Plus: oldest debut centurions, youngest to 9000 Test runs, and the highest completed innings without extras
Steven Lynch23-Jun-2015What is the smallest amount of play on any day in a Test match – maybe owing to bad weather, or because the match finished? asked Sreeram from India
The one that came to my mind first was the final Test of the 1936-37 Ashes series in Melbourne, when the fifth day started with England 165 for 8, still 200 short of avoiding an innings defeat. Australia wrapped up the match – and a unique come-from-behind 3-2 series win – when the left-arm spinner Chuck Fleetwood-Smith took the final two wickets with the first two deliveries of the day, in front of a crowd of around 12,000, admitted free.There are, however, two other instances of a day’s play lasting only two balls. In Georgetown in 1964-65, Lance Gibbs completed West Indies’ 212-run victory over Australia by dismissing Graham McKenzie second ball. And at Edgbaston in 1992 only two deliveries were possible on the second day of England’s Test against Pakistan because of rain (the first day had been completely washed out too). Pakistan’s opener Aamer Sohail did manage to score three runs in that time.There is one other instance of no runs being scored on a day in a Test where there was some play – at Adelaide in 1972-73, when it took Australia 14 deliveries to take the last Pakistan wicket to complete an innings victory in the first Test of the series.And there are two cases of a day’s play containing just one run. In Sydney in 1932-33, in the first Test of the Bodyline series, Australia – 164 for 9 in their second innings overnight, having just drawn level overall – lost their last wicket without addition, which left England needing one to win, which they scored off the first ball bowled. And at Old Trafford in 1976 England started the final day at 125 for 9, needing just 427 more for victory: they managed one before Mike Selvey was out.In the Test in Fatullah India had scored 259 runs – and Bangladesh had bowled 62.4 overs – before there was an extra – was this a record? asked Hemant Kher from the United States
I knew it wasn’t a record, as the highest completed innings without any extras at all was Pakistan’s 328 in 187.5 overs against India in Lahore in 1954-55. I wasn’t sure, however, about the highest total reached before an extra was recorded, so am indebted to Charles Davis, the Melbourne statistician, who tells me it came during India’s recent series in Australia. In their first innings in the third Test in Melbourne in December 2014, India had reached 402 before the first extra – a leg-bye off the fourth ball of the 106th over. In terms of overs bowled, in Johannesburg in 1957-58 Australia had faced around 149 eight-ball overs – the equivalent of 198.4 of six balls – before South Africa conceded the only extra of the innings, a leg-bye which took the score to 400 of the eventual 401. That innings included two no-balls, but as they were scored from they did not, under the regulations of the time, register as extras as they would now.I read that Adam Voges was the oldest man to score a century on Test debut. Who held the previous record? asked Mohammed Majendie from Pakistan
That’s right, Australia’s Adam Voges was 35 years eight months old when he completed his Test-debut century against West Indies at Roseau earlier this month. The previous record was held by Dave Houghton, who was about four months younger when he made 121 in Zimbabwe’s inaugural Test, against India in Harare in 1992-93. Before that the record had been held for around 45 years by Sussex’s Billy Griffith, who scored 140 for England after being pressed into service as an opener against West Indies at Port-of-Spain in 1947-48. Legend has it that Griffith, who later became MCC’s secretary, ran out his opening partner early on, and thought he’d better hang around to make up for it. He made only 17 runs in his other four Test innings. Australia’s Bert Collins (in 1920-21), Aminul Islam of Bangladesh (2000-01) and the English legend WG Grace (1880) were all 32 when they made a century in their first Test. Another England opener, Arthur Milton, was 30 when he did it in 1958.Now that Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s international career seems to have ended, who are the longest-serving current players in Tests and ODIs? asked Subramanian from Singapore
The recent recall of Harbhajan Singh, for India’s one-off Test against Bangladesh in Fatullah, gives him the longest span of any current player if you exclude Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Harbhajan made his debut against Australia in Bangalore in March 1998, so has lasted more than 17 years so far (and he’s still only 34). Chanderpaul’s Test career stretched just over 21 years from his debut in March 1994. Only 11 men have enjoyed longer Test careers; for the list, click here.The longest one-day international career of any current player appears to be nearly 16 years by Chris Gayle, who made his debut back in September 1999. Next comes Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik (debut October 1999). Three players who have appeared in ODIs in 2015 had longer careers, but announced their retirements from the format after the World Cup: Shahid Afridi (well over 18 years), Daniel Vettori (18 years four days), and Mahela Jayawardene (17 years 53 days). For that list, click here.Sydney Barnes has taken twin five-fors in a Test six times – a record•Getty ImagesAlastair Cook reached 9000 runs in the second Test against New Zealand. Is he the youngest player to reach this mark? asked Joel Pojas from the Philippines
Alastair Cook scored his 9000th Test run in the second innings against New Zealand at Headingley – and was then immediately out, giving him a nice round career figure to take into the Ashes series. He was 30 years 159 days old, 94 days younger than Sachin Tendulkar was when he reached the 9000 mark in January 2004. Ricky Ponting was 31 when he got there, and Jacques Kallis, Mahela Jayawardene and Graeme Smith all 32.Which bowler took two five-wicket hauls in a Test the most times? asked Amit Kumar from India
It’s no great surprise to find Muttiah Muralitharan on top of this list: after all he took 67 separate five-wicket hauls in his long Test career, nearly twice as many as the next man (Shane Warne, with 37). Murali took at least five in both innings on 11 occasions, his biggest haul being 16 for 220 (7 for 155 and 9 for 65) against England at The Oval in 1998. Warne took twin five-fors on five occasions, the same as Clarrie Grimmett and Richard Hadlee. But this illustrious trio are all shaded by the legendary England bowler Sydney Barnes, who did it six times – in just 27 Tests, in which he took 189 wickets at 16.43.
