Target 399? No worries
Five of the most bizarre List A scorecards of 2014
ESPNcricinfo staff
31-Dec-2014
A double-hundred in one-dayers doesn't always lead your team to victory • Getty Images
Four tons, 800 runs in all, 399 chased down
What led Ben Dunk to his T20 international debut in November was not enough to put up a match-winning total. His 229 not out off 157 balls, with 15 fours and 13 sixes, should have demoralised any team. Not Queensland. Tasmania used only three batsmen to score 398, a total many would consider insurmountable. Not Queensland. An opening stand of 280 in 35.2 overs, with Usman Khawaja's 166 off 110 and Chris Hartley's 142 off 120 led them home. With 16 balls to spare.
What led Ben Dunk to his T20 international debut in November was not enough to put up a match-winning total. His 229 not out off 157 balls, with 15 fours and 13 sixes, should have demoralised any team. Not Queensland. Tasmania used only three batsmen to score 398, a total many would consider insurmountable. Not Queensland. An opening stand of 280 in 35.2 overs, with Usman Khawaja's 166 off 110 and Chris Hartley's 142 off 120 led them home. With 16 balls to spare.
Kent 383, Somerset 371. Kent won by two runs
In one of the high-scoring matches of the year, Somerset fell short of their revised target of 374 by only two runs, after Kent scored a staggering 383. Two Kent batsmen scored hundreds. Somerset put up a tough fight, despite needing 223 from the last 20 overs with five wickets in hand. The most peculiar feature was that not a single Somerset batsman crossed 56. Three got fifties, one got an unbeaten 49, and eight scored in double-digits.
In one of the high-scoring matches of the year, Somerset fell short of their revised target of 374 by only two runs, after Kent scored a staggering 383. Two Kent batsmen scored hundreds. Somerset put up a tough fight, despite needing 223 from the last 20 overs with five wickets in hand. The most peculiar feature was that not a single Somerset batsman crossed 56. Three got fifties, one got an unbeaten 49, and eight scored in double-digits.
Unbeaten hundred, five-for in nine overs. Not enough?
There have been many cases of a player making a hundred and taking a five-for in the same match. But how often is he the only one to make a substantial score and take more than one wicket? When Kerala played Hyderabad in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in November, Ashish Reddy's 5 for 30 in nine overs could not stop Kerala from scoring 321. No other bowler conceded less than six an over. And in reply, no Hyderabad batsman could score more than 27, made by the No. 11, Reddy, who walloped an unbeaten 119 from 107 balls with nine fours and eight sixes. Much to his dismay, his side lost by a massive 133 runs.
There have been many cases of a player making a hundred and taking a five-for in the same match. But how often is he the only one to make a substantial score and take more than one wicket? When Kerala played Hyderabad in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in November, Ashish Reddy's 5 for 30 in nine overs could not stop Kerala from scoring 321. No other bowler conceded less than six an over. And in reply, no Hyderabad batsman could score more than 27, made by the No. 11, Reddy, who walloped an unbeaten 119 from 107 balls with nine fours and eight sixes. Much to his dismay, his side lost by a massive 133 runs.
367. For no loss
Batsmen are a greedy lot and Morne van Wyk and Cameron Delport proved how much in South Africa's Momentum Cup tournament. Van Wyk racked up 175 off 171, Delport 169 off 130, and the total stood an unblemished 367 for 0. Move over, Tendulkar and Dravid. There's a new top List A partnership in town. But that might have ended up as mere consolation as Knights opener Reeza Hendricks, unbelievably, hit the highest score of the match - 181 off 135. Dolphins' nerves lurched as Rudi Second added 107 as well, but the next highest was a mere 12 runs and van Wyk and Delport eventually ended up on the winning side. By only 25 runs.
Batsmen are a greedy lot and Morne van Wyk and Cameron Delport proved how much in South Africa's Momentum Cup tournament. Van Wyk racked up 175 off 171, Delport 169 off 130, and the total stood an unblemished 367 for 0. Move over, Tendulkar and Dravid. There's a new top List A partnership in town. But that might have ended up as mere consolation as Knights opener Reeza Hendricks, unbelievably, hit the highest score of the match - 181 off 135. Dolphins' nerves lurched as Rudi Second added 107 as well, but the next highest was a mere 12 runs and van Wyk and Delport eventually ended up on the winning side. By only 25 runs.
A century in boundaries
A list of bizarre scorecards without a mention of Pakistan domestic cricket? No way. In the President's Cup Shahzaib Hasan hunted down 148 runs for Port Qasim Authority in 12.2 overs. He slammed 112 off 44 balls and needed to run only eight, as 104 came in boundaries. He smashed 11 fours - the whole State Bank of Pakistan team got only 12 - and 10 sixes, which was 10 times as much as the opposition.
A list of bizarre scorecards without a mention of Pakistan domestic cricket? No way. In the President's Cup Shahzaib Hasan hunted down 148 runs for Port Qasim Authority in 12.2 overs. He slammed 112 off 44 balls and needed to run only eight, as 104 came in boundaries. He smashed 11 fours - the whole State Bank of Pakistan team got only 12 - and 10 sixes, which was 10 times as much as the opposition.
Honourable Mentions