Is Imran Tahir the fastest to 150 wickets in ODIs?
Also: who took the most number of matches to score a century in ODIs?
Steven Lynch
06-Nov-2018
Imran Tahir bagged his 150th wicket in his 89th ODI • Getty Images
Milind Kumar scored 261 in his team's 372 last week. Is this the highest percentage of any team's innings? asked Vinay Goyal from India
Milind Kumar's 261 last week, in Sikkim's innings victory over Manipur in their Ranji Trophy match in Kolkata, represented 70.16% of the total of 372, and rescued Sikkim from 15 for 5. Rather surprisingly, perhaps, there have been 37 higher all-out innings in first-class cricket in which one batsman has contributed a higher percentage of the runs.
Milind Kumar's 261 last week, in Sikkim's innings victory over Manipur in their Ranji Trophy match in Kolkata, represented 70.16% of the total of 372, and rescued Sikkim from 15 for 5. Rather surprisingly, perhaps, there have been 37 higher all-out innings in first-class cricket in which one batsman has contributed a higher percentage of the runs.
Highest of all is 83.43%, by Glenn Turner, in the course of making 141 out of Worcestershire's 169 against Glamorgan in Swansea in 1977 (the next-highest score was 7). Next comes Gerrie Snyman's 230 out of 282 (81.56%) for Namibia against Kenya in an Intercontinental Cup match in Sharjah in 2007-08.
Only two players have made a higher percentage of the total while scoring more than Kumar's 261. Vijay Hazare scored 309 in the Rest's total of 387, as they followed on against the Hindus in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1943-44, which represented 79.84% of the innings total, while Bert Sutcliffe made 385 of Otago's 500 (77%) against Canterbury in Christchurch in 1952-53.
There have been two higher percentages than Turner's in innings in which not all the wickets went down. In a tour match against the Australians at The Oval in 1938, the Surrey opener Laurie Fishlock made 93 in a total of 104 for 1 (89.42%), while at Trent Bridge in 1913, George Gunn hit an undefeated 109 of Nottinghamshire's 129 for 3 (84.5%) against Yorkshire.
Was Imran Tahir the fastest bowler to reach 150 wickets in one-day internationals? asked Brent Matthews from South Africa
The bouncy South African legspinner Imran Tahir took his 150th ODI wicket (Alex Carey) during the demolition of Australia in Perth over the weekend. It was his 89th match, which equalled the South African record, held by Allan Donald and Morne Morkel (Morkel's haul includes eight in three games for the Africa XI; he took 91 matches to reach 150 for South Africa alone). Three bowlers have reached 150 ODI wickets even quicker: Saqlain Mushtaq of Pakistan needed only 78 matches to get there, Australia's Brett Lee 82, and Ajantha Mendis of Sri Lanka 84.
The bouncy South African legspinner Imran Tahir took his 150th ODI wicket (Alex Carey) during the demolition of Australia in Perth over the weekend. It was his 89th match, which equalled the South African record, held by Allan Donald and Morne Morkel (Morkel's haul includes eight in three games for the Africa XI; he took 91 matches to reach 150 for South Africa alone). Three bowlers have reached 150 ODI wickets even quicker: Saqlain Mushtaq of Pakistan needed only 78 matches to get there, Australia's Brett Lee 82, and Ajantha Mendis of Sri Lanka 84.
What's the highest score by anyone on Test debut? And how many people have scored 150 or more? asked Kiran Chavan from India
The highest score by anyone on their Test debut remains 287, by England's Reginald "Tip" Foster, against Australia in Sydney in 1903-04. There have been four other debut double-centuries: Jacques Rudolph made 222 not out for South Africa against Bangladesh in Chittagong in 2002-03, Lawrence Rowe 214 (and 100 not out) for West Indies v New Zealand in Kingston in 1971-72, Mathew Sinclair 214 for New Zealand v West Indies in Wellington in 1999-2000, and Brendon Kuruppu 201 not out for Sri Lanka v New Zealand in Colombo in 1986-87. And, turning to the women, Michelle Goszko made 204 on her Test debut for Australia, against England in Shenley in 2001.
The highest score by anyone on their Test debut remains 287, by England's Reginald "Tip" Foster, against Australia in Sydney in 1903-04. There have been four other debut double-centuries: Jacques Rudolph made 222 not out for South Africa against Bangladesh in Chittagong in 2002-03, Lawrence Rowe 214 (and 100 not out) for West Indies v New Zealand in Kingston in 1971-72, Mathew Sinclair 214 for New Zealand v West Indies in Wellington in 1999-2000, and Brendon Kuruppu 201 not out for Sri Lanka v New Zealand in Colombo in 1986-87. And, turning to the women, Michelle Goszko made 204 on her Test debut for Australia, against England in Shenley in 2001.
In all, 22 men have marked their Test debut with an innings of 150 or more. Goszko is the only woman.
Who took the longest, in terms of matches, to score a century in one-day internationals? And take five wickets in an innings? asked Simon Kember from England
Two South Africans lead the way here: Shaun Pollock finally scored a century in his 285th one-day international (190th innings), while Mark Boucher got one in his 220th match (160th innings). Next is a rather surprising name: Steve Waugh didn't make an ODI century until his 187th match (167th innings). Six other players had at least 100 innings before scoring a century: Elton Chigumbura (159), Arjuna Ranatunga (144), Angelo Mathews (115), Brendon McCullum (109), John Wright (103) and Sunil Gavaskar (100).
Two South Africans lead the way here: Shaun Pollock finally scored a century in his 285th one-day international (190th innings), while Mark Boucher got one in his 220th match (160th innings). Next is a rather surprising name: Steve Waugh didn't make an ODI century until his 187th match (167th innings). Six other players had at least 100 innings before scoring a century: Elton Chigumbura (159), Arjuna Ranatunga (144), Angelo Mathews (115), Brendon McCullum (109), John Wright (103) and Sunil Gavaskar (100).
The longest wait for an ODI five-for is 268 matches, by Yuvraj Singh, who finally took 5 for 31 for India against Ireland in Bengaluru during the 2011 World Cup. It was the 144th match in which he'd bowled. Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh (156) and Prosper Utseya of Zimbabwe (154) bowled in more innings than Yuvraj before registering a five-for.
Virat Kohli scored 453 runs in the recent ODI series against West Indies. Was this a record for a bilateral series? asked Tamal Datta from India
There have been eight higher aggregates in bilateral one-day series, but I don't suppose Virat Kohli will be too upset by that, as he still sits on top of the list: he made 558 runs in six matches, at the whopping average of 186, in South Africa earlier this year. Second on the list is Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman, who made 515 runs in five matches in Zimbabwe, also in 2018.
There have been eight higher aggregates in bilateral one-day series, but I don't suppose Virat Kohli will be too upset by that, as he still sits on top of the list: he made 558 runs in six matches, at the whopping average of 186, in South Africa earlier this year. Second on the list is Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman, who made 515 runs in five matches in Zimbabwe, also in 2018.
The most in any multi-team ODI series is 686 runs, by Greg Chappell, in 14 matches in the World Series Cup in Australia in 1980-81 (the tournament also included India and New Zealand). The World Cup record is 673, by Sachin Tendulkar, in 11 matches for India in the 2003 tournament.
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Steven Lynch is the editor of the updated edition of Wisden on the Ashes