New records, and ignoring The Don
Openers going out with two fat ladies, a poll with shocking results, and other such fun trivia
Steven Lynch
29-Nov-2011
Shane Watson's Cape Town five-for: quick but not the quickest • AFP
In Hyderabad's Ranji Trophy match against Assam, their wicketkeeper made 14 dismissals. Is this a first-class record? asked Karkel from New Zealand
Ibrahim Khaleel of Hyderabad did indeed make 14 dismissals in the recent Ranji Trophy match against Assam in Guwahati. In the first innings there were four catches and three stumpings, while Khaleel took seven catches in Assam's second innings. This is indeed a record for a wicketkeeper in any first-class match, beating the 13 victims (11 catches and two stumpings) ensnared by Wayne James for Matabeleland against Mashonaland Country Districts in the final of Zimbabwe's Logan Cup in Bulawayo in 1995-96. One thing Khaleel didn't quite match was James' unique batting double of 99 and 99 not out in that match!
Ibrahim Khaleel of Hyderabad did indeed make 14 dismissals in the recent Ranji Trophy match against Assam in Guwahati. In the first innings there were four catches and three stumpings, while Khaleel took seven catches in Assam's second innings. This is indeed a record for a wicketkeeper in any first-class match, beating the 13 victims (11 catches and two stumpings) ensnared by Wayne James for Matabeleland against Mashonaland Country Districts in the final of Zimbabwe's Logan Cup in Bulawayo in 1995-96. One thing Khaleel didn't quite match was James' unique batting double of 99 and 99 not out in that match!
Both Australian openers scored 88 at Johannesburg. Is this the highest identical score by a pair of openers in a Test? asked John Lynch (no relation!) from Vanuatu
The twin 88s of Shane Watson and Phillip Hughes in the second Test in Johannesburg are indeed a new record for Tests. The previous-highest identical score for which both openers were dismissed was 62, by an earlier pair of Aussies in Bill Lawry and Keith Stackpole against West Indies in Adelaide in 1968-69. However, at The Oval in 1988, Gordon Greenidge was out for 77 while his opening partner Desmond Haynes had reached 77 not out when West Indies completed victory over England by eight wickets.
The twin 88s of Shane Watson and Phillip Hughes in the second Test in Johannesburg are indeed a new record for Tests. The previous-highest identical score for which both openers were dismissed was 62, by an earlier pair of Aussies in Bill Lawry and Keith Stackpole against West Indies in Adelaide in 1968-69. However, at The Oval in 1988, Gordon Greenidge was out for 77 while his opening partner Desmond Haynes had reached 77 not out when West Indies completed victory over England by eight wickets.
In the second Test at Johannesburg, nine different Australians took catches in South Africa's first innings. Is this a record? asked R. G. Amar from India
This one isn't actually a new record, although it does equal the old one. By coincidence, the only other two occasions that nine different men have taken a catch in one Test innings both happened at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. In 1997-98, nine West Indians took catches in England's first innings - all 10 wickets fell to catches actually; Brian Lara took two, but Ian Bishop and Clayton Lambert missed out. Then, in 2002, nine New Zealanders held catches in West Indies' first innings; this time Lara was the one man to escape a catch, instead being bowled by Daniel Vettori. Shane Bond and Mark Richardson were the only fielders not on the scorecard.
This one isn't actually a new record, although it does equal the old one. By coincidence, the only other two occasions that nine different men have taken a catch in one Test innings both happened at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. In 1997-98, nine West Indians took catches in England's first innings - all 10 wickets fell to catches actually; Brian Lara took two, but Ian Bishop and Clayton Lambert missed out. Then, in 2002, nine New Zealanders held catches in West Indies' first innings; this time Lara was the one man to escape a catch, instead being bowled by Daniel Vettori. Shane Bond and Mark Richardson were the only fielders not on the scorecard.
Is it true that in a recent book five Australian Test players didn't select Don Bradman in their best-ever Aussie team? asked Brian Collins from London
It is indeed. The book in question is a great slab of a thing called Australia: Story of a Cricket Country, edited by Chris Ryan, an old colleague of mine on Wisden Cricket Monthly, and published in Australia by Hardie Grant. It's a lavishly illustrated anthology of some of the best Aussie cricket writing - some of the pictures are quite superb (as are Ryan's captions) - but an original feature was that he wrote to all the surviving Australian Test players asking them to choose the five players they thought were the country's five greatest cricketers. No fewer than 121 replied, of which 116 voted for Bradman - but five didn't (he still came out on top, just ahead of Shane Warne with 109). One of them was Tony Dell, who played two Tests in the early 1970s: he explained that "while he was the best bat of his time, footage of opposition bowlers leads me to believe that he would not have fared well in the Chappell era". The identity of the other four non-Donners is not divulged, so we can all have fun imagining who they might be!
It is indeed. The book in question is a great slab of a thing called Australia: Story of a Cricket Country, edited by Chris Ryan, an old colleague of mine on Wisden Cricket Monthly, and published in Australia by Hardie Grant. It's a lavishly illustrated anthology of some of the best Aussie cricket writing - some of the pictures are quite superb (as are Ryan's captions) - but an original feature was that he wrote to all the surviving Australian Test players asking them to choose the five players they thought were the country's five greatest cricketers. No fewer than 121 replied, of which 116 voted for Bradman - but five didn't (he still came out on top, just ahead of Shane Warne with 109). One of them was Tony Dell, who played two Tests in the early 1970s: he explained that "while he was the best bat of his time, footage of opposition bowlers leads me to believe that he would not have fared well in the Chappell era". The identity of the other four non-Donners is not divulged, so we can all have fun imagining who they might be!
Who has made the most consecutive fifties in Tests and ODIs? asked Khalid Afzal from the United States
Three men have made seven half-centuries in successive Test innings. The first was the great West Indian Everton Weekes, whose run started with a century against England at home early in 1948, and continued in India later that year. The first five innings were all hundreds - a Test record - before he was rather controversially run out for 90 in Madras; 56 followed in his next innings. The next to do it was the Zimbabwean Andy Flower, now England's coach: his sequence, in 2000 and 2001, spanned Tests against New Zealand, India and Bangladesh. Shivnarine Chanderpaul joined this select band in 2007, his sequence involving Tests against Pakistan, England and South Africa. For the full list, click here. In one-day internationals the record is nine fifties in successive innings, by Javed Miandad for Pakistan in 1987. He's well clear of Gordon Greenidge, Andrew Jones, Steve Waugh and Mohammad Yousuf, who all made six in six. For that list, click here.
Three men have made seven half-centuries in successive Test innings. The first was the great West Indian Everton Weekes, whose run started with a century against England at home early in 1948, and continued in India later that year. The first five innings were all hundreds - a Test record - before he was rather controversially run out for 90 in Madras; 56 followed in his next innings. The next to do it was the Zimbabwean Andy Flower, now England's coach: his sequence, in 2000 and 2001, spanned Tests against New Zealand, India and Bangladesh. Shivnarine Chanderpaul joined this select band in 2007, his sequence involving Tests against Pakistan, England and South Africa. For the full list, click here. In one-day internationals the record is nine fifties in successive innings, by Javed Miandad for Pakistan in 1987. He's well clear of Gordon Greenidge, Andrew Jones, Steve Waugh and Mohammad Yousuf, who all made six in six. For that list, click here.
Further to your answer a fortnight ago about rapid five-wicket hauls, has anyone taken five quicker than Shane Watson at Cape Town from the start of their bowling spell? asked Nandan Lokare from India
Shane Watson took five wickets in his first 21 balls in the first Test against South Africa in Cape Town. The only quicker five-for I can find from the start of a spell was by another Australian, Ernie Toshack, in 19 balls against India in Brisbane in 1947-48, when he finished the first innings with remarkable figures of 2.3-1-2-5 (these were eight-ball overs). With regards to my answer in that previous column about the fastest five-for, Facebooker Michael Jones has unearthed the fact that Jacques Kallis, for South Africa against Bangladesh in Potchefstroom in 2002-03, took five wickets in the space of 12 balls, one quicker than what was believed to be the record.
Shane Watson took five wickets in his first 21 balls in the first Test against South Africa in Cape Town. The only quicker five-for I can find from the start of a spell was by another Australian, Ernie Toshack, in 19 balls against India in Brisbane in 1947-48, when he finished the first innings with remarkable figures of 2.3-1-2-5 (these were eight-ball overs). With regards to my answer in that previous column about the fastest five-for, Facebooker Michael Jones has unearthed the fact that Jacques Kallis, for South Africa against Bangladesh in Potchefstroom in 2002-03, took five wickets in the space of 12 balls, one quicker than what was believed to be the record.
Steven Lynch is the editor of the Wisden Guide to International Cricket 2011. Ask Steven is now on Facebook