World Cup centurions, and nonagenarians
Plus, Sangakkara's record, Scotland's highest, and oldest players in the World Cup
Steven Lynch
17-Mar-2015
Kumar Sangakkara now holds the World Cup record for most hundreds in one tournament • Getty Images
Someone told me the partnership between Dilshan and Sangakkara against Scotland was a World Cup landmark. Which one? asked Ramesh Sunderam from India
I think the landmark in question was that the second-wicket stand of 195 between Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara against Scotland in Hobart was the 250th century partnership in all World Cup matches. The first ones came on the opening day of the first tournament in June 1975: Dennis Amiss and Keith Fletcher added 176 for England's second wicket against India at Lord's, while Glenn Turner and John Parker put on 149 for New Zealand's third wicket against East Africa at Edgbaston. The highest World Cup partnership - the highest in all ODIs, in fact - came in the current World Cup: 372 by Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, who came together at 0 for 1 in West Indies' match against Zimbabwe in Canberra.
I think the landmark in question was that the second-wicket stand of 195 between Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara against Scotland in Hobart was the 250th century partnership in all World Cup matches. The first ones came on the opening day of the first tournament in June 1975: Dennis Amiss and Keith Fletcher added 176 for England's second wicket against India at Lord's, while Glenn Turner and John Parker put on 149 for New Zealand's third wicket against East Africa at Edgbaston. The highest World Cup partnership - the highest in all ODIs, in fact - came in the current World Cup: 372 by Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, who came together at 0 for 1 in West Indies' match against Zimbabwe in Canberra.
Two Pakistan bowlers took four wickets in their World Cup win over Zimbabwe. Has there any instance of two bowlers taking five? asked Murray Sedgwick from Australia
In more than 3600 one-day internationals now there has been just one instance of two bowlers taking five wickets in the same innings. It's an unlikely pair, too: for Australia against England at Edgbaston in 1977, Greg Chappell took 5 for 20 and Gary Cosier, whose medium-pace was even more gentle than Chappell's, grabbed 5 for 18. Jeff Thomson and Max Walker, meanwhile, failed to strike in 20 overs. That recent instance in the World Cup in Brisbane - Mohammad Irfan took 4 for 30 and Wahab Riaz 4 for 45 against Zimbabwe - was the 56th time that two bowlers had taken at least four in the same innings (that 1977 case at Edgbaston was the first). It had happened on nine previous occasions in World Cup matches.
In more than 3600 one-day internationals now there has been just one instance of two bowlers taking five wickets in the same innings. It's an unlikely pair, too: for Australia against England at Edgbaston in 1977, Greg Chappell took 5 for 20 and Gary Cosier, whose medium-pace was even more gentle than Chappell's, grabbed 5 for 18. Jeff Thomson and Max Walker, meanwhile, failed to strike in 20 overs. That recent instance in the World Cup in Brisbane - Mohammad Irfan took 4 for 30 and Wahab Riaz 4 for 45 against Zimbabwe - was the 56th time that two bowlers had taken at least four in the same innings (that 1977 case at Edgbaston was the first). It had happened on nine previous occasions in World Cup matches.
Whose record did Kumar Sangakkara beat with his fourth World Cup hundred? asked Nyron de Silva from Sri Lanka
Kumar Sangakkara's century against Scotland in Hobart was his fourth in successive innings in this World Cup. He's the first to score as many as that in a single tournament: Mark Waugh scored three in 1996, Sourav Ganguly three in 2003, and Matthew Hayden three in 2007. More than that, though, no one has ever scored four hundreds in successive one-day international innings before. Six batsmen had previously managed three: Zaheer Abbas (1982-83) and Saeed Anwar (1993-94) for Pakistan, the South African trio of Herschelle Gibbs (2002-03), AB de Villiers (2009-10) and Quinton de Kock (2013-14), and New Zealand's Ross Taylor (2013-14). Of those, Gibbs came closest to four in a row: he followed 116 against Kenya and 116 not out against India in Colombo with 153 against Bangladesh in Potchefstroom, but was marooned on 97 in his next innings, in Benoni. For the full list, click here.
Kumar Sangakkara's century against Scotland in Hobart was his fourth in successive innings in this World Cup. He's the first to score as many as that in a single tournament: Mark Waugh scored three in 1996, Sourav Ganguly three in 2003, and Matthew Hayden three in 2007. More than that, though, no one has ever scored four hundreds in successive one-day international innings before. Six batsmen had previously managed three: Zaheer Abbas (1982-83) and Saeed Anwar (1993-94) for Pakistan, the South African trio of Herschelle Gibbs (2002-03), AB de Villiers (2009-10) and Quinton de Kock (2013-14), and New Zealand's Ross Taylor (2013-14). Of those, Gibbs came closest to four in a row: he followed 116 against Kenya and 116 not out against India in Colombo with 153 against Bangladesh in Potchefstroom, but was marooned on 97 in his next innings, in Benoni. For the full list, click here.
Was Kyle Coetzer's 156 Scotland's highest score in one-day internationals? asked Graham McAllister from Scotland
Kyle Coetzer's fine 156 against Bangladesh in Nelson was Scotland's 13th century in all one-day internationals: he was the fourth Scot - after Gavin Hamilton, Neil McCallum and Calum MacLeod - to score two. Coetzer's score was actually the second-highest for Scotland, after MacLeod's 175 against Canada in Christchurch in January 2014. However, it was easily their highest individual score in the World Cup, previously Hamilton's 76 against Pakistan in Chester-le-Street in May 1999.
Kyle Coetzer's fine 156 against Bangladesh in Nelson was Scotland's 13th century in all one-day internationals: he was the fourth Scot - after Gavin Hamilton, Neil McCallum and Calum MacLeod - to score two. Coetzer's score was actually the second-highest for Scotland, after MacLeod's 175 against Canada in Christchurch in January 2014. However, it was easily their highest individual score in the World Cup, previously Hamilton's 76 against Pakistan in Chester-le-Street in May 1999.
Who's the oldest player in this World Cup? Is it Misbah-ul-Haq? asked Murrawat Ahmed from India
Misbah-ul-Haq, who will be 41 on May 28, recently became the 18th 40-year-old to play in the World Cup. He is the oldest Pakistani, beating Imran Khan, who was 39 when he lifted the trophy in 1992. But there are two older players at the 2015 World Cup, both from the same team. Mohammad Tauqir, the UAE's captain, was born on January 14, 1972, so is now 43. But Khurram Khan, the man Tauqir replaced as skipper shortly before the tournament, is about six months older - he was born on June 21, 1971. Only two men older than Khurram have played in the World Cup: John Traicos was 44 when he bowed out for Zimbabwe in 1992, while the Barbados-born opener Nolan Clarke was 47 when he played for the Netherlands in 1996.
Misbah-ul-Haq, who will be 41 on May 28, recently became the 18th 40-year-old to play in the World Cup. He is the oldest Pakistani, beating Imran Khan, who was 39 when he lifted the trophy in 1992. But there are two older players at the 2015 World Cup, both from the same team. Mohammad Tauqir, the UAE's captain, was born on January 14, 1972, so is now 43. But Khurram Khan, the man Tauqir replaced as skipper shortly before the tournament, is about six months older - he was born on June 21, 1971. Only two men older than Khurram have played in the World Cup: John Traicos was 44 when he bowed out for Zimbabwe in 1992, while the Barbados-born opener Nolan Clarke was 47 when he played for the Netherlands in 1996.
Everton Weekes was 90 the other day. How many other 90-year-old Test cricketers are still alive? asked Corey Greenidge from Barbados
Sir Everton Weekes - now there's a batsman who would have lit up the World Cup! - celebrated his 90th birthday on February 26, an anniversary celebrated here by Tony Cozier. He's currently the tenth Test cricketer aged 90 or over: the South African Ian Smith reached the mark three days earlier. The oldest living Test player at the moment is another South African, Lindsay Tuckett, who's 96; next comes 94-year-old Andy Ganteaume, the West Indian who scored a century in his only Test match, in Port-of-Spain in 1947-48. For the full list, click here.
Sir Everton Weekes - now there's a batsman who would have lit up the World Cup! - celebrated his 90th birthday on February 26, an anniversary celebrated here by Tony Cozier. He's currently the tenth Test cricketer aged 90 or over: the South African Ian Smith reached the mark three days earlier. The oldest living Test player at the moment is another South African, Lindsay Tuckett, who's 96; next comes 94-year-old Andy Ganteaume, the West Indian who scored a century in his only Test match, in Port-of-Spain in 1947-48. For the full list, click here.
Steven Lynch is the editor of the Wisden Guide to International Cricket 2014. Ask Steven is now on Facebook