 1963-64.
Marsh
Geoff Marsh played 50 Tests for Australia, making four Test centuries between 1985 and 1992. Two of his sons have also played for Australia - "Swampy" was on hand each time to present them with their baggy green caps. Shaun marked his debut by scoring 141 against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in 2011. Recalled earlier this year, he added 148 against South Africa in Centurion. His younger brother, Mitchell Marsh, made his Test debut against Pakistan in Dubai last month, and nearly joined the hundred club with 87 in his second match, in Abu Dhabi.
Nazar
Nazar Mohammad carried his bat in the course of making 124, Pakistan's first Test century, in an innings victory over India in Lucknow in 1952-53. That was his only Test series, but his son Mudassar Nazar played 76 times and made ten hundreds, six of them (including a double and a 199) against India. His first Test ton - against England in Lahore in 1977-78 - took 557 minutes, a record for slowness.
Rutherford
Ken Rutherford recovered from a horror start - a pair on debut, and only 12 runs in seven attempts in his maiden series, in the West Indies in 1984-85 - to post three hundreds and captain New Zealand in 18 of his 56 Tests. Son Hamish's career path has been rather the opposite: he started by carving 171 against England in Dunedin in 2012-13, but has reached 50 only once in 24 attempts since.
Manjrekar
One of India's early batting stars, Vijay Manjrekar made seven centuries in 55 Tests, including 189 not out against England in Delhi in 1961-62, and an unbeaten 102 in what turned out to be his final Test, against New Zealand in Madras in 1964-65. His son Sanjay might also have played more Tests than he did, but still finished with four hundreds from 37 appearances, including 218 against Pakistan in Lahore in 1989-90, during Sachin Tendulkar's maiden series.
Nourse
The only South African pairing on this list were nothing if not long-lasting. "Old Dave" Nourse played the first of his 45 Tests in 1902-03 and by 1921 had never managed a century, although he had been stranded in the nineties twice. But in Johannesburg that November he made 111, at age 42 - which makes him the oldest man to make a maiden Test hundred. Son Dudley didn't leave it quite so long: he made 231 in his sixth Test, against Australia in Johannesburg in 1935-36. In England in 1951, by now captain and 40 years old, he extended his ninth and last century to 208 - despite a broken thumb - in the first Test at Trent Bridge.
Latham
Rod Latham is best remembered as one of the trio of medium-pacers - nicknamed Dibbly, Dobbly and Wobbly - who dried up the runs and carried New Zealand to the World Cup semi-finals at home in 1992. Although he only played four Test matches, he did manage a century - 119 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 1992-93. And earlier this month his son Tom made the Lathams the 11th and most recent addition to this list when he scored 103 against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi; he followed that with 137 in the second Test in Dubai.

Steven Lynch is the editor of the Wisden Guide to International Cricket 2014. Ask Steven is now on Facebook