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Most fifties without a hundred, and two triples

Also, most first-class tons without one in a Test, and most Under-19 Test appearances without a proper one


Steven Lynch

May 27, 2008



Andrew Jones: many a slip between 50 and 100 © Getty Images

The Indian opener Chetan Chauhan holds the record for the most fifties in a Test career (16) without a hundred. Who holds this unenviable record in one-day internationals?asked Keith D'Souza from Nigeria

The nearly man in ODIs is New Zealand's Andrew Jones, who reached 50 on 25 occasions in one-day internationals but never made it to three figures - his highest score was 93, against Bangladesh in Sharjah in 1989-90. He also made 90 against England in Auckland in 1987-88. Second on the list is England's Graham Thorpe, with 21 ODI fifties but no hundreds.

Have there ever been two triple-hundreds in the same first-class innings?asked Ryan from New Zealand

The only instance of this in first-class cricket came during the Ranji Trophy in 1988-89, when Tamil Nadu's innings of 912 for 6 against Goa in Panaji included two individual scores of over 300 - the Test batsman WV Raman made 313 and Arjan Kripal Singh 302 not out in only his third first-class match. They put on 356 together.

Has anybody made more first-class centuries than Stuart Law, without getting any in Tests? And who made the most hundreds without ever playing in a Test?asked Jacek from Germany

Stuart Law currently has 78 first-class hundreds, none of them in Tests - in his only appearance, against Sri Lanka in Perth in 1995-96, Law made 54 not out, so he hasn't even got a Test average. No-one has made more centuries in first-class cricket without some of them being in Tests. The previous holder of this record was the unlucky Sussex batsman John Langridge, whose career aggregate of 34,378 runs included 76 centuries. Langridge never did play in a Test, although he was picked for the 1939-40 tour of India, which was cancelled when war broke out.

Who has played in the most Under-19 Test matches without ever appearing in a proper one?asked Dave Gifford from Birmingham

Englishmen lead the way here: the Lancashire allrounder Glen Chapple has played 16 youth Test matches without ever appearing in a senior one (he has played one ODI, though, in 2006). The Northamptonshire batsman David Sales played 15 and the former Essex wicketkeeper Robert Rollins 14 (the same as Andrew Flintoff) without ever stepping up to the full side. For a full list, click here.

I knew Stephen Fleming held the record for most Test matches played without bowling a ball, but I was surprised to see he has taken one ODI wicket. Who was the unlucky batsman, and most curiously - did he bring himself on?asked Jordan Cox from New Zealand

Reluctant bowler Stephen Fleming had only three bowling spells during his 280 ODIs, and none of them came when he was captain. His solitary wicket came in the closing stages of Holland's innings in Baroda during the 1995-96 World Cup, and the unfortunate victim was the Dutch wicketkeeper Marcel Schewe, stumped by his opposite number Lee Germon, who was also the captain inspired enough to give Fleming a bowl.

And there's an update on last week's question about Everton Weekes, from Gareth Kiernan in New Zealand:

"Everton Weekes did score five successive centuries in New Zealand in 1955-56, but three of them were in first-class matches, not Tests. The sequence was 156 v Auckland, 148 v Canterbury, 123 in the first Test, 119 not out v Wellington and 103 in the second Test, before he was dismissed for 43 in the tour match against Central Districts."

And there's also an afterthought about last week's question on Roy Gilchrist and his book Hit Me For Six, from Stephen Thorpe:

"Roy Gilchrist once told me that my father, Roland, was the only batsman to have hit him for six. Off a tennis shot it was, according to my Dad, in a Central Lancashire League match for Castleton Moor."

Steven Lynch is the editor of the Cricinfo Guide to International Cricket. If you want to ask Steven a question, use our feedback form. The most interesting questions will be answered here each week

 
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