Ask The Spider #35

Which batsman in ODIs in have highest strike rate in the last 5 years? Condition: he must have played at least 50 matches and scored 1500 runs in the last 5 years.

Taking the last 5 years as starting on the 9th of September 2003 (the start of the 2003/04 season), the top ten are:
Shahid Afridi (Pakistan, Asia XI and ICC World XI) – 145.25
Adam Gilchrist (Australia and ICC World XI) – 104.87
Virender Sehwag (India, Asia XI and ICC World XI) – 100.76
Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka and Asia XI) – 96.90
Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) – 96.10
Andrew Symonds (Australia) – 93.92
Abdur Razzaq (Pakistan and Asia XI) – 91.30
Shaun Pollock (South Africa, Africa XI and ICC World XI) – 90.75
Mark Boucher (South Africa and Africa XI) – 90.64

Of these, Dhoni has the best average (47.41) – only Symonds (44.34) comes within 10 runs of that.

What is the fewest number of wickets lost by a Test side which subsequently lost the Test?

South Africa were 248 for 8 declared in the first-innings, then forfeited their second innings, in the infamous “Cronje’s Test” (at Centurion Park) in 1999/2000.

What is Kevin Pietersen’s ODI jersey number?

In recent times Pietersen has worn 24.

I intend to know the latest position of total runs scored by the following cricket player individually in ICC Test cricket: 1. B. Lara of West Indies; 2. S. Tendulkar of India.

Lara notched 11,954; Tendulkar stands on 12,027 going into his probable second-innings against Australia at Mohali.

How many times has a batsman been run out on 99 in Tests?

This has happened on 13 occasions, most recently by Neil McKenzie for South Africa against Australia at Newlands in 2001/02.

Continuing the subject of unlucky run-outs, has anyone been run out for 199 more than once?

Unbelievably, this happened to Jason Gallian twice in the same County Championship season for Notts in 2005, first vs. Sussex in April then vs. Kent in September. No-one else has been run out for 199 more than once.

Has a bowler who has taken a Test hat-trick also been a victim for another bowler?s Test hat-trick?

This has happened three times: Nuwan Zoysa (one of Mohammed Sami?s victims); Darren Gough (one of Shane Warne?s victims); and Warne himself (who fell victim to Harbhajan Singh).