One hit wonders

[Craig]

Not guys who have played one Test (I'm going to count ODI's as well), although they can count, guys that for an innings, a Test or series, where they performed at a level to their potential or above it, but neverreached those heights again and then dined off it for the rest of their careers.

I'm going to start off with Mathew Sinclair - 214 on Test debut: Yeah Phlegm (Flem274*) and PEWS will hate me, but he has to count for mine. Scores a double ton a debut, and whilst he will score another two more Test centuries, that is it for him, he has never reached those heights again. Some of it the fault of the New Zealand selectors for making him a scapegoat, and Sinclair's for not taking the opportunities he go. If your picked, you have to score runs to keep your spot. Insanely good for CD though.

Mohammad Zahid - 11/130 on Test debut: Takes 7/66 and picks up 4/64 in the first innings and does SFA since. His last Test was here and was nothing but cannon fodder.

Simon Cook - 7 wickets on Test debut: Took 7 wickets on debut at the WACA, didn't take a wicket in his second and final Test and that was it. Was nearly run over by a steam roller several years later

Anthony Stuart - ODI hat-trick: Stuart took a hat-trick and never played another ODI and his career soon fizzled out.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Andy Ganteaume (sic.)

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Bob Massie.

 

[Craig]

Andy Ganteaume (sic.)

Aaron Redmond's father deserves a mention as well. Also who was that Indian spinner who took 16 wickets on Test debut against the West Indies in the late 80's?

 

[Richard]

Aaron Redmond's father deserves a mention as well.

Rod Redmond.

Also who was that Indian spinner who took 16 wickets on Test debut against the West Indies in the late 80's?

Narendra Hirwani. However he also had an excellent series in his first full series after said WI Test. So I'm not sure he counts. Massie too had other decent Tests, though clearly nothing to touch his debut.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Ajit Agarkar in tests. Little to show other than a 6-fer in Australia.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Praveen Amre
103 on Test debut in South Africa. Just 3 more fifties in the next 9 tests, although he did end up with a respectable average of 42.

 

[Richard]

BTW Simon Cook only played Test cricket because McGrath missed a couple of games. Otherwise he'd have been a 0-Test wonder.

Another who always comes to my mind is Mike Whitney, from a few years before that. Though he's really more of a two-hit wonder than a one-hit one, as he took 9-149 in a game that was long foredoomed to a draw on the flat pitch at Adelaide Oval in 1988/89 against West Indies, and played by far the biggest part in condemning India to their umpteenth rout in 1991/92 with 11-95 at The WACA.

In his other 10 Tests he took 19 for 1081 (an average of 56.89).

 

[Richard]

Tino Best may be the best-known player in his family these days but he wasn't the Best, so to speak - his uncle Carlisle Best comfortably outdid anything he ever achieved. Despite a nothing series in West Indies' invincibles' last-hurrah in 1986 after replacing Everton Mattis, who'd replaced Gus Logie (who'd replaced Clive Lloyd when he retired) in which he was dropped after 3 Tests, he was brought back in the next series in 1990 when England were seriously threatening the greatest upset of all-time. He did nothing again in the opening two Tests which England dominated, before smashing 164 in the Third Test which turned the tide. He then played a couple of games in Pakistan in a series which Viv Richards missed, but the last we saw of him was when he was dropped and some fellow called Lara came in (though Lara didn't yet stay, Richards returned immediately).

Aside from that 164, he passed 50 just once in 12 other innings'.

 

[Richard]

And another from around Carlisle Best's time: with Holding and Garner basically gone after that '86 Blackwash, Courtney Walsh came into the side and of course started a remarkable run which (apart from when injury occasionally kept him out) lasted nearly 15 years. However, the other pace-bowling replacement is widely little-known. Why? Because he only lasted that one season. Yet Tony Gray's performances were sensational: in the 5 Tests he played that winter out of 6 he took 22 wickets at 17.13, without having so much as a single bad game (FTR, 6-121; 4-48; 4-58; 5-89; 3-61). Why didn't he play again? Well he got injured, then Winston Benjamin and Ian Bishop - and later a fellow called Curtley Ambrose - emerged, and he just never got back in.

Very unfortunate.

 

[Flem274*]

Lou Vincent 104 on debut.

Dare I say it, Tim Southee 5/55 on debut. On a flat pitch he bowled very well, but hasn't done it again (that 4-fer in Aus was excellent though), fingers crossed he will.

 

[Craig]

I suppose there has to be good money already that Jason Krejza will already go down as a one hit wonder after his first Test. If the Indians showed a little bit more respect towards him and didn't throw away their wickets, he would would be a one Test wonder.

 

[Richard]

Lou Vincent 104 on debut.

Vincent's had his times since then TBF. And it wasn't just 104 but 50-odd in the second-innings. A performance he'll surely never better, but nonetheless he does have other scores, no shortage of, to his name, even if he also has some of the worst batting you could wish to see to it as well.

As for Kiwis though - John Bracewell almost qualifies. In 3 of his 41 Tests he ripped through Australia (10-106 in '85/86); India (9-136 in '80/81); and India again (8-132 in '88/89). He also took a 6-87 against Australia in '89/90. But in his other 37 his best was 5-123 and he averaged 46.26. Strange.

 

[NUFAN]

Los del Rio - Macarena and Dwayne Smith - Test Cricket.

When he was picked for the Windies, I didn't expect much, I was very surprised when he made that excellent 105*, good batting track and all, but still an impressive innings on debut. Since that innings, his highest score has been 42.

 

[Craig]

Anyway I have to put Dwayne Smith in here for his Test century on debut. Not that he should of been anywhere near the West Indian line-up in the first place.

 

[Craig]

Los del Rio - Macarena and Dwayne Smith - Test Cricket.

When he was picked for the Windies, I didn't expect much, I was very surprised when he made that excellent 105*, good batting track and all, but still an impressive innings on debut. Since that innings, his highest score has been 42.

Bah I was too slow.

 

[Jono]

Anthony Stuart - ODI hat-trick: Stuart took a hat-trick and never played another ODI and his career soon fizzled out.

Heh, I was at that game. Was 11 years old, and had no idea wtf was going on as obviously you couldn't see the nicks from the stands at the MCG.

 

[thierry henry]

Sinclair a pretty poor choice tbh as he scored another double-century and an outstanding 150 in South Africa within 15 months of his debut century

 

[Craig]

And what else has he done since then?

 

[Uppercut]

And what else has he done since then?

Not a lot, but three-hit wonder might be more accurate