A hundred after a ninety on debut
And how many cricketers played 100 Tests but never made a fifty?
Steven Lynch
10-Oct-2017
Stanley Jackson made 91 in his very first Test innings, 5 in the next, and 103 in the next Test • PA Photos
Aiden Markram scored a century in his second Test, after being out in the nineties in his first. Has anyone else done this? asked Cameron Bishop from South Africa
Aiden Markram who followed 97 against Bangladesh in Potchefstroom with 143 in Bloemfontein, was actually the fifth batsman to atone for a near-miss ninety in his first Test by making sure of a century in his second. Stanley Jackson made 91 on his debut, for England against Australia at Lord's in 1893, and 103 in the next Test, at The Oval. Frank Worrell made 97 in his first Test for West Indies, against England in Port-of-Spain in 1947-48, and 131 not out in the next Test, in Georgetown. Another West Indian, John Holt, made 94 on debut against England in Kingston in 1953-54, and 166 in the next match, in Bridgetown. And after Colin Milburn made 94 on debut for England against West Indies at Old Trafford in 1966, he cracked an undefeated 126 in the next Test, at Lord's.
Aiden Markram who followed 97 against Bangladesh in Potchefstroom with 143 in Bloemfontein, was actually the fifth batsman to atone for a near-miss ninety in his first Test by making sure of a century in his second. Stanley Jackson made 91 on his debut, for England against Australia at Lord's in 1893, and 103 in the next Test, at The Oval. Frank Worrell made 97 in his first Test for West Indies, against England in Port-of-Spain in 1947-48, and 131 not out in the next Test, in Georgetown. Another West Indian, John Holt, made 94 on debut against England in Kingston in 1953-54, and 166 in the next match, in Bridgetown. And after Colin Milburn made 94 on debut for England against West Indies at Old Trafford in 1966, he cracked an undefeated 126 in the next Test, at Lord's.
Two players have followed up a dismissal in the nineties by making a century in the second innings of their first Test: England's Paul Gibb, against South Africa in Johannesburg in 1938-39, and Gordon Greenidge, for West Indies v India in Bangalore in 1974-75.
Mehidy Hasan finished with none for 247 in the first Test against South Africa. Has anyone conceded more runs in a Test match without taking a wicket? asked Bilal Hossain from Bangladesh
Offspinner Mehidy Hasan toiled away for figures of 0 for 178 and 0 for 69 in Bangladesh's first Test against South Africa in Potchefstroom last week. Only two bowlers have conceded more in a Test without the consolation of a wicket: the South African legspinner Imran Tahir went for 260 runs - 0 for 180 and 0 for 80 - against Australia in Adelaide in 2012-13, while seamer Khan Mohammad had figures of 0 for 259 in West Indies' only innings in Kingston in 1957-58. Poor Khan toiled through 54 overs as a depleted Pakistan attack conceded 790 for 3, with Garry Sobers hammering 365 not out. For the full list of the most runs conceded in a Test, click here.
Offspinner Mehidy Hasan toiled away for figures of 0 for 178 and 0 for 69 in Bangladesh's first Test against South Africa in Potchefstroom last week. Only two bowlers have conceded more in a Test without the consolation of a wicket: the South African legspinner Imran Tahir went for 260 runs - 0 for 180 and 0 for 80 - against Australia in Adelaide in 2012-13, while seamer Khan Mohammad had figures of 0 for 259 in West Indies' only innings in Kingston in 1957-58. Poor Khan toiled through 54 overs as a depleted Pakistan attack conceded 790 for 3, with Garry Sobers hammering 365 not out. For the full list of the most runs conceded in a Test, click here.
Of the batsmen who have scored 1000 runs before the end of May in an English season, who's the only left-hander? asked Derek Marchant from England
There have been only nine occasions in which a batsman has passed 1000 first-class runs in an English season before the end of May. And the only left-hander among them is perhaps the least famous of the group: Charlie Hallows, of Lancashire, who achieved the feat in May 1928. He went into the last match, against Sussex at Old Trafford, needing 232 runs to complete the feat - and was out on the second day (May 31) for exactly 232. Wisden reported that his "memorable innings" was "marred only by a chance when 175". Hallows had had a near-miss the year before, scoring 925 runs in May 1927.
There have been only nine occasions in which a batsman has passed 1000 first-class runs in an English season before the end of May. And the only left-hander among them is perhaps the least famous of the group: Charlie Hallows, of Lancashire, who achieved the feat in May 1928. He went into the last match, against Sussex at Old Trafford, needing 232 runs to complete the feat - and was out on the second day (May 31) for exactly 232. Wisden reported that his "memorable innings" was "marred only by a chance when 175". Hallows had had a near-miss the year before, scoring 925 runs in May 1927.
The other batsmen to reach 1000 runs before the end of May in an English season are WG Grace (1895), Tom Hayward (1900), Wally Hammond (1927), Don Bradman (1930 and 1938), Bill Edrich (1938), Glenn Turner (1973) and Graeme Hick (1988). Only three of these - Grace, Hammond and Hallows - actually scored a thousand runs during May; the others had some innings in April. With the season now starting at the end of March, it's rather a surprise that no one has yet added their name to this famous list.
The most runs in any calendar month in England is 1294, by Len Hutton in June 1949. He also made 1050 runs that August, to become the only man ever to score a thousand in two separate months of the same year.
Has anyone played more than 100 Tests without ever scoring a hundred, or even a fifty? asked David Dudgeon from Japan
There are currently 66 players who have played in 100 or more Tests. Of these, only six never scored a century: Shane Warne (145 matches, with a highest score of 99), Muttiah Muralitharan (133 matches, HS 67), Courtney Walsh (132, 30 not out), Jimmy Anderson (129 so far, 81), Glenn McGrath (124, 61) and Makhaya Ntini (101, 32 not out). From this you can see that the only ones who never made a fifty were Walsh and Ntini - but they did manage over 900 wickets between them.
There are currently 66 players who have played in 100 or more Tests. Of these, only six never scored a century: Shane Warne (145 matches, with a highest score of 99), Muttiah Muralitharan (133 matches, HS 67), Courtney Walsh (132, 30 not out), Jimmy Anderson (129 so far, 81), Glenn McGrath (124, 61) and Makhaya Ntini (101, 32 not out). From this you can see that the only ones who never made a fifty were Walsh and Ntini - but they did manage over 900 wickets between them.
Turning your query round, 15 of the 66 hundred-cap men never took a Test wicket: Kumar Sangakkara (134 matches), Alec Stewart (133), Brian Lara (131), Inzamam-ul-Haq (120), Ian Healy (119), Dilip Vengsarkar (116), Colin Cowdrey (114), Stephen Fleming (111), Hashim Amla (109 so far), Gordon Greenidge (108), David Boon (107), Justin Langer (105), Matthew Hayden (103), Graham Thorpe (100) and Andrew Strauss (100). Of these, Healy, Fleming and Strauss never even bowled in a Test match.
How often has the first-innings score in a Test match been a tie? asked Vikram Tirupati from India
There have now been eight Tests in which the teams were level after the first innings, the most recent coming at Headingley in 2015, when New Zealand and England both totalled 350 first time round. The highest total involved is 593, by West Indies (who declared five down) and England (all out) in St John's, Antigua, in 1993-94 (the match in which Brian Lara scored 375).
There have now been eight Tests in which the teams were level after the first innings, the most recent coming at Headingley in 2015, when New Zealand and England both totalled 350 first time round. The highest total involved is 593, by West Indies (who declared five down) and England (all out) in St John's, Antigua, in 1993-94 (the match in which Brian Lara scored 375).
The first such instance was at the old Lord's ground in Durban in 1909-10, when South Africa and England both made 199 in their first innings. And it has happened since in Kanpur in 1958-59 (West Indies and India 222), Auckland in 1972-73 (Pakistan and New Zealand 402), Kingston in 1972-73 (Australia 428 for 7 declared, West Indies 428), Edgbaston in 1986 (England and India 390), and St John's in 2002-03 (Australia and West Indies 240).
Steven Lynch is the editor of the updated edition of Wisden on the Ashes