Thursday 21 November 2013

Pietersen,Gayle and century of test matches...



Hope all of you liked my first article on Sachin Tendulkar’s career in numbers. The second article on my blog is all about the players who reached the magical milestone of 100 test matches. In the next few weeks, we are going to see a few more players who joining that elite club. The first one will be Kevin Pietersen who reached there in the first Ashes test match at Woolloongabba which started yesterday. Others who are on the verge of this milestone are Chris Gayle (99), Michael Clarke (98) and Alistair Cook (98). In this blog you will get to know who was the oldest, youngest, fastest, slowest, who reached there with most runs and most wickets and many more.

Overall 56 players have reached the landmark of 100 test matches. Australia leads the pack with 11 players followed by 10 each from India and England. The strength of other teams in this club are - WI (8 players), SA (6), SL (5), Pakistan (4) and NZ (2). The most number of matches for Zimbabwe is by Grant Flower (67 tests) and for Bangladesh is Mohammed Ashraful (61 tests).

The first player to play 100 test matches was Colin Cowdrey of England. He achieved this landmark in the third Ashes test of 1968 at Edgbaston. He was leading English side in the series and he celebrated the occasion with a century, his 21st. It took another 13 years for someone else to emulate Cowdrey's feat.

First 5 players to play 100 test matches

Player
Team
Debut
100th test
Time
Venue
Match Tally
Colin Cowdrey
Eng
24-Dec-32
11-Jul-68
13y, 227d
Edgbaston
104
Geoffrey Boycott
Eng
21-Oct-40
2-Jul-81
17y, 28d
Lord’s
17 & 60
Clive Lloyd
WI
31-Aug-44
28-Apr-84
17y, 136d
Kingston
20
Sunil Gavaskar
Ind
10-Jul-49
17-Oct-84
13y, 225d
Lahore
48 & 37
David Gower
Eng
1-Jun-78
21-Jul-88
10y, 50d
Leeds
13 & 2

Oldest to play 100 tests:
Player
Team
DOB
100th test
Age
Geoffrey Boycott
Eng
21-Oct-40
2-Jul-81
40y, 254d
Clive Lloyd
WI
31-Aug-44
28-Apr-84
39y, 240d
Graham Gooch
Eng
23-Jul-53
29-Jan-93
39y, 190d
G Greendige
WI
1-May-51
12-Apr-90
38y, 347d
Alec Stewart
Eng
8-Apr-63
3-Aug-00
37y, 117d

Youngest to play 100 tests:
Player
Team
DOB
100th test
Age
Sachin Tendulkar
Ind
24-Apr-73
5-Sep-02
29y, 134d
Mark Boucher
SA
3-Dec-76
11-Jan-07
30y, 39d
Jacques Kallis
SA
16-Oct-75
15-Apr-06
30y, 182d
Kapil Dev
Ind
6-Jan-59
15-Nov-89
30y, 313d
Ricky Ponting
Aus
19-Dec-74
2-Jan-06
31y, 14d

Least time to reach 100 tests:

Player
Team
Debut
100th test
Age
Andrew Strauss
Eng
20-May-04
16-Aug-12
8y, 88d
Kevin Pietersen
Eng
21-Jul-05
21-Nov-13
8y, 123d
Mark Waugh
Aus
25-Jan-91
2-Jan-00
8y, 342d
Mark Boucher
SA
17-Oct-97
11-Jan-07
9y, 86d
Ian Healy
Aus
15-Sep-88
30-Jan-98
9y, 137d

 Most time to reach 100 tests:
Player
Team
Debut
100th test
Age
Graham Gooch
Eng
10-Jul-75
29-Jan-93
17y, 203d
Clive Lloyd
WI
13-Dec-66
28-Apr-84
17y, 136d
Geoffrey Boycott
Eng
4-Jun-64
2-Jul-81
17y, 28d
Saleem Malik
Pak
5-Mar-82
10-Dec-98
16y, 280d
Wasim Akram
Pak
25-Jan-85
29-Nov-00
15y, 308d





Most runs after 100 tests:

Player
Team
Runs
Avg
100s
Brian Lara
WI
8916
52.14
23
Kumar Sanggakkara
SL
8651
55.81
25
Rahul Dravid
Ind
8553
57.79
22
Matthew Hayden
Aus
8508
51.87
30
Virender Sehwag
Ind
8487
50.51
23


Highest batting average after 100 tests:
Player
Team
Runs
Avg
100s
Sachin Tendulkar
Ind
8405
57.96
30
Rahul Dravid
Ind
8553
57.79
22
Ricky Ponting
Aus
8253
57.71
28
Javed Miandad
Pak
7694
57.41
22
Jacques Kallis
SA
7940
56.31
24
 
Most centuries after 100 tests:

Player
Team
Runs
Avg
100s
Sachin Tendulkar
Ind
8405
57.96
30
Sunil Gavaskar
Ind
8479
52.33
30
Matthew Hayden
Aus
8508
51.87
30
Ricky Ponting
Aus
8253
57.71
28
Kumar Sangakkara
SL
8651
55.81
25
Greame Smith
SA
8173
50.14
25


Most wickets after 100 tests:
Player
Team
Wickets
Avg
5-wkts
Muttiah Muralitharan
SL
593
22.37
49
Anil Kumble
Ind
485
27.98
31
Glenn McGrath
Aus
451
21.73
24
Shane Warne
Aus
444
26.56
21
Harbhajan Singh
Ind
411
32.38
25


Best bowling average after 100 tests:
Player
Team
Wickets
Avg
5-wkts
Glenn McGrath
Aus
451
21.73
24
Muttiah Muralitharan
SL
593
22.37
49
Wasim Akram
Pak
409
23.17
25
Shaun Pollock
SA
391
23.25
16
Courtney Walsh
WI
367
25.64
15


 Most 5 wicket hauls after 100 tests:

Player
Team
Wickets
Avg
5-wkts
Muttiah Muralitharan
SL
593
22.37
49
Anil Kumble
Ind
485
27.98
31
Ian Botham
Eng
383
28.24
27
Wasim Akram
Pak
409
23.17
25
Harbhajan Singh
Ind
411
32.38
25


 Highest individual scores in 100th test:

Player
Team
Wickets
Inzamam ul Haq
Pak
184
G Greenidge
WI
149
Javed Miandad
Pak
145
Ricky Ponting
Aus
143*
Graeme Smith
SA
131

 Best bowling figures in an innings in 100th test:

Player
Team
Wickets
Muttiah Muralitharan
SL
6/54
Shane Warne
Aus
6/161
Anil Kumble
Ind
5/89
Daniel Vettori
NZ
4/36
Kapil Dev
Ind
4/69

 Most catches in 100th test:

Player
Team
Catches
Mark Waugh
Aus
4
Sunil Gavaskar
Ind
3
Mark Boucher
SA
3
Allan Border
Aus
3

·         14 players lead their sides during their 100th test.

·      The years in which most players completed the 100th test are : 2006(8 players); 1998 (5); 1988 (4); 2000(4); 2005(4)

·         Ian Healy was the first wicket keeper to play 100 tests. Mark Boucher is the only other wicket keeper to do the same. Alec Stewart and Kumar Sangakkara played 82 & 48 tests respectively  as a wicket keeper.

·         Michael Atherton and Alec Stewart played their 100th test the same match as did Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock and Stephen Fleming.

·         Graham Thorpe and Andrew Strauss played exactly 100 tests. Mohammed Azharuddin is the only player to end up on 99 tests.

·         KapilDev was the first bowler to play 100 tests.

·         Allan Border (153), Mark Waugh (107) and Sunil Gavaskar (106) are the only players to play 100 or more tests consecutively. Among the current players Alistair Cook (96), AB de Villiers (87) and Brendon McCullum (79) leads the list.

·       Ricky Ponting is the only player to score 2 centuries on his 100th test. He achieved this against South Africa at Sydney in 2006.

·         Miandad scored 163 on debut, 280*(his personal best) in 50th test and 145 in 100th test.

·         Viv Richards took his 100th catch in 100th test.

·         Gordon Greenidge scored 93 & 107 on debut and 149 in his 100th test.

·         Brian Lara scored a double century in his 99th test, a fifty in his 100th test and a century in his 101st test.

·         Among players with 100 or more tests, Stephen Fleming and Andrew Strauss are the only 2 non-wicket keepers who never bowled.

·         Ian Botham took a 5-wicket haul on his debut and a century in his 50th test.

·         Kirsten scored a century and bagged a duck in his 50th test.

·         Ricky Ponting is the only player to win 100 or more tests.

·         Graeme Smith is the only player to captain in 100 or more tests.



TAILENDER

Pietersen served as a commentator for ESPN-Star during the ICC World T20 in SL as he was not a part of English squad following a disciplinary action from the ECB. Chris Gayle brought Gangnam style celebration during the tournament. Click here to watch who is better in Gangnam dance -  Pietersen or Gayle?