Win some, lose some, and a duck tango
Also: fastest to 400 wickets, most wickets by a double-centurion in a Test, and Aaqib and Shoaib's parallel careers
Steven Lynch
04-Aug-2015
Denis Atkinson scored a double-century and took seven wickets against Australia in Bridgetown in 1955 • PA Photos
After winning at Edgbaston England have a sequence of won-lost-won-lost-won-lost-won in their last seven Tests. Is this unique? asked Christopher Grant from England
England's run of seven successive alternating positive results (WLWLWLW) is indeed a new record for Tests. The previous mark was six, which had happened four times: England recorded LWLWLW from 1909-10 in South Africa to 1911-12 in Australia; Australia had WLWLWL against England, West Indies and Pakistan in 1979-80; West Indies went WLWLWL against Australia and England in 1995; and Sri Lanka recorded LWLWLW against South Africa and England in 2011-12 and Pakistan in 2012. England's players doubtless wouldn't agree, but extending the record with another L at Trent Bridge would set up the current Ashes series very nicely.
England's run of seven successive alternating positive results (WLWLWLW) is indeed a new record for Tests. The previous mark was six, which had happened four times: England recorded LWLWLW from 1909-10 in South Africa to 1911-12 in Australia; Australia had WLWLWL against England, West Indies and Pakistan in 1979-80; West Indies went WLWLWL against Australia and England in 1995; and Sri Lanka recorded LWLWLW against South Africa and England in 2011-12 and Pakistan in 2012. England's players doubtless wouldn't agree, but extending the record with another L at Trent Bridge would set up the current Ashes series very nicely.
Dale Steyn took his 400th Test wicket in Mirpur. Is he the fastest bowler to reach this milestone? asked David Harrier from Canada
The wicket of Tamim Iqbal on the first day of the rain-ruined second Test in Mirpur took Dale Steyn to 400 wickets. It was his 80th Test, the same number that Richard Hadlee needed to reach the landmark: of the 11 other bowlers to reach 400, only Muttiah Muralitharan got there in fewer matches (72). Kapil Dev needed the most (115). Steyn's 400th wicket arrived from his 16,634th delivery - easily the quickest of anyone, around 3700 faster than Hadlee. Steyn took around 10½ years to reach 400, the fourth-fastest in terms of time after Glenn McGrath (less than nine years), Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne (both around 9½). Thanks to New Zealand's relatively light Test schedule at the time, Hadlee took longer than anyone else to reach 400: just over 17 years from his debut in February 1973.
The wicket of Tamim Iqbal on the first day of the rain-ruined second Test in Mirpur took Dale Steyn to 400 wickets. It was his 80th Test, the same number that Richard Hadlee needed to reach the landmark: of the 11 other bowlers to reach 400, only Muttiah Muralitharan got there in fewer matches (72). Kapil Dev needed the most (115). Steyn's 400th wicket arrived from his 16,634th delivery - easily the quickest of anyone, around 3700 faster than Hadlee. Steyn took around 10½ years to reach 400, the fourth-fastest in terms of time after Glenn McGrath (less than nine years), Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne (both around 9½). Thanks to New Zealand's relatively light Test schedule at the time, Hadlee took longer than anyone else to reach 400: just over 17 years from his debut in February 1973.
How often have both openers been out for 0 in the same one-day international? asked Kazi Mohammad Firoze Hassan from Bangladesh
This has happened on 37 occasions now, most recently by Sri Lanka (Lahiru Thirimanne and Tillakaratne Dilshan) during the 2015 World Cup against Afghanistan in Dunedin. The first instance was by India (Sunil Gavaskar and Kris Srikkanth) against England in Ahmedabad in 1981-82. It's happened four times to Chris Gayle, on each occasion with a different partner - Wavell Hinds, Lendl Simmons, Sewnarine Chattergoon and Adrian Barath. In Test matches there have been 49 instances now, including twice inside a month this year: by Martin Guptill and Tom Latham for New Zealand v England at Lord's in May, and Kraigg Brathwaite and Rajendra Chandrika for West Indies v Australia in Kingston in June.
This has happened on 37 occasions now, most recently by Sri Lanka (Lahiru Thirimanne and Tillakaratne Dilshan) during the 2015 World Cup against Afghanistan in Dunedin. The first instance was by India (Sunil Gavaskar and Kris Srikkanth) against England in Ahmedabad in 1981-82. It's happened four times to Chris Gayle, on each occasion with a different partner - Wavell Hinds, Lendl Simmons, Sewnarine Chattergoon and Adrian Barath. In Test matches there have been 49 instances now, including twice inside a month this year: by Martin Guptill and Tom Latham for New Zealand v England at Lord's in May, and Kraigg Brathwaite and Rajendra Chandrika for West Indies v Australia in Kingston in June.
What's the highest number of wickets by a player who scored a double-century in the same Test? asked Sachintha from the United States
Two people have taken seven wickets in a Test in which they scored a double-century - and it would be a pretty good quiz question, as neither of them is likely to spring to mind immediately when considering likely candidates. The first to do it, against Australia in his native Bridgetown in 1955, was the West Indian captain Denis Atkinson: in between beavering away for match figures of 7 for 164 from 84.2 overs with his medium-pacers, he rescued his side from 147 for 6 with a superb 219. The second to achieve the feat was Mushtaq Mohammad, for Pakistan against New Zealand in Dunedin in 1972-73: after making 201, he took 2 for 15 and 5 for 49 to set up an innings victory. The only other man to take as many as five wickets in a Test in which he also scored a double-century was England's Ted Dexter, with 205 and 5 for 134 in Karachi in 1961-62.
Two people have taken seven wickets in a Test in which they scored a double-century - and it would be a pretty good quiz question, as neither of them is likely to spring to mind immediately when considering likely candidates. The first to do it, against Australia in his native Bridgetown in 1955, was the West Indian captain Denis Atkinson: in between beavering away for match figures of 7 for 164 from 84.2 overs with his medium-pacers, he rescued his side from 147 for 6 with a superb 219. The second to achieve the feat was Mushtaq Mohammad, for Pakistan against New Zealand in Dunedin in 1972-73: after making 201, he took 2 for 15 and 5 for 49 to set up an innings victory. The only other man to take as many as five wickets in a Test in which he also scored a double-century was England's Ted Dexter, with 205 and 5 for 134 in Karachi in 1961-62.
Did Aaqib Javed and Shoaib Akhtar play together in any international match for Pakistan? asked Sumnith Koralage from Sri Lanka
Although their international careers overlapped slightly, Aaqib Javed and Shoaib Akhtar never played together for Pakistan. Aaqib, who made his international debut in Australia in December 1988, aged only 16, played on until 1998-99: he took 54 wickets in 22 Tests, and 182 in 163 ODIs. Shoaib made his international debut in November 1997, and finished in 2010-11 after taking 178 wickets in 46 Tests, 247 in 163 ODIs, and 19 in 15 T20Is. Pakistan actually played 40 international matches - 11 Tests and 29 ODIs - in the period between Shoaib's debut and Aaqib's last match, but they never appeared together in any of them. Aaqib played in 13 of those matches, and Shoaib in 12. In November 1998, Shoaib played in the first ODI against Zimbabwe in Gujranwala, and Aaqib in the third in Rawalpindi.
Although their international careers overlapped slightly, Aaqib Javed and Shoaib Akhtar never played together for Pakistan. Aaqib, who made his international debut in Australia in December 1988, aged only 16, played on until 1998-99: he took 54 wickets in 22 Tests, and 182 in 163 ODIs. Shoaib made his international debut in November 1997, and finished in 2010-11 after taking 178 wickets in 46 Tests, 247 in 163 ODIs, and 19 in 15 T20Is. Pakistan actually played 40 international matches - 11 Tests and 29 ODIs - in the period between Shoaib's debut and Aaqib's last match, but they never appeared together in any of them. Aaqib played in 13 of those matches, and Shoaib in 12. In November 1998, Shoaib played in the first ODI against Zimbabwe in Gujranwala, and Aaqib in the third in Rawalpindi.
England's team for the third Ashes Test were all born in England - when was the last time this happened? asked Luke Bull from England
Well, it would have been the first time since the first Test of England's tour of Sri Lanka late in 2003, in Galle - Nasser Hussain (who was born in India) was injured and didn't play - but for the fact that Ben Stokes, a member of England's victorious XI at Edgbaston, was actually born in New Zealand. However, as ESPNcricinfo pointed out last week, the omission of the Zimbabwe-born Gary Ballance meant that the Edgbaston Test was the first one for 139 matches since April 2004 in which England had taken the field without a player born in southern Africa.
Well, it would have been the first time since the first Test of England's tour of Sri Lanka late in 2003, in Galle - Nasser Hussain (who was born in India) was injured and didn't play - but for the fact that Ben Stokes, a member of England's victorious XI at Edgbaston, was actually born in New Zealand. However, as ESPNcricinfo pointed out last week, the omission of the Zimbabwe-born Gary Ballance meant that the Edgbaston Test was the first one for 139 matches since April 2004 in which England had taken the field without a player born in southern Africa.
Steven Lynch is the editor of the Wisden Guide to International Cricket 2014. Ask Steven is now on Facebook