McMillan simplifies a record and lots more from the third Test
Prior to the final Test between New Zealand and Pakistan, the question of most runs off one over in Test cricket was not one which had an entirely straightforward answer
Francis Payne
03-Apr-2001
Prior to the final Test between New Zealand and Pakistan, the question of most runs off one over in Test cricket was not one which had an entirely straightforward answer. There were, for instance, the questions of eight and six-ball overs, overs including extras, no-balls which at the time were not debited against the bowler and other such items which required extensive footnotes.
Craig McMillan has laid all these variables to rest. The 26 runs he hit off Younis Khan's solitary over at Hamilton means that the following have just one categoric answer:
- Most runs by a team off one over
- Most runs from the bat off one over
- Most runs by one batsman off one over
- Most runs conceded by a bowler off one over
Here is the list which McMillan now heads:
Eight-ball over 25 (66061600) Bert Sutcliffe & Bob Blair off Hugh Tayfield NZ v SA Johannesburg 1953/54
Six-ball over
26 (444464) Craig McMillan off Younis Khan NZ v P Hamilton 2000/01
24 (46266L) Andy Roberts off Ian Botham WI v E Port-of-Spain 1980/81
24 (444N444) Sandeep Patil off Bob Willis I v E Manchester 1982
24 (464604) Ian Botham off Derek Stirling E v NZ The Oval 1986
24 (006666) Kapil Dev off Eddie Hemmings I v E Lord's 1990
24 (244266) Ian Smith off Atul Wassan NZ v I Auckland 1989/90
The no-ball bowled by Willis was not debited against the bowler's analysis
Probably the most extraordinary aspect of the record over was that it was the first time in Test history (1540 Tests) that a player had hit every ball of an over to the boundary. Sandeep Patil (above) had hit six fours in an over but the over included a no-ball.
McMillan therefore goes to the top of another list which, although very short, intrestingly includes another instance for New Zealand against Pakistan. The most fours off consecutive balls in an over is now:
Six Craig McMillan off Younis Khan NZ v P Hamilton 2000/01
Five
Denis Lindsay off Johnny Gleeson SA v A Port Elizabeth 1969/70
Rodney Redmond off Majid Khan NZ v P Auckland 1972/73
David Hookes off Tony Greig A v E Melbourne 1976/77
Mohammad Azharuddin off Lance Klusener I v SA Calcutta 1996/97
McMillan extended his sequence when he hit a seventh successive boundary (a six) from the next ball he faced in the next over bowled by Saqlain Mushtaq.
McMillan actually hit 41 off ten successive balls as follows:
Over 109 (Mohammad Akram) 4 Over 110 (Saqlain Mushtaq) 41 Over 111 (Younis Khan) 444464 Over 112 (Saqlain Mushtaq) 6
McMillan's partner, Stephen Fleming, reached his fifty in the 109th over while McMillan was on 46. From that point on, until the innings was declared when he was dismissed, McMillan scored 52 off 19 balls while Fleming added just a single from the six balls he faced.
McMillan's sequence after Fleming reached his fifty was 0402441444464600140.
New Zealand's victory against Pakistan was their largest ever by an innings margin. The biggest of their ten wins by an innings are:
Inns & 185 v Pakistan Hamilton 2000/01 132 v England Christchurch 1983/84 105 v West Indies Wellington 1999/00 99 v Pakistan Auckland 1984/85 61 v Sri Lanka Colombo 1983/84
The margin of an innings and 185 was also the worst in Pakistan's history. Their previous worst was by an innings and 174 at Kingston in 1957/58.
On that occasion Pakistan were reduced to just two fit specialist bowlers as West Indies ran up 790-3 declared and Gary Sobers set a Test record of 365 not out sharing a second wicket stand of 446 with Conrad Hunte (260 run out).
Opening bowler Mahmood Hussain had broken down after bowling just five deliveries, left-arm spinner Nasim-ul-Ghani also suffered injury and captain AH Kardar got through 37 overs with an injured hand. This left the lion-hearted Fazal Mahmood to bowl 85.2 overs (2-247) while Khan Mohammad sent down 54 overs (0-259).
During New Zealand's innings at Hamilton, Matthew Bell and then Mark Richardson reached 1000 runs for the New Zealand first-class season. While this has been achieved on just nine occasions (no one has done it twice) it is interesting to note that three times two players have reached 1000 runs in the same season.
The most runs in a New Zealand first-class season is:
Season Runs Ave 100s Martin Crowe 1986/87 1676 93.11 8 Glenn Turner 1975/76 1244 77.75 5 Graeme Hick 1988/89 1228 94.46 6 Matthew Bell 2000/01 1092 52.00 6 Jeff Crowe 1991/92 1063 62.52 4 Robert Vance 1988/89 1037 64.81 4 Mark Richardson 2000/01 1035 60.88 2 John Wright 1986/87 1019 53.63 3 Mathew Sinclair 1999/00 1004 41.83 3
Bell became just the fourth player to scores as many as six centuries in a New Zealand first-class season after Martin Crowe (1986/87), Everton Weekes (1955/56) and Graeme Hick (1988/89).
During his innings in the third Test, Richardson also reached 2000 runs for the entire 2000/01 season His record was made up as follows:
Matches Runs Ave HS In Zimbabwe 4 495 82.50 306 In South Africa 6 500 62.50 173* In New Zealand 11 1035 60.88 166 Total 21 2030 65.48 306
Richardson thus joins a most exclusive club of players who have amassed 2000 runs in an overseas season (i.e. outside of England where traditionally the greater number of matches has meant higher run tallies). No player has ever scored as many as 2000 runs in one season in one single country outside England.
The most runs in an overseas season is:
Countries Season Runs Ave Mohinder Amarnath P/I/WI 1982/83 2234 79.78 John Reid SA/A/NZ 1961/62 2188 57.57 Sunil Gavaskar I/P 1978/79 2121 88.37 Bobby Simpson I/P/A/WI 1964/65 2063 68.76 Mark Richardson Z/SA/NZ 2000/01 2030 65.48
In the Test at Hamilton, Mark Richardson celebrated one year as an opening batsman by recording his maiden Test century. Since moving to opener in the final Shell Trophy match of 1999/00, his record is:
Matches Runs Ave HS Tests 9 710 54.61 106 NZ (other) 5 645 109.00 306 Otago 8 735 52.50 166 New Zealand 'A' 6 642 71.33 212* Total 28 732 65.04 306
The first wicket partnership of 181 between Richardson and Matthew Bell was the fifth best in New Zealand's Test history. The highest are:
387 Glenn Turner & Terry Jarvis v West Indies Georgetown 1971/72 276 Stewie Dempster & Jack Mills v England Wellington 1929/30 214 Craig Spearman & Roger Twose v Zimbabwe Auckland 1985/86 185 Trevor Franklin & John Wright v England Lord's 1990 181 Mark Richardson & Matthew Bell v Pakistan Hamilton 2000/01 161 Trevor Franklin & John Wright v Sri Lanka Hamilton 1990/91 159 Glenn Turner & Rodney Redmond v Pakistan Auckland 1972/73 149 Trevor Franklin & John Wright v India Napier 1989/90
Richardson and Bell provided just the third instance for New Zealand of both openers scoring a century in the same innings:
Stewie Dempster (136) & Jack Mills (117) v England Wellington 1929/30 Glenn Turner (259) & Terry Jarvis (182) v West Indies Georgetown 1971/72 Mark Richardson (106) & Matthew Bell (105) v Pakistan Hamilton 2000/01
Furthermore, both Richardson and Bell were registering their maiden Test centuries. The six occasions where this has happened in the same innings for New Zealand are:
Stewie Dempster (136) & Jack Mills (117) v England Wellington 1929/30 Jeremy Coney (174*) & Martin Crowe (100) v England Wellington 1983/84 Jeff Crowe (128) & Ian Smith (113*) v England Auckland 1983/84 Bryan Young (120) & Shane Thomson (120*) v Pakistan Christchurch 1993/94 Craig Spearman (112) & Chris Cairns (120) v Zimbabwe Auckland 1995/96 Mark Richardson (106) & Matthew Bell (105) v Pakistan Hamilton 2000/01
The two New Zealand openers also recorded the rare feat of passing the opposition's first innings total without loss. It was only the twelfth time that this had happened in Test cricket.
England (147-1) v Australia (133) Adelaide 1911/12 England (323-1) v Australia (191) Melbourne 1911/12 Australia (117-1) v England (52) The Oval 1948* Australia (244-1) v England (241) Adelaide 1965/66 Australia (191-1) v India (173) Melbourne 1967/68 New Zealand (387-1) v West Indies (365-7d) Georgetown 1971/72 West Indies (298-1) v England (260) Antigua 1989/90 Pakistan (94-1) v Sri Lanka (71) Kandy 1994/95* Pakistan (298-1) v West Indies (216) Karachi 1997/98 West Indies (167-1) v England (127) Antigua 1997/98 Australia (101-1) v West Indies (82) Brisbane 2000/01* New Zealand (181-1) v Pakistan (104) Hamilton 2000/01*
* gained lead on first day
An even more rare feat in Test cricket is that of both openers scoring more than the opposition's entire first innings total. Richardson (106) and Bell (105) both scored more by themselves than Pakistan had manged in its first innings of 104. There had been only one previous instance in all Test cricket and that was a prelude to one of cricket's most famous moments.
At The Oval in 1948, England were bowled out for just 52 (Len Hutton 30 - last man out - Ray Lindwall 6-20) and Australia's openers Sid Barnes (61) and Arthur Morris (196 run out) both bettered the England score putting on 117 for the first wicket. When Barnes was out, Don Bradman came in and was bowled second ball by Eric Hollies in what turned out to be his final Test innings (although at the time there was every chance he could have had a second innings).
During New Zealand's innings at Hamilton, two new record partnerships for were created for New Zealand against Pakistan. Richardson and Bell went past the 159 by Glenn Turner and Rodney Redmond in the third Test at Auckland in 1972/73 while McMillan and Fleming ousted the 128 between Brian Hastings and Mark Burgess in the previous Test of that series played at Wellington.
The record partnerships for New Zealand against Pakistan are now:
1 181 Mark Richardson & Matthew Bell Hamilton 2000/01 2 195 John Wright & Geoff Howarth Napier 1978/79 3 178 Barry Sinclair & John Reid Lahore 1964/65 4 147 Craig McMillan & Stephen Fleming Hamilton 2000/01 5 183 Mark Burgess & Robert Anderson Lahore 1976/77 6 145 John Reid & Richard Hadlee Wellington 1984/85 7 186 Warren Lees & Richard Hadlee Karachi 1976/77 8 100 Bryan Yuile & Dayle Hadlee Karachi 1969/70 9 96 Mark Burgess & Bob Cunis Dacca 1969/70 10 151 Brian Hastings & Richard Collinge Auckland 1972/73
Adam Parore set a record for the most wicket-keeping dismissals for New Zealand when he caught Fazl-e-Akbar off Daryl Tuffey in Pakistan's first innings at Hamilton. His previous catch, Humayun Farhat off Tuffey, had given him the record for wicket-keeping catches.
The leading New Zealand wicket-keepers are now:
Matches Ct St Total Adam Parore 70 173 7 180* Ian Smith 63 168 8 176 Ken Wadsworth 33 92 4 96 Warren Lees 21 52 7 59 Artie Dick 17 47 4 51
* plus three catches as a fielder
Two catches taken by Parore as a substitute (i.e. he was not in the playing eleven) when he deputised for Smith in Pakistan in 1990/91 are not included in his record.
Parore took seven catches in the third Test, emulating his feat in the first Test at Auckland. The most dismissals for New Zealand in a Test is:
8 Warren Lees v Sri Lanka Wellington 1982/83 (all ct) 8 Ian Smith v Sri Lanka Hamilton 1990/91 (all ct) 7 Artie Dick v South Africa Durban 1961/62 (6ct 1st) 7 Roy Harford v India Wellington 1967/68 (all ct) 7 Ian Smith v India Wellington 1980/81 (all ct) 7 Ian Smith v England Leeds 1983 (all ct) 7 Adam Parore v Pakistan Auckland 2000/10 (all ct) 7 Adam Parore v Pakistan Hamilton 2000/01 (all ct)
As noted in an earlier edition, Harford, missed several chances in the game above, was dropped for the following Test and replaced by John Ward. Indeed, Harford never appeared in first-class cricket again.
New Zealand gained a lead of 300 or more for just the fourth time in their Test history at Hamilton. Their largest first innings leads have been:
374 v Australia Brisbane 1985/86* 364 v Sri Lanka Dunedin 1996/97* 339 v West Indies Wellington 1999/00* 303 v Pakistan Hamilton 2000/01* 298 v England Lord's 1973 297 v England Manchester 1999 295 v India Christchurch 1989/90* 290 v Zimbabwe Auckland 1997/98* 289 v West Indies Bridgetown 1971/72 282 v Pakistan Auckland 1984/85*
* New Zealand won the game
Pakistan's two totals at Hamilton were their lowest ever in Tests in New Zealand. Their lowest overall against New Zealand are:
Won By 102 Faisalabad 1990/91 Pakistan 104 Hamilton 2000/01 New Zealand 114 Lahore 1969/70 New Zealand 118 Hamilton 2000/01 New Zealand 169 Auckland 1984/85 New Zealand 174 Hamilton 1992/93 Pakistan 179 Christchurch 1993/94 New Zealand 183 Auckland 1984/85 New Zealand 187 Wellington 1964/65 Draw 191 Lahore 1996/97 New Zealand
Finally, some figures which underline the overwhelming dominance of New
Zealand in the third Test:
Runs Wkts Runs per Wkt New Zealand 407 4 101.75 Pakistan 222 20 11.10