Meaningless and stupid cricket statistics

[Coronis]

A Bradman-esque record I just noticed. Up until the Sydney test, South Africa had gone a ridiculous 46 consecutive tests without a draw (23-23) dating back to July 2017.

Next best are Zimbabwe 05-17 with 26 (3-23) and Australia 99-01 with 23 (20-3).

We never do appreciate the greats until they’re gone..

 

[Coronis]

Top 12 oldest Test centurions

Jack Hobbs 46 years 82 days (142 vs Australia 1929)
Jack Hobbs 45 years 239 days (159 vs West Indies 1928)
Patsy Hendren 45 years 151 days (132 vs Australia 1934)
Jack Hobbs 43 years 241 days (100 vs Australia 1926)
Warren Bardsley 43 years 202 days (193* vs England 1926)
Jack Hobbs 43 years 177 days (119 vs Australia 1926)
Dave Nourse 42 years 291 days (111 vs Australia 1921)
Frank Woolley 42 years 61 days (154 vs South Africa 1929)
Misbah-ul-haq 42 years 47 days (114 vs England 2016)
Jack Hobbs 42 years 31 days (119 vs Australia 1925)
Jack Hobbs 42 years 16 days (154 vs Australia 1925)
Eric Rowan 42 years 6 days (236 vs England 1951)
Jack Hobbs 42 years 3 days (115 vs Australia 1924)

Interestingly, both Bardsley and Hobbs both scored tons in the 1926 Ashes at Lord’s. Also quite an achievement from Misbah to score the first century at 42+ in almost 65 years.

Woolley played for another 5 years, Nourse another 3, Hobbs a year and a half, Misbah a year, Hendren another 6 months and Bardsley and Rowan retired after their respective series.

 

[Senile Sentry]

Top 12 oldest Test centurions

Jack Hobbs 46 years 82 days (142 vs Australia 1929)
Jack Hobbs 45 years 239 days (159 vs West Indies 1928)
Patsy Hendren 45 years 151 days (132 vs Australia 1934)
Jack Hobbs 43 years 241 days (100 vs Australia 1926)
Warren Bardsley 43 years 202 days (193* vs England 1926)
Jack Hobbs 43 years 177 days (119 vs Australia 1926)
Dave Nourse 42 years 291 days (111 vs Australia 1921)
Frank Woolley 42 years 61 days (154 vs South Africa 1929)
Misbah-ul-haq 42 years 47 days (114 vs England 2016)
Jack Hobbs 42 years 31 days (119 vs Australia 1925)
Jack Hobbs 42 years 16 days (154 vs Australia 1925)
Eric Rowan 42 years 6 days (236 vs England 1951)
Jack Hobbs 42 years 3 days (115 vs Australia 1924)

Interestingly, both Bardsley and Hobbs both scored tons in the 1926 Ashes at Lord’s. Also quite an achievement from Misbah to score the first century at 42+ in almost 65 years.

Woolley played for another 5 years, Nourse another 3, Hobbs a year and a half, Misbah a year, Hendren another 6 months and Bardsley and Rowan retired after their respective series.

A good stat that is indicative of cricket prior to the War. Always need to take the records from that Era with a huge grain of salt

 

[Coronis]

More a chance for me to show how awesome Hobbs still was in his later years than anything.

It may also interest people to know that James Anderson is not the oldest fast bowler to take a 5’fer in test cricket, still sitting at 2nd overall.

 

[the big bambino]

Centuries by 40 yo batsman since the war - magnificent. Before the war - grain of salt.

 

[Coronis]

Fits with the amount of salty cricket fans on here tbh.

 

[Starfighter]

More a chance for me to show how awesome Hobbs still was in his later years than anything.

It may also interest people to know that James Anderson is not the oldest fast bowler to take a 5’fer in test cricket, still sitting at 2nd overall.

Barnes by that point of his career wasn't considered fast then and certainly wouldn't now.

Many of the players who went real late were considered exceptionally good in their day. Plus players didn't have as many post-cricket options as they do now so they often played until they were dropped.

 

[Senile Sentry]

More a chance for me to show how awesome Hobbs still was in his later years than anything.

It may also interest people to know that James Anderson is not the oldest fast bowler to take a 5’fer in test cricket, still sitting at 2nd overall.

Isn't that the best evidence for the non-comparability between the two eras? Why haven't we seen such daddies hitting 100s in the last few decades? In Jack Hobbs era (heck even upto and slightly beyond the war as well), it was more of a timepass for the elites, with professionals being almost scoffed at, wasn't it? Basically classist and socially rigid, preventing true talent floats. And again International cricket was pretty much an Ashes affair

 

[Coronis]

Barnes by that point of his career wasn't considered fast then and certainly wouldn't now.

Many of the players who went real late were considered exceptionally good in their day. Plus players didn't have as many post-cricket options as they do now so they often played until they were dropped.

Not talking about Barnes.

 

[the big bambino]

Isn't that the best evidence for the non-comparability between the two eras? Why haven't we seen such daddies hitting 100s in the last few decades? In Jack Hobbs era (heck even upto and slightly beyond the war as well), it was more of a timepass for the elites, with professionals being almost scoffed at, wasn't it? Basically classist and socially rigid, preventing true talent floats. And again International cricket was pretty much an Ashes affair

Renowned old timers like misbah Lloyd chanderpaul gooch Stewart boycott graveney Bert Sutcliffe and Simpson.

 

[Starfighter]

Renowned old timers like misbah Lloyd chanderpaul gooch Stewart boycott graveney Bert Sutcliffe and Simpson.

Don't forget Darren Stevens, who had a fairly unremarkable early career, scoring run-a-ball hundreds in current CC. Yeah there aren't too many quicker bowlers, but there wouldn't have been in Hobbs' day either. Also Bill Alley went until he was 49, where he would have faced guys like Rhodes and Snow who were very slippery on their day.

 

[the big bambino]

That’s interesting. I’m trying to find English pace bowlers in county cricket in Hobbs’ early career before the first war. From memory I recall brearley, Bradley, Knox, fielder, burns and field. Others like FR Foster and George Hirst were fast medium. Bill Hitch was another. Arnold Warren of Derby. Buckenham of Essex. Jack Sharp of Surrey. Not a bad squad, i’ll see if I can find others.

 

[Starfighter]

That’s interesting. I’m trying to find English pace bowlers in county cricket in Hobbs’ early career before the first war. From memory I recall brearley, Bradley, Knox, fielder, burns and field. Others like FR Foster and George Hirst were fast medium. Bill Hitch was another. Arnold Warren of Derby. Buckenham of Essex. Jack Sharp of Surrey. Not a bad squad, i’ll see if I can find others.

Do you mean Bearley rather than Bradley (which automatically = Bill Bradley in my mind). I'm guessing Field is EF Field (not a figure I'm at all familiar with).

Though I think when it comes to Hobbs and scoring centuries in his forties looking around the late twenties-early thirties is more important. And I'm thinking in terms of guys who'd have the keeper back, not the 120s Bedser type fast medium (given he compared himself to Cartwright).

 

[the big bambino]

Bill bradley and Walter brearley. There wouldn’t be many after the Great War until the emergence of larwood Allen Nichols and Clark around the mid 20s.

field is Frank field who opened the bowling with fr foster for their county.

 

[peterhrt]

Though I think when it comes to Hobbs and scoring centuries in his forties looking around the late twenties-early thirties is more important. And I'm thinking in terms of guys who'd have the keeper back, not the 120s Bedser type fast medium (given he compared himself to Cartwright).

Between his fortieth birthday in December 1922 and the end of the 1930 English season, when he last represented England aged 47, Hobbs scored 20,530 first-class runs at an average of 60.02, with 76 centuries. He had 378 innings.

In exactly one third of those innings,126, there was at least one fast bowler in the opposition. Chronological list as follows:

English: Arthur Gilligan (pre-injury while still fast), Gubby Allen, Larwood, Nichols, Voce, Bowes, Nobby Clark
West Indian: George Francis, Constantine, Herman Griffith
Australian: Tim Wall, Gregory, McDonald, John Scott (South Australia)

Between the ages of 40 and 47, Hobbs' record in first-class matches when these 14 bowlers opposed him was 6,552 runs, average 57.98, with 19 centuries.

He scored at least one century against all of them, apart from Bowes and Clark, against whom he only played four innings, passing fifty each time.

Hobbs was dismissed 113 times in these games, but only on 28 occasions by the quicks. Larwood got him seven times and McDonald five. Unlike other English batsmen, he rarely had much trouble with Gregory, either before or after his fortieth birthday.

The West Indian George Francis dismissed him cheaply the first three times they met, but Hobbs followed up with a couple of hundreds and a fifty. Gubby Allen had sixteen attempts to get him out and never succeeded, Hobbs averaging 87 with a highest score of 316*.

 

[Coronis]

Didn’t realise it but McDonald played all his tests in one year, then went to the Lancashire League. $$$

 

[the big bambino]

That’s interesting. I’m trying to find English pace bowlers in county cricket in Hobbs’ early career before the first war. From memory I recall brearley, Bradley, Knox, fielder, burns and field. Others like FR Foster and George Hirst were fast medium. Bill Hitch was another. Arnold Warren of Derby. Buckenham of Essex. Jack Sharp of Surrey. Not a bad squad, i’ll see if I can find others.

A few more. George Leach Sussex RF, Bill Benskin Leic RF, Edward Mignon Midd RF, Alex Kermode NSW and Lancs RFM, Bill Bestwick Derbyshire RFM. Then 3 men I have heard of: Harry Dean Lancs LFM, Ted Arnold Worcs RMF and the most famous, Jack Crawford Surrey RM. Crawford was an all rounder and had a successful tour of Australia in 1907/08.

 

[shortpitched713]

Ian Botham's debut series was the Ashes in the summer of 1977, and included the only 2 matches in which he played alongside Tony Greig. They absolutely trounced the Aussies by 7 wickets, and an innings and 85 in those matches.

 

[Flem274*]

Between his fortieth birthday in December 1922 and the end of the 1930 English season, when he last represented England aged 47, Hobbs scored 20,530 first-class runs at an average of 60.02, with 76 centuries. He had 378 innings.

In exactly one third of those innings,126, there was at least one fast bowler in the opposition. Chronological list as follows:

English: Arthur Gilligan (pre-injury while still fast), Gubby Allen, Larwood, Nichols, Voce, Bowes, Nobby Clark
West Indian: George Francis, Constantine, Herman Griffith
Australian: Tim Wall, Gregory, McDonald, John Scott (South Australia)

Between the ages of 40 and 47, Hobbs' record in first-class matches when these 14 bowlers opposed him was 6,552 runs, average 57.98, with 19 centuries.

He scored at least one century against all of them, apart from Bowes and Clark, against whom he only played four innings, passing fifty each time.

Hobbs was dismissed 113 times in these games, but only on 28 occasions by the quicks. Larwood got him seven times and McDonald five. Unlike other English batsmen, he rarely had much trouble with Gregory, either before or after his fortieth birthday.

The West Indian George Francis dismissed him cheaply the first three times they met, but Hobbs followed up with a couple of hundreds and a fifty. Gubby Allen had sixteen attempts to get him out and never succeeded, Hobbs averaging 87 with a highest score of 316*.

holy **** that's just a stupid amount of runs.

 

[Coronis]

holy **** that's just a stupid amount of runs.

Yeah those kids in the 20’s and 30’s had real jam packed schedules unlike the pampered shits of today.