And how many Test series have there been where no one from a team has scored a hundred?
Steven Lynch10-Apr-2018Was KL Rahul’s half-century the other the day the fastest in the IPL? Or all T20 cricket? asked Suresh Shroff from India
KL Rahul’s 14-ball onslaught for Kings XI Punjab against Delhi Daredevils in Mohali on the weekend was the fastest fifty in the history of the IPL, beating Yusuf Pathan’s 15-ball effort for Kolkata Knight Riders against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in 2014.The fastest fifties in all T20 cricket have come from just 12 deliveries. Yuvraj Singh set the record for India against England in Durban during the inaugural World T20 in 2007, in the innings in which he smashed Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over. Chris Gayle equalled the 12-ball mark for Melbourne Renegades against Adelaide Strikers in Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium, during the 2015-16 Big Bash. For the full list, click here.No one scored a century for Australia in the recent series in South Africa. Was this a first? asked Kevin McAndrew from Australia
The recent controversial series in South Africa – in which Australia’s highest score was Mitchell Marsh’s 96 in the win in Durban – was the first of four Tests or more in which no Australian scored a century since 1969-70… in South Africa, when their best effort was Bill Lawry’s 83 in Cape Town. Australia famously lost that series 4-0.The only five-Test series in which no Australian scored a century was in England in 1956, when Richie Benaud’s 97 at Lord’s was their best effort of a rubber dominated by Jim Laker, who took 46 wickets.England have gone through three different five-Test series without registering an individual hundred: against West Indies in 1963 (the highest score was 87 by Micky Stewart at Old Trafford), against Australia in 1972 (Brian Luckhurst 96 at Trent Bridge), and in the West Indies in 1985-86 (David Gower 90 in Antigua). No West Indian reached three figures during their five-Test series in South Africa in 1998-99, the highest score being Carl Hooper’s 86 in Cape Town.Who made almost 35,000 runs and scored more than 50 hundreds in first-class cricket without ever making a double-century? asked Madhav Gokhale from Egypt
This long-serving player was the former Yorkshire, Somerset and England captain Brian Close, who ended his lengthy career with 34,994 runs and 52 centuries but a highest score of 198, for Yorkshire against Surrey at The Oval in June 1960. Later that season Close also made 184 against Nottinghamshire in Scarborough.The only other batsmen to amass more than 30,000 first-class runs without the aid of a double-century were Arthur Milton (32,150 with 56 hundreds, the highest 170 for Gloucestershire v Sussex at Cheltenham in 1965) and James Langridge (31,716 runs, 42 hundreds, highest 167 for Sussex v Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in 1936). For the full list of the most runs in first-class cricket, click here.Thisara Perera is one of four cricketers to have turned out for six IPL teams so far•AFPIs there anyone who has played for the same team in all 11 seasons of the IPL? And who has played for the most different teams? asked Amrit Ghose from India
There’s only one person who has remained with the same team throughout all 11 seasons of the IPL to date: Virat Kohli, who is about to play his 150th match for Royal Challengers Bangalore.There are four other players who have turned out for six different IPL teams, though the numbers could change as this season progresses. For example, Australian batsman Aaron Finch is likely to play for his seventh team – Kings XI Punjab – later this week. He has also represented Delhi Daredevils, Gujarat Lions, Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Pune Warriors*. Wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel has played for Chennai Super Kings, Deccan Chargers, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Mumbai, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers (he’s now back with RCB); Sri Lankan allrounder Thisara Perera has appeared for Super Kings, Tuskers, Mumbai, Sunrisers, Kings XI and Supergiant; Dinesh Karthik, now the Kolkata Knight Riders captain, has played for Lions, Daredevils, Mumbai, RCB and Kings XI.Of those who have played for more than one team, Yusuf Pathan recently became the sixth player to reach 150 matches (he has played for three different sides). The list is headed by Suresh Raina, who has played 162 IPL matches, for Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Lions. For the full list of the most IPL appearances, click here.Who scored the slowest Test hundred of the 21st century? asked Brian Martin from England
The slowest Test century since the turn of the millennium was compiled by Jimmy Adams, for West Indies against Zimbabwe in Kingston in March 2000. It took him more than eight hours – 496 minutes in all. Next comes a more noted West Indian stonewaller, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, whose century against India in Antigua in 2001-02 took 457 minutes.Adams lies sixth on the overall list, which is headed by Mudassar Nazar’s marathon for Pakistan against England in Lahore in 1977-78, when it took him 557 minutes to reach three figures. That broke the old mark of 545 minutes, set by South Africa’s Jackie McGlew against Australia in Durban in 1957-58.April 10, 2018, 14.19 GMT: It was incorrectly stated that Finch played for Rising Pune Supergiant. He played for Pune Warriors.Leave your questions in the comments
