Neutral Tests, and big age gaps
Biggest first-innings deficits that were overcome, the largest percentage of caught-and-bowleds, keepers' clean sheets, and more
Steven Lynch
13-Jul-2010
Left and right: Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid hold the record for the highest one-day stand by a left- and right-hander • Getty Images
Pakistan and Australia are about to embark on a Test match at Lord's. Have there ever been any other "neutral" Tests in England? asked Jeremy Willis from Reading
The only other Tests staged in England but not involving them were the three matches between Australia and South Africa in the 1912 Triangular Tournament, which was the subject of a recent Rewind to... article on Cricinfo. Australia won two of those matches, at Old Trafford and Lord's, while the game at Trent Bridge was drawn. There were no further Test matches on neutral territory anywhere until March 1999, when the final of the first Asian Test Championship, between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, was played at Dhaka in Bangladesh. Since then, security problems at home have forced Pakistan to play five Test matches on neutral territory - four of them in Sharjah and one in Sri Lanka.
The only other Tests staged in England but not involving them were the three matches between Australia and South Africa in the 1912 Triangular Tournament, which was the subject of a recent Rewind to... article on Cricinfo. Australia won two of those matches, at Old Trafford and Lord's, while the game at Trent Bridge was drawn. There were no further Test matches on neutral territory anywhere until March 1999, when the final of the first Asian Test Championship, between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, was played at Dhaka in Bangladesh. Since then, security problems at home have forced Pakistan to play five Test matches on neutral territory - four of them in Sharjah and one in Sri Lanka.
Last week Trent Johnston of Ireland was bowling to Nitish Kumar of Canada in a one-day international. Johnston is 20 years older than Kumar. Has an age gap this big occurred before? asked Aonghus Mullins via Facebook
The biggest age gap I can find in one-day internationals between a bowler and a batsman is 26 years, between Zimbabwe's John Traicos (then 44) and Sachin Tendulkar (18) during a World Cup match in Hamilton in 1991-92. In Tests, Wilfred Rhodes of England was 52 when he bowled against West Indies in 1929-30: in two of the Tests, West Indies included Derek Sealy, who was only 17 at the time. Rhodes caught and bowled him for 0 in the second of those, making it an age difference of 35 years!
The biggest age gap I can find in one-day internationals between a bowler and a batsman is 26 years, between Zimbabwe's John Traicos (then 44) and Sachin Tendulkar (18) during a World Cup match in Hamilton in 1991-92. In Tests, Wilfred Rhodes of England was 52 when he bowled against West Indies in 1929-30: in two of the Tests, West Indies included Derek Sealy, who was only 17 at the time. Rhodes caught and bowled him for 0 in the second of those, making it an age difference of 35 years!
What is the biggest first-innings deficit which has been overturned to win a Test? asked John Matthews from Surrey
Strictly speaking the answer is 331, which is the first-innings lead England conceded against Pakistan at The Oval in 2006 before, later in the game, Pakistan forfeited the match after being accused of ball-tampering. The biggest lead overturned in the normal course of events in a Test is 291, by Australia against Sri Lanka in Colombo in August 1992. After Australia made 256, Sri Lanka replied with 547 for 8, with three centuries, including a rapid one from the debutant Romesh Kaluwitharana. Australia then made 471, setting a modest victory target of 181 - and although Sri Lanka seemed to be cruising at 127 for 2 they lost their last eight wickets for 37, to lose by 16 runs. The last three went to Shane Warne, his first significant contribution in Test cricket.
Strictly speaking the answer is 331, which is the first-innings lead England conceded against Pakistan at The Oval in 2006 before, later in the game, Pakistan forfeited the match after being accused of ball-tampering. The biggest lead overturned in the normal course of events in a Test is 291, by Australia against Sri Lanka in Colombo in August 1992. After Australia made 256, Sri Lanka replied with 547 for 8, with three centuries, including a rapid one from the debutant Romesh Kaluwitharana. Australia then made 471, setting a modest victory target of 181 - and although Sri Lanka seemed to be cruising at 127 for 2 they lost their last eight wickets for 37, to lose by 16 runs. The last three went to Shane Warne, his first significant contribution in Test cricket.
Which bowler has the highest percentage of caught-and-bowled dismissals in international cricket? asked Shashank Vaish via Facebook
The highest percentage in international cricket (Tests, one-day and Twenty20 internationals all lumped together) for anyone who has taken at least 20 caught-and-bowleds is 14.15% by Chris Harris of New Zealand (31c&bs out of 219 dismissals). That's nearly double the next best - Ravi Shastri's 7.14% (20 c&bs out of 280 wickets).
The highest percentage in international cricket (Tests, one-day and Twenty20 internationals all lumped together) for anyone who has taken at least 20 caught-and-bowleds is 14.15% by Chris Harris of New Zealand (31c&bs out of 219 dismissals). That's nearly double the next best - Ravi Shastri's 7.14% (20 c&bs out of 280 wickets).
I saw that Godfrey Evans did not concede a bye in Australia's total of 659 in Sydney in 1946-47. This was a record at the time - but is it still the best "clean sheet" in Tests? asked Andrew Jackson from Bournemouth
Godfrey Evans' fine effort in Sydney in 1946-47 - in the match where both Don Bradman and Sid Barnes scored 234 - has since slipped down to fifth on that particular list. The current record for the highest Test total in which no byes were conceded was set last December, when Sri Lanka's Prasanna Jayawardene kept a clean sheet during India's 726 for 9 declared at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. The only other total of more than 700 not to include a bye was Sri Lanka's 713 for 3 dec in Bulawayo in May 2004, when Zimbabwe's Tatenda Taibu kept his slate clean.
Godfrey Evans' fine effort in Sydney in 1946-47 - in the match where both Don Bradman and Sid Barnes scored 234 - has since slipped down to fifth on that particular list. The current record for the highest Test total in which no byes were conceded was set last December, when Sri Lanka's Prasanna Jayawardene kept a clean sheet during India's 726 for 9 declared at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. The only other total of more than 700 not to include a bye was Sri Lanka's 713 for 3 dec in Bulawayo in May 2004, when Zimbabwe's Tatenda Taibu kept his slate clean.
What are the highest partnerships in Tests and ODIs between a right-hand and a left-hand batsman? asked Kuldeep from India
That's a nice easy one for Tests, as the highest partnership of all - 624 - was between a right-hander (Mahela Jayawardene, who made 374) and a left-hander (Kumar Sangakkara, 287), for Sri Lanka's third wicket against South Africa in Colombo in July 2006. In one-day internationals the highest is 318, by left-hander Sourav Ganguly (183) and the right-handed Rahul Dravid (145) for India v Sri Lanka in Taunton during the 1999 World Cup. The only higher stand in ODIs - 331 - also involved Dravid and came in Hyderabad later in 1999, but his partner against New Zealand was another right-hander, Sachin Tendulkar.
That's a nice easy one for Tests, as the highest partnership of all - 624 - was between a right-hander (Mahela Jayawardene, who made 374) and a left-hander (Kumar Sangakkara, 287), for Sri Lanka's third wicket against South Africa in Colombo in July 2006. In one-day internationals the highest is 318, by left-hander Sourav Ganguly (183) and the right-handed Rahul Dravid (145) for India v Sri Lanka in Taunton during the 1999 World Cup. The only higher stand in ODIs - 331 - also involved Dravid and came in Hyderabad later in 1999, but his partner against New Zealand was another right-hander, Sachin Tendulkar.
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. Ask Steven is now on Facebook