Most overs in a Test innings, and unproductive debuts
Plus, Test wins after losing the fewest wickets, and the fastest to 100 ODI scalps
Steven Lynch
07-Oct-2014
Sonny Ramadhin's 588 deliveries in a Test innings are still a record • Getty Images
In the match in 2012 in which Hashim Amla scored a triple-century, South Africa effectively beat England by 18 wickets. Was this a Test record? asked Chris Butters from Norway
The match you're talking about was the first Test of 2012 at The Oval, when South Africa (637 for 2) beat England (385 and 240) by an innings and 12 runs. That was one of only five Test matches won by a side that lost only two wickets. The previous instance was also by South Africa - against Bangladesh in Chittagong in 2002-03 - while the first three were all by England: over South Africa at Lord's in 1924, against New Zealand at Headingley in 1958, and against India at Edgbaston in 1974. For the full list, click here.
The match you're talking about was the first Test of 2012 at The Oval, when South Africa (637 for 2) beat England (385 and 240) by an innings and 12 runs. That was one of only five Test matches won by a side that lost only two wickets. The previous instance was also by South Africa - against Bangladesh in Chittagong in 2002-03 - while the first three were all by England: over South Africa at Lord's in 1924, against New Zealand at Headingley in 1958, and against India at Edgbaston in 1974. For the full list, click here.
Parvinder Awana took a hat-trick in the Champions League T20 recently. How many hat-tricks have there been in T20 matches? asked Amit Kumar from India
That hat-trick by Parvinder Awana for Kings XI Punjab against Chennai Super Kings in the Champions League T20 semi-final in Hyderabad the other day was a pretty high-quality one - it comprised the wicket of Suresh Raina with the last ball of the sixth over then, in his next spell, the wickets of Pawan Negi and MS Dhoni with the first two balls of the 17th. Awana's hat-trick was actually the 65th in all T20 matches worldwide - three of them were taken by Amit Mishra. For the full list, click here. Three of them - by Brett Lee, Jacob Oram and Tim Southee - were in T20 internationals.
That hat-trick by Parvinder Awana for Kings XI Punjab against Chennai Super Kings in the Champions League T20 semi-final in Hyderabad the other day was a pretty high-quality one - it comprised the wicket of Suresh Raina with the last ball of the sixth over then, in his next spell, the wickets of Pawan Negi and MS Dhoni with the first two balls of the 17th. Awana's hat-trick was actually the 65th in all T20 matches worldwide - three of them were taken by Amit Mishra. For the full list, click here. Three of them - by Brett Lee, Jacob Oram and Tim Southee - were in T20 internationals.
Stuart Binny did not score a run, bag a wicket or take a catch on his one-day international debut earlier this year. Is this unique? asked Chris Bloore from Zimbabwe
Stuart Binny's unproductive ODI debut came against New Zealand in Hamilton in January 2014. It turns out this was far from unique: Binny was actually the 294th player to make no obvious contribution in his first ODI (and there have been two more since: Haseeb Amjad of Hong Kong and the UAE's Mohammad Shahzad). It's rarer to go through your debut Test without scoring a run, taking a wicket or a catch, but it has still happened 59 times - most recently to Sohail Khan of Pakistan, against Sri Lanka in Karachi in 2008-09.
Stuart Binny's unproductive ODI debut came against New Zealand in Hamilton in January 2014. It turns out this was far from unique: Binny was actually the 294th player to make no obvious contribution in his first ODI (and there have been two more since: Haseeb Amjad of Hong Kong and the UAE's Mohammad Shahzad). It's rarer to go through your debut Test without scoring a run, taking a wicket or a catch, but it has still happened 59 times - most recently to Sohail Khan of Pakistan, against Sri Lanka in Karachi in 2008-09.
I noticed that Morne Morkel reached 100 ODI wickets last year in his 59th match. Has anyone done it quicker than this? asked Kevin Nel from South Africa
Morne Morkel is equal fourth on the list of the fastest bowlers to 100 wickets in one-day internationals - Irfan Pathan and Waqar Younis also took 59 matches to get there. Brett Lee reached 100 in 55 matches, Shane Bond in 54… but the quickest was the Pakistan offspinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who took his 100th wicket in his 53rd one-day international. Saqlain was also the quickest to 200 wickets, in 104 matches to 112 by Lee, 117 by Allan Donald and 118 by Waqar.
Morne Morkel is equal fourth on the list of the fastest bowlers to 100 wickets in one-day internationals - Irfan Pathan and Waqar Younis also took 59 matches to get there. Brett Lee reached 100 in 55 matches, Shane Bond in 54… but the quickest was the Pakistan offspinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who took his 100th wicket in his 53rd one-day international. Saqlain was also the quickest to 200 wickets, in 104 matches to 112 by Lee, 117 by Allan Donald and 118 by Waqar.
MS Dhoni has scored more than 8000 runs in one-day internationals. Has any wicketkeeper scored more? asked Shanthy Noronha from Argentina
MS Dhoni has now scored 8127 runs in 247 one-day internationals, all of them as the designated wicketkeeper. He is actually third on this particular list at the moment, with quite a way to go to move up: Adam Gilchrist scored 9410 runs in ODIs, while Kumar Sangakkara is stretching his lead at the top - he currently has 11,951 runs in 336 ODIs in which he kept wicket. There's a big gap behind Dhoni, though - Andy Flower scored 5845 runs and Mark Boucher 4680. Brendon McCullum is currently next with 4057.
MS Dhoni has now scored 8127 runs in 247 one-day internationals, all of them as the designated wicketkeeper. He is actually third on this particular list at the moment, with quite a way to go to move up: Adam Gilchrist scored 9410 runs in ODIs, while Kumar Sangakkara is stretching his lead at the top - he currently has 11,951 runs in 336 ODIs in which he kept wicket. There's a big gap behind Dhoni, though - Andy Flower scored 5845 runs and Mark Boucher 4680. Brendon McCullum is currently next with 4057.
The Australian bowler Tom Veivers bowled 95.1 overs in the first innings of a drawn Ashes Test in 1964. Has anyone bowled more overs in a Test innings? asked Cherise Asha Clarke from Trinidad and Tobago
The Queensland offspinner Tom Veivers toiled through 95.1 overs in England's marathon innings of 611 in the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford in July 1964. Only one bowler has sent down more deliveries in a Test innings: at Edgbaston seven years earlier, the West Indian Sonny Ramadhin wheeled down 98 overs as England stonewalled their way to a draw. However, if you stick to the exact wording of your question, two other men have bowled more overs in a Test innings. Against Australia in Melbourne in 1884-85, the England slow left-armer Bobby Peel sent down 102.1 overs, while at The Oval in 1886, Australia's Tom Garrett delivered 99. But these were four-ball overs, so they actually bowled many fewer deliveries than Ramadhin's 588.
The Queensland offspinner Tom Veivers toiled through 95.1 overs in England's marathon innings of 611 in the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford in July 1964. Only one bowler has sent down more deliveries in a Test innings: at Edgbaston seven years earlier, the West Indian Sonny Ramadhin wheeled down 98 overs as England stonewalled their way to a draw. However, if you stick to the exact wording of your question, two other men have bowled more overs in a Test innings. Against Australia in Melbourne in 1884-85, the England slow left-armer Bobby Peel sent down 102.1 overs, while at The Oval in 1886, Australia's Tom Garrett delivered 99. But these were four-ball overs, so they actually bowled many fewer deliveries than Ramadhin's 588.
Steven Lynch is the editor of the Wisden Guide to International Cricket 2014. Ask Steven is now on Facebook