Is Nathan Coulter-Nile's 92 the highest score by a No. 8 in the World Cup?
Also, who's the oldest surviving man to have played in the tournament? And the youngest?
Nathan Coulter-Nile's 92 beat out Heath Streak's 72 in 2003 as the highest score by a No. 8 in the World Cup • Getty Images
The oldest living survivor of a World Cup match is the Indian-born slow left-armer Parbhu Nana, who is now 85. Born in August 1933, he played in all three of East Africa's matches in the inaugural World Cup in 1975, going for a fraction above four runs an over but taking just one wicket (New Zealand's John Morrison at Edgbaston).
That fine innings by Australia's Nathan Coulter-Nile in the seesaw World Cup match against West Indies at Trent Bridge the other day was indeed the highest score by a No. 8 in the World Cup. It beat the previous mark by 20: Heath Streak hit 72 not out for Zimbabwe against New Zealand in Bloemfontein in 2003. Coulter-Nile not only obliterated his previous highest one-day best (34), but also went well past his highest first-class score, 64 for Western Australia against Tasmania in October 2014.
Although Sachin Tendulkar isn't the answer here - he was a veteran of nearly 19 at the first of his record-equalling six World Cups in 1992 - the man concerned did at least have "Tendulkar" as one of nicknames, presumably on account of his youth. The Canadian right-hander Nitish Kumar was only 16 when he played in three of Canada's matches at the 2011 World Cup. The nickname didn't help much: Kumar managed only ten runs in three innings. He's still playing for Canada, and took part in the recent ICC World Cricket League Division Two tournament in Namibia.
All ten Australian wickets at Trent Bridge last week fell to catches, the highlight that astonishing boundary-riding grab-and-juggle by Sheldon Cottrell. This was the seventh time this had happened at the World Cup. Before 2015, there had been only two instances of ten catches in an innings: by West Indies against New Zealand in Southampton in 1999, and by Ireland in their upset St Patrick's Day victory over Pakistan in Kingston in 2007.
When on song, South Africa's Hashim Amla is among the most graceful of batsmen - but, from my vague memory of a couple of his nine unsuccessful overs in Tests, you can't really say the same of his bowling. In all first-class cricket, he has taken one wicket for 277 - so his average is 277 - but the man concerned was a Test player himself. It came during a drawn A team Test in Kimberley in 2001-02, when Amla boasted figures of 1-0-10-1 after having the Indian wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel caught for 69.
Steven Lynch is the editor of the updated edition of Wisden on the Ashes