Twenty wickets in a T20, and identical scores by openers
Also: most T20I runs without a fifty, boundaryless innings, and other trivia from the shortest format
Steven Lynch
29-Mar-2016
The Pakistan-Australia group game in the 2010 World T20 was the only time 20 wickets fell in a T20 • AFP
Is MS Dhoni the only man to score 1000 runs in T20Is without a single fifty? asked Ahan Sen from India
MS Dhoni reached 1000 runs in T20Is during India's nail-biting victory over Bangladesh in Bangalore last week. It was his 66th T20I, and he was the 31st batsman to reach 1000 - the fifth from India after Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh. And Dhoni is indeed the first to get there without the aid of a half-century: his highest score is 48 not out, against Australia in Sydney in February 2012. Pakistan's Umar Akmal, currently the fourth-highest scorer in T20Is, has made 1689 runs without a century - his highest is 94, against Australia in Mirpur in March 2014.
MS Dhoni reached 1000 runs in T20Is during India's nail-biting victory over Bangladesh in Bangalore last week. It was his 66th T20I, and he was the 31st batsman to reach 1000 - the fifth from India after Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh. And Dhoni is indeed the first to get there without the aid of a half-century: his highest score is 48 not out, against Australia in Sydney in February 2012. Pakistan's Umar Akmal, currently the fourth-highest scorer in T20Is, has made 1689 runs without a century - his highest is 94, against Australia in Mirpur in March 2014.
Angelo Mathews faced 32 balls without scoring a boundary in the World T20 match against West Indies. Was this a record for a T20I? asked Dhanushka Edussiriya from Sri Lanka
During Sri Lanka's match against West Indies in the World T20 in Bangalore last week, Angelo Mathews became the fifth man to face 32 balls in a T20 international without hitting a single boundary, following similar instances by the Pakistan trio of Umar Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez and Saad Nasim, and one by Alexei Kervezee of the Netherlands, who made the highest score of the five - 29 against Canada in Dubai in 2011-12. But there are three longer boundaryless innings in T20Is. Gary Wilson made 17 from 34 balls for Ireland against West Indies in Providence in the World T20 in 2010, while Alok Kapali faced 35 in scoring 14 for Bangladesh v South Africa in Cape Town in the first World T20 in 2007. But the runaway leader is Scotland's Navdeep Poonia, who made 38 not out from 54 balls against Bermuda in Belfast in August 2008 without the aid of a single boundary.
During Sri Lanka's match against West Indies in the World T20 in Bangalore last week, Angelo Mathews became the fifth man to face 32 balls in a T20 international without hitting a single boundary, following similar instances by the Pakistan trio of Umar Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez and Saad Nasim, and one by Alexei Kervezee of the Netherlands, who made the highest score of the five - 29 against Canada in Dubai in 2011-12. But there are three longer boundaryless innings in T20Is. Gary Wilson made 17 from 34 balls for Ireland against West Indies in Providence in the World T20 in 2010, while Alok Kapali faced 35 in scoring 14 for Bangladesh v South Africa in Cape Town in the first World T20 in 2007. But the runaway leader is Scotland's Navdeep Poonia, who made 38 not out from 54 balls against Bermuda in Belfast in August 2008 without the aid of a single boundary.
Sune Luus took 5 for 8 against Ireland last week - were these the best figures in women's T20Is? asked Estelle du Preez from South Africa
The South African legspinner Sune Luus finished with the fine figures of 4-0-8-5 against Ireland in Chennai last week, the best in the women's World T20. But there has been one statistically better performance in all women's T20Is: New Zealand medium-pacer Amy Satterthwaite took 6 for 17 against England in Taunton in August 2007. There have been nine other instances of a bowler taking a five-for in a T20I, two of them by West Indian offspinner Anisa Mohammed.
The South African legspinner Sune Luus finished with the fine figures of 4-0-8-5 against Ireland in Chennai last week, the best in the women's World T20. But there has been one statistically better performance in all women's T20Is: New Zealand medium-pacer Amy Satterthwaite took 6 for 17 against England in Taunton in August 2007. There have been nine other instances of a bowler taking a five-for in a T20I, two of them by West Indian offspinner Anisa Mohammed.
Morne van Wyk, who couldn't even get into South Africa's squad for the World T20, faced 70 balls during his century in a T20I innings last year. Is this a record for any T20 innings? asked Dereck du Toit from South Africa
The South African opener Morne van Wyk faced 70 balls in scoring 114 not out against West Indies in Durban in January 2015. There has been only one longer innings in T20Is: Shane Watson faced 71 deliveries in scoring an undefeated 124 for Australia against India in Sydney earlier this year. The record for any T20 match is 77 balls, by Zubair Ahmed (111*) for Quetta Bears against Larkana Bulls in a domestic game in Karachi in Pakistan in September 2014.
The South African opener Morne van Wyk faced 70 balls in scoring 114 not out against West Indies in Durban in January 2015. There has been only one longer innings in T20Is: Shane Watson faced 71 deliveries in scoring an undefeated 124 for Australia against India in Sydney earlier this year. The record for any T20 match is 77 balls, by Zubair Ahmed (111*) for Quetta Bears against Larkana Bulls in a domestic game in Karachi in Pakistan in September 2014.
How many T20Is have there been in which all the wickets fell? asked Cucco Dias from Qatar
I was rather surprised to discover that there has so far been only one such match in which all 20 wickets fell. It was at the World T20 in the West Indies in 2010: in their group match in St Lucia, Australia were bowled out for 191 - the last over of their innings, bowled by Mohammad Amir, was a maiden in which five wickets went down - then Pakistan managed only 157, with their last wicket also falling to the final ball of the innings.
I was rather surprised to discover that there has so far been only one such match in which all 20 wickets fell. It was at the World T20 in the West Indies in 2010: in their group match in St Lucia, Australia were bowled out for 191 - the last over of their innings, bowled by Mohammad Amir, was a maiden in which five wickets went down - then Pakistan managed only 157, with their last wicket also falling to the final ball of the innings.
In the World T20 preliminary match against Oman, both Irish openers were out for 29. Is this the highest identical score made by openers in the same game? asked Mark McCanlis from Ireland
Ireland's captain William Porterfield and his opening partner Paul Stirling were both dismissed for 29 in the match against Oman in Dharamsala earlier this month. There have been three higher identical scores by openers in T20Is, including another one by Ireland: Porterfield and Niall O'Brien made 31 apiece against Sri Lanka at Lord's in 2009. Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson both scored 42 for New Zealand against South Africa in Durban in August 2015, but the record is held by Pakistan: Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt each scored 73 against Bangladesh in St Lucia in May 2010.
Ireland's captain William Porterfield and his opening partner Paul Stirling were both dismissed for 29 in the match against Oman in Dharamsala earlier this month. There have been three higher identical scores by openers in T20Is, including another one by Ireland: Porterfield and Niall O'Brien made 31 apiece against Sri Lanka at Lord's in 2009. Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson both scored 42 for New Zealand against South Africa in Durban in August 2015, but the record is held by Pakistan: Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt each scored 73 against Bangladesh in St Lucia in May 2010.
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Steven Lynch is the editor of the updated edition of Wisden on the Ashes