Captains' pairs, and centuries with No. 11s
Plus: the father and son who carried their bats, and the most stumpings in internationals
Steven Lynch
02-Feb-2016
MS Dhoni's 140 international stumpings include 38 in Tests, 89 in ODIs and 13 in T20s • AFP
AB de Villiers bagged a pair in the final Test against England - but South Africa still won. How many times has a captain got a pair but won anyway? asked Edward Howard from England
Against England in Centurion, AB de Villiers became only the 21st man to bag a pair in a Test match in which he was captain, the second from South Africa after Louis Tancred against England at The Oval in 1912. There have been four instances by Australia and West Indies captains, three by Pakistan, two by England, New Zealand and India, and one by Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Of those, de Villiers was only the fourth to end up on the winning side, after Joe Darling (Australia v England in Sheffield in 1902), Nasser Hussain (England v West Indies at The Oval in 2000) and Marvan Atapattu (Sri Lanka v Pakistan in Faisalabad in 2004-05).
Against England in Centurion, AB de Villiers became only the 21st man to bag a pair in a Test match in which he was captain, the second from South Africa after Louis Tancred against England at The Oval in 1912. There have been four instances by Australia and West Indies captains, three by Pakistan, two by England, New Zealand and India, and one by Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Of those, de Villiers was only the fourth to end up on the winning side, after Joe Darling (Australia v England in Sheffield in 1902), Nasser Hussain (England v West Indies at The Oval in 2000) and Marvan Atapattu (Sri Lanka v Pakistan in Faisalabad in 2004-05).
Who scored two Test centuries, completing both of them with the No. 11 at the other end? asked Marcus Porter from England
This cool-headed batsman was Peter Willey, who made two hundreds in his 26 Tests for England between 1976 and 1986. Both centuries came against West Indies, the champion team of the time. The first came at The Oval in 1980: Willey had only 24 when last man Bob Willis joined him at the crease at 92 for 9, but they more than doubled the score in adding 117 - and Ian Botham delayed his declaration until Willey reached 100, from 203 balls in nearly four hours. Eight months later, in the first Test ever played in Antigua, Willey had 69 when No. 11 Graham Dilley came in. Dilley made only 2, but survived for more than an hour, in which time Willey moved to 102 not out, his highest Test score.
This cool-headed batsman was Peter Willey, who made two hundreds in his 26 Tests for England between 1976 and 1986. Both centuries came against West Indies, the champion team of the time. The first came at The Oval in 1980: Willey had only 24 when last man Bob Willis joined him at the crease at 92 for 9, but they more than doubled the score in adding 117 - and Ian Botham delayed his declaration until Willey reached 100, from 203 balls in nearly four hours. Eight months later, in the first Test ever played in Antigua, Willey had 69 when No. 11 Graham Dilley came in. Dilley made only 2, but survived for more than an hour, in which time Willey moved to 102 not out, his highest Test score.
Does Mahendra Singh Dhoni now hold the record for the most stumpings in international cricket? asked Melissa Gomes from Denmark
When MS Dhoni stumped James Faulkner in the second T20 against Australia in Melbourne last week, it was his 140th such dismissal in all internationals (38 in Tests, 89 in ODIs and 13 in T20Is). That put him one in front of Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara: Dhoni had equalled the old record with his 139th stumping, Glenn Maxwell, earlier in that same innings in Melbourne. Another Sri Lankan, Romesh Kaluwitharana, is the only other wicketkeeper with more than 100 international stumpings - he made 101. Moin Khan is next with 93, while Adam Gilchrist had 92.
When MS Dhoni stumped James Faulkner in the second T20 against Australia in Melbourne last week, it was his 140th such dismissal in all internationals (38 in Tests, 89 in ODIs and 13 in T20Is). That put him one in front of Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara: Dhoni had equalled the old record with his 139th stumping, Glenn Maxwell, earlier in that same innings in Melbourne. Another Sri Lankan, Romesh Kaluwitharana, is the only other wicketkeeper with more than 100 international stumpings - he made 101. Moin Khan is next with 93, while Adam Gilchrist had 92.
There are only two instances of a team total exceeding 1000 runs in a first-class match. Is it true that Don Bradman figured in both those innings? asked Alex Nweke from Zimbabwe
The two four-figure totals in first-class cricket were both amassed by Victoria in the 1920s: they made 1059 against Tasmania in Melbourne in 1922-23, then trumped that with 1107 against New South Wales at the MCG in 1926-27. Don Bradman didn't actually play in either match - he didn't make his debut for New South Wales until 1927-28 - but one man did: Bill Ponsford made 429 for Victoria in the first game, the record first-class score at the time, and added 352 in the second one. The prolific Ponsford improved his record to 437 against Queensland in Melbourne in 1927-28. That stood as the highest first-class score for two seasons, until Bradman punished the long-suffering Queenslanders for 452 not out for NSW in Sydney in 1929-30.
The two four-figure totals in first-class cricket were both amassed by Victoria in the 1920s: they made 1059 against Tasmania in Melbourne in 1922-23, then trumped that with 1107 against New South Wales at the MCG in 1926-27. Don Bradman didn't actually play in either match - he didn't make his debut for New South Wales until 1927-28 - but one man did: Bill Ponsford made 429 for Victoria in the first game, the record first-class score at the time, and added 352 in the second one. The prolific Ponsford improved his record to 437 against Queensland in Melbourne in 1927-28. That stood as the highest first-class score for two seasons, until Bradman punished the long-suffering Queenslanders for 452 not out for NSW in Sydney in 1929-30.
Is Ashish Nehra the oldest Indian player to figure in a T20 international? asked Sunit Kumar from the UAE
Ashish Nehra was 36 years 267 days old when he played against Australia in Sydney last weekend - which makes him the second-oldest Indian to appear in a T20I. Nehra will have to keep going for another couple of years to take the record, which is currently held by Rahul Dravid. He was 38 years 232 days old when he made his one and only appearance in a T20I - having already announced his retirement from the format - against England at Old Trafford in 2011. Dravid is only 16th on the overall list, which is headed by the UAE's 43-year-old captain Mohammad Tauqir, against Netherlands in Edinburgh in 2015.
Ashish Nehra was 36 years 267 days old when he played against Australia in Sydney last weekend - which makes him the second-oldest Indian to appear in a T20I. Nehra will have to keep going for another couple of years to take the record, which is currently held by Rahul Dravid. He was 38 years 232 days old when he made his one and only appearance in a T20I - having already announced his retirement from the format - against England at Old Trafford in 2011. Dravid is only 16th on the overall list, which is headed by the UAE's 43-year-old captain Mohammad Tauqir, against Netherlands in Edinburgh in 2015.
Is there any case of a father and son carrying their bat in Tests? asked David Ferrier from Norway
There's only one instance of this. Playing in what was only Pakistan's second official Test match, against India in Lucknow in 1952-53, Nazar Mohammad scored an undefeated 124 of the total of 331, to set up a decisive lead: Pakistan, who had lost the first Test badly, went on to the victory that levelled their inaugural series. Just over 30 years later, his son Mudassar Nazar carried his bat for 152 in Pakistan's innings of 323 against India in Lahore in 1982-83.
There's only one instance of this. Playing in what was only Pakistan's second official Test match, against India in Lucknow in 1952-53, Nazar Mohammad scored an undefeated 124 of the total of 331, to set up a decisive lead: Pakistan, who had lost the first Test badly, went on to the victory that levelled their inaugural series. Just over 30 years later, his son Mudassar Nazar carried his bat for 152 in Pakistan's innings of 323 against India in Lahore in 1982-83.
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Steven Lynch is the editor of the updated edition of Wisden on the Ashes