Also: the fastest to 7000 Test runs, and the double of 10,000 international runs and 50-plus average
Steven Lynch05-Apr-2016After Carlos Brathwaite’s amazing performance, how many other instances are there of four successive sixes in an over in a T20I? asked Andy Ramnaresh from Trinidad
It’s safe to say that none of the others were made under such pressure as Carlos Brathwaite’s remarkable striking in the final over of the World T20 final against England in Kolkata at the weekend. There are four other instances of a batsman hitting a bowler for four successive sixes in the same over in a T20I, led by Yuvraj Singh’s six in a row off Stuart Broad, during the inaugural World T20 in Durban in September 2007. England’s Dimitri Mascarenhas smashed four in a row off Jeetan Patel of New Zealand in Auckland in 2007-08, and Justin Ontong of South Africa followed suit, also in New Zealand – but in Wellington this time – during 2011-12. More recently Kenya’s Rakep Patel smote Michael Rippon of the Netherlands for four successive sixes in Windhoek in April 2013.Has any team ever scored 24 runs in the last over to win a T20I before? asked Michael Joseph from Barbados
The short answer is no, they haven’t: West Indies’ 24 runs – all courtesy of Carlos Brathwaite – off the first four balls of Ben Stokes’ final over in Kolkata was a new record. The previous best was 23, collected by Michael Hussey (22) and Mitchell Johnson (1) off Saeed Ajmal to propel Australia to victory over Pakistan in the World T20 semi-final in St Lucia in 2010. They had needed 18 to win that one.I was wondering how far Don Bradman was ahead of all other batsmen. He’d probably have got to 7000 Test runs if he’d had another innings, so who is the fastest to get there after him? asked Martin Lonsdale from Australia
Don Bradman’s second-ball duck at The Oval in 1948 left him stuck on 6996 Test runs, and famously reduced his average to 99.94. What’s often forgotten is that it was not absolutely certain at the time that this was his last innings: Australia might have had to go in a second time, although that was already looking unlikely, as England had been bundled out for 52. Australia did win without having to bat again, so Bradman finished with 6996 runs in 80 innings. The next-best aggregate after 80 innings is 4446 runs, by the great West Indian Everton Weekes. He’s just ahead of Herbert Sutcliffe (4425), Viv Richards (4411), and Jack Hobbs (4384). The Don reached 6996 runs in his 79th innings: the next-quickest to the landmark – and the fastest to 7000 – was Bradman’s great batting rival Wally Hammond, who got there in his 131st innings for England, against India at The Oval in August 1946.Tabraiz Shamsi recently took 12 wickets in a South African domestic match, nine of which were lbw. What is the record number of lbws by a single bowler in a first-class match, or a Test? asked John Richards from South Africa
That recent feat by Titans left-arm chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi, against Warriors in their Sunfoil Series match in Centurion last month, equalled the first-class record of nine lbws by the same bowler in a match. It was set by one fast left-armer – Kabir Khan, who played four Tests for Pakistan – in a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match for Peshawar against Karachi Blues in Peshawar in 1991-92, and equalled by another – Mark Ilott, who played five Tests for England – for Essex against Northamptonshire in Luton in 1995. Ilott took 9 for 19 in the first innings (with six lbws) as Northants were shot out for 46. There are four instances of a bowler claiming eight lbws in a match, including two in Tests – by Mohammad Zahid, on debut for Pakistan against New Zealand in Rawalpindi in 1996-97, and another left-armer in Chaminda Vaas, for Sri Lanka against West Indies at the SSC in Colombo in 2001-02.Jacques Kallis ended his international career with a combined average of just under 50 in all three formats•Neil Lane/ESPNcricinfoIs Virat Kohli the only player to score over 10,000 runs in international cricket with an average of more than 50? asked Jamie Stewart from Canada
You’re right that Virat Kohli’s batting average for all forms of international cricket is above 50 – after the World T20 he’s made 11,847 runs at 50.19. No one else with 10,000-plus runs can match this: the best for a completed career is 49.10, by Jacques Kallis (25,534 runs). However, another South African is tantalisingly close to the mark: Hashim Amla’s average in all formats is currently 49.55, from a total of 14,570 runs. When he reached 10,000, his average was actually just above 50, but it has dipped a little since then; it was last over 50 in October 2015. Michael Hussey (12,398 at 49.00), Viv Richards (15,261 at 48.75), Sachin Tendulkar (34,357 at 48.52) and AB de Villiers (currently 18,063 at 48.03) also averaged more than 48 in all formats.What is the lowest T20I score that was successfully defended? asked Christian Fuchs from England
The lowest total that resulted in victory in a T20I by the side that batted first is Ireland’s 43 for 7 against Bermuda in Belfast in August 2008. A rain interruption reduced this to a nine-over match: Bermuda’s revised target was 46, but they managed only 41 for 8. The record for an uninterrupted match is West Indies’ 96 for 9 against Ireland, who could make only 85 for 8, in Kingston in February 2014. And the lowest in a match involving two Test-playing nations was also in the Caribbean, in Port-of-Spain in February 2010: Zimbabwe were bowled out for 105 in 19.5 overs, but restricted West Indies to 79 for 7.Send in your questions using our feedback form.
