Who holds the record for hitting the most sixes in a Test innings?
Steven Lynch12-Jun-2017To go alongside last week’s question about birthday batting, what are the best ODI bowling figures by someone on his birthday? asked Karthik Sunderesan from India
No one has yet taken five wickets in a one-day international on their birthday – the best figures are 4 for 12, by South Africa’s Vernon Philander, against Ireland in Belfast in 2007. It was quite a day for Philander, as it was his debut as well as his 22nd birthday. The only other man to take an anniversary four-for is Stuart Broad, with 4 for 44 against Australia in Cardiff, on his 24th birthday, in June 2010.There have been ten instances of a bowler taking three wickets in an ODI on his birthday. The unheralded Sri Lankan seamer Pramodya Wickramasinghe actually did it twice: 3 for 54 against India in Moratuwa on August 14, 1993, when he was 22, and 3 for 20 v South Africa at Trent Bridge in 1998, when he turned 27.The best birthday bowling analysis in a T20I was also for South Africa: Imran Tahir claimed 4 for 21 against Netherlands during the World T20 in Chittagong on March 27, 2014, his 35th birthday. Second is Yuvraj Singh’s 3 for 23 for India against Sri Lanka in Mohali in December 2009, in the match in which he made 60 not out – the highest birthday score in a T20I.Were Rashid Khan’s 7 for 18 the best figures by an Associate bowler in an ODI? asked Cameron Mitchell from Australia
The short answer is yes: the Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan’s 7 for 18 against West Indies in St Lucia last week were the best figures in ODIs by a bowler from a non-Test nation, beating Josh Davey’s 6 for 28 for Scotland against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi in January 2015. The previous best by an Associate team against a Test-playing one was Collins Obuya’s 5 for 24 in Kenya’s World Cup win over Sri Lanka in Nairobi in February 2003.Rashid’s figures put him fourth on the all-time list, which is headed by Chaminda Vaas’ 8 for 19 for Sri Lanka against Zimbabwe in Colombo in December 2001.Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim added 178 for the third wicket in Mirpur against Pakistan in 2015•AFPHave Bangladesh ever managed two tons in the same one-day international before – and how often has it happened overall? asked Ishtaq Mohammad from Bangladesh
After that superb partnership between Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah in Cardiff, there have now been 148 one-day international innings to feature two or more individual centuries – but Bangladesh had managed it only once before, against Pakistan in Mirpur in April 2015, when Tamim Iqbal hit 132 and Mushfiqur Rahim 106.It was the fourth such instance in the Champions Trophy; the previous three were all against England: by India (Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly) in Colombo in September 2002, West Indies (Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo) in Ahmedabad in October 2006, and Australia (Shane Watson and Ricky Ponting) in Centurion in October 2009.That total of 148 includes two innings that contained three individual centuries, both by South Africa in 2015: against West Indies in Johannesburg in January, when their 439 for 2 included 153 not out from Hashim Amla, 128 by Rilee Rossouw, and an undefeated 149 from just 44 balls by AB de Villiers; and against India in Mumbai in October (Quinton de Kock 109, Faf du Plessis 133, de Villiers 119).I noticed Tim Southee hit nine sixes in an innings in 2007-08. What’s the record for the most sixes in a Test innings? asked Abdul Haq Samoon from Afghanistan
Tim Southee’s feat, for New Zealand against England in Napier in 2007-08, was also notable as it was his Test debut. He was 19 at the time, and hasn’t improved on that score of 77 not out in 56 matches since, although he remains keen on sixes (he now has 61). There have been only seven Test innings containing more sixes – two of them by Brendon McCullum – the list being headed by Wasim Akram, who cleared the ropes a dozen times during his 257 not out for Pakistan against Zimbabwe in Sheikhupura in 1996-97.Before the international panel was set up, which umpire stood in the most Test matches? asked Brian Curtis from England
The first matches to feature an independently appointed umpire were Zimbabwe’s inaugural Tests, late in 1992 – Dickie Bird from England stood alongside local officials. The first one – against India in Harare – was Bird’s 48th Test in charge, which equalled the record set by Frank Chester, who stood in 48 between 1924 and 1955, all in England. Chester had been a promising batsman for Worcestershire but turned to umpiring after losing an arm during the First World War. He made his Test debut in the white coat at the young age of 29.The ICC’s international panel was formally set up in 1993, and from 1994 to 2001, one third-country official stood with a home umpire in almost all Test matches. In 2002 the ICC established the current elite panel, and since then Test matches have usually been overseen by two independent officials from this list, meaning it is now very rare for an umpire to stand in a Test in his home country.Bird eventually umpired 66 Tests, 54 of them in England, but now lies tenth on the overall list, which is headed by the Jamaican Steve Bucknor: he stood in 128 Test matches, only 26 of them in the West Indies. The leading current umpire is Pakistan’s Aleem Dar, who has stood in 111 Tests to date. Rudi Koertzen oversaw 108 Tests.Leave your questions in the comments below
