Murali's maidens, and Tendulkar's trophies
Plus: most one-day centuries before Test debut, slowest ODI hundreds, and a boxing cricket writer
Steven Lynch
13-Oct-2015
Adam Gilchrist scored five hundreds and 2376 ODI runs before he got his baggy green • Getty Images
Who has bowled the most maidens in Tests? And who is the most economical bowler of all? asked Hrishikesh Muktal from India
The list of the most maiden overs in Test cricket is much as you'd expect, with the leading wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan on top with 1794, not far ahead of Shane Warne with 1761, then Anil Kumble 1576 and Glenn McGrath 1470. Next come Lance Gibbs (1313) and Derek Underwood (1239). Of those with 100 wickets, the highest percentage of maidens bowled is 44.49 by George Lohmann - but many of those were four-ball overs. The highest percentage for someone who bowled mainly six-ball overs is 39.18 by South Africa's Trevor Goddard, just ahead of the England slow left-armers Johnny Wardle (38.23% maidens) and Tony Lock (37.93%). That's considering only bowlers who took 100 or more wickets, and by that qualification the most parsimonious Test bowler is Goddard, whose nagging medium-pacers conceded just 1.65 runs per over; next come Hedley Verity (1.88), Lohmann and Wardle (1.89) and Ray Illingworth (1.91). The best by anyone who made his Test debut after 1980 is 2.31 runs per over, by Curtly Ambrose. The worst economy rate for anyone with 100 Test wickets is 3.90, by Fidel Edwards, just ahead of Lasith Malinga with 3.85.
The list of the most maiden overs in Test cricket is much as you'd expect, with the leading wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan on top with 1794, not far ahead of Shane Warne with 1761, then Anil Kumble 1576 and Glenn McGrath 1470. Next come Lance Gibbs (1313) and Derek Underwood (1239). Of those with 100 wickets, the highest percentage of maidens bowled is 44.49 by George Lohmann - but many of those were four-ball overs. The highest percentage for someone who bowled mainly six-ball overs is 39.18 by South Africa's Trevor Goddard, just ahead of the England slow left-armers Johnny Wardle (38.23% maidens) and Tony Lock (37.93%). That's considering only bowlers who took 100 or more wickets, and by that qualification the most parsimonious Test bowler is Goddard, whose nagging medium-pacers conceded just 1.65 runs per over; next come Hedley Verity (1.88), Lohmann and Wardle (1.89) and Ray Illingworth (1.91). The best by anyone who made his Test debut after 1980 is 2.31 runs per over, by Curtly Ambrose. The worst economy rate for anyone with 100 Test wickets is 3.90, by Fidel Edwards, just ahead of Lasith Malinga with 3.85.
Who has won the most Man-of-the-Match awards against a particular opponent in ODIs? asked Shahriar Jamil from Australia
The player with the most Man-of-the-Match awards in all one-day internationals is Sachin Tendulkar, with 62 - and he's also the leader against a single country, as he won 17 against Australia (from 110 matches). Next comes Sanath Jayasuriya, with 15 awards from 105 games against Pakistan, then Shahid Afridi, with 12 against Sri Lanka (92 matches). Jacques Kallis won 11 against West Indies (from only 66 matches), and Ian Botham ten in 69 games against Australia. Jayasuriya also won ten against India and New Zealand, Tendulkar ten against West Indies, and Kallis ten against Pakistan. Viv Richards won ten against Australia, Mahela Jayawardene ten against England, and Aravinda de Silva ten against India.
The player with the most Man-of-the-Match awards in all one-day internationals is Sachin Tendulkar, with 62 - and he's also the leader against a single country, as he won 17 against Australia (from 110 matches). Next comes Sanath Jayasuriya, with 15 awards from 105 games against Pakistan, then Shahid Afridi, with 12 against Sri Lanka (92 matches). Jacques Kallis won 11 against West Indies (from only 66 matches), and Ian Botham ten in 69 games against Australia. Jayasuriya also won ten against India and New Zealand, Tendulkar ten against West Indies, and Kallis ten against Pakistan. Viv Richards won ten against Australia, Mahela Jayawardene ten against England, and Aravinda de Silva ten against India.
Virat Kohli scored five hundreds in one-day internationals before his Test debut. Is this a record? asked Nilesh Garg from India
Virat Kohli's five one-day hundreds before making his Test debut equalled the record set by Adam Gilchrist, who had made five centuries in 76 ODIs before finally winning a Test cap in November 1999. Ahmed Shehzad, Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma all scored four ODI hundreds before appearing in a Test, while Kevin Pietersen, Suresh Raina and Pakistan's Nasir Jamshed all made three. Rohit holds the records for the most ODIs (108) and runs (3049) before making a Test debut; Raina (98 and 2379, three runs more than Gilchrist) is second on both lists.
Virat Kohli's five one-day hundreds before making his Test debut equalled the record set by Adam Gilchrist, who had made five centuries in 76 ODIs before finally winning a Test cap in November 1999. Ahmed Shehzad, Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma all scored four ODI hundreds before appearing in a Test, while Kevin Pietersen, Suresh Raina and Pakistan's Nasir Jamshed all made three. Rohit holds the records for the most ODIs (108) and runs (3049) before making a Test debut; Raina (98 and 2379, three runs more than Gilchrist) is second on both lists.
We hear a lot about fast hundreds in ODIs. But who scored the slowest? asked Ali from the United States
The two slowest centuries in one-day internationals were, by coincidence, both scored in Australia in 1991-92. During that season's long-running triangular tournament, India scored only 175 for 8 in their 50 overs in Hobart in one of the round-robin games. Australia took their time, reaching the modest target in the 49th over - just after David Boon had reached his hundred from 166 balls, still the slowest on record in ODIs. Later that season, Pakistan's Rameez Raja needed 157 balls to complete his century against West Indies in Melbourne - this remains the slowest in a World Cup match. Rameez is also equal fourth on this list, with a 152-ball ton against Sri Lanka in Adelaide in 1989-90; Scott Styris also reached 100 in 152 balls for New Zealand against Sri Lanka in Grenada during the 2007 World Cup. In third place is Geoff Marsh, with a 156-ball hundred for Australia against England at Lord's in 1989 (that was a 55-overs match; all the others were 50).
The two slowest centuries in one-day internationals were, by coincidence, both scored in Australia in 1991-92. During that season's long-running triangular tournament, India scored only 175 for 8 in their 50 overs in Hobart in one of the round-robin games. Australia took their time, reaching the modest target in the 49th over - just after David Boon had reached his hundred from 166 balls, still the slowest on record in ODIs. Later that season, Pakistan's Rameez Raja needed 157 balls to complete his century against West Indies in Melbourne - this remains the slowest in a World Cup match. Rameez is also equal fourth on this list, with a 152-ball ton against Sri Lanka in Adelaide in 1989-90; Scott Styris also reached 100 in 152 balls for New Zealand against Sri Lanka in Grenada during the 2007 World Cup. In third place is Geoff Marsh, with a 156-ball hundred for Australia against England at Lord's in 1989 (that was a 55-overs match; all the others were 50).
Which Test cricketer's life story was written by the man in charge of British boxing? asked Terry Caldwell from England
The man with this unusual distinction is David Steele, the bespectacled Northamptonshire batsman who was the unlikely star of the 1975 Ashes series. Steele's life story, Come in Number 3, was published by Pelham Books in 1977; it was ghosted by John Morris, who Steele knew from his days as a reporter with the Northampton local paper. By then Morris was the sports editor in London, but also an official of the British Boxing Board of Control; in 1992 he became their general secretary, before retiring in 1999.
The man with this unusual distinction is David Steele, the bespectacled Northamptonshire batsman who was the unlikely star of the 1975 Ashes series. Steele's life story, Come in Number 3, was published by Pelham Books in 1977; it was ghosted by John Morris, who Steele knew from his days as a reporter with the Northampton local paper. By then Morris was the sports editor in London, but also an official of the British Boxing Board of Control; in 1992 he became their general secretary, before retiring in 1999.
Three Test cricketers died on October 2, according to ESPNcricinfo's list. Is this the most on any single day? asked Richard Mariner from England
The deaths of the West Indian opener Steve Camacho, the Australian spinner Lindsay Kline and the 92-year-old former England fast bowler Fred Ridgway on October 2 this year do indeed constitute a rather grim record. There had been 19 previous days on which two Test cricketers passed away, most recently January 12, 2013 (Guy de Alwis of Sri Lanka and India's Rusi Surti). The first of these macabre doubles was on August 14, 1938, with the deaths of Jim Kelly and Hugh Trumble, two former Australian team-mates.
The deaths of the West Indian opener Steve Camacho, the Australian spinner Lindsay Kline and the 92-year-old former England fast bowler Fred Ridgway on October 2 this year do indeed constitute a rather grim record. There had been 19 previous days on which two Test cricketers passed away, most recently January 12, 2013 (Guy de Alwis of Sri Lanka and India's Rusi Surti). The first of these macabre doubles was on August 14, 1938, with the deaths of Jim Kelly and Hugh Trumble, two former Australian team-mates.
Steven Lynch is the editor of the Wisden Guide to International Cricket 2014. Ask Steven is now on Facebook