Ask The Spider #65

How many batsmen have been stumped twice in a Test?

There have been 16, but just a couple in the last 54 years – Mark Butcher against Sri Lanka at Kandy and Jeffrey Dujon against India at Chepauk Stadium, Chennai (then Madras). This suggests two things: one, spinners’ effectiveness has been reduced in recent times and; two, batsmen tend to be more cautious with use of feet than they used to.

And how many times have both openers been stumped in the same innings?

Four – but just twice since 1900. The most recent was just 10 years ago – Mark Butcher and Alec Stewart were stumped by Ian Healy in England’s second-innings as they forlornly chased 287 against Australia at The SCG – Butcher off Shane Warne, Stewart off Stuart MacGill. The other instance which could, at a pinch, be called “recent” (that is, there will still be some people alive who remember it) was when England’s famous pair Leonard Hutton and Cyril Washbrook were lured down by West Indies’ equally famous pair Alfred Valentine and Sonny Ramadhin, and stumped by Clyde Walcott, at Lord’s in 1950 – a few moments which, it’s fair to say, turned the rubber and led to West Indies’ first-ever series victory in England. The other two came in early England-Australia rivalry: at The MCG in 1881/82 and Old Trafford in 1896.

Has anyone ever scored twin centuries in a Test and lost?

Pretty remarkably, this has so far happened as many as seven times, three of which came in matches of six days or more – the first was Herbert Sutcliffe in Australia in 1924/25, in his case at The MCG (a timeless Test); the most recent were Andy Flower and Brian Lara, both early in the 2001/02 season, against South Africa at Harare Sports Club and Sri Lanka at SSC, Colombo. Only one of the seven instances happened to a home batsman – Clyde Walcott against Australia at Sabina Park in 1955, in a six-day match.

Who was the first batsman to be given out handled-the-ball in Test cricket?

South Africa’s Russell Endean, in 1956/57, against England at Newlands.

What’s the highest score by a batsman who has carried his bat in Tests?

Glenn Turner’s 223* against West Indies at Sabina in 1972 holds that record.

And in ODIs?

125*, by Nick Knight against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in 1996.

How many Test cricketers have been born on Christmas Day?

11, so far – Charlie Smith, Walter Lees, Clarrie Grimmett, “Tich” Cornford, Donald McRae, Hedley Howarth, Mansoor Akhtar, Mohammad Razman, Marcus Trescothick, Simon Jones and Alastair Cook.