Stats Analysis

Clarke's record-breaking run continues

Stats highlights from day one of the second Australia v South Africa Test in Adelaide

Michael Clarke became the first player to make four 200-plus scores in a single year  •  Getty Images

Michael Clarke became the first player to make four 200-plus scores in a single year  •  Getty Images

Yet another brilliant batting display by Michael Clarke helped Australia pile on the runs in Adelaide. Here are highlights from the first day's play, during which Australia scored at nearly six per over.
  • Australia's score of 482 is the second-highest number of runs scored on the first day of a Test match - the highest is 494, also by Australia against South Africa, way back in 1910 at the SCG. The most runs scored by one team in a day's play is 509, by Sri Lanka against Bangladesh in 2002 - those runs, though, were scored on the second day of the Test. The record number of runs scored in a single day's play is 588, on the second day of a Test between England and India in 1936 - England scored 398 of those runs, while India contributed 190. This is the second time that Australia have scored more than 400 on the first day's play in Adelaide. The previous time they achieved the feat was against India in 2003-04, when India went on to win by four wickets.
  • Michael Clarke became the only player to make four 200-plus scores in a single calendar year. He had previously shared the record with Don Bradman and Ricky Ponting. Among batsmen with 1000-plus runs in home Tests in a calendar year, Clarke has the highest average (359). Only Ashwell Prince and Bradman have a higher average in a single year in home Tests. Clarke, who has another two Tests to play this year, has an average of 140.55, which is the second-highest for a single year (1000-plus runs in a year) behind Garry Sobers' average of 144.66.
  • Clarke's century is his 21st in 85 Tests. He is now eighth on the list of Australian batsmen with the most Test hundreds. Clarke's average of 66.48 is the second-highest for an Australian batsman in home Tests (min 3000 runs). Clarke's double-century is also his fourth as a captain - only Brian Lara (five double-centuries) has more 200-plus scores as captain.
  • Clarke became the third player after Bradman and Wally Hammond to register two double-century scores in a series twice. Bradman is the only batsman to make three such scores in a series.
  • Clarke's strike rate of 92.18 during his knock is his highest for a 100-plus score. His top two knocks in terms of strike rate have come against South Africa.
  • David Warner's century is his third in 11 Tests. His previous centuries came against New Zealand (Hobart) and India (Perth). Warner is the third Australian batsman after Adam Gilchrist and Mitchell Johnson to score a century against South Africa at a strike rate greater than 100 (Tests since South Africa's readmission).
  • Michael Hussey, who came into the series with just one century against South Africa, scored his second century in two Tests. It is also his 18th century overall and his second in Adelaide after the 133 against West Indies in 2005.
  • The number of sixes hit so far in the innings (9) is joint-third on the list of innings with the most sixes for Australia. In Johannesburg in 2002, Australia hit 11 sixes in their innings win.
  • The 272-run stand between Clarke and Hussey is the highest fifth-wicket stand in Adelaide. It is also the seventh-highest fifth-wicket stand for Australia overall. For the 19th time overall, and the third time this year, Australia had century partnerships for the fourth and fifth wickets. The previous two efforts came against India (Sydney) and South Africa (Brisbane).
  • The combined run-rate for the fourth and fifth-wicket partnerships (5.78) is the highest in Tests since 1990 surpassing the previous best of 5.22 for England against West Indies in 2004 (min aggregate 200 runs).
  • Imran Tahir went for 159 runs off his 21 overs. His economy rate (7.57) is the highest ever for a bowler in a Test innings (min 20 overs bowled). The number of runs conceded by Tahir (159) is the second-highest in an innings for a South Africa bowler against Australia (since 1991).

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan is a sub-editor (stats) at ESPNcricinfo