The baby of the New Zealand team, Amelia Kerr, talks about coming up in the game alongside illustrious team-mates

Interview by Annesha Ghosh05-Jul-2017Your grandfather, Bruce Murray, played 13 Tests for New Zealand. How much of an inspiration has he been for you?
He didn’t coach me or anything, but it’s cool to have that sort of knowledge in the family. It’s been good fun having all my cousins play cricket and growing up with them playing in the backyard and then going away for cricket camps with family and friends. [Cricket] made our family gatherings so much more fun and social.Your father, Robbie, and mother, Jo, played cricket for Wellington. What is it like having cricketers for parents?
It’s mainly the support I’ve got from them. They have encouraged me through my earliest days of training. They let my coaches coach me, but it’s nice to have them as parents, to be able to talk to them about the game when I want. My dad has been helping me since I was young. Just when I first started training properly, Dad and I would go down to the nets, in Tawa, where we live. That’s when he’s coached me a little bit, although it was mostly about the tactical side of the game, not technical too much.Then I got my own coaches. I have been with Ivan Tissera since I was ten or so. Pete Younghusband, and Matthew Bell, the New Zealand women’s batting coach, have also been there to help me improve my game.How did you get into cricket?
When I was younger, my sister was always really active, playing sport, and I was really interested. Me and one of my best friends, Kate, would watch all the siblings play. We decided to start from there, playing with my cousins and friends from school when I was about six. We all joined a team and played through together till about 12 or 13.How did bowling wristspin come about?
Not really, it kind of just happened. I always bowled pace till I was about ten – a scary fast bowler. And then one day I was bowling outside my house with my sister, my dad, and in the end I was just mucking around, pretending I could bowl spin. Watching my action, Dad said it wasn’t quite bad and actually looked quite natural. Since that day, I started practising. I got into Ivan Tissera, my coach, who taught me to bowl legspin.

“My friends have no idea about cricket, really. But they are all proud of me”

Who presented you with your ODI and T20I caps?
Sophie [Devine] presented me with the T20 cap, because both of us come from Tawa, so maybe they decided to go with her. The ODI cap, I think it was Suzie [Bates]… umm, I’m pretty sure it was Suzie who handed me that one.In eight ODIs so far, you’ve bagged two four-wicket hauls – the first one against Pakistan and the other against Australia. Which performance is more dear to you?
I have to say the one versus Australia, because that was one of the best I’ve bowled in my life. The fact that it was the Rose Bowl, and it was my first one against Australia, made it pretty special. Besides, to be able to bowl to those players and dismiss them [Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning, Elyse Villani and Alyssa Healy], you know, the players you grew up watching, was special.What, in your assessment, has made your legspin so effective?
The fact that I have variations is a big part, and being able to back them and then making batters to think more about what I’m going to bowl. I think that makes my legspin a lot better.Is there a nickname your team-mates have given you?
The media manager gave me the nickname AK-48 – that’s basically my initials and my shirt number.Does that mean you’re considered the trusted weapon of assault in the team?
Nah, I don’t think too much of it. It’s more a bit of banter among the group.Kerr (back row, second from right): “I’ve been really lucky that I fell in love with the game of cricket and have been growing up in a supportive family and good coaches and friends”•Getty ImagesWhy 48 for your jersey number?
When I was little, my favourite numbers were always 4 and 8. And then, once at a cricket camp, I had a raffle ticket with No. 48 on it and I won $50 (laughs). Then, on the same day, our team won and I got 48 not out. So it’s just kind of meant to be.Do you have a sporting idol you love to watch?
Yeah, I’ve always admired the way Kane Williamson bats. I guess, also Sophie Devine, for the similar kind of upbringing we’ve had: both coming from Tawa, playing for Wellington Blaze, and both playing boys’ cricket when we were young.What’s it like playing with and sharing the dressing room with Suzie Bates?
It’s pretty cool. She’s always been someone I’ve looked up to. Being able to play with her is special, and she’s such a great leader both on and off the field. She gets along with the group and is very positive, encourages everybody. I like how she can do all this and then still perform at her best.Given your age and the fact you have already created several records while setting up wins for New Zealand, are you the baby or the boss of the team?
I’m definitely not the boss in the team. I’m a bit quiet and laid-back (giggles). As team-mates, we are all here to do the same thing. It’s nice to have players like Suzie and Amy [Satterthwaite] in our team, to be able to learn off players with so much experience.In your first match overseas – at Adelaide Oval – you were involved in four dismissals as Australia were bowled out for their lowest T20I total – 66. Among those dismissals was a run-out in the first over of Australia’s chase, and a one-handed screamer at cover off Bates’ bowling. Is fielding an aspect of the game you particularly focus on?
We do a lot of fielding in the New Zealand side’s training and practices. Matthew Bell has developed my fielding a lot. Even when I was young, my uncle and my dad would always carry those tennis rackets and tennis balls on holiday outings. They would make me and my cousins play those catching and fielding games, in the manner of a competition. So it was both fun and competitive. I guess the fact that I can move kind of well on the field has got a bit to do with growing up that way.

“I don’t remember the team winning [the Women’s World Cup] in 2000. I would have been, maybe, only two months old? But yeah, I’m grateful to have been given this opportunity to be able to play here”

You are the first player – male or female – to score a T20 hundred at the Basin Reserve, and the only one to have made two.
The first one was during the NZCT Secondary School Girls’ final when I was 13. But I didn’t know that nobody had scored a hundred there before me. It was a special occasion to play at the Basin at that age, and I was glad I could do it for my school, Tawa College. The second one came at 15. But Sophie [Devine] had also smashed a ton between the two I made. Batting is something I want to keep developing for the future at the international level.You have opened the batting for Tawa College Boys 1st XI in Wellington’s Premier Youth Grade. How has playing with boys helped your game?
Yeah, it definitely has, in a big way. It has been one of the biggest bonuses for me to develop my cricket. It’s great being able to play tough cricket every weekend and I’ve been lucky that I’ve grown up playing with boys and my friends from school. So to be able to play with them even now is cool.Where were you when you got the news of your maiden international call-up?
I was called up for a T20I in Australia after Leigh [Kasperek] got injured. Haidee [Tiffen] just called and asked me to be ready, pack my bags, because I was to fly to Australia that afternoon. I had just got dropped home from the boys’ 1st XI Cup [game] that I was to play in school earlier that day. The match had got cancelled, so I was lucky I had my phone on me. Had it not been called off, I would have been out on the field and wouldn’t have had my phone on me. I got back home as fast as I could and then my sister dropped me to the airport.The first ball you bowled to Meg Lanning in international cricket crashed into her stumps. Talk us through that delivery and how it felt bowling to the No. 1 batsman in the world.
The dismissal was quite special. I was pretty glad to not have to bowl to her for longer, and that I got around her quickly. She was going pretty strong and I was glad to have broken the partnership and also do the job for my team.What did you do with your first New Zealand shirt?
I gave it my coach, Ivan Tissera, to thank him for everything he has done for me. Without him I would have probably not been where I am today.How do your friends and classmates react to your playing for the country?
My friends have no idea about cricket, really. But they are all proud of me. They support me, enjoy watching me play. At home they get all the games recorded, but they don’t quite understand the game. In a way it’s good to have that balance, so when you go home, you can relax, hang out with friends and not talk about cricket.What about your teachers?
They are very supportive, especially my principal. They are good with giving me extensions to catch up with my work. And they are very proud of me.How are you able to juggle your studies with cricket?
It hasn’t been too much of a problem so far, but I have a feeling when I get back from the World Cup, it’s going to be pretty hectic for a few months.”I’m definitely not the boss in the team. I’m a bit quiet and laid-back”•International Cricket CouncilWhat subject do you like the most?
I enjoy food and nutrition and psychology. I like English writing quite a lot.Do you like maths?
Oh, not at all. I don’t like maths at all. I enjoy bowling in cricket a lot more than maths. I dread maths.Is there any other career you’d like to pursue?
Definitely want to carry on with cricket and see where it takes me. If I keep enjoying the game as much as I do now, I could be playing for a long time.How do you spend your free time?
I enjoy hanging out with my friends, seeing my family. I love my family. I’m really fortunate that all my family is really close, all my cousins, we’ve grown up together. I’m probably at my aunty and uncle’s house more than I’m at my own.What’s the most teenager-like thing you’ve done of late?
I’ve just got my restricted [licence] back home, which means I can drive. That is pretty cool. It’s going to be a new experience.Do you play any other sport?
Nope. I used to do football along with cricket, but I had to stop that.If you are stuck in an airport lounge, what would you choose to do: sleep, watch video clips of Kane Williamson, or solve a crossword?
I’d probably eat a lot of food. At the Dubai airport, there was a kids’ room and it had a lot of games, like PlayStation. So maybe I would hang out in there, play the car games on the PlayStation.What’s your favourite TV series?
I enjoyed Riverdale on Netflix and 13 Reasons Why.Are you a prankster?
When I’m with my friends, I can be the joker a little bit. When I’m with the team, I’m pretty laid-back.What advice would you give to fellow 16-year-olds who aspire to play at the international level?
They’ve just got to love it, love what they do, work hard and surround themselves with good people. I’ve been really lucky that I fell in love with the game of cricket and have been growing up in a supportive family and good coaches and friends.If you were to bag a five-for in the World Cup final, which side would you like it to be against, and whose wicket would you most want to have in that haul?
Any opponent, any player would do. To be given a chance to play in the final and win it would be good enough, doesn’t matter who it is against.

The most consecutive wins for India, Hardik Pandya’s six-hitting prowess and Australia’s 11-match winless run feature in the statistical highlights from the third ODI

Bharath Seervi24-Sep-20179 – Consecutive ODI wins for India, which is their joint-longest streak in the format. Between November 2008 and February 2009, India had a run of as many successive victories. For Australia, though, this marks their 11th consecutive defeat in ODIs away from home.1 – This is the first time India have beaten Australia in each of the first three matches of a bilateral ODI series. This is, however, only the second instance of India registering four consecutive victories against Australia, the previous instance having occurred between 1996 and 1998.2 – Player-of-the-Match awards for Hardik Pandya in this series. In the first ODI, in Chennai, he had bagged the award for his returns of 83 runs and two wickets. He was also the Man of the Match in the third game in Indore for his tally of 78 runs and a wicket. Overall, this is his ODI career’s third such award after having got one on his debut in October last year. With 181 runs, he’s the highest run-getter in the series and only three bowlers have got more wickets than his five scalps.20 – Sixes hit by Pandya against spinners in his ODI career, compared to just the five against quick bowlers. He has struck 204 runs against spinners at a strike rate of 178.94 whereas against the fast bowlers, he has scored 285 runs at a run-a-ball. He has hit 24 fours off the fast bowlers and only six off the spinners. In this match, all his four sixes came off the left-arm spinner Ashton Agar, whom he smashed for 37 runs off 20 balls.69 – Runs for which Australia lost five wickets after being 224 for 1 in the 38th over. Only Marcus Stoinis made a double-digit score after the top-three batsmen departed.5-0 – India’s win-loss record in ODIs in Indore. The Holkar Stadium is the only venue where India have won all the matches, playing five or more games. They also won the inaugural Test at the venue against New Zealand last season.

2014 – Last time India had a century opening partnership in ODIs at home, which came against Sri Lanka in Cuttack when Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane added 231 runs. Rahane and Rohit Sharma put on 139 runs in this match, which is the first century opening stand in 20 home ODIs. In this period, India have had only one fifty-plus stand.1403 – Runs for Rohit against Australia – the second most by an India batsman. He went past MS Dhoni’s 1342 runs to take the second spot behind Sachin Tendulkar’s 3077. Rohit averages 63.77 against Australia, which is the highest by 29 batsmen who have aggregated over 1000 runs against them. He is trailed by AB de Villiers, who has an average of 59.52.64 – Manish Pandey’s average when chasing in ODIs, having scored 256 runs in eight innings with four not outs. India have successfully chased targets in six of the eight games in which he has batted. When batting first, he has scored only 130 runs at an average of 26 in six innings.1- Instances of the highest individual score by an Australia batsman in a loss against India, apart from the 124 by Aaron Finch in Indore. In 2013, George Bailey’s 156 in Nagpur wasn’t sufficient for victory, which is the highest such score. Overall, Finch’s score is the third highest by an Australia opener in an ODI defeat.

Returning to the scene of his record-breaking 311 not out, Hashim Amla had some advice for England’s under-fire batsmen

Firdose Moonda25-Jul-2017If England want some advice on how to approach an innings, they can get it from Hashim Amla. South Africa’s No. 3 spends, on average, 127 minutes at the crease every time he bats (only 15 men in history have more staying power), in a career in which he has spent 380 hours and 34 minutes in the middle. More than 13 of those were occupied batting at The Oval in 2012, when he reached the highest Test score by a South African, and Amla got there by knowing how to balance attack and defence.”Test cricket has an element of grind in it,” Amla said, back at the scene of his 311 not out, ahead of the third Test this time around. “But you can’t be attacking all the time and you can’t grind all the time: it’s finding the right balance.”Amla has first-hand experience of the search for that equilibrium. As his career has progressed, scoring rates in the longest format have quickened and Amla has had to adapt accordingly. He has gone from strike rates below 40 when he first began to almost touching 70 in the series against New Zealand last August and has evolved from purely an anchor to an accelerator, admitting team dynamics dictate which approach he takes.”It takes many years as a team to find the right balance,” he said. “Over the last 10 years I’ve played, we have gone through phases where we haven’t found the balance and then we’ve found it and been successful as a batting unit. Then you lose it and then you find it. It happens. You go through ups and downs as a batting unit.”Since the retirements of Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen, South Africa have struggled to settle on an opening pair and the constant search has caused a structural weakness. Often, they are one down early, leaving it to Amla to do a repair job which typically involves being tentative. But last summer, starting with the Australia series, Amla switched gears and seemed in a hurry in almost every innings. He was unusually rash in his shot selection and went through a slump, especially by his standards.As Amla’s temperament came into focus, it was thought that the influence of shorter formats was affecting his batting but it may actually have been the make-up of the XI. Amla’s lean patch came at a time when South Africa were without AB de Villiers and when inconsistency crept into the line-up, so the responsibility on Amla would have been greater. With that at the back of his mind, his haste was understandable but at Trent Bridge, where South Africa levelled the series against a profligate England, glimpses of the Amla of old peeped out.He showed more patience than in some of his recent stays at the crease and it is probably not a coincidence that the change came after South Africa made a major change to the line-up. Not only did they drop the underperforming JP Duminy but they installed the most in-form batsmen of the last year, Quinton de Kock, in his place at No.4. That seemed to bring the best out of Amla.In the first innings, he shared in a 113-run third-wicket stand with de Kock which changed the tempo of a South Africa innings that started slowly in tough batting conditions. Though de Kock did not come off in the second innings, having him higher up appeared to help Amla find his rhythm. “When Quinton de Kock comes to the crease for us, he plays really freely and gets the scoreboard ticking,” Amla. “That’s what we love and we have no qualms if he nicks off playing an attacking shot because more often than not he comes off and is successful.”Hashim Amla conquered England’s bowlers in 2012•Getty ImagesEngland have players of a similar style in Joe Root and Ben Stokes, who accumulate runs quickly, but in the second Test they lacked staying power, prompting a barrage of criticism from former players. Amla’s advice is not to read too much into it. After all, South Africa were bundled out for 119 at Lord’s and also suffered an embarrassing margin of defeat. “You can’t look too much into it. We lost the first Test and the same questions you are posing to me you probably posed to Alastair Cook – sorry to Joe Root,” Amla said, reminding himself who the England captain actually was.Those questions are about the ability of batting line-ups to build innings, rather than blast their way to a total, and Amla has already proved he has some answers. Especially at The Oval, where he became his country’s only triple-centurion. His unbeaten 311 spanned 790 minutes – the sixth longest in Test history – and he did not change his gloves once in that time. It was an innings that spoke as much to South Africa’s resilience as to his own resoluteness and it ultimately set South Africa up for a series win.That day, Amla’s attitude was simple. “I remember just trying to bat as long as I can and thankfully I did,” he said.So how much will that innings be in Amla’s mind when he walks out to bat in this match? “I think we passed that five years ago,” he said. “A lot of cricket has happened in between. I don’t think there will be any thoughts of that. I find that with things that happened in the past, generally, if you linger on it too long it becomes more of a distraction.”But he habours some hope he can do it again. “I’ve got the same name, I’ve trained as tough as I can train so for me it’s about continuing that.”

Our correspondent follows two South African teams about on the disappointing final legs of their respective tours

Firdose Moonda10-Aug-2017July 18
The early finish at the Trent Bridge Test has allowed me the chance to cover the South African women in their semi-final against England in Bristol. I will have to make a six-hour round-trip, but it’s a mission I am keen on. The women’s team have impressed and I sense something special is on the horizon.At first, it seems I am right. Young Laura Wolvaardt sets the tone with 66, but the team finish on 218 for 6 and it does not seem like enough. England cruise initially, but when South Africa make some inroads, get the required run rate up to a run a ball, and launch a collective comeback, the impossible seems possible. Until England hit back and a nail-biting finish puts the South Africans out of another major tournament in heartbreaking fashion.After the final ball is bowled, the women sink to the ground like the men did in the 2015 semi-final. The hurt is so raw that I find myself unable to hold back tears. Dane van Niekerk can’t either, and a painful press conference follows. Despite the disappointment, the team can be proud of how they fought, and I won’t be too surprised if they beat the men to a major trophy, provided these scars heal soon.July 20

I’ve travelled back to London to await the winner of the India-Australia match, who will play England in the final. We’ve had news that the match is a sellout, making it the biggest event in women’s cricket to date. Australia are the favourites, but I’m quietly pleased when India stun them, because having the game’s financial powerhouse in the final should change the face of the women’s game.July 21

If you’re a lover of books and movies, the Travel Book Company from the film is a must-see. In reality, it’s called the Notting Hill Bookshop. I get around to visiting it today, and it is everything the movie made it out to be.July 23

The big day has arrived. A completely different Lord’s to the one I have encountered on my previous visits greets me, with a relaxed vibe and a family feel, as the Women’s World Cup final gets underway. I am covering it with colleagues Melinda Farrell and Jarrod Kimber. We decide beforehand that I will write on England, Jarrod will do India, and Melinda will write a colour story. For most of the match, it looks as though I will be writing about the losing side. Then Anya Shrubsole leads the mother of all comebacks and I have a fairy tale to tell.The Women’s World Cup had unprecedented attention this time round, with the India-Australia semi-final sold out•Firdose Moonda/ESPNcricinfo LtdJuly 24

So much cricket has been played already but we’re only halfway through the Test series and it’s set for a cracker second half. The teams are locked at one-all but any momentum South Africa could gain from their Nottingham victory was halted by the break. In that time, JP Duminy has returned home, Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock also popped back for quick visits, and other members of the squad took the week off to explore parts of the UK. Assistant coach Adrian Birrell, who is a cattle farmer back home, went to Northamptonshire to learn about their cows. Everyone is back in camp today, though, getting an extra training session in than England, who will only regroup tomorrow.July 27

Rain has hung around The Oval for the two days leading up to the Test and it has its say on the first day. Only 59 overs are possible and England are 171 for 4, which seems neither here nor there, but the inside track from the South Africa camp is that they are worried. Not only do they think batting will become much harder but Vernon Philander, who can best exploit these conditions, is struggling with a stomach bug and has been on and off the field all day.July 28

Philander’s condition worsens to the point where he is taken to hospital; South Africa’s worsens to the point where they need him to bat. At 61 for 7, after conceding 353, they are starring at some embarrassing milestones but gutsy Temba Bavuma saves some blushes.July 29
A night on a drip doesn’t stop Philander from coming out to bat, but it is soon clear which way this match is heading. At least I have a personalised pot of tea to enjoy while I watch the chaos. Yorkshire Tea have made all the media their own packs, though I don’t think Moonda’s Tea has a ring to it.July 31

After the inevitable happens, I head to Hammersmith, to see my London colleagues one last time on this trip. We have plenty to talk about, because ten days ago ESPNcricinfo has had a facelift. There are some issues that are being sorted out, but by and large the changes are positive and we’re excited about what it means for the way we work.The Notting Hill bookshop, which featured in the movie •Firdose Moonda/ESPNcricinfo LtdAugust 1

The last stop on the trip is Manchester, and it’s also the furthest north I will be going. I’m particularly looking forward to the red brick and the contrast between industrial-era and new-age architecture. One of my first sights is the Midland Hotel, where Rolls and Royce met to form… you guessed it.August 2

I’m closing in on 250 miles on foot this trip, and this morning’s run starts on the Bridgewater Canal. The first few hundred metres are over cobblestone and I have to be careful not to do an ankle. Then I go past Old Trafford. Not the cricket one. I expect to feel something as I see the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand – awe, admiration, maybe a bit of irritability because I am kind-of a Manchester City fan – but it looks like just another football ground to me. Plenty in the South African team disagree. Tomorrow they’re set for a stadium tour, where Russell Domingo will really get to feel what its like being David Moyes – in all sorts of ways. Domingo succeeded Gary Kirsten four years ago, a month after Moyes took over from Ferguson, and the Old Trafford Test is set to be his last.August 3
The youngest member of the South African touring party is out and about today: Faf du Plessis’ month-old daughter Amalie, who is with her mother, Imari, in a coffee shop on Deansgate.This is a must-win match for South Africa and there’s a lot at stake. They have not lost a series in England since 1998, and they have won their last two here, but their chances of sharing the spoils have suffered a blow this time: Philander, who was thought to be fully fit, following his recovery from his viral infection, is now suffering from back spasms and will undergo a last-minute fitness test.At least those of us not playing cricket are having fun. The Cricket Writers’ Club hosts a dinner for the media and the deal is that the English journalists will pay for us Saffers. Win.The Deansgate railway arches alongside the Bridgewater Canal in Manchester•Firdose Moonda/ESPNcricinfo LtdAugust 4
Philander and Chris Morris are ruled out of the final Test with back problems. South Africa are forced to field two inexperienced players, Theunis de Bruyn and Duanne Olivier, and behind the scenes, Graeme Smith fires shots at Philander’s lack of fitness, accusing him of not paying enough attention to his conditioning. As if that isn’t enough to keep us busy, news breaks that CSA has approached Ottis Gibson to take over from Domingo. It’s all kinds of awkward to think that Domingo might have been in the change room across from his successor’s for the last six weeks. The ECB denies it has had an offer, but all indications are that the deal is done.August 5

A finely poised match swings England’s way in the morning session when they pile on 100 runs and South Africa wilt. James Anderson seems to like bowling from the James Anderson End and South Africa are 220 for 9 overnight. Though it’s not even day three, its time to turn attention to the post-mortems, which will focus on South Africa’s batting. They don’t seem to have many answers and have picked discarded opener Stephen Cook in the A side to play against India later in the month. Aiden Markram will captain the team, with David Miller batting at No. 4.August 7

South Africa lose the series 3-1. And so, three months on the road ends. They return home with nothing, not even a coach. Domingo manages a smile when he speaks to the media in what he jokes is the “departure lounge”, a stairwell at the ground. He is candid about the challenges the country’s cricket faces going forward.About an hour after play, the South Africans – who have become so used to singing a team song at this stage of a series – are packing up. Heino Kuhn is on the dressing-room balcony, staring wistfully at the Old Pavilion, as if he knows his first taste of Test cricket might be his last. The England camp are celebrating with champagne and pizza, delivered by the groundsman.Melinda and I see Moeen Ali on our way out. “You’re not bad for the second-choice spinner and No. 8 batsman,” we tell him. He laughs and wishes us well for our time off. We’re headed separate ways, Mel back to Birmingham and me, to explore a bit of Europe before the home season.

England keep repeating the same errors without learning or suffering the consequences

George Dobell in Sydney04-Jan-20181:45

Should Bairstow have called for a nightwatchman?

A day that had promised much for England was suddenly rendered “a massive disappointment,” in the words of their assistant coach, Paul Farbrace.Facing the prospect of reaching stumps with just three wickets down, two set batsmen at the crease and with realistic expectations of a total in excess of 400, England lost two men in the final seven deliveries of the day to leave them facing a battle to reach even 300. And, on a surface on which Dawid Malan reckoned 450 might be around par, that is likely to be deeply insufficient.England’s problem is not just the loss of late wickets. It is not just the sense that they squandered a day of hard work with a loose final few moments.It is the knowledge that, when the second day starts, their diplodocus-length tail – Tom Curran is so high at No. 8 you wonder if he needs the help of oxygen and a Sherpa – is protected only by Malan, who continues to bat with calm and class, and Moeen Ali, who looks horribly short of form and confidence. There is a real danger that 228 for 3 – the score before Joe Root was out – could become 275 all out.There will, no doubt, be talk of Jonny Bairstow’s decision not to utilise a nightwatchman. And it is true that Malan admitted to being “surprised” when Bairstow walked out to bat with nine deliveries left in the day’s play. He had been offered the option of a nightwatchman and Mason Crane, on debut, was padded up and ready to go.”I’d always have a nightwatchman,” Malan said. “Good on Bairstow for backing himself. It takes guts to go against what normal people normally do.”But that decision is a red herring. England’s issue is not the decision to forgo a nightwatchman – that might be considered the responsible, brave and logical thing to do – but the fact that their batsmen continue to make the same errors without either learning or suffering the consequence.Mark Stoneman, for example, was caught as he fenced at one he need not have played. James Vince, who had looked a fine player, was caught behind moments after a drinks’ break and Root failed to turn an excellent start into a match-defining innings. All those descriptions could be prefaced with word “again.” England aren’t learning; they are repeating.Josh Hazlewood removed Jonny Bairstow with the final ball of the day•Getty ImagesSo it wasn’t Bairstow’s decision to bat ahead of Crane that was the problem. After all, Crane has a top first-class score of just 29 and would have been confronted by a high-class, high-speed attack armed with a new ball. It was Bairstow’s decision to attempt to push firmly at a ball – a new ball – in the final over of the day.It was a fine delivery that drew the stroke – Josh Hazlewood went wide of the crease and persuaded the ball to leave the batsman just a fraction – but Test bowlers will bowl fine deliveries. Sometimes they can be defended rather than batsmen feeling they need to demonstrate their positivity.”It sort of sums up where we’ve been on this tour,” Malan said. “We’ve been on top, then we make mistakes and let them back in.”While the England camp have tended to overplay the extent to which they have dominated sessions of play – they could have been asked to follow-on in Adelaide, for example, and they were pulverised in Perth – it is true that there have been moments when they have shown they can compete.But the fact is, England’s top-four have just one century between them in the series. Two of the top three average under 30 in the series and, midway through their 12th and eighth Tests respectively, Vince and Stoneman have averages of 22.94 and 29.33 respectively. Vince has made two half-centuries in 19 innings and Stoneman has a top-score of 56 in 13. They are desperately fortune to be playing in this age of patient selectors.

Nothing that happened on the first day in Sydney should surprise anyone. And that is a damning indictment

It is true that both have, at times, shown glimpses of the class to suggest they can thrive. But glimpses won’t do and nor will half-centuries. Ultimately, players have to be judged by how their performances shape and define games and both Vince and Stoneman are doing just enough to survive but nowhere near enough to help their team win. Like visiting a casino, they offer just enough wins to keep you gambling but nowhere near enough to challenge the truism: the house also wins.Despite that, it seems both men will be selected for the New Zealand Tests. And it is true that continuity of selection is hugely preferable to the panic-driven selections of the 1980s. There aren’t obviously compelling alternatives for the top-order positions, either.But it also seems to be true that, by continuing to select such players with such records, England are accepting mediocrity. Twelve Tests is not a small sample size; an average of 22 is not good enough for a No. 3. England are losing anyway and, in the shape of Haseeb Hameed, Liam Livingstone, Dan Lawrence and Joe Clarke, they have other options.Nothing that happened on the first day in Sydney should surprise anyone. And that is a damning indictment of the lack of improvement and development within this England team. It is increasingly hard to avoid the conclusion that, for all their glimpses of snatches of promise, they’re going nowhere.

And who was the first to get to 300 wickets in T20s?

Steven Lynch14-Nov-2017I was wondering about “purple patches” for players. For example, which batsman scored 1000 Test runs in the fewest innings at any stage of his career? asked Martin Kingston from England

You don’t usually have to look beyond Don Bradman for this kind of record, and indeed he still holds the mark – he scored more than 1000 runs in eight innings between March 1929 (when he scored 123 and 37 not out in the final Test against England in Melbourne, and the 1930 Ashes series in England, in which he made 8, 131, 254, 1, 334 and 14. The Don added 232 in the final Test in 1930, finishing with 974 runs, still a record for any series.Four other batsmen have amassed 1000 runs in the space of nine Test innings, most recently Alastair Cook, between November 2010 and June 2011. The others were Garry Sobers (February to December 1958), Mohammad Yousuf (July to November 2006), and Kumar Sangakkara (December 2006 to December 2007).Sunil Narine recently took his 300th wicket in T20 matches. Was he the first to get there? asked Juan Castro from Chile

The West Indian spinner Sunil Narine’s 300th T20 wicket came up recently in Bangladesh, when he dismissed Worcestershire’s Ross Whiteley during the match between Dhaka Dynamites and Sylhet Sixers in Mirpur.Narine is actually the third bowler to reach 300 in T20 matches. Top of the list is another West Indian, Dwayne Bravo, who has 387 wickets as I write: he reached 300 while playing for Gujarat Lions in the 2016 IPL. The Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga comes next with 325. The next to get there will probably be the tangle-footed Pakistani Sohail Tanvir, who currently has 277 wickets.
For the full list, click here.Who has played the most one-day internationals in a calendar year? asked Safyan Mahmood from Pakistan

I’m not sure whether you mean a team or an individual player – but it doesn’t matter very much, as the answer is almost the same: India played 43 one-day internationals in 1999, and Rahul Dravid featured in all of them! Sourav Ganguly played in 41, while Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan) and Lance Klusener (South Africa) also played 41 ODIs in 2000.Ganguly scored 1767 runs in 1999 and Dravid 1761, which puts them second and third on the list for the most ODI runs in a calendar year, which is headed by Sachin Tendulkar, who amassed 1894 in 34 matches in 1998. The leader so far in 2017 is Virat Kohli, with 1460 runs as I write.Percy Fender was variously called Bill, George, and Mossy•Wisden Cricket MonthlyJason Holder recently scored a Test century from No. 9. Has any other Test captain done this? asked Allan Alexander from the United States

Jason Holder made 110 after coming in at No. 9 during West Indies’ recent second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. This was the third occasion a Test captain had made a hundred from so low in the order – and the other two were both by the same man. Shaun Pollock scored 111 for South Africa against Sri Lanka in Centurion in January 2001, and a couple of months later added 106 not out against West Indies in Bridgetown.There have been 12 Test centuries by captains batting at No. 8, three of them by Daniel Vettori and two by MS Dhoni. Top of that list is Wasim Akram’s 257 not out for Pakistan against Zimbabwe in Sheikhupura in 1996-97.Which Test cricketer was nicknamed “Mossy”? asked Robert Arnold from England

England and Australia have both had a Test player called Moss – Jeff and Alan – who probably attracted this nickname as a matter of course. But the name was also attached to another player for a while: Percy Fender, the idiosyncratic Surrey captain who played 13 Tests for England – and, many thought, should have captained them. According to Richard Streeton’s excellent biography of Fender, he acquired the nickname “Bill” after a mix-up over the payment arrangements for a farewell party during the First World War: “He remained ‘Bill’ to his closest friends. To his family, he was always ‘George’ [his second name]… At one stage in his cricket life, the nickname ‘Mossy’ Fender began to be used, but Fender never liked it and was thankful it never caught on widely.”Leave your questions in the comments

Imran Khan might be the gold standard, but he has two England challengers coming up the ranks

Andy Zaltzman16-Aug-2018 is one of the shortest books in the many-shelved library of cricket. It is two pages long, the first of which contains only a large red question mark, and the second a cartoon of a puppy trying to catch a butterfly in its mouth, while barking “Play Your Natural Game”.England’s Auckland masterpiece in March, when they heroically threatened the seemingly unthreatenable lowest Test score in history, has been joined on the accompanying instructional DVD by India’s performance at Lord’s, a pallid disintegration against high-quality, relentless swervery. Virat Kohli, and the England fielders’ slippery fingers, papered over some cavernous cracks in the riveting first Test. At Lord’s, England’s bowling rapidly stripped that paper away, to find India’s batsmen chiselling away vigorously to help those cracks become chasms.I followed the first two matches of the series on holiday in Spain, where I was nearly hit by the ball that KL Rahul managed to drag back onto his stumps in the first innings at Edgbaston, but was otherwise largely divorced from visible cricket. The first Test was one of those rare matches that was soul-clenchingly gripping, even if you were following it via the medium of sneaky quarter-hourly peeks at the latest score on a mobile phone while pretending to be unbreakably focused on spending quality time with your family.The second, following the pattern of the 2013 Ashes, when England won a knife-edge first Test before helping their opponents disintegrate haplessly at Lord’s, was one of the more disappointing Tests of recent years in terms of its Anticipated-Competitiveness-of-a-Series to One-Sidedness-of-Actual Cricket ratio.Having seen admittedly little of the action, I present Five Incontrovertible Statistical Facts That Have Emerged From The First Two Tests.1. India have become considerably less good at not being bowled out very, very quickly in Tests in England.
India have been dismissed in under 55 overs 14 times in their 59 Tests in England. Six of those 14 failures have been in their last four Tests here (both innings in the fourth Test in 2014 and at Lord’s this year, and their second innings at the Oval four years ago and Edgbaston this time).They have been out for under 200 in eight of their last nine innings in England (since the second innings in Southampton in 2014), having been dismissed for less than that score only three times in their previous 29 Tests in this country, dating back to 1979 (and not once in five series from 1986 to 2007, inclusive).2. Facing James Anderson in England has become one of the toughest challenges in the history of Test cricket.
This summer and the two past have brought Anderson a total of 91 wickets in 17 Tests, at an average of 14.4. From 2001 to 2015, no bowler averaged under 16 in an English Test summer (minimum 12 wickets) – Anderson is on course to do so for the third successive year.Statistically, Anderson’s current run of home form is among the best that Test cricket has seen, roughly on a par with Muttiah Muralitharan’s best periods in Sri Lanka, and better (in terms of average) than, for example, Freddie Trueman’s peak years in England.Imran Khan, from 1982 to 1986, took 102 wickets in 16 home Tests for Pakistan, at an average of 12.89, so Anderson still has some catching up to do if he wants eventually to become prime minister.3. Lord’s did nothing to rectify England’s ongoing lack of second-innings centuries.
Winning by an innings was the last thing England wanted in the context of their attempts to improve one of the more curious statistical glitches of their play in the Trevor Bayliss era. Since the Lord’s Test against New Zealand in 2015, when Alastair Cook and Ben Stokes made contrasting, superb second-innings centuries against New Zealand to set up a dramatic fifth-day victory, England have made only one century in 39 second innings – Alastair Cook in Rajkot, in November 2016.This is despite their batsmen reaching the half-century mark 60 times in those second innings. In fact, in the last three years the only Test team with fewer second-innings hundreds than England is Afghanistan, who have the not unreasonable mitigation of only having played one Test match. Collectively, the other Test nations have posted 54 second-innings hundreds (out of 264 scores of 50-plus), at a rate of one century per 4.1 team innings.By comparison, from 2002 up to and including that New Zealand Test in 2015, England made 67 centuries in 137 team second innings (including eight in 13 Tests in 2013 alone), with a conversion rate of 32.8%, compared to the 1.7% since.

I followed the first two matches of the series on holiday in Spain, where I was nearly hit by the ball that KL Rahul managed to drag back onto his stumps in the first innings at Edgbaston

4. Having your lynchpin No. 3 batsman being repeatedly run out for not very many runs is a bad tactic.

Cheteshwar Pujara has now been run out seven times, accounting for 7.6% of his 92 dismissals (compared to 2.3% of dismissals for all other top-six batsmen this decade). It is not only the frequency of his run-outs that is costing India but also the timing of them – he has made only 99 runs in those seven innings, averaging 14.1 when he has been run out, compared to 52.3 in all his other innings combined (including not outs).The average score of all other top-six batsmen this decade in innings in which they have been run out is 38.5, only a little under their average in all other innings (38.3), and above the average score of innings ended by the other forms of dismissal (33.6).Of the 69 batsmen in Test history who have been run out five or more times when batting in the top six, Pujara’s batting average when run out is the fourth-lowest, behind Alistair Campbell (9.6), Marvan Atapattu and Bevan Congdon (both 12.0), and the difference between his run-out average and his overall average is the greatest.Having travelled a little in India in recent years, I am of the firm belief that no Indian Test batsman should ever be run out. Anyone who has managed to negotiate crossing roads in Indian cities and survived to adulthood without suffering a career-ending injury ought to be able to judge when a single can be safely taken on the cricket field. Perhaps this is the view of someone cosseted by the relatively mayhem-free roads of Britain, but the fact is that Pujara’s run-outs have proved more than averagely costly to his team, heightened by the fact that the Indian batting line-up is currently displaying the resilient immovability of a meringue in an illegal cage fight against a sweet-toothed wildebeest.5. If Chris Woakes could become as effective in the rest of the cricketing universe as he is in England, he would make Garfield Sobers look like Ronnie Irani.
We live in an age of exaggeration, so please blame the above claim on the times we live in, rather than on this writer. Nevertheless, it is not as completely untrue as it might seem. In the last 55 English summers, from 1964 to 2018, 50 England bowlers have bowled 300 or more overs. Woakes, with 50 wickets at 22.7, has the best average of any of them, ahead of Ken Higgs (52 at 23.3), Bob Willis (176 at 23.5) and Anderson (357 at 23.6).By considerable contrast, in the last 55 English winters, in away Tests, 51 England bowlers have bowled at least 300 overs. Woakes, with 18 wickets at 61.7, has the worst average, some distance behind Moeen Ali (51 at 52.2). In the whole of England’s Test history, the only specialist bowlers to have played six or more away Tests and recorded a worse average are Gareth Batty (14 wickets at 62.1) and Ian Salisbury (11 at 63.5).With the bat, Woakes is now averaging 54 at home, and 20 away. Of the 111 players with at least 400 runs and 40 wickets in home Tests, no one else has averaged both over 46 with the bat and under 28 with the ball. Imran Khan’s figures are 45.2 and 19.2 (in 38 home Tests), suggesting that Woakes, if he can maintain his performance in home conditions for another few seasons, will one day oust Jimmy Anderson from No. 10 Downing Street and become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (at the very least).

Stats highlights from Pakistan’s comprehensive win at Lord’s

S Rajesh27-May-20185 – Test wins for Pakistan at Lord’s, which is joint second-best for any team, after Australia’s 17. Pakistan’s 5-5 win-loss here is also second best, after Australia’s 17-7. South Africa have won five Tests here as well, but have lost eight. Pakistan are the only overseas team to win back-to-back Tests at Lord’s in the last ten years.ESPNcricinfo Ltd4 – Defeats for England in the first Test of a home series, since the start of the 2002 season. In 33 first Tests during this period, they have won 18 and drawn 11. The only other defeats were against Pakistan in 2016, South Africa in 2012, and Australia in 2005.8 – Wickets for Mohammad Abbas, at an average of eight runs per wicket, over both innings of the Test (4 for 23 and 4 for 41). Among Pakistan bowlers who have bowled at least 10 overs in a Lord’s Test, only Mudassar Nazar has a better average: he took 6 for 38 (average 6.33) here in 1982.

Bowler Runs Wkts Ave YearMudassar Nazar 38 6 6.33 1982Mohammad Abbas 64 8 8.00 2018Khan Mohammad 61 5 12.20 1954Mohammad Amir 84 6 14.00 2010Yasir Shah 141 10 14.10 20164 – Defeats, in 34 matches, for England in home Tests that have started in May. Two of those defeats have been against Pakistan, who also beat them at Old Trafford in 2001. Apart from those two defeats, England lost to Australia in 1921, and to New Zealand in 2015. They have won 24 and drawn six.10-8 – Pakistan’s win-loss record in London (Lord’s plus The Oval), which is the best among all overseas teams. Australia are next with a 24-23 record, while all other teams have lost more than they have won here.

The India captain prized ‘control’ the most on the final day in Adelaide, and his bowlers delivered that for him

Sidharth Monga in Adelaide10-Dec-20182:06

Key moments: Pujara Starc lesson, Australia’s first-innings fail

Thirty-one is a lot of runs in the fourth innings of a Test. India should know, having failed at what are seen in popular parlance as “tight” chases. And yet such was the drama, and the lack of having experienced such wins, that emotional fans kept believing Australia would somehow pull off a miracle. Even India coach Ravi Shastri, a broadcaster of at least 25 years, forgot the tenets of broadcasting and described his emotions in a totally and utterly beep-able fashion.On the field, though, nothing got near any mouth. Except maybe some gum, some zinc cream, some flies and the sweet taste of a 1-0 series lead. India began the day knowing they had enough on the board despite a slowed-down pitch and only four bowlers to call upon. They knew from their own experience of how difficult it gets in fourth innings that they didn’t need to do anything other than stay disciplined. Australia got partnerships in, but India’s fast bowlers kept bowling accurately and fast, and R Ashwin went at under two an over, which is precisely what Virat Kohli wanted from his bowlers.According to Cricviz data, with an average pace of 141.4kmph and 50.6% deliveries pitched on a good length and line – good line being roughly between third and sixth stump – India’s fast bowlers had their best Test by both measures across games in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia over the last 12 years. That gave Kohli what he loves the most as the captain in the field: control. He doesn’t want opposition batsmen to play with positive intent, something that he as a batsman himself understands brings wickets.ALSO READ: Kohli reveals how the no-balls ‘pissed off’ Ishant”If Australia had been 4 for 50, we would have gone with our strike bowlers straightaway and could have afforded to give away a few runs,” Kohli said of his plans. “The fact that we went with Ashwin and Ishant [Sharma] this morning was because we had a template where they were scoring at 1-2 runs an over max. And then we build on that to gain momentum and be positive from ball one. As batsmen you understand that if you are not playing with positive intent, you can nick off at any stage. And that’s exactly what happened with those guys who were not ready.”Maybe Travis Head was not expecting Ishant to suddenly go short on him, and we just wanted to create that zone where our bowlers were in a good rhythm and bowling consistently. And even with the second new ball we gave it to Ashwin, and we thought he will get more bite with it. It is very important to keep an eye on the scoreboard and how many runs you have, where the game is heading and how the batsmen are playing as well. So I keep looking to improve on that because in the past there have been sessions where we have given too many runs in one go, and as captain I have sat down and tried to plug it. In this Test, we were pretty balanced in that regard, we never gave away a session where they got away from us so we just have to remember that and make that balance again according to situation of the game and be more aware. It is awareness that counts in those situations.”Australia batted 23.4 overs more than India did in this Test, but India made it home comfortably in the end, which is what will vindicate Kohli’s tactics. At least within the team group if not to the wider world. There might have been a case for attacking Australia more on the final day, but, on the day, with the Australian batting uncertain and India under no pressure to make the big play, this conservative approach worked for them.Having said that, it did take a lot out of the fast bowlers, who kept coming back for spell after spell even as Ashwin tied up one end. “Especially with the Kookaburra, we have not been able to sustain that pressure long enough in the past,” Kohli admitted. “But the fact that they [the bowlers] are fitter and they have more pace on the ball for longer periods, and their job at certain times is just to contain… I think to pick 20 wickets with four bowlers, away from home, especially with a ball that does not offer you that much is something we can be proud of.”Virat Kohli celebrates with his team-mates•AFPWhat of Ashwin then? The only spinner in the side, he provided India the initial breakthroughs in both the innings, but there might be criticism for him that he didn’t land the knockout blow. He ended up India’s joint-highest wicket-taker – with six, along with Jasprit Bumrah – but there might be comparisons with Nathan Lyon. However, on a pitch that had slowed down, Kohli was satisfied with Ashwin’s work on the final day.”He was given a specific role, yes,” Kohli said. “I think he was very economical and bowled in the right areas, just to create enough chances and keep one end tight, because we didn’t want to go overboard wanting him to attack too much because that would have opened up scoring options as well.”Actually, if you look at the whole day, they were playing with a mindset where they knew they were up against it, and they were just looking for an opening where you get 50-60 runs in an hour and then you start putting the opposition under the pressure. We never wanted that to happen. If this was the case in the first innings, where there was that much assistance or these many spots, Ashwin would have been more aggressive with hitting those spots, but the fact that he controlled the game nicely and kept us in the game, not letting it drift away too much at any stage. I think he did his job perfectly. So I think that’s a good start for him, he hasn’t started that well in Australia before and I think he can build on that. He did his role perfectly in the second innings.”The challenge now for India bowlers is to get ready for Perth in three days’ time, which might include one intense nets session in which to figure out what lengths to bowl there. It is a tough ask on bowlers from either side; they will both be desperate to get an extra day off if their captain can win the toss and choose to bat.

Also: how many players have scored centuries on their birthdays?

Steven Lynch11-Sep-2018As Alastair Cook says farewell, I wondered what the highest score in a batsman’s final Test innings was? asked Savo Ceprnich from South Africa

The highest score in a batsman’s final Test innings remains 258, by West Indies’ Seymour Nurse against New Zealand in Christchurch in 1968-69. Nurse had already announced his intention to retire, and this innings – and pleas from his captain, Garry Sobers – didn’t change his mind. Two others have signed off with a double-century in their final innings: Aravinda de Silva scored 206 for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh in Colombo in 2002, while Australia’s Jason Gillespie made 201 not out, also against Bangladesh, in Chittagong in 2005-06. Andy Sandham (325 for England against West Indies in Kingston in 1929-20) and Bill Ponsford (266 for Australia v England at The Oval in 1934) both passed 200 in the first innings of their final Test.Cook became the fifth batsman to score a century in his first and last Tests. Ponsford and his fellow Australians Reggie Duff and Greg Chappell, and India’s Mohammad Azharuddin are the other four. Ponsford actually scored hundreds in his first two and last two Tests.Rashid Khan took over 150 international wickets while a teenager. If this is the record, who’s next? asked Suli from Saudi Arabia

This question is well-timed, as the Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan turns 20 next week. He has taken 174 wickets in international cricket so far: next comes Waqar Younis, with 125 wickets as a teenager (and there is some debate about his age). Three more precocious Pakistanis come next: Mohammad Amir took 99 international wickets while in his teens, Aqib Javed 98, and Saqlain Mushtaq 97. Daniel Vettori collected 79 for New Zealand.Of Rashid’s wickets, a record 108 came in one-day internationals; Aqib had 75 and Saqlain 73. And Rashid is even further ahead in T20 internationals: he took 64 wickets as a teenager, double the next best, 32 by Shadab Khan of Pakistan. Waqar leads the way in Tests, with 55 teenage wickets, one more than Vettori.I remember an over in a Test that needed three bowlers to complete it. When was this? asked Matthew McCormack from England

This unusual event happened near the start of the second Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies in Kandy in November 2001. The Trinidadian fast bowler Merv Dillon started the fifth over, with Sanath Jayasuriya facing, but had to leave the field after two balls with stomach trouble. Guyana’s Colin Stuart stepped in, but two of his first three deliveries were head-high full-tosses, and as Wisden reported, “umpire John Hampshire had no alternative but to direct the captain to remove him for the rest of the innings, the first instance of its kind in Test cricket”. With West Indies running out of bowlers, Chris Gayle finished the over in uneventful fashion (except Jayasuriya did hit his first ball for four). Stuart did bowl eight wicketless overs in the second innings, but never played another Test.Waqar Younis took 125 international wickets as a teen•PA Photos/Getty ImagesSomerset needed 78 to beat Lancashire the other day, but were all out for 77. Was this the lowest score to tie a first-class match? asked Mark Fenton from England

Somerset’s 77 in that extraordinary game against Lancashire in Taunton last week – they were 77 for 8 and lost their last two wickets without addition – was actually the third -smallest final-innings total in a tied first-class match, and the lowest for more than 120 years. The lowest remains 70, by Nelson against Wellington in Nelson in New Zealand in 1874. The only other lower total – and still the record for the English County Championship – is 74, by Lancashire against Surrey at The Oval in 1894.There was a lower total in a match in 1783, which is counted as first-class by some statisticians but not by Wisden: Hampshire made 61 in their final innings to tie with Kent at Hambledon.Jos Buttler narrowly failed to score a Test century on his birthday at The Oval. How many people have done this? asked Matthew Roberts from England

Jos Buttler made 89 on his 28th birthday (September 8) in the final Test against India at The Oval last week. It’s a slightly tricky one to work out, but it looks as if nine people have completed a Test century on their birthday. The first was England’s Reg Simpson, on his 31st birthday, in the Ashes Test in Melbourne in 1950-51; the most recent one was earlier this year, when Kusal Mendis marked his 23rd birthday (February 2) with 196 for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh in Chittagong.In between, the feat was achieved by England’s Peter Richardson (on his 26th birthday in 1957), Chris Lewis (25th in 1992-93) and Alec Stewart (31st in 1993-94), the South Africans Graeme Pollock (23rd in 1966-67), Lee Irvine (26th in 1969-70) and Andrew Hudson (29th in 1993-94), and Ramnaresh Sarwan of West Indies (26th in 2006).Two players have completed double-centuries on their birthdays: England’s Patsy Hendren, on the day he turned 41, reached 205 not out against West Indies in Port-of-Spain in 1929-30, while Jason Gillespie amassed an unbeaten 201 for Australia against Bangladesh in Chittagong in the match mentioned above. Gillespie, who had gone in much earlier as nightwatchman, reached 200 on his 31st birthday – and never played another Test.Use our feedback form or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions