Busy keepers, and Waqar's bowleds
Also, high scores and low averages, most ducks in international cricket, and the 12-year-old Test player
Steven Lynch
16-Sep-2014
Brian Taber: one of two keepers to make eight dismissals on Test debut • Getty Images
What's the most dismissals made by a wicketkeeper on his Test debut? asked Stuart McMeekin from England
Two wicketkeepers have made eight dismissals in their first Test matches. The first to do it was Australia's Brian Taber, with seven catches and a stumping against South Africa in Johannesburg in 1966-67. He was followed by Chris Read, who also took seven catches and a stumping on his debut, against New Zealand at Edgbaston in 1999. This list of players who made seven dismissals on Test debut includes five other wicketkeepers… and one outfielder, India's Yajurvindra Singh, who clasped seven catches against England in Bangalore in 1976-77. For the full list, click here.
Two wicketkeepers have made eight dismissals in their first Test matches. The first to do it was Australia's Brian Taber, with seven catches and a stumping against South Africa in Johannesburg in 1966-67. He was followed by Chris Read, who also took seven catches and a stumping on his debut, against New Zealand at Edgbaston in 1999. This list of players who made seven dismissals on Test debut includes five other wicketkeepers… and one outfielder, India's Yajurvindra Singh, who clasped seven catches against England in Bangalore in 1976-77. For the full list, click here.
Of all the batsmen who have scored more than 150 in an ODI innings, does Denesh Ramdin have the lowest average? asked Savo Ceprnich from South Africa
Denesh Ramdin, West Indies' new captain, qualified for this list by scoring 169 against Bangladesh in St Kitts recently. He currently averages 24.96 in one-day internationals - and there are actually five batsmen who average less than that despite having recorded a score of 150 or more. Charles Coventry of Zimbabwe (highest score 194 not out) averages 24.87, Pakistan's Imran Nazir (HS 160) 24.61, Kapil Dev of India (HS 175 not out) 23.79, and Zimbabwe's Craig Wishart (HS 172 not out) 23.22. But easily top (or bottom) of this list is another West Indian, Xavier Marshall, who averaged only 17.85 overall despite a highest score of 157 not out, with a dozen sixes, against Canada in King City in August 2008. In 23 other matches, Marshall made 218 runs at an average of 10.38, with five ducks and a highest score of 35.
Denesh Ramdin, West Indies' new captain, qualified for this list by scoring 169 against Bangladesh in St Kitts recently. He currently averages 24.96 in one-day internationals - and there are actually five batsmen who average less than that despite having recorded a score of 150 or more. Charles Coventry of Zimbabwe (highest score 194 not out) averages 24.87, Pakistan's Imran Nazir (HS 160) 24.61, Kapil Dev of India (HS 175 not out) 23.79, and Zimbabwe's Craig Wishart (HS 172 not out) 23.22. But easily top (or bottom) of this list is another West Indian, Xavier Marshall, who averaged only 17.85 overall despite a highest score of 157 not out, with a dozen sixes, against Canada in King City in August 2008. In 23 other matches, Marshall made 218 runs at an average of 10.38, with five ducks and a highest score of 35.
Waqar Younis took 54% of his ODI wickets either bowled or lbw. Has anyone got a higher proportion? asked Malcolm Maciver from Scotland
I suppose it's a pretty good indication of how straight (and how fast!) Waqar Younis bowled that 37% of his 416 victims in one-day internationals were bowled, and 17% lbw. Of bowlers with 50 or more wickets in ODIs, only four have a higher percentage of bowled victims, and none of them managed 100 overall; the Pakistan offspinner Tauseef Ahmed (55 wickets) leads the way with 42%. Waqar also took 17% of his victims with lbws. Only two bowlers - both current ones - exceed his overall percentage of 54% bowled or lbw: Mohammad Hafeez of Pakistan has taken 57% of his 122 ODI victims this way, and Abdur Razzak of Bangladesh (207 wickets) 56%.
I suppose it's a pretty good indication of how straight (and how fast!) Waqar Younis bowled that 37% of his 416 victims in one-day internationals were bowled, and 17% lbw. Of bowlers with 50 or more wickets in ODIs, only four have a higher percentage of bowled victims, and none of them managed 100 overall; the Pakistan offspinner Tauseef Ahmed (55 wickets) leads the way with 42%. Waqar also took 17% of his victims with lbws. Only two bowlers - both current ones - exceed his overall percentage of 54% bowled or lbw: Mohammad Hafeez of Pakistan has taken 57% of his 122 ODI victims this way, and Abdur Razzak of Bangladesh (207 wickets) 56%.
I think Courtney Walsh has bagged the most ducks in Tests. But does he hold the overall record for all international cricket? asked Craig Leatheran from the United States
Courtney Walsh collected a record 43 ducks in Tests, well clear of Chris Martin (36), Glenn McGrath (35) and Shane Warne (34). Next comes Muttiah Muralitharan with 33 - and it's Murali who is on top of the overall list. He was out for 0 on 33 occasions in Tests, 24 times in one-day internationals (Sanath Jayasuriya leads the way there with 34), and twice in T20s, a grand total of 59 ducks. Next comes Walsh with 54, Jayasuriya with 53, and McGrath with 49. For the full list, click here.
Courtney Walsh collected a record 43 ducks in Tests, well clear of Chris Martin (36), Glenn McGrath (35) and Shane Warne (34). Next comes Muttiah Muralitharan with 33 - and it's Murali who is on top of the overall list. He was out for 0 on 33 occasions in Tests, 24 times in one-day internationals (Sanath Jayasuriya leads the way there with 34), and twice in T20s, a grand total of 59 ducks. Next comes Walsh with 54, Jayasuriya with 53, and McGrath with 49. For the full list, click here.
Isa Guha made her Test debut for England at the age of 17. Is she still the youngest woman to play in a Test? asked Daryl Montuya from Singapore
Isa Guha's debut for England came against India in Taunton in 2002, when her first wicket was Mithali Raj for 214. The only younger England player at the time was Charlotte Edwards, now the captain, who was 16 in 1996 - but there have been two younger than Guha since: Sarah Taylor was 17 in 2006, while England's youngest player remains Holly Colvin, only 15 when called up to play against Australia in Hove in 2005. Overall, though, Colvin is only fourth on the list, and Guha 11th: the youngest from any country to appear in a women's Test match was 12-year-old Sajjida Shah, for Pakistan against Ireland in Dublin in 2000. For the full list, click here.
Isa Guha's debut for England came against India in Taunton in 2002, when her first wicket was Mithali Raj for 214. The only younger England player at the time was Charlotte Edwards, now the captain, who was 16 in 1996 - but there have been two younger than Guha since: Sarah Taylor was 17 in 2006, while England's youngest player remains Holly Colvin, only 15 when called up to play against Australia in Hove in 2005. Overall, though, Colvin is only fourth on the list, and Guha 11th: the youngest from any country to appear in a women's Test match was 12-year-old Sajjida Shah, for Pakistan against Ireland in Dublin in 2000. For the full list, click here.
Both captains kept wicket in the West Indies-Bangladesh Test in St Vincent. Has this ever happened before? asked Ian Hugo from Bangladesh
It's quite rare for one captain in a Test match to keep wicket too, let alone both. Only 29 captains have kept wicket in Tests in which they skippered, and several of those were only temporary appointments. The double achieved by Denesh Ramdin and Mushfiqur Rahim in St Vincent and St Lucia has been seen before on only five previous occasions. It happened for the first time in a two-Test series in 1995-96, when New Zealand were captained by Lee Germon and Zimbabwe by Andy Flower in Hamilton and in Auckland. And it happened again in 2002-03, first in East London in 2002-03, when South Africa were captained by Mark Boucher and Bangladesh by Khaled Mashud, then later that same season in the two-Test series in Bangladesh, when Mashud was opposed by West Indies' Ridley Jacobs in Dhaka and in Chittagong.
It's quite rare for one captain in a Test match to keep wicket too, let alone both. Only 29 captains have kept wicket in Tests in which they skippered, and several of those were only temporary appointments. The double achieved by Denesh Ramdin and Mushfiqur Rahim in St Vincent and St Lucia has been seen before on only five previous occasions. It happened for the first time in a two-Test series in 1995-96, when New Zealand were captained by Lee Germon and Zimbabwe by Andy Flower in Hamilton and in Auckland. And it happened again in 2002-03, first in East London in 2002-03, when South Africa were captained by Mark Boucher and Bangladesh by Khaled Mashud, then later that same season in the two-Test series in Bangladesh, when Mashud was opposed by West Indies' Ridley Jacobs in Dhaka and in Chittagong.
Steven Lynch is the editor of the Wisden Guide to International Cricket 2014. Ask Steven is now on Facebook