A Hungarian, and hungry for runs
Also: Amit Mishra's runless streak, Geoff Griffin's Lord's tragedy, and top-scoring No. 9s
Steven Lynch
21-Jun-2011
Geoff Griffin, the first bowler to be no-balled for throwing at Lord's, resorted to underarm bowling during the innings • PA Photos
I have been writing a cricket blog in Hungary (at krikett.blog.nepsport.hu) since October 2010. Cricket is not well known here, and I try to do something about that with this blog. Have there been any first-class players of Hungarian origin? asked Gergely Krenn from Hungary
Several Australian players of recent vintage have had family roots in eastern Europe - including Michael Kasprowicz (Poland), Simon Katich (Croatia) and Len Pascoe (Macedonia) - although they weren't actually born there. And they didn't come from Hungary: it took a while to track down a first-class player with ancestors from there, but we eventually unearthed Jason Voros, an Australian fast bowler of Hungarian extraction who played one first-class match for Sussex in 2004. I also remember a wicketkeeper called Bronko D'Jura touring England with the Australia Young Cricketers side in 1983 (a team captained by Mike Veletta and also including Craig McDermott and Tony Dodemaide), but I haven't been able to establish where his ancestors came from. D'Jura later forsook cricket for rugby league with South Sydney.
Several Australian players of recent vintage have had family roots in eastern Europe - including Michael Kasprowicz (Poland), Simon Katich (Croatia) and Len Pascoe (Macedonia) - although they weren't actually born there. And they didn't come from Hungary: it took a while to track down a first-class player with ancestors from there, but we eventually unearthed Jason Voros, an Australian fast bowler of Hungarian extraction who played one first-class match for Sussex in 2004. I also remember a wicketkeeper called Bronko D'Jura touring England with the Australia Young Cricketers side in 1983 (a team captained by Mike Veletta and also including Craig McDermott and Tony Dodemaide), but I haven't been able to establish where his ancestors came from. D'Jura later forsook cricket for rugby league with South Sydney.
Who holds the record for scoring the most runs in a year in one-day internationals - that's any period of 365 days, not just a calendar year? asked Rahul Agarwal via Facebook
I was just scratching my head over how to work out this particular query, when an indefatigable Facebooker, Muhammad Asim, posted a list. An Indian batsman occupies the first three positions in this particular table - and it's probably not the man you might expect: Sourav Ganguly scored 2200 runs in 48 one-day internationals between March 22, 1999 and March 20, 2000. Ganguly also managed 2122 and 2097 runs in one-year periods around the same time (starting in March 1999), and then comes Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 2077 runs in 40 ODIs between December 11, 1997 and December 10, 1998. Rahul Dravid made 1928 runs in precisely the same time period as Ganguly's record, and the first non-Indian is Marvan Atapattu, who made 1844 runs in 50 ODIs between April 8, 2002 and April 7, 2003.
I was just scratching my head over how to work out this particular query, when an indefatigable Facebooker, Muhammad Asim, posted a list. An Indian batsman occupies the first three positions in this particular table - and it's probably not the man you might expect: Sourav Ganguly scored 2200 runs in 48 one-day internationals between March 22, 1999 and March 20, 2000. Ganguly also managed 2122 and 2097 runs in one-year periods around the same time (starting in March 1999), and then comes Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 2077 runs in 40 ODIs between December 11, 1997 and December 10, 1998. Rahul Dravid made 1928 runs in precisely the same time period as Ganguly's record, and the first non-Indian is Marvan Atapattu, who made 1844 runs in 50 ODIs between April 8, 2002 and April 7, 2003.
Amit Mishra has played 13 one-day internationals, and has yet to score a run. Is this a record? asked Dinesh Chelvathurai from Australia
You obviously wrote this before Amit Mishra's 14th one-day international, in Antigua last week, in which he scored 5 not out! Rather surprisingly, perhaps, Mishra's 13 ODIs without scoring a run is not even an Indian record: Sreesanth did not score a run until his 16th one-day international (his fourth innings). The overall record for one-day internationals is held by the Australian fast bowler Doug Bollinger, who did not score a run until his 20th match, in New Zealand in March 2010.
You obviously wrote this before Amit Mishra's 14th one-day international, in Antigua last week, in which he scored 5 not out! Rather surprisingly, perhaps, Mishra's 13 ODIs without scoring a run is not even an Indian record: Sreesanth did not score a run until his 16th one-day international (his fourth innings). The overall record for one-day internationals is held by the Australian fast bowler Doug Bollinger, who did not score a run until his 20th match, in New Zealand in March 2010.
Who is the only player to be no-balled for throwing in a Test at Lord's? asked Jude Franco from India
This was the South African fast bowler Geoff Griffin, who had the bittersweet experience, in June 1960, of taking the only hat-trick in a Test at Lord's, while also becoming the first to be called for throwing there. Wisden summed up: "Griffin was called 11 times during the course of the England innings, all by F. S. Lee at square leg. Then, when the match ended at 2.25 p.m. on the fourth day, an exhibition game took place and Griffin's only over consisted of 11 balls. S. Buller no-balled him for throwing four times out of five. On the advice of his captain, McGlew, who had spoken to Buller, Griffin changed to underarm bowling, but was promptly no-balled again by Lee for forgetting to notify the batsman of his change of action. Griffin's last three balls were bowled underarm."
This was the South African fast bowler Geoff Griffin, who had the bittersweet experience, in June 1960, of taking the only hat-trick in a Test at Lord's, while also becoming the first to be called for throwing there. Wisden summed up: "Griffin was called 11 times during the course of the England innings, all by F. S. Lee at square leg. Then, when the match ended at 2.25 p.m. on the fourth day, an exhibition game took place and Griffin's only over consisted of 11 balls. S. Buller no-balled him for throwing four times out of five. On the advice of his captain, McGlew, who had spoken to Buller, Griffin changed to underarm bowling, but was promptly no-balled again by Lee for forgetting to notify the batsman of his change of action. Griffin's last three balls were bowled underarm."
After this traumatic experience, Griffin never played another Test, although he did remain on that 1960 tour, playing solely as a batsman.
Who is the only man to appear in more than 100 Tests without ever playing in a one-day international? asked Seena John from Nigeria
Actually all the 50 players who have so far won 100 or more Test caps have appeared in one-day internationals as well. Colin Cowdrey, the first man to win a century of Test caps, played just one ODI - the first one of all in Melbourne in 1970-71 - while Justin Langer played only eight, to go with 105 Test caps.
Actually all the 50 players who have so far won 100 or more Test caps have appeared in one-day internationals as well. Colin Cowdrey, the first man to win a century of Test caps, played just one ODI - the first one of all in Melbourne in 1970-71 - while Justin Langer played only eight, to go with 105 Test caps.
In a recent one-day international against India, Andre Russell of West Indies scored 92 not out from No. 9 - is this the highest score from that position in the order? asked Allan Alexander from the United States
Andre Russell's 92 not out against India in Antigua last week was indeed the highest score by a No. 9 in one-day internationals, beating 69 not out by Jai Prakash Yadav for India against New Zealand in Bulawayo in August 2005. Funnily enough I noticed a couple of weeks ago that Yadav's score, while a record for a No. 9 at the time, had been exceeded by a No. 10 (Mohammad Amir's 73 not out for Pakistan v New Zealand in Abu Dhabi in November 2009). Now, however, the No. 9 record is higher than the No. 8 (Thomas Odoyo's 84 for Kenya v Bangladesh in Nairobi in August 2006). For a full list of the highest scores from each batting position, click here.
Andre Russell's 92 not out against India in Antigua last week was indeed the highest score by a No. 9 in one-day internationals, beating 69 not out by Jai Prakash Yadav for India against New Zealand in Bulawayo in August 2005. Funnily enough I noticed a couple of weeks ago that Yadav's score, while a record for a No. 9 at the time, had been exceeded by a No. 10 (Mohammad Amir's 73 not out for Pakistan v New Zealand in Abu Dhabi in November 2009). Now, however, the No. 9 record is higher than the No. 8 (Thomas Odoyo's 84 for Kenya v Bangladesh in Nairobi in August 2006). For a full list of the highest scores from each batting position, click here.
Steven Lynch is the editor of the Wisden Guide to International Cricket 2011. Ask Steven is now on Facebook