Triple centuries – it took more
than 53 years for someone to register the first of its kind whereas we have
seen 2 in the last fortnight. 28 triple
centuries in 2120 tests & 136 years; i.e. roughly one triple century every
76 tests & in almost 5 years. Among every 133 centuries, only one is
converted to a triple century. That is how rare a phenomenon it is. In the
Wellington test against India, Kiwi skipper Brendon McCullum became the 24th
player and the first from his country to score a triple century (28th
300 by the way). In this edition we will have a statistical insight to the
first ever triple centurions from all cricketing nations and some interesting
facts regarding 300s.
England – Andy Sandham
325 vs WI at Sabina Park, Kingston (600 mins, 640 balls, 28 X 4, 0 X 6)
On 4th April 1930,
Andy Sandham became the first man ever to score a 300 in tests thereby helping
England to achieve their highest team total then of 849. That total still
remains the highest by any team away from home. At 39 years and 272 days, he
remains test cricket’s oldest triple centurion. However he didn’t play another
test for his country. His innings contained a seven and a five. He batted at #7
in the 2nd innings, his last ever, and scored 50. His aggregate of
375 runs was the highest in a test till Greg Chappell beat it at Wellington 44
years & 543 tests later.
334 vs Eng at Leeds, Headingly (383 mins, 448 balls, 46 X 4, 0 X 6)
It was only appropriate that the
best batsman the country ever produced scored the country’s maiden triple when
Don Bradman scored 334 vs England in Leeds in 1930. He thereby broke Sandham’s
record of the highest individual score of 325 in just over 4 months. The next
highest in the innings was Alan Kippax’s 77, which underlines the dominance of
that knock. In this innings Bradman reached 100 before lunch on Day 1 and
scored 309 runs in the first day’s play - still the most ever in a day’s play.
His 334 was preceded by 254 at Lord’s and followed by 232 two tests later at
the Oval.
Pakistan – Hanif Mohammad
337 vs WI at Bridgetown, Barbados (970 mins, 24 X 4, 0 X 6)
It took Pakistan just 5 years
& 99 days and 19 tests to register a triple century - the least in terms of
both time and no. of tests. “The Little Master” Hanif Mohammad scripted one of
the greatest rescue acts in the history of the game after being asked to follow
on and became the first player to score a 300 in the 2nd innings of
a match. His marathon innings lasted 970 minutes, which still stands unbroken. He
followed it up a year later with then the highest FC score of 499. It is also
the highest score by a player outside his home.
West Indies – Sir Garfield Sobers
365* vs Pakistan at Sabina Park, Kingston (614 mins, 38 X 4, 0 X 6)
Against a depleted Pakistan
bowling line up, Gary Sobers took most of the opportunity and scored his first
test century and converted it to the then highest individual score of 365*,
thereby surpassing Sir Len Hutton’s 364 against Australia in 1938. His record
stood for 36 long years until his fellow country man Brian Lara broke it in the
year 1994. He became the youngest test triple centurion at 21 years & 213
days. It is also the highest score by anyone on their maiden century.
Sri Lanka – Sanath Jayasuriya
340 vs India at Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo (799 mins, 578 balls, 36
X 4, 2 X 6)
It took nearly 40 years for the next team to join the list. By the fifth and final morning of
the test, Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama had batted together for two complete
days and put on an unbroken stand of 548 runs. Jayasuriya became the first Sri
Lankan to score a 300 and was in touching distance of Brian Lara’s 375 only to
fall short of it by 35 runs. The pair registered the then highest partnership
for any wicket (576) and Sri Lanka’s total of 952/6 dec. was and still is the
highest score in test history. Jayasuriya’s magnum opus ran for 799 minutes,
the 3rd longest in history.
India – Virender Sehwag
309 vs Pakistan at Multan Cricket Stadium (531 mins, 375 balls, 39 X 4,
6 X 6)
India were playing a test in the
Pakistani soil for the first time in 15 years and it was the turn of ‘Nawab of
Najafgarh’ to be the ‘Sultan of Multan’. In an astonishing display of stroke
play he scored the second fastest 300 ever (in 364 balls), a record which he
later made his own (off 278 balls vs SA in Chennai, 2008). He reached his
century and triple century with a six and thereby becoming the first player to
reach 300 with a six, a feat later emulated by Kumar Sangakkara in 2014.
South Africa – Hashim Amla
311* vs England at The Oval, London (790 mins, 529 balls, 35 X 4, 0 X
6)
South Africa were always tagged
as chokers. 5 South Africans managed to reach 270 in tests but none of them
went past 280 and reach a triple ton. At 123 years & 112 days SA took the
longest in terms of time to join the club. And aptly it was their icy cool #3
batsman Hashim Amla’s turn to register the first triple century for his country
in test cricket. SA’s 637/2 dec. is the highest total by a team losing 2 or
fewer wickets in a completed innings.
New Zealand – Brendon McCullum
302 vs India at Basin reserve, Wellington (775 mins, 559 balls, 32 X 4,
4 X 6)
It took 391 tests and 84 years
for NZ to join the list. 23 years ago Martin Crowe missed the milestone by just
one run at the same venue. McCullum became the second batsman to score a 300 in
the 2nd inngs and he was the 3rd player to score it batting
from #5 or lower. NZ scored 680/8 dec. which is the highest for any team in the
3rd innings of a test. He shared a 352 run partnership with WK BJ
Watling - the highest by a captain and WK in tests. These two batted for 738
balls - the 3rd longest in test history.
Time taken by each team to register
their first triple century
Team
|
Player
|
Score
|
Date
|
Tests taken
|
Time taken
|
England
|
Andy Sandham
|
325
|
4 Apr 1930
|
180
|
53 y 20 d
|
Australia
|
Don Bradman
|
334
|
11 Jul 1930
|
137
|
53y 118 d
|
Pakistan
|
Hanif Mohammad
|
337
|
23 Jan 1958
|
19
|
5 y 99 d
|
West Indies
|
Gary Sobers
|
365*
|
1 Mar 1958
|
69
|
59 y 251 d
|
Sri Lanka
|
Sanath Jayasuriya
|
340
|
5 Aug 1997
|
75
|
15 y 169 d
|
India
|
Virender Sehwag
|
309
|
29 Mar 2004
|
372
|
71 y 277 d
|
South Africa
|
Hashim Amla
|
311*
|
22 Jul 2012
|
367
|
123 y 112 d
|
New Zealand
|
Brendon McCullum
|
302
|
18 Feb 2014
|
391
|
84 y 39 d
|
Bangladesh – 200 by Mushfiqur Rahim vs SL, Galle, 2013
ICC World XI – 76 by Virender Sehwag vs Aus, Sydney, 2005
Decade wise distribution of
triple centuries
Decade
|
# of 300s
|
1877 – 1929
|
0
|
1930s
|
5
|
1940s
|
0
|
1950s
|
2
|
1960s
|
3
|
1970s
|
1
|
1980s
|
0
|
1990s
|
4
|
2000s
|
8
|
2010s
|
5
|
Other records related to triple
centuries
Most runs scored – 400* by
Brian Lara vs Eng, St John’s, 2004
Most balls faced – 847 balls by
Len Hutton vs Aus, The Oval, 1938
Most minutes batted – 970 minutes
by Hanif Mohammad, Bridgetown, 1958
Most fours hit – 52 by John
Edrich vs NZ, Leeds, 1965
Most sixes hit – 11 by
Matthew hayden vs Zim, Perth, 2003
Fastest to reach 300 – 278
balls by Virender Sehwag vs SA, Chennai, 2008
Most 300s scored – 7 by Australia
Fewest 300s scored – none
by Zimbabwe & Bangladesh
Most 300s conceded – 8 by
England
Fewest 300s conceded – 1
each by Australia, Zimbabwe & Bangladesh
Country where most 300s have been scored – 7 each in West Indies & England
Country where fewest 300s have been scored – none in South Africa & Zimbabwe
Venue where most 300s have been scored – 3 each at Antigua Recreation Ground, St John’s / Headingly, Leeds
Players with most 300s – 2
each for Don Bradman, Brian Lara, Virender Sehwag & Chris Gayle
TAIL ENDER
Sir Donald Bradman was once left
stranded on 299 against SA at Adelaide in 1932. In his attempt to reach his 300th
run he ran his partner Put Thurlow out. All together there are 6 scores on 290s
in test cricket.
