da bet nacional： Plus, Test bowlers with the fewest five-fors, boundary-filled ODI innings, and a cricketer nicknamed Lugs

da fezbet： Steven Lynch03-Feb-2015Glenn Maxwell hit 15 fours in the tri-series final, but was out for 95. Is this the most boundaries in an innings which fell short of a century? asked Azweer from India
I was surprised to discover that Glenn Maxwell, during his 95 against England in Perth, was the 13th batsman to hit 15 fours in an ODI innings of less than 100. Three of the others hit a six as well, while Sachin Tendulkar – in his 82 against New Zealand in Auckland in 1993-94 – managed two sixes as well as 15 fours. But even that’s not a record: there are six cases of 16 fours (three of them by Tendulkar), and one of 17 (and a six), by Chris Gayle in his 85 for West Indies against Zimbabwe in Kandy in 2001-02. But leading the way, with no fewer than 19 fours in a 66-ball innings of 97 not out, is Herschelle Gibbs, for South Africa against Bangladesh in Benoni in 2002-03. Gibbs had scored centuries in his previous three ODIs, but was stranded just short of an unprecedented four in a row when South Africa won the match. Gibbs’ total of 76 runs in an ODI innings of less than hundred was matched by Marcus Trescothick, with 16 fours and two sixes, for England against Pakistan at The Oval in 2003.Is Steven Smith the youngest player to captain Australia in a one-day international? asked Ricky Dooley from Scotland
Steven Smith was 25 years 235 days old when he captained Australia in a one-day international for the first time, against England in Hobart last month. The only younger man to captain them in an ODI was Kim Hughes, who was 25 years 134 days old when he took charge for the first time, against England at Lord’s during the 1979 World Cup. The Aussies come in quite a way down the overall list, which is headed by 20-year-old Rajin Saleh of Bangladesh. However, there is one younger Australian: Meg Lanning was only 21 years 300 days old when she captained for the first time in a women’s one-day international, against England in Melbourne in January 2014.Ishant Sharma has taken 187 wickets in 61 Tests, at an average of nearly 40, and managed only six five-wicket hauls. Does anyone have worse figures than this? asked Raj Kumar Bansal from India
Of the 171 bowlers who have now taken 100 or more Test wickets, there are 11 with worse averages than Ishant Sharma’s, which is currently 37.30. Easily the worst of all the 100-wicket men is the West Indian allrounder Carl Hooper (114 at 49.42), and then come Nicky Boje (South Africa; 100 at 42.65), Ravi Shastri (India; 151 at 40.96), Mohammad Rafique (Bangladesh; 100 at 40.76), Ashley Giles (England; 143 at 40.60), Doug Wright (England; 108 at 39.11), John Emburey (England; 147 at 37.87), Paul Harris (South Africa; 103 at 37.87), Fidel Edwards (West Indies; 165 at 37.87), Dilhara Fernando (Sri Lanka; 100 at 37.84) and Phil Tufnell (England; 121 at 37.68). Most of them are spinners, apart from Edwards and Fernando. As for five-wicket hauls, the only bowlers to have taken more wickets than Sharma with fewer five-fors are Andrew Flintoff (226 wickets, but only three five-wicket hauls) and Jacques Kallis (292 and five). Garry Sobers (235 wickets) and Morne Morkel (currently 217) also took six five-fors.I noticed that India made the same total in both innings against Pakistan in Kolkata in 2004-05. How often has this happened? asked Sivasakthivel from India
That match in Kolkata in 2004-05 – when India made 407 in their first innings and 407 for 9 dec in their second – provided the eighth instance of a side making the same total in both innings of a match, and there has been one more since. It was also the highest (and the first time India had passed 400 in both innings of any Test). The others were, in reverse order of size: Sri Lanka 306 and 306 against South Africa in Cape Town in 1997-98; New Zealand 279 and 279 against India in Hamilton in 2008-09; New Zealand 208 and 208 against West Indies in Wellington in 1955-56; India 201 for 9 and 201 against Australia in Sydney in 1980-81; New Zealand 172 and 172 against South Africa in Wellington in 1952-53; New Zealand 161 and 161 against Australia in Hobart in 1993-94; Bangladesh 148 and 148 against Pakistan in Chittagong in 2001-02; and India 136 and 136 against Australia in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1956-57.Which Test cricketer was known as “Lugs”? asked Jamie Barrett from Australia
There may have been more than one, but the one I can track down is the New Zealand allrounder Chris Harris. He appeared in 23 Tests, but was more of a force in one-day internationals: he played in 250 of those, and took more than 200 wickets as well as scoring 4379 runs. I assume the name came about because of his prominent ears – which appeared to become even more prominent as his hair started to recede. Having said that, I usually remember him being called “Harry” by his team-mates – and that’s what he called his 1999 autobiography. His long-time team-mate Gavin Larsen seemed to think so, too: “Harry’s a marvellous guy and as a team man he can’t be bettered,” he wrote. “The common phrase in the changing room is ‘Shut up, Harry!'”Is James Anderson the most capped player for England in international cricket?? asked Sunit Kumar from the UAE
I’m not sure it was generally spotted, but James Anderson did indeed move ahead of Alec Stewart (303 international matches in all formats) during the recent one-day series in Australia: the game in Hobart on January 23 was Anderson’s 304th in all. He now has 306 appearances – 99 in Tests, 188 in ODIs and 19 in Twenty20s. Paul Collingwood played exactly 300 matches for England in all formats; next come Kevin Pietersen (275), Ian Bell (268) and Stuart Broad and Graham Gooch (243). Anderson is a long way down the overall list, which is headed by Sachin Tendulkar (664 matches) and Mahela Jayawardene (currently 645).