Steyn's near-miss, and sibling rivalry
Quickest to 200 wickets, brothers on opposing teams, out lbw the most, and more
Steven Lynch
16-Feb-2010
Clarrie Grimmett: fastest to 200 wickets • PA Photos
Dale Steyn currently has 195 wickets from 37 Tests. If he reaches 200 during the second Test against India, will he be the quickest to reach that landmark? asked Howard Asher from South Africa
Dale Steyn did indeed have 195 wickets from 37 matches before the second Test against India started in Kolkata on Sunday. If he reaches 200 in his 38th Test, he will have equalled the achievement of two great fast bowlers - Dennis Lillee of Australia and Pakistan's Waqar Younis, who both took their 200th wicket in their 38th Tests. But the record is held by a very different type of bowler: the wily Australian legspinner Clarrie Grimmett - the first bowler ever to take 200 Test wickets - got there in his 36th match.
Dale Steyn did indeed have 195 wickets from 37 matches before the second Test against India started in Kolkata on Sunday. If he reaches 200 in his 38th Test, he will have equalled the achievement of two great fast bowlers - Dennis Lillee of Australia and Pakistan's Waqar Younis, who both took their 200th wicket in their 38th Tests. But the record is held by a very different type of bowler: the wily Australian legspinner Clarrie Grimmett - the first bowler ever to take 200 Test wickets - got there in his 36th match.
Sunil Dhaniram and his brother Sudesh lined up on opposite sides in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier. Have brothers ever opposed each other in an international match before? asked Ian Crane from Canterbury, Kent
You're right, Sunil Dhaniram and his younger brother Sudesh played for different teams in the World Twenty Qualifier, Sunil for Canada and Sudesh for the United States (just to complicate matters, they were both born in another country - Guyana). They were in different groups, so their sides' failure to progress meant they didn't actually meet on the field. They did, however, oppose each other in a World Cricket League match at Lauderhill in Florida in November 2008. The only instance of brothers being on opposing sides in a Test match occurred long ago, in Cape Town in March 1892, when Alec and George Hearne played for England against a South African side that included their brother Frank, who had played for England on their previous tour of South Africa in 1888-89 and stayed on there. That 1891-92 match was something of a family affair: their cousin Jack Hearne also played for England in it. It also happened in a one-day international in Belfast in 2006, when Dublin-born Ed Joyce opened the batting for England and his brother Dominick did likewise for Ireland. And there was a near-miss in 1993-94, when Athula Samarasekera played for Sri Lanka and his brother Johanne represented the United Arab Emirates in the Austral-Asia Cup in Sharjah - but again their sides were in different groups and neither reached the semi-finals.
You're right, Sunil Dhaniram and his younger brother Sudesh played for different teams in the World Twenty Qualifier, Sunil for Canada and Sudesh for the United States (just to complicate matters, they were both born in another country - Guyana). They were in different groups, so their sides' failure to progress meant they didn't actually meet on the field. They did, however, oppose each other in a World Cricket League match at Lauderhill in Florida in November 2008. The only instance of brothers being on opposing sides in a Test match occurred long ago, in Cape Town in March 1892, when Alec and George Hearne played for England against a South African side that included their brother Frank, who had played for England on their previous tour of South Africa in 1888-89 and stayed on there. That 1891-92 match was something of a family affair: their cousin Jack Hearne also played for England in it. It also happened in a one-day international in Belfast in 2006, when Dublin-born Ed Joyce opened the batting for England and his brother Dominick did likewise for Ireland. And there was a near-miss in 1993-94, when Athula Samarasekera played for Sri Lanka and his brother Johanne represented the United Arab Emirates in the Austral-Asia Cup in Sharjah - but again their sides were in different groups and neither reached the semi-finals.
Which batsman has been out lbw most often in Test cricket? My guess is Basil Butcher of the West Indies. asked Bobby Adams from the United States
The overall leader here is England's Graham Gooch, who was out lbw 50 times in Tests. He's just ahead of Sachin Tendulkar, who has so far been out leg-before on 48 occasions (I write before the second Test against South Africa in Kolkata). Players who have played a lot obviously feature more in this sort of list - Gooch was out 209 times in all, and Tendulkar 241 so far - and you're right in thinking that the West Indian Basil Butcher was trapped in front a lot. He was out 72 times in his 44 Tests, and 21 of those were lbws - that's 29.16% of all his dismissals, compared to Gooch's 23.92%. The only higher percentages I can find among players who were lbw 20 or more times are 29.76% by Daren Ganga of West Indies (25 lbws from 84 dismissals), and 29.62% by New Zealand's Craig McMillan (24 from 81).
The overall leader here is England's Graham Gooch, who was out lbw 50 times in Tests. He's just ahead of Sachin Tendulkar, who has so far been out leg-before on 48 occasions (I write before the second Test against South Africa in Kolkata). Players who have played a lot obviously feature more in this sort of list - Gooch was out 209 times in all, and Tendulkar 241 so far - and you're right in thinking that the West Indian Basil Butcher was trapped in front a lot. He was out 72 times in his 44 Tests, and 21 of those were lbws - that's 29.16% of all his dismissals, compared to Gooch's 23.92%. The only higher percentages I can find among players who were lbw 20 or more times are 29.76% by Daren Ganga of West Indies (25 lbws from 84 dismissals), and 29.62% by New Zealand's Craig McMillan (24 from 81).
Shahid Afridi took a five-for in his first Test, and scored a century in his second - has anyone else achieved these all-round feats so quickly? asked Ali Sidd
You're right, Shahid Afridi took 5 for 52 on his Test debut, against Australia in Karachi in 1998-99, and scored 141 in his second Test, against India in Chennai later the same season. But one man has done that particular double even quicker: in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1964-65, New Zealand's Bruce Taylor marked his Test debut by following 105 with 5 for 86 against India.
You're right, Shahid Afridi took 5 for 52 on his Test debut, against Australia in Karachi in 1998-99, and scored 141 in his second Test, against India in Chennai later the same season. But one man has done that particular double even quicker: in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1964-65, New Zealand's Bruce Taylor marked his Test debut by following 105 with 5 for 86 against India.
Which player captained his side in most Test matches before losing one? asked Apurv Agarwal from India
I suspect this question was inspired by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who finally tasted defeat against South Africa in Nagpur, in his 12th match in charge of India. The record is 19 Tests from captaincy debut before first defeat, by England's Ray Illingworth, between his first Test as skipper in 1969 and a famous defeat by India at The Oval (their first in England) in 1971. This subject was covered in The List column on Cricinfo a little while ago.
I suspect this question was inspired by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who finally tasted defeat against South Africa in Nagpur, in his 12th match in charge of India. The record is 19 Tests from captaincy debut before first defeat, by England's Ray Illingworth, between his first Test as skipper in 1969 and a famous defeat by India at The Oval (their first in England) in 1971. This subject was covered in The List column on Cricinfo a little while ago.
When was the last non-Ashes five-Test series played? asked John Price
The last one, rather surprisingly, came during England's tour of South Africa in 2004-05. Like the Ashes series that followed it, that was a nailbiting battle - England eventually won it 2-1 - so it's disappointing that there have been no five-Test series anywhere since, outside the Ashes. I think it's particularly sad that as I write the top two teams in the ICC's world rankings are fighting out the top spot in a series limited to just two Tests. (I'm discounting England's series in the West Indies last winter, which only had five Tests because one of them was abandoned after 10 balls and replaced with an additional game.)
The last one, rather surprisingly, came during England's tour of South Africa in 2004-05. Like the Ashes series that followed it, that was a nailbiting battle - England eventually won it 2-1 - so it's disappointing that there have been no five-Test series anywhere since, outside the Ashes. I think it's particularly sad that as I write the top two teams in the ICC's world rankings are fighting out the top spot in a series limited to just two Tests. (I'm discounting England's series in the West Indies last winter, which only had five Tests because one of them was abandoned after 10 balls and replaced with an additional game.)
Steven Lynch is the editor of the Cricinfo Guide to International Cricket. If you want to ask Steven a question, use our feedback form. The most interesting questions will be answered here each week