Steven Lynch answers your questions
Steven Lynch06-Dec-2004The regular Monday column in which our editor answers your questions about (almost) any aspect of cricket:
Shahid Afridi: first-up century … but not on debut© AFP
How many batsmen have scored a hundred on their debut in ODIs? asked Brian Fraser
Only four men have made a century in their first one-day international. The first was Dennis Amiss, back in 1972, when he scored 103 for England against Australia at Old Trafford. Next was Desmond Haynes, with 148 – the highest debut score in an ODI – for West Indies against Australia at St John’s in 1977-78. In the 1991-92 World Cup Andy Flower made 115 not out on debut for Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka at New Plymouth, and then Saleem Elahi hit 102 not out for Pakistan against Sri Lanka at Gujranwala in 1995-96. One other feat worthy of mention is that of Shahid Afridi, who smashed 102 from 40 balls for Pakistan against Sri Lanka at the Nairobi Gymkhana in 1996-97. It was the 16-year-old Afridi’s first innings in an ODI, but it was actually his second match – he didn’t bat in his debut game. For a list of the best scores on ODI debut, click here.Is it true that Australia once selected a wicketkeeper for a Test who had never kept wicket before? asked Ted Black from Darwin
Well, it’s very nearly true – they did choose someone in a touring team who had never kept wicket before, although he didn’t actually go on to keep in a Test. The man in question was Ken Burn, from Tasmania. He was chosen for that side as a wicketkeeper, and it wasn’t until the team had set off on their voyage to England that he let slip that he hadn’t actually kept wicket in his life. Although he had a modest tour with the bat – he scored 344 runs at 10.43 in 21 matches – Burn did play in both the Tests as a batsman. He scored 0 and 19 at Lord’s (going in at No. 10 and 11!), and 7 and 15 at The Oval. That was his lot in Test cricket, although he did better with the bat for his state, scoring two first-class centuries for them – the second as late as 1907-08, when he was 45 and scored 112 against the England tourists at Hobart.In the Brisbane Test Jacob Oram scored a century, but also conceded over 100 runs when he bowled. How many times has this happened in Tests? asked David Frith from Queensland
That was actually the 41st occasion that someone had scored a century and conceded more than 100 in an innings in the same Test. Andrew Flintoff has done it twice recently, against South Africa at Lord’s in 2003, and against West Indies at St John’s in 2003-04, in the match in which Brian Lara made his 400 not out. Vinoo Mankad and Greg Matthews managed it three times, as did Garry Sobers, who managed a unique if tiring double against Australia at Adelaide in 1968-69: he scored 110 (and 52), and then conceded over 100 in both innings (1 for 106 and 1 for 107). In the next match, at Sydney, he scored 113 and took 2 for 94 and 3 for 117. India’s captain Vijay Hazare achieved a unique triple at Adelaide in 1947-48, when he scored 116 and 145 after taking 2 for 110 in Australia’s only innings.I think Viv Richards is the only person to score a century and take five wickets in the same ODI, but has anyone else got close? asked Ziaur Rahman from Australia
You’re right, Viv Richards is the only man to complete that notable double, for West Indies against New Zealand at Dunedin in 1986-87. Seven others have scored a century and managed four wickets – no mean feat in limited-overs cricket. Most of them are names you might expect – Nathan Astle, Sourav Ganguly, Chris Gayle, Sanath Jayasuriya, Shoaib Malik and Sachin Tendulkar – but the seventh might get a few heads scratching: it’s Holland’s Feiko Kloppenburg, who scored 121 and took 4 for 42 against Namibia at Bloemfontein in the 2003 World Cup.I see that Australia’s Ernie Toshack took 11 for 31 against India in 1947-48. Is that the cheapest ten-for in Test history? asked Mark Probert
Toshack’s feat – he took 5 for 2 and 6 for 29 at Brisbane – is, rather surprisingly, only fourth on that particular list. Top of the pile are two more Australians: the left-arm spinner Bert “Dainty” Ironmonger took an amazing 11 for 24 (5 for 6 and 6 for 18) against South Africa at Melbourne in 1931-32, while Glenn McGrath captured 10 for 27 (6 for 17 and 4 for 10) against West Indies at Brisbane in 2000-01. England’s Johnny Briggs collected 15 for 28 (7 for 17 and 8 for 11) against South Africa at Cape Town in 1888-89.Has there been any occasion in a Test when all 11 batsmen in an innings reached double figures? asked Javed Iqbal
This has happened 10 times now in Tests, most recently at The Oval in August, when all 11 Englishmen reached double figures – the lowest was 10, by Robert Key, and there were even 48 extras. The first team to manage it was England, against Australia at Melbourne in 1894-95. It hasn’t yet happened in an ODI – the record is ten men into double figures, which has occurred three times.Steven Lynch is editor of Wisden Cricinfo. For some of these answers he was helped by Travis Basevi, the man who built Stats Guru and the Wisden Wizard. If you want to Ask Steven a question, contact him through our feedback form. The most interesting questions will be answered each week in this column. Unfortunately, we can’t usually enter into correspondence about individual queries.
The Wisden Cricket Quiz Book, compiled by Steven Lynch, was published on November 1 by John Wisden & Co., priced £7.99. To save £2 by ordering a copy through Cricshop, click here.