Innings wins with a small lead, and losing five in a row
The smallest lead to lead to an innings victory, the oldest century-makers, and true allrounders
Steven Lynch
10-Feb-2009
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In the first Test, at Sabina Park, West Indies did not have to bat again to beat England despite leading on first innings by only 74. Is this a record for the smallest lead converted into an innings victory? asked Michael Pittams from New Zealand
I'm afraid for the sake of you and your fellow countrymen that England's performance in Kingston last Sunday wasn't quite the worst in this regard. In Auckland in 1954-55, England had a slender first-innings lead of 46 - but went on to win by an innings after bowling New Zealand out for 26, still the lowest total in Test history.
I'm afraid for the sake of you and your fellow countrymen that England's performance in Kingston last Sunday wasn't quite the worst in this regard. In Auckland in 1954-55, England had a slender first-innings lead of 46 - but went on to win by an innings after bowling New Zealand out for 26, still the lowest total in Test history.
Australia lost their fifth successive one-day international last week - was this their worst-ever run? asked Khalil Waleed from Saudi Arabia
Australia's defeat to New Zealand last week in Melbourne was indeed their fifth successive defeat in ODIs. This was the fifth time they had lost five in a row (the previous time it happened was in 2007, just before the last World Cup, in which they went on to win every match!). But it was not quite Australia's worst-ever run: in 1996 they lost six successive ODIs, to Sri Lanka, South Africa and India. And they were quite a way short of the worst run by anybody: Bangladesh head this table, with 23 successive ODI defeats between 1999 and 2002. In second place are... Bangladesh again, with 22 between their first official ODI in 1986 and 1998. For the full list, click here.
Australia's defeat to New Zealand last week in Melbourne was indeed their fifth successive defeat in ODIs. This was the fifth time they had lost five in a row (the previous time it happened was in 2007, just before the last World Cup, in which they went on to win every match!). But it was not quite Australia's worst-ever run: in 1996 they lost six successive ODIs, to Sri Lanka, South Africa and India. And they were quite a way short of the worst run by anybody: Bangladesh head this table, with 23 successive ODI defeats between 1999 and 2002. In second place are... Bangladesh again, with 22 between their first official ODI in 1986 and 1998. For the full list, click here.
I was just looking at the scores of India's series in Australia at the end of 2007, and was struck that in three of the Tests both the Australian openers and both Indian new-ball bowlers were left-handers. How often has this happened in Tests?asked Gaurav Hussein from Chennai
You're right to think that this hasn't happened very often - there have now been 16 instances in Test history of two left-handed openers facing a left-handed new-ball pair, and three of those came in the 2007-08 Australia-India series, as you say. It has happened once since: in March 2008 in Providence, Chris Gayle and Devon Smith of West Indies opened against Chaminda Vaas and Thilan Thushara for Sri Lanka. What is odd about this particular statistic is that 15 of the 16 instances have come in the 21st century: the only one prior to 2000 happened in Sydney in 1967-68, when Umesh Kulkarni and Rusi Surti took the new ball for India against Bill Lawry and Bob Cowper for Australia.
You're right to think that this hasn't happened very often - there have now been 16 instances in Test history of two left-handed openers facing a left-handed new-ball pair, and three of those came in the 2007-08 Australia-India series, as you say. It has happened once since: in March 2008 in Providence, Chris Gayle and Devon Smith of West Indies opened against Chaminda Vaas and Thilan Thushara for Sri Lanka. What is odd about this particular statistic is that 15 of the 16 instances have come in the 21st century: the only one prior to 2000 happened in Sydney in 1967-68, when Umesh Kulkarni and Rusi Surti took the new ball for India against Bill Lawry and Bob Cowper for Australia.
Sanath Jayasuriya scored a hundred against India a couple of weeks ago - does that make him the oldest player to score a century in a one-day international? asked Michael Paterson
It does indeed: Sanath Jayasuriya was 39 years and 212 days old when he made 107 against India in Dambulla recently. The previous record was held by England's Geoff Boycott, who was 51 days past his 39th birthday when he scored 105 against Australia in Sydney in 1979-80. That was "Sir Geoffrey's" one and only ODI hundred: Jayasuriya's was his 28th. For the full list of the oldest ODI century-makers, click here.
It does indeed: Sanath Jayasuriya was 39 years and 212 days old when he made 107 against India in Dambulla recently. The previous record was held by England's Geoff Boycott, who was 51 days past his 39th birthday when he scored 105 against Australia in Sydney in 1979-80. That was "Sir Geoffrey's" one and only ODI hundred: Jayasuriya's was his 28th. For the full list of the oldest ODI century-makers, click here.
Regarding the recent question about tennis-playing cricketers, I'm not sure but I think that MJ Gopalan, who played one Test for India, was also a Davis Cupper. Am I right? asked Ramesh from India
I'm not sure whether MJ Gopalan was a good tennis player (he certainly didn't play in the Davis Cup), but he was a fine hockey player, and was picked for the Indian team that went on to win the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936. However, Gopalan wasn't there: he'd also been picked to tour England with the Indian cricket team in 1936, and chose that instead. He might have wished that he'd chosen hockey, as he didn't add to his one Test cap (against England in Calcutta in 1933-34) during what was rather an unhappy trip. There were, however, two Davis Cup players on that tour: Cotar Ramaswami, who was mentioned in my earlier article, and SM Hadi, who had played doubles in the Davis Cup in the 1920s. Hadi never did win a Test cap, though.
I'm not sure whether MJ Gopalan was a good tennis player (he certainly didn't play in the Davis Cup), but he was a fine hockey player, and was picked for the Indian team that went on to win the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936. However, Gopalan wasn't there: he'd also been picked to tour England with the Indian cricket team in 1936, and chose that instead. He might have wished that he'd chosen hockey, as he didn't add to his one Test cap (against England in Calcutta in 1933-34) during what was rather an unhappy trip. There were, however, two Davis Cup players on that tour: Cotar Ramaswami, who was mentioned in my earlier article, and SM Hadi, who had played doubles in the Davis Cup in the 1920s. Hadi never did win a Test cap, though.
And, also in connection with the original query about tennis-playing cricketers, Lance Cherry writes from South Africa:
"Buster Farrer, who happened to attend the same school as I did - Dale College, in King William's Town - was not only a talented tennis player, in addition to being a Test cricketer, but also represented South Africa at squash (vets) and hockey (for which he was very well known). He represented his province (then Border) at cricket, squash, hockey, tennis, golf and bowls. A true and rare allrounder. I hope this adds an extra tiny morsel to that huge information trunk that you keep in your back room!"
"Buster Farrer, who happened to attend the same school as I did - Dale College, in King William's Town - was not only a talented tennis player, in addition to being a Test cricketer, but also represented South Africa at squash (vets) and hockey (for which he was very well known). He represented his province (then Border) at cricket, squash, hockey, tennis, golf and bowls. A true and rare allrounder. I hope this adds an extra tiny morsel to that huge information trunk that you keep in your back room!"
Steven Lynch is the editor of the Cricinfo Guide to International Cricket (reviewed here). If you want to ask Steven a question, use our feedback form. The most interesting questions will be answered here each week