Which cricketers have obtained a new highest score the most times?

[harsh.ag]

The higher score is whichever innings had more boundaries ofc

 

[_00_deathscar]

Wasn't a first time highest score though, he made 4,13,303* in that order

I think my phrasing was all wrong - essentially what I was trying to say was it's the biggest jump, and it's hard to see that being bettered? You don't tend to get scores of <50 as your highest, followed by a triple ton. Is there any other precedent to this? I assume there's probably a double hundred somewhere, but probably not for someone who made <50 as their previous highest (maybe 50-100?)

 

[AndrewB]

Nair's increase of 290 is the biggest jump, and no-one else has gone from <50 to >300.
The other increases of 200+ are:

285: Gary Sobers (80 to 365)
264: Len Hutton (100 to 364)
247: Zaheer Abbas (27 to 274)
227: Sanath Jayasuriya (113 to 340)
219: Bob Simpson (92 to 311)
213: Brian Lara (64 to 277)

and if you allow first innings as a rise from 0:

287: Tip Foster
222: Jacques Rudolph
214: Lawrence Rowe
214: Mathew SInclair
201: Brendon Kuruppu

Besides these, Zaheer Abbas (as listed above), Bill Edrich, David Lloyd and Dean Jones all scored 200+ the first time they passed 50.

 

[stephen]

Quite surprised Hayden wasn't near the top of that list. He's the poster boy for getting to a hundred and then getting out. Until he made his 380 that is.

 

[stephen]

Wasn't a first time highest score though, he made 4,13,303* in that order

I feel like there's a dayboo joke in there.

 

[mr_mister]

Quite surprised Hayden wasn't near the top of that list. He's the poster boy for getting to a hundred and then getting out. Until he made his 380 that is.

He got a 203 and 197 before the 380 though

Mark Waugh is the true poster boy for getting 100 then getting out. Would usually always start playing recklessly iirc. One single score over 140 out of 20 tons

 

[_00_deathscar]

Nair's increase of 290 is the biggest jump, and no-one else has gone from <50 to >300.
The other increases of 200+ are:

285: Gary Sobers (80 to 365)
264: Len Hutton (100 to 364)
247: Zaheer Abbas (27 to 274)
227: Sanath Jayasuriya (113 to 340)
219: Bob Simpson (92 to 311)
213: Brian Lara (64 to 277)

and if you allow first innings as a rise from 0:

287: Tip Foster
222: Jacques Rudolph
214: Lawrence Rowe
214: Mathew SInclair
201: Brendon Kuruppu

Besides these, Zaheer Abbas (as listed above), Bill Edrich, David Lloyd and Dean Jones all scored 200+ the first time they passed 50.

Thanks for that! Karun Nair's 'lead' is not quite as big as I imagined, but it's going to be tough to beat. Basically they'd have to get ~300 runs - so assuming someone already has a century or thereabouts, you're talking 400 runs which has only ever been done once, and would thus be record breaking in two ways.

Or someone would have to do yet another Karun Nair and score 300 (from previous best score duck/0/debutant) or ~350ish after a previous best of between 1 and 50ish.

Pretty mental.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Has anyone ever looked to see who had the longest career having made their highest score in their first Test innings?

 

[mr_mister]

If not Sinclair, probably a random bowler who fluked an unmemorable 50 first time batting and then never came close

When was Southees jammy 50 which got him his nickname Sixthee. Probably one of his first digs

Edit - Southee's 77* was his debut test! But second innings

 

[mr_mister]

Did a bit more digging

Darren Gough got 65 in his first test innings. Was hailed as the next Botham. Didn't beat it in 58 tests

 

[vcs]

Ashton Agar?

 

[Daemon]

Ashton Agar?

"Longest career". Agar only played 4 Tests. Otherwise there's also Abul Hasan with 113 on debut.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Best I can find is Jacques Rudolph not bettering his 222 on debut in a further 9 years of test cricket.

 

[AndrewB]

Darren Gough (86 innings, 58 matches) does have the record, followed by Romesh Kaluwitharana (78/49) and Jacques Rudolph (83/48). Dilruwan Perera (70/39) is currently 4th by either criterion. Adam Hudson, Mathew Sinclair and Ashley Mallett also played 30+ matches and 50+ innings without improving on their first ever innings.

Tim Southee (98/67), as suggested, has the record for a top score in his 1st Test.

Michael Clarke (94/58) took longest to beat his first innings; he then beat it again immediately.

Jason Gillespie (93/71) has the longest career to end with a top score, followed by Sarfraz Nawaz (72/55) and Tony Lock (63/49). Maurice Leyland (65/41) has the record for a batsman.

 

[a massive zebra]

Great job as always, AndrewB!

Pretty sure you meant Andrew Hudson, unless I'm missing something.

 

[AndrewB]

Yes, I was mixing him up with Adam Bacher.

The equivalent record for bowling is held by Rodney Hogg (66/38), who took 6-74 and also scored his 2nd highest score (36) in his first innings. Wally Hammond (110/85) took 5-36 in the second innings of his first Test and never beat that.

 

[mr_mister]

Michael Clarke's match winning 6-9 against India came in his second test. Never topped that in 115 total tests. In fact...

He took 2 wickets in his next ~30 tests before his match winning 3-5 against India

He then took another meagre 5 wickets in his next ~50 tests before yet another match winning 5-86 against WI


For a bloke who only took 31 wickets in 115 tests he sure made the occasional massive impact with the ball

 

[AndrewB]

The 6-9 was his 4th Test (though the first where he took wickets); more to the point it was demonstrably not a match-winning performance...

Basil Butcher had an odd career as a bowler; he only bowled once in his first 30-odd Tests (0-17); then took 5-34; bowled a few more (wicketless) overs in the second innings and the next match; then only bowled once more in his last 11 Tests (0-6).

Other occasional bowlers with a 5-for include Kraigg Brathwaite (18 wickets in 58 Tests including 6-29), Denis Compton (25 in 78 including 5-70) and of course Allan Border (39 in 156 including 7-46)

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Reading the past few posts, I can only imagine how terrible a bowler in tests Rubel Hossain was/is. Pure crap.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

The 6-9 was his 4th Test (though the first where he took wickets); more to the point it was demonstrably not a match-winning performance...

Basil Butcher had an odd career as a bowler; he only bowled once in his first 30-odd Tests (0-17); then took 5-34; bowled a few more (wicketless) overs in the second innings and the next match; then only bowled once more in his last 11 Tests (0-6).

Other occasional bowlers with a 5-for include Kraigg Brathwaite (18 wickets in 58 Tests including 6-29), Denis Compton (25 in 78 including 5-70) and of course Allan Border (39 in 156 including 7-46)

Don't know if we can shove Mahmudullah in there as well?