Ask the Spider #60

Which bowler has bowled the most dot-balls in a row in a Test?

It might be expected to be the game’s most famous economical bowler, Indian left-arm fingerspinner Bapu Nadkarni – and it nearly was, but he just failed to beat Hugh Tayfield’s record. Tayfield bowled 137 dot-balls in a row against England at Kingsmead, Durban in 1956/57. Nadkarni, again against England, at Chepauk Stadium, Chennai (then Madras) in 1963/64. These records are some of the least likely to be broken, given changes in attitudes to spin bowlers over the years.

Who waited the longest, in terms of time, for their maiden Test century?

Arthur William “Dave” Nourse, the “Grand Old Man” of South African cricket, made his maiden century 19 years, 36 days after his debut. The latter came in 1902/03 (11 October) and the former 1921/22 (16 November).

In Test cricket, who has gone longest without being dismissed lbw, in terms of innings?

New Zealand’s Sir Richard Hadlee went 87 innings – between 1973/74 and 1985/86 – without being given lbw. And the sequence ended with a match in which he was dismissed that way in both innings’!

And what about run out?

David Gower’s 144-innings streak of no run-outs holds that record – he was run-out at Eden Gardens Kolkata (then Calcutta) in 1981/82 but did not fall that way ever again in his Test career.

Who has played the most consecutive innings’ during a Test career in which they have not made a double-century?

Mark Taylor, who made 219 at Trent Bridge in 1989 (his first full season in Test cricket), did not score another double until 1998/99 (his last), whereupon he made 334*, which was then the best Australian Test score. He had gone 159 innings’ between these doubles.

Who has taken the most caught-and-bowled dismissals in a Test match?

This record was set long ago, by Billy Barnes in 1884/85. He made five c&bs against Australia at The MCG.

Who has played the most consecutive Tests without taking a catch?

England’s Peter Richardson did not take one between his games at Headingley in 1956 and Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1961/62 – this was 23 matches.

My dad once took seven for four in a minor match, and was wondering what the best seven-fer is in all first-class cricket?

The record for fewest runs conceded for a seven-wicket haul was set quite recently ? Keith Dabengwa took seven for one for Westerns against Northerns in the 2006-07 Logan Cup. He bowled 4.4 overs and had three maidens.