Middle-order centuries, and Flintoff's middling form
Yuvraj beats de Silva's record, Flintoff's last century, two hat-tricks in a Test, and most sixes in a first-class match
Steven Lynch
30-Jun-2009
There goes de Silva's record of most centuries from Nos 4 and 5 • AFP
Which batsman has scored the most centuries in one-day internationals coming in at Nos 4 and 5? asked Rahul Nihilani from India
Sri Lanka's Aravinda de Silva hit 10 of his 11 one-day international centuries from No. 4 in the batting order, while the Pakistan pair of Javed Miandad and Mohammad Yousuf made seven each. de Silva also made more runs (6870) at No. 4 than anyone else (Miandad is second with 5678). The most hundreds scored from No. 5 is seven, by Yuvraj Singh of India, while Australia's Andrew Symonds is second with five. The most runs from No. 5 in ODIs is 4675 (including two centuries), by Sri Lanka's Arjuna Ranatunga, while Steve Waugh of Australia is second with 4117. Putting Nos 4 and 5 together, Yuvraj overtook de Silva's record of 10 centuries with his 131 against West Indies in Kingston last week. Yousuf follows them with nine.
Sri Lanka's Aravinda de Silva hit 10 of his 11 one-day international centuries from No. 4 in the batting order, while the Pakistan pair of Javed Miandad and Mohammad Yousuf made seven each. de Silva also made more runs (6870) at No. 4 than anyone else (Miandad is second with 5678). The most hundreds scored from No. 5 is seven, by Yuvraj Singh of India, while Australia's Andrew Symonds is second with five. The most runs from No. 5 in ODIs is 4675 (including two centuries), by Sri Lanka's Arjuna Ranatunga, while Steve Waugh of Australia is second with 4117. Putting Nos 4 and 5 together, Yuvraj overtook de Silva's record of 10 centuries with his 131 against West Indies in Kingston last week. Yousuf follows them with nine.
By my reckoning Andrew Flintoff has not scored an international hundred since 2005, although he has been bowling brilliantly since then in the periods when he has been fit. When was the last time he scored a century in any form of cricket (excluding in his back garden)? asked Simon Rogerson
You're right to suspect that Andrew Flintoff has been going through an extended dry period with the bat, at least as far as centuries are concerned. His last first-class hundred was the one you refer to, his 102 against Australia in the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge in 2005. His only other century since, in any sort of senior game, was 100 not out for the England XI against Mumbai in a 50-over match, the first fixture of the 2008-09 tour of India at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. He did score 93 off 41 balls in a Twenty20 match for Lancashire in Derby last week, though, so I don't think we should write him off as a batsman just yet...
You're right to suspect that Andrew Flintoff has been going through an extended dry period with the bat, at least as far as centuries are concerned. His last first-class hundred was the one you refer to, his 102 against Australia in the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge in 2005. His only other century since, in any sort of senior game, was 100 not out for the England XI against Mumbai in a 50-over match, the first fixture of the 2008-09 tour of India at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. He did score 93 off 41 balls in a Twenty20 match for Lancashire in Derby last week, though, so I don't think we should write him off as a batsman just yet...
Which country has the dubious record for having the highest score coming in extras in one-day internationals? asked Mathew Varghese from India
The most extras in any one-day international innings is 59, which has happened twice - and Pakistan were the batting side on both occasions. The first time was against West Indies in Brisbane in 1988-89 (that included 37 wides), and again during the 1999 World Cup against Scotland in Chester-le-Street. For a full list, click here. I wasn't quite sure from the question whether you actually wanted to know about any occasions when extras had been the top score in an ODI innings: I was quite surprised to discover that it has already happened 37 times, with New Zealand and Zimbabwe having done it five times each. For a list, click here.
The most extras in any one-day international innings is 59, which has happened twice - and Pakistan were the batting side on both occasions. The first time was against West Indies in Brisbane in 1988-89 (that included 37 wides), and again during the 1999 World Cup against Scotland in Chester-le-Street. For a full list, click here. I wasn't quite sure from the question whether you actually wanted to know about any occasions when extras had been the top score in an ODI innings: I was quite surprised to discover that it has already happened 37 times, with New Zealand and Zimbabwe having done it five times each. For a list, click here.
I heard that an Australian bowler once took two hat-tricks in a Test, but never played again! Who was this unfortunate player? asked Danyal Rasool from Pakistan
The man in question was the Victorian legspinner Jimmy Matthews, who took a hat-trick in each innings against South Africa at Old Trafford, in the first match of the Triangular Tournament in England in 1912. The South African wicketkeeper Tommy Ward was the third victim each time, thus completing a unique king pair. It's not true to say that was Matthews' last Test - he actually won eight caps, of which this was the third - but after playing in all Australia's six games in that 1912 tournament he didn't appear again, not helped by the First World War preventing Australia from playing another Test until 1920-21.
The man in question was the Victorian legspinner Jimmy Matthews, who took a hat-trick in each innings against South Africa at Old Trafford, in the first match of the Triangular Tournament in England in 1912. The South African wicketkeeper Tommy Ward was the third victim each time, thus completing a unique king pair. It's not true to say that was Matthews' last Test - he actually won eight caps, of which this was the third - but after playing in all Australia's six games in that 1912 tournament he didn't appear again, not helped by the First World War preventing Australia from playing another Test until 1920-21.
Who was the first Indian batsman to score a century in each innings of a Test? asked Sachin Pandey from India
The first Indian to do this was Vijay Hazare, who scored 116 and 145. Hazare had earlier dismissed Don Bradman too - but the bad news is that Bradman had 201 at the time, and India still lost by an innings. Since then the feat has been achieved five times for India, three times by Sunil Gavaskar and twice by Rahul Dravid. For a full list of the batsmen from all countries who have done this (the most recent instance was by Australia's Phillip Hughes, the youngest batsman to achieve the feat), click here.
The first Indian to do this was Vijay Hazare, who scored 116 and 145. Hazare had earlier dismissed Don Bradman too - but the bad news is that Bradman had 201 at the time, and India still lost by an innings. Since then the feat has been achieved five times for India, three times by Sunil Gavaskar and twice by Rahul Dravid. For a full list of the batsmen from all countries who have done this (the most recent instance was by Australia's Phillip Hughes, the youngest batsman to achieve the feat), click here.
What is the highest number of sixes hit by a player in a first-class match? asked Gary Hansell from Ireland
The record for a single match is 20, by the troubled Australian allrounder Andrew Symonds. Playing for Gloucestershire against Glamorgan in Abergavenny - admittedly not a very big ground - in 1995, Symonds scored 254 in the first innings, with 16 sixes (breaking the New Zealander John Reid's previous record of 15 in an innings, from 1962-63). In the second innings, Symonds' 76 included four more sixes, the second of which broke the old match record of 17, set by Warwickshire's Jim Stewart in 1959.
The record for a single match is 20, by the troubled Australian allrounder Andrew Symonds. Playing for Gloucestershire against Glamorgan in Abergavenny - admittedly not a very big ground - in 1995, Symonds scored 254 in the first innings, with 16 sixes (breaking the New Zealander John Reid's previous record of 15 in an innings, from 1962-63). In the second innings, Symonds' 76 included four more sixes, the second of which broke the old match record of 17, set by Warwickshire's Jim Stewart in 1959.
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