Ask Bearders #153
Welcome to Ask Bearders, where statistician Bill "The Bearded Wonder" Frindall answers your questions on all things cricket.
Below are Bill's responses to some of your questions posed at the end of his last column, and if you have a question for Bill, leave it at the end of this blog entry and he might answer it in his next piece.
Bill isn鈥檛 able to answer all of your questions, however. 蜜芽传媒 Sport staff will choose a selection of them and send them to Bearders for him to answer.
Q: Now Anil Kumble has achieved the unique distinction of having taken all 10 wickets in an innings and scored a century in Test cricket, has anyone achieved a similar feat in the same first -class match?
Gareth S
Bearders' answer: Four players have scored a century and taken ten wickets in an innings of a first-class match: V.E. Walker for England v Surrey at The Oval in 1859, E.M.Grace for MCC v Gentlemen of Kent at Canterbury in 1862 (in a 12-a-side match but with one Kent player absent), W.G. Grace for MCC v Oxford University at Oxford in 1886, and F.A.Tarrant for the Maharaja of Cooch Behar鈥檚 XI v Lord Willingdon鈥檚 XI at Poona in 1918-19.
Q: Surrey won their recent championship match against Kent at Canterbury inside two days. Watching the Test at The Oval, Surrey's home ground of course, one is struck with the idea that it would be extremely difficult to get a result inside two days at the venue. Has a first-class match ever been completed at the Oval, in fewer than three days? If so, was light/weather a factor, and/or were declarations involved?
PortlandOR Browncaps
Bearders' answer: Two first-class matches at Kennington Oval have been concluded on the opening day and without the aid of declarations.
On 16 July 1857, Surrey (166) beat Sussex (35 and 31) by an innings and 100 runs in a match scheduled to last two days. W. (鈥楤illy鈥) Caffyn (5-14 and 4-14) and George Griffith (5-19 and 5-15) bowled unchanged throughout both innings.
Then, on 16 May 1953, during their record run of seven successive titles, Surrey (146) beat Warwickshire (45 and 52) by an innings and 49 runs in their opening three-day home fixture of the season. Alec Bedser returned figures of 12-35 and Jim Laker took a hat-trick. Play began 30 minutes late after overnight rain and extended ten minutes into the extra half-hour.
Q: The first Test match I saw as a small boy was England v West Indies at Sabina Park circa 1948. One of the English players who stuck in my memory was a tall, blond, fast bowler named Tremlett. Is he a relative of the Tremlett now playing for England?
Ronald Blake
Bearders' answer: Yes, Maurice Tremlett was Chris Tremlett鈥檚 grandfather. Six inches shorter than his 6鈥7鈥 grandson, Maurice played for Somerset from 1947 to 1960 and became their first professional captain. You saw the last of his three appearances for England, all on the 1947-48 tour. By 1950 his bowling had fallen away completely and he concentrated on his batting for the last decade of his career, specialising in lofted straight hitting.
Q: I'm confused. How can a player have an average higher than their highest score? Surely, even scoring exactly 26 in each of eight innings is still an average of 26!
doneBadThings
Bearders' answer: Not out (*) innings are ignored when batting averages are calculated. Ryan Sidebottom鈥檚 scores before the recent Test at The Oval were: 4, 15, 8*, 26*, 1, 9, 18* and 25*. That sequence gives a tally of 106 for four dismissals and an average of 26.50. He reduced his average to 22.20 by registering 2 and 3* at The Oval.
Q: Which batsmen have the highest scores for a losing cause in a Test match and a limited-overs international? Possibly they are Ponting who scored 250 odd in a Test match against India and yet lost and Hayden's 180 odd for a losing cause against New Zealand.
Shammi
Bearders' answer: You have answered your own question, Shammi! Yes, Australians hold both those 鈥榬ecords鈥.
Ricky Ponting鈥檚 242 against India at Adelaide in December 2003, when the visitors won by four wickets, is the highest score for a losing side in Tests.
The similar record for internationals is indeed Matthew Hayden鈥檚 undefeated 181 off 166 balls against New Zealand at Hamilton on 20 February 2007.
Q: When was the last time a number 8 batsman scored a Test hundred? Who was the last Englishman to perform the feat?
Peter Brett
Bearders' answer: Anil Kumble achieved the 56th instance of a no. 8 batsman scoring a century in a Test match. Chaminda Vaas (100* for Sri Lanka v Bangladesh at SSC, Colombo in June 2007) was the last to achieve this before Kumble.
Peter Willey, batting two places lower than he had in the first innings, was the last no. 8 to score a century for England. His undefeated match-saving 100 against West Indies at The Oval in July 1980 was the first of his two Test hundreds. Only five others have scored hundreds for England at no. 8: H.Wood (1891-92), T.G.Evans (1950), J.M.Parks (1959-60), M.C.Cowdrey (1962-63) and R.Illingworth (1969).
Q: There was a Test match in Pakistan in the early 1970s when three batsmen were dismissed for 99. Who were they and were there any centurions in that match?
Joe Ezekiel
Bearders' answer: That Test, the last of England鈥檚 three-match series in Pakistan, at Karachi鈥檚 National Stadium in March 1973, saw Majid Khan, Mushtaq Mohammed and Dennis Amiss dismissed for 99. No one scored a century, Sadiq Mohammed made 89, Tony Lewis 88, and the Test was drawn.
Q: Which player has got out the most times in Test matches when they are on 99 or 199?
Dom Lee
Bearders' answer: There have been 71 dismissals for a score of 99 and no batsmen has suffered that fate more than twice; That unhappy club has seven members: M.A.Atherton and M.J.K.Smith (England), G.S.Blewett (Australia), R.B.Richardson (West Indies), J.G.Wright (New Zealand), S.C.Ganguly (India) and Salim Malik (Pakistan). G.Boycott is alone in scoring a 99 and a 99 not out.
Five batsmen have been out for 199 (none has done so a second time): M.T.G.Elliott and S.R.Waugh (Australia), M.Azharuddin (India), Mudassar Nazar (Pakistan), and S.T.Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka).
Q: Is it allowed for a team to change their wicket-keeper during the game with another member on the field (without him being injured)? So the two switch places. If 鈥榶es鈥, has there been an instance of the switched wicket-keeper coming on to bowl?
Mark, San Francisco
Bearders' answer: It most certainly is permitted and has occurred many times at all levels of cricket.
The Honourable Alfred Lyttelton returned the best analysis in Test cricket by a keeper coming on to bowl when he took 4 for 19 from 48 balls for England v Australia at The Oval in August 1884.
Two keepers have shed their pads and taken hat-tricks in first-class cricket. Probir Sen was the first to do so, for Bengal v Orissa at Cuttack in 1954-55. A.C. (Alan) Smith emulated his feat for Warwickshire v Essex at Clacton in 1965.
As recently as 22 August, in a semi-final of the Portman Building Society Under-15 National Club Cricket Championships at Bournemouth Sports Club, I saw the reverse of this when Adam Dobb, captain of Mansfield Hosiery Mills, bowled his permitted allowance of four overs before replacing the original keeper and claiming a stumping and a catch.
Q: Gloucestershire鈥檚 opening bowlers both bowled unchanged throughout the Essex first innings at Southend in August. Whilst this may be rare as opposed to unique, both Jon Lewis and Steve Kirby had identical figures of 5 for 41. Has this happened before?
David Jones
Bearders' answer: It is far rarer for a pair of bowlers to bowl unchanged throughout BOTH innings of a first-class match. My records of that feat extend to four pages of the Wisden Book of Cricket Records and list only match figures (without runs conceded for most instances prior to 1854). There is just one instance of bowlers returning identical match figures, having operated unchanged: John Beaumont and George Lohmann each took 10 for 49 for Surrey v Kent at The Oval in 1889.
Q: Extra runs (byes, leg byes, wides and no balls) make a small portion of the total runs in an innings. What is the largest number of extras in an innings? What was the final score?
Ashok
Bearders' answer: The Test record is 71 (21 byes, 8 leg byes, 4 wides and 38 no balls) conceded by West Indies in Pakistan鈥檚 first innings tally of 435 at Bourda, Georgetown, in April 1988.
The most in a first-class innings is 98 (17 byes, 17 leg byes, 16 wides and 48 no balls) conceded by Essex v Northamptonshire (579) at Northampton in 1999. Under ECB regulations two penalty runs were scored for each wide and no ball.
Q: Which England Test team contained the most players from a single county?
David Wright
Bearders' answer: Nottinghamshire holds that record, contributing six players (W.Barnes, W.Flowers, W.Gunn, W.H.Scotton, M.Sherwin and A.Shrewsbury) when England beat Australia by 13 runs at Sydney in January 1887.
Q: Listening to the commentary for England's second ODI against India, when 10 runs were required from the last ball the commentator said 'I'm sure that's been achieved in some form of cricket somewhere'. My question is, has it? Including wides and no balls scored after the penultimate legal delivery.
Complain about this postHi Bill, I remember once David Boon scored a hundred but his average actually went down. Is this possible? I鈥檝e never heard of it since鈥
Complain about this postWhat is the difference in Alec Stewarts batting average when he is wearing a white helmet and when he wears a blue helmet?
Complain about this postwhy isnt there a wembley cricket staiduim
Complain about this postPlease refresh my memory! I was four when I went to my first Test match - at Headingly in 1930. My Father, Mother and brother took me and all have since died. It was the second day. In my memory , Bradman was not out , having scored 304 on the first day. Soon after play started,(perhaps in the first over) he was clean bowled by Bill Bowes and some time later there was a cloudburst over the ground and play was either washed out for the day or for the rest of the match. Which was it , please , and is it my imagination or did the above happen as my fading memory would have me believe ?
Complain about this postBearders
Complain about this postI think I was very lucky to witness to the most unique hat trick in Test Cricket. Merv Hughes against West Indies in about 88 in Perth.
3 wickets- 3 different overs - 2 innings - no's 2 & 3 I think about 3 days apart. I am sure you will know the exact details. Obviously the uniquenes of this is only my opinion, but I would be pleased to hear of any better.
Regards
Adam Lloyd
could you tell me what the highest test score, for an individual or team is, without a boundary being scored?
Complain about this postI would really like to know if any records of the number of sixes hit in a Test series are kept by you statisticians. If so, would the Ashes 2005 be up there with the best of them?
Complain about this postQ. The Surrey v Sussex match ended in a draw without a ball being bowled last week with the teams being awarded 4 points each.
Complain about this postCould the captains not have agreed to declare each innings closed at 0-0 and then tie the match, receiving 7 points each?
Had any number eleven batsman ever scored a hundred in first class cricket and what is the record partnership for the last wicket with number ten and eleven batsmen in first class cricket??
Complain about this postZaheer Abbas was a outstanding batsman, how well he performed in English county.
Complain about this postWhen Andrew Flintoff took 5 for 56 in his last ODI, these figures became his "best bowling," superceding the 4-14 figures which had previously been his best. My question is, why is this stat called "best" bowling and not "most wickets" or something. I'm sure most captains woudl rather have 4-14 than 5-56. If Steve Harmison took, say, 8-120 in an innings, would this really be "better" than 7-12?!
Complain about this postHello,
You kindly answered a question for me last year and I am hoping you could do so again.
If a bowler bowls a legal delivery, the batsman hits the ball and the bowler takes the catch for a caught and bowled, can the bowler then, if the non-facing batsman is out of his crease, run out the non facing batsman, taking two wickets with one delivery?
Now, there is 5 Euro resting on your answer to this one as I have a little wager on this, so feel free to agree with me and say no, it's not allowed.
Thanks and kind regards
Complain about this postMike
Bill, I'm interested to know the lowest score which has never been posted by any individual playing Test Cricket. If I had to guess, I'd say it was somewhere in the high 200's. Possibly more difficult to answer, but do you know the answer to the same question for first class cricket?
Complain about this postFollowing on from previous queries, has there been an occasion when Mr Extras has top-scored in a Test, ODI or first-class innings? If so, has a side ever won a game where Extras have top-scored?
Complain about this postBill
We often hear that so and so players are of the Indian origin. e.g players from some other countries (e.g. England, Kenya).
How do we categorize this 'origin'. Is it like, if at least one of the current player's parents or grandparents is(was) a citizen of India. The player should be easily qualified for a dual citizenship!
Thanks
Complain about this posta friend of mine recently took three wickets in one over, however it was fairly unique in that it was not a hatrick, indeed none of the wickets were back to back, being taken with the first, fourth and sixth balls of the over. could you tell on how many occassions, and who the lucky bowlers where, when this has occured at first class level?
Complain about this postPlease explain the 20/20 concept to a Brit abroad.
Thanks
Complain about this postHi Bill,
A question that has been puzzling the local team i play for and myself regards run outs. When the stumps have been broken and the bails removed by a direct hit and the batsmen is in their ground, if they choose to run again due to the deflected ball then for a run out at the same end one stump has to be lifted out of the ground with the ball in hand. What happens if, when the ball initially hits the stumps only one bail is dislodged, leaving the second bail still perched on top of its two stumps, would the field ing team have to break the stumps again or lift the stump out of the ground for the run out to effective?
Complain about this postBill
It is relatively unusual for a team's innings to have all 11 players reaching double figures. My question is: has there ever been a first class game in which all 22 players in the match reached double figures in both innings?
Complain about this postReading one of your previous "Ask Bearders" from a few years ago, I was wondering if you can help answer this scenario regarding wides and stumpings.
You mentioned that if a batsmen is out stumped to a wide, the run is added to the batting teams score whilst they also lose a wicket.
What happens in this hypothetical one-day situation. Team A scores 240 off their allotted overs, and Team B are 240-9, when their last batsman is stumped off a wide.
Do Team B win, and if so how is recorded as a result? Theoretically, Team B would be all out for 241 chasing 240.
Complain about this postMike Kimber, the answer is no, it is not possible to dismiss two batsman with one ball. In your example, the ball becomes dead the moment the bowler takes the catch (unless you're Herschell Gibbs, of course), so it is impossible for the runner to be run out. This is noted in 23(iii) of the Laws of Cricket. What is possible, is if the bowler drops the catch and the ball subsequently hits the stumps at the bowlers end with the non-strikers end with the batsman out of his ground. That would be a run out. It is not necessary to be deliberately playing for a run or stumping for the dismissal to be affected. A batsman may be stumped if the ball is missed by the wicketkeeper, hits the 'keeper on the chest and rebounds onto the stumps with the batsman out of his ground.
Complain about this postIn the second one day game Tendulkar was given out while he was actualy not out.My question is how many times Tendulkar was given out while he was not out in test and one day game.I have asked this q.two times before but you have not answered my question so for.If you do not have record no problem.
Complain about this postHi,
When was the last time an England side (either Test or ODI) fielded three Hampshiremen? Has it ever happened.
Complain about this postHi Bill,
I seem to remember from a now well out of date book of stats that the ever elegant Vic Marks once held the best bowling figures for any Englishman in the CWC (it may even have been all ODI's). Is this correct and how on earth did it happen?
Complain about this postYou often refer to a test series as a 'rubber'. Can you tell me what is the origin of this terminology?
Complain about this postHi Bill
In the last Cricket World Cup, England reached 8-0 angainst Bangladesh before either batsman had scored a run. What is the highest total reached in ODIs and test Matches before either batsman has scored a run?
Roger
Complain about this postBill
Is there any statistical evidence that a wicket is more likely to fall on a particular ball in an over (e.g. the first or last ball of the over)?
Complain about this postShould Pakistani leg spinner get his work permit,
Yorkshire will have opportunity of fielding three leggies in the same side (Rashid and Lawson being the others)
Has this ever happened before in first class cricket?
Complain about this post