Amla's feats, and innings defeats
Scoring two hundreds in a Test and losing, the most boundaries in an ODI innings, the most runs in a two-Test series, and forewords contributed by the most unlikely people
Steven Lynch
23-Feb-2010
Running riot: Amla stacked 'em up against India, but he isn't the top scorer in a two-Test series • Getty Images
Has anyone ever scored two centuries in a Test before losing by an innings, as Hashim Amla did last week? asked Glenn Rogers from Australia
By scoring 114 and 123 not out for South Africa against India in Kolkata last week South Africa's Hashim Amla became only the ninth batsman ever to score twin centuries in a match his side ended up losing. But two of those also lost by an innings: it happened to India's Vijay Hazare, despite his 116 and 145 against Australia in Adelaide in 1947-48 (Hazare also bowled Don Bradman in that game - but not before the Don had made 201 in Australia's formidable total of 674), while Clyde Walcott made 155 and 110 for West Indies in Kingston in 1954-55, yet Australia still wound up winning by an innings and 82 runs. Spare a thought, too, for Brian Lara, who made 221 and 130 for West Indies in Colombo in 2001-02 - but Sri Lanka still only needed 26 to win in their second innings, a target they reached without losing a wicket.
By scoring 114 and 123 not out for South Africa against India in Kolkata last week South Africa's Hashim Amla became only the ninth batsman ever to score twin centuries in a match his side ended up losing. But two of those also lost by an innings: it happened to India's Vijay Hazare, despite his 116 and 145 against Australia in Adelaide in 1947-48 (Hazare also bowled Don Bradman in that game - but not before the Don had made 201 in Australia's formidable total of 674), while Clyde Walcott made 155 and 110 for West Indies in Kingston in 1954-55, yet Australia still wound up winning by an innings and 82 runs. Spare a thought, too, for Brian Lara, who made 221 and 130 for West Indies in Colombo in 2001-02 - but Sri Lanka still only needed 26 to win in their second innings, a target they reached without losing a wicket.
Is Hashim Amla's 490 runs against India the record for a two-Test series? asked Rossouw Pieterse from South Africa
Rather surprisingly, perhaps, 490 runs puts Hashim Amla only sixth on that particular list. Sanath Jayasuriya leads the way with 571 runs in Sri Lanka's two Tests against India in 1997-98 (he scored 340 in the first, and 32 and 199 in the second). Wally Hammond made 563 runs for England in two Tests in New Zealand in 1932-33 - he was only out once (as was Amla), and his average of 563.00 is the only one in a two-Test series higher than Amla's 490.00. Also ahead of Amla in terms of runs in a two-Test series are Andy Flower (540 for Zimbabwe v India in 2000-01), Mahela Jayawardene (510 for Sri Lanka v South Africa in 2006), and Matthew Hayden (501 for Australia v Zimbabwe in 2003-04).
Rather surprisingly, perhaps, 490 runs puts Hashim Amla only sixth on that particular list. Sanath Jayasuriya leads the way with 571 runs in Sri Lanka's two Tests against India in 1997-98 (he scored 340 in the first, and 32 and 199 in the second). Wally Hammond made 563 runs for England in two Tests in New Zealand in 1932-33 - he was only out once (as was Amla), and his average of 563.00 is the only one in a two-Test series higher than Amla's 490.00. Also ahead of Amla in terms of runs in a two-Test series are Andy Flower (540 for Zimbabwe v India in 2000-01), Mahela Jayawardene (510 for Sri Lanka v South Africa in 2006), and Matthew Hayden (501 for Australia v Zimbabwe in 2003-04).
South Africa won the first Test of the recent series by an innings, then India won the next one by an innings. Has this ever happened before? asked Jerry Willis from Sussex
India's innings victory in the second Test in the recent series was the fourth occasion that a team has bounced back from losing a Test by an innings to win the next one in the series with an innings to spare. The first time was in 1952-53, when Pakistan lost the first Test to India in Delhi - their inaugural Test - by an innings and 70 runs, but won the second, in Lucknow, by an innings and 43. In the 1965-66 Ashes series, England won the third Test in Sydney by an innings and 93, but Australia won the fourth Test in Adelaide by an innings and nine runs. And in England in 1966 West Indies won the fourth Test in Headingley by an innings and 55 runs, only for England to win the fifth Test, at The Oval, by an innings and 34.
India's innings victory in the second Test in the recent series was the fourth occasion that a team has bounced back from losing a Test by an innings to win the next one in the series with an innings to spare. The first time was in 1952-53, when Pakistan lost the first Test to India in Delhi - their inaugural Test - by an innings and 70 runs, but won the second, in Lucknow, by an innings and 43. In the 1965-66 Ashes series, England won the third Test in Sydney by an innings and 93, but Australia won the fourth Test in Adelaide by an innings and nine runs. And in England in 1966 West Indies won the fourth Test in Headingley by an innings and 55 runs, only for England to win the fifth Test, at The Oval, by an innings and 34.
What is the highest number of boundaries by a team in a one-day international innings? asked Ghulam Mohammad from Karachi
The most boundaries in any one-day international innings is 59 - 56 fours and three sixes - by Sri Lanka in their 443 for 7 (the highest ODI total, too) against the Netherlands in Amstelveen in 2006. That makes a total of 242 runs in boundaries - which is not the record for an ODI innings: that is 256 (43 fours and 14 sixes, or 57 boundaries), which was set by Sri Lanka in their World Cup demolition of Kenya in Kandy in 1995-96, and equalled by Australia in their short-lived record score of 434 for 4 against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2005-06. For a full list, click here.
The most boundaries in any one-day international innings is 59 - 56 fours and three sixes - by Sri Lanka in their 443 for 7 (the highest ODI total, too) against the Netherlands in Amstelveen in 2006. That makes a total of 242 runs in boundaries - which is not the record for an ODI innings: that is 256 (43 fours and 14 sixes, or 57 boundaries), which was set by Sri Lanka in their World Cup demolition of Kenya in Kandy in 1995-96, and equalled by Australia in their short-lived record score of 434 for 4 against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2005-06. For a full list, click here.
I noticed from your review of Mark Ramprakash's book that one of the forewords was by Karen Hardy, who was his TV dancing partner and a professional ballroom dancer. Is she the most surprising person to contribute a foreword to a cricket book? asked James Costain from Bristol
Not all cricket books have forewords, although most do these days. Some of the writers are rather predictable - Viv Richards for one of Ian Botham's autobiographies, for example, and Beefy himself for Shane Warne's. Sometimes it's a reciprocal arrangement: the former New Zealand captain Walter Hadlee contributed the foreword for a biography of his former team-mate Martin Donnelly, and when Hadlee later wrote his own story Donnelly did the honours. Being a cricket-loving politician helps: Australia's long-serving prime minister Robert Menzies was persuaded to write the foreword for RS Whitington's biography of Lindsay Hassett, while Britain's John Major proudly put pen to paper for Alan Hill's recent book about the Bedser twins. But my personal nomination for the most off-the-wall choice goes to another Whitington book - his 1954 collaboration with the great Australian allrounder Keith Miller, called Gods or Flannelled Fools (primarily an account of the 1953 England tour), has a foreword by the cellist and conductor Sir John Barbirolli.
Not all cricket books have forewords, although most do these days. Some of the writers are rather predictable - Viv Richards for one of Ian Botham's autobiographies, for example, and Beefy himself for Shane Warne's. Sometimes it's a reciprocal arrangement: the former New Zealand captain Walter Hadlee contributed the foreword for a biography of his former team-mate Martin Donnelly, and when Hadlee later wrote his own story Donnelly did the honours. Being a cricket-loving politician helps: Australia's long-serving prime minister Robert Menzies was persuaded to write the foreword for RS Whitington's biography of Lindsay Hassett, while Britain's John Major proudly put pen to paper for Alan Hill's recent book about the Bedser twins. But my personal nomination for the most off-the-wall choice goes to another Whitington book - his 1954 collaboration with the great Australian allrounder Keith Miller, called Gods or Flannelled Fools (primarily an account of the 1953 England tour), has a foreword by the cellist and conductor Sir John Barbirolli.
And there's an update on last week's question about brothers opposing each other in international cricket, from Hemanga Ranaweera, among others
A number of readers kindly emailed to say that Athula Samarasekera (Sri Lanka) and Johanne Samarasekera (UAE) are not brothers after all, as stated last week. On investigation this does seem to be the case, and we have removed the reference about brothers on their Cricinfo player pages now: sorry for any misinformation over the years. But, by coincidence, there was an even nearer fraternal miss in the same Austral-Asia Cup in 1993-94 in which both Samarasekeras played (though not against each other): in the match against Pakistan in Sharjah, the UAE's joint top-scorers, with 31, were Johanne Samarasekera and Karachi-born Arshad Laeeq. In the Pakistan squad for that tournament was Arshad's brother Athar Laeeq, and, while he never played an official one-day international, he apparently did field as 12th man in this match for a while, while his brother was batting.
A number of readers kindly emailed to say that Athula Samarasekera (Sri Lanka) and Johanne Samarasekera (UAE) are not brothers after all, as stated last week. On investigation this does seem to be the case, and we have removed the reference about brothers on their Cricinfo player pages now: sorry for any misinformation over the years. But, by coincidence, there was an even nearer fraternal miss in the same Austral-Asia Cup in 1993-94 in which both Samarasekeras played (though not against each other): in the match against Pakistan in Sharjah, the UAE's joint top-scorers, with 31, were Johanne Samarasekera and Karachi-born Arshad Laeeq. In the Pakistan squad for that tournament was Arshad's brother Athar Laeeq, and, while he never played an official one-day international, he apparently did field as 12th man in this match for a while, while his brother was batting.
Steven Lynch is the editor of the Cricinfo Guide to International Cricket. If you want to ask Steven a question, use our feedback form. The most interesting questions will be answered here each week