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Why is Australia so outraged at Steven Smith’s team? – by Brian Coverdale

Why is Australia so outraged at Steven Smith’s team? – by Brian Coverdale

Test cricket was front page news across the world over the past two days, for all the wrong reasons “It’s tampering, it happens. Move on. Calls for Smith to be sacked – how many captains would’ve been sacked over the years if everyone did that?”
A cricket-writing colleague, not from Australia, asked me that question on Sunday. It was a valid query. Ball-tampering does happen in cricket, probably a lot more than anyone outside the game realises. Players have been sanctioned for it before. In the ICC’s Code of Conduct it is ranked at the same level as making a seriously obscene gesture and is less grave than intimidating an umpire. The maximum penalty is a fine and suspension for one Test, which Steven Smith received and Cameron Bancroft did not.
So, why is that not the end of the story? Why was there such widespread national outrage over an incident that cricket’s governing body views as only of moderate severity?
To answer a question with another question, what do they know of Australia who only Australian cricket know?
To understand the public response, and why the incident touched such a nerve, you need to understand the role sport has always played in Australia’s national identity. Indeed, since before we even had a nation with which to identify.
This is a young country – Australia’s states did not join together in federation until 1901. But Dave Gregory had taken office as Australia’s first Test captain in 1877, 24 years before Edmund Barton became our first prime minister.
Edwin Flack won Australia two Olympic gold medals before Australia existed as a nation, and Australia has prided itself on punching far above its weight in Olympic competition ever since.
“What sort of leaders not only hatch a plan like this, but have the team’s most junior member take all the risk? That is not leadership, it is cowardice.”
The first Australian to win a world championship in any sport, rower Ned Trickett, was welcomed home by a crowd of 25,000 people when he returned to Sydney after winning the World Sculling Championship in England in 1876.
More sportspeople have been named Australian of the Year than individuals from any other broad field of endeavour.
It is written into national legislation that no company can name itself after Don Bradman without government permission. The only other person with such name protection is Australia’s first Catholic saint, Mary MacKillop.
When Cadel Evans became Australia’s first Tour de France winner in 2011, he was a national hero, not least because he was clean in a sport rife with cheating.
This is the context in which the country’s response to the ball-tampering incident must be viewed. Rightly or wrongly, our sportspeople have historically stood on pedestals far greater than any other members of our society. And the primary obligation the public asks in return is simple: don’t cheat. Don’t abuse our trust.
Sometimes our sporting stars behave detestably and are rightly castigated. Our cricketers are no exception. They say they do not cross “the line”, while the rest of us wonder where the hell it is. Of course, like any line in the sand, it washes away with the tide, to be redrawn wherever it suits at the time.
The Australian public has a line, too. And with their culture of sledging, whingeing, hypocrisy and arrogance, our cricketers have been head-butting it for so long that they have become an insufferable national migraine.
So when Bancroft was seen cheating, by rubbing the ball with a shred of yellow tape and then hiding the offending item in his jocks like a naughty schoolboy, there was no sympathy. An already frustrated nation was now also losing its trust in the team, and that trust irretrievably shattered when Smith admitted that this was a premeditated act, cooked up by the team leadership group at the lunch break.
The public response in Australia was swift and overwhelming and came from the Prime Minister down. Opportunistic politicians joined the pile-on, but there was already an enormous bandwagon on which to leap. The Australian public feels ownership of the cricket team that represents their country, and Sunday was like a nationwide fire-sale. Condemnation is to be expected of a national side caught cheating, but the widespread nature of the reactions, and the lack of dissenting voices, tells a story about how this team is viewed.
A sprinkling of ex-players have said that ball-tampering is rife at all levels of the game, and that nobody can plead ignorance. That might be true of professional cricketers, and even of many club players. But this is not about them. It is about representing 25 million people and thus being held to higher standards. It is about the fans who trusted the wrong people.
There is no sight in cricket quite like reverse swing, that late tail in, the stumps cartwheeling. But like a steak-lover who turns vegetarian after a visit to the abattoir, the average Australian cricket fan would be happy never to see reverse swing again, now that they have witnessed for themselves what goes into it. The challenge for Australian cricket is to stop fans abstaining from the team entirely.
To hear the doyen of Australian cricket commentators, the ABC’s Jim Maxwell, becoming emotional on the radio while saying that he could not remember ever feeling as disappointed in an Australian team as now, told of the gravity of the situation. The players involved should be forced to listen to that audio as part of their punishment.
And nobody in the Australian squad who knew about the plan beforehand can play in the next Test in Johannesburg. It would be utterly unconscionable. What sort of leaders not only hatch a plan like this but have the team’s most junior member take all the risk? That is not leadership, it is cowardice. Even if Bancroft was not asked to tamper, but simply overheard the discussion and took it upon himself, responsibility is still on the captain. It was cricket’s equivalent of loudly asking: “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?”
And that is why Smith’s position as captain is now untenable. Captaining Australia is not a right, it is a privilege, and a responsibility, and one that cannot be given to anyone who was part of this. As for the coach Darren Lehmann, even if he didn’t know about the plan – and that is hard to believe – he has fostered whatever sorry culture brought the dressing room to this point. He cannot realistically stay on either.
History tells us that the outcry will eventually die down, but it will take time. Smith will lose the captaincy and serve a ban, probably a short one, but he will return to the side, and will, hopefully, over time earn the nation’s forgiveness. So too the other players involved. The stain will never fully disappear, but it will fade.
Shane Warne was suspended for a year for taking a banned diuretic. Warne and Mark Waugh were the subjects of public shame for providing pitch and weather information to a bookmaker. These incidents were dubiously explained away by naivete. Greg Chappell ordered his brother Trevor to bowl underarm, which was within the laws of the game, and in later years admitted that at the back end of a stressful and demanding season, he had not been mentally fit to be captain. The incidents are remembered with distaste, but the men involved are not outcasts.
Outcasts certainly emerged from the biggest recent controversy in Australian sport, an AFL scandal involving the Essendon club and their practice of injecting their players with banned peptides. Players served bans and the coach, James Hird, previously considered of unimpeachable character, eventually lost his job and was effectively shunned by the sport. In 2017, four years after the scandal emerged, he was hospitalised for a suspected drug overdose.
That is in part a reflection of how premeditated cheating is viewed in Australia, but also the way social media and the 24-hour news cycle magnifies events. Jon Ronson’s excellent 2015 book, So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, examines how social media has led to a return of the days of public shaming. Twitter pile-on bring out the worst kind of mob mentality and can lead to a loss of all sense of proportion. Suggestions of life bans fall firmly in that category. There will be official sanctions, but the unofficial punishments – shame and humiliation – will hurt the most.
It is worth noting that in the lead-up to the Cape Town Test, Smith actually admitted that his mind was not in a good place. His comments were in specific relation to his batting struggles, but with hindsight, it is hard not to wonder if the words had a wider meaning: “I didn’t feel I was hitting the ball that well [during the summer] but my mind was in a good place. Maybe now my mind is not in as good a space as it was.”
It will hardly be in a better space after the past two days. While Cricket Australia has a responsibility to punish the players involved, it also has some responsibility for their welfare while doing so. These are young men who made a stupid mistake and must pay the price, but in the process, they cannot be left without support.
Still, in the here and now, this scandal is bigger than just cricket. It goes to the heart of Australian national identity. Australia’s cricket team is older than the country itself and historically, cricket has been the team sport with the greatest nationwide support in Australia. The public response reflects this affection. Short bans and a loss of leadership positions are the appropriate response. The written Laws of Cricket might tolerate Smith and Lehmann staying on as captain and coach, but the unwritten rules of Australia will not.

Article courtesy – espncrinfo.com

New Zealand’s test wins by an innings margin

New Zealand’s test wins by an innings margin

New Zealand won the just concluded test against England at Auckland by an innings and 49 runs to provide the 24th occasion of New Zealand winning a test by an innings margin. All such occasions are tabulated below in the descending order of margin of victory.

No Team Result Margin Opposition Ground Start Date
1 New Zealand won inns & 301 runs v Zimbabwe Napier 26 Jan 2012
2 New Zealand won inns & 294 runs v Zimbabwe Harare 07 Aug 2005
3 New Zealand won inns & 185 runs v Pakistan Hamilton 27 Mar 2001
4 New Zealand won inns & 137 runs v Bangladesh Wellington 12 Jan 2008
5 New Zealand won inns & 132 runs v England Christchurch 03 Feb 1984
6 New Zealand won inns & 117 runs v Zimbabwe Bulawayo 28 Jul 2016
7 New Zealand won inns & 105 runs v West Indies Wellington 26 Dec 1999
8 New Zealand won inns & 101 runs v Bangladesh Chittagong 26 Oct 2004
9 New Zealand won inns & 099 runs v Pakistan Auckland 25 Jan 1985
10 New Zealand won inns & 099 runs v Bangladesh Dhaka 19 Oct 2004
11 New Zealand won inns & 080 runs v Pakistan Sharjah 26 Nov 2014
12 New Zealand won inns & 074 runs v Bangladesh Wellington 26 Dec 2001
13 New Zealand won inns & 073 runs v West Indies Wellington 11 Dec 2013
14 New Zealand won inns & 067 runs v West Indies Wellington 01 Dec 2017
15 New Zealand won inns & 061 runs v Sri Lanka Colombo (CCC) 24 Mar 1984
16 New Zealand won inns & 052 runs v Bangladesh Hamilton 18 Dec 2001
17 New Zealand won inns & 049 runs v England Auckland 22 Mar 2018
18 New Zealand won inns & 046 runs v Zimbabwe Bulawayo 15 Aug 2005
19 New Zealand won inns & 041 runs v Australia Brisbane 08 Nov 1985
20 New Zealand won inns & 038 runs v Sri Lanka Wellington 11 Apr 2005
21 New Zealand won inns & 036 runs v Sri Lanka Dunedin 07 Mar 1997
22 New Zealand won inns & 033 runs v India Wellington 13 Feb 1976
23 New Zealand won inns & 025 runs v Sri Lanka Christchurch 04 Mar 1983
24 New Zealand won inns & 013 runs v Zimbabwe Auckland 26 Feb 1998

It also provides the second occasion of New Zealand winning the test by an innings margin against England. The first such win was at Christchurch in Feb 1984 when it had trounced England by an innings and 132 runs. Both the occasions are tabulated below

No Team Result Margin Opposition Ground Start Date
1 New Zealand won inns & 132 runs v England Christchurch 03 Feb 1984
2 New Zealand won inns & 049 runs v England Auckland 22 Mar 2018

England lost the just concluded test against New Zealand at Auckland by an innings and 49 runs to provide the 61st occasion of England losing a test by an innings margin. All such occasions are tabulated below in the descending order of margin of victory.

No Team Result Margin Opposition Ground Start Date
1 England lost inns & 332 runs v Australia Brisbane 29 Nov 1946
2 England lost inns & 226 runs v West Indies Lord’s 23 Aug 1973
3 England lost inns & 215 runs v Sri Lanka Colombo (SSC) 18 Dec 2003
4 England lost inns & 200 runs v Australia Melbourne 26 Feb 1937
5 England lost inns & 180 runs v West Indies Birmingham 14 Jun 1984
6 England lost inns & 180 runs v Australia Nottingham 10 Aug 1989
7 England lost inns & 161 runs v West Indies Kingston 14 Mar 1935
8 England lost inns & 156 runs v West Indies Manchester 30 Jun 1988
9 England lost inns & 154 runs v Australia Brisbane 26 Nov 1954
10 England lost inns & 149 runs v Australia The Oval 14 Aug 1948
11 England lost inns & 148 runs v Australia Leeds 22 Jul 1993
12 England lost inns & 147 runs v Australia Sydney 01 Feb 1895
13 England lost inns & 132 runs v New Zealand Christchurch 03 Feb 1984
14 England lost inns & 123 runs v Australia Sydney 04 Jan 2018
15 England lost inns & 118 runs v Australia Birmingham 05 Jul 2001
16 England lost inns & 100 runs v Pakistan Lahore 29 Nov 2005
17 England lost inns & 099 runs v Australia Melbourne 26 Dec 2006
18 England lost inns & 093 runs v West Indies Birmingham 15 Jun 2000
19 England lost inns & 092 runs v South Africa Lord’s 31 Jul 2003
20 England lost inns & 091 runs v Australia Melbourne 31 Dec 1920
21 England lost inns & 087 runs v Pakistan Lahore 25 Nov 1987
22 England lost inns & 085 runs v Australia Birmingham 10 Jul 1975
23 England lost inns & 080 runs v Australia Leeds 07 Aug 2009
24 England lost inns & 079 runs v West Indies Port of Spain 13 Feb 1981
25 England lost inns & 075 runs v India Chennai 16 Dec 2016
26 England lost inns & 074 runs v South Africa Johannesburg 14 Jan 2010
27 England lost inns & 064 runs v West Indies Manchester 26 Jul 1984
28 England lost inns & 064 runs v West Indies Birmingham 06 Jul 1995
29 England lost inns & 062 runs v Australia Lord’s 17 Jun 1993
30 England lost inns & 061 runs v Australia Leeds 24 Jul 1997
31 England lost inns & 056 runs v West Indies The Oval 12 Aug 1950
32 England lost inns & 055 runs v Australia Melbourne 01 Jan 1898
33 England lost inns & 055 runs v West Indies Leeds 04 Aug 1966
34 England lost inns & 052 runs v West Indies St John’s 20 Mar 1998
35 England lost inns & 051 runs v Australia Adelaide 21 Nov 2002
36 England lost inns & 049 runs v New Zealand Auckland 22 Mar 2018
37 England lost inns & 048 runs v Australia Perth 29 Nov 2002
38 England lost inns & 046 runs v India Leeds 22 Aug 2002
39 England lost inns & 046 runs v Australia The Oval 20 Aug 2015
40 England lost inns & 044 runs v West Indies Georgetown 17 Mar 1994
41 England lost inns & 041 runs v Australia Perth 14 Dec 2017
42 England lost inns & 040 runs v West Indies Manchester 02 Jun 1966
43 England lost inns & 039 runs v Australia The Oval 16 Aug 1930
44 England lost inns & 037 runs v South Africa Cape Town 02 Jan 2000
45 England lost inns & 036 runs v India Mumbai 08 Dec 2016
46 England lost inns & 033 runs v Australia Sydney 13 Dec 1946
47 England lost inns & 032 runs v West Indies St John’s 12 Apr 1990
48 England lost inns & 030 runs v West Indies Bridgetown 21 Mar 1986
49 England lost inns & 028 runs v Sri Lanka Galle 22 Feb 2001
50 England lost inns & 025 runs v Australia The Oval 23 Aug 2001
51 England lost inns & 023 runs v West Indies Kingston 04 Feb 2009
52 England lost inns & 022 runs v India Chennai 11 Feb 1993
53 England lost inns & 021 runs v South Africa Johannesburg 25 Nov 1999
54 England lost inns & 018 runs v Pakistan Leeds 02 Jul 1987
55 England lost inns & 016 runs v South Africa Cape Town 30 Mar 1906
56 England lost inns & 015 runs v India Mumbai 19 Feb 1993
57 England lost inns & 013 runs v Australia Adelaide 14 Jan 1898
58 England lost inns & 013 runs v Australia Sydney 05 Jan 1951
59 England lost inns & 012 runs v South Africa The Oval 19 Jul 2012
60 England lost inns & 009 runs v Australia Adelaide 28 Jan 1966
61 England lost inns & 008 runs v India Chennai 06 Feb 1952

 

South Africa winning a test by 300 plus runs margin

South Africa winning a test by 300 plus runs margin

South Africa won the Cape Town Test against Australia by a margin of 322 runs to provide the twelfth occasion of South Africa winning a test by 300 plus runs margin. All such occasions are tabulated below with the descending order of runs margin.

No Team Result Margin Opposition Ground Start Date
1 South Africa won 358 runs v New Zealand Johannesburg 08 Nov 2007
2 South Africa won 356 runs v England Lord’s 21 Jul 1994
3 South Africa won 351 runs v West Indies Centurion 15 Jan 1999
4 South Africa won 340 runs v England Nottingham 14 Jul 2017
5 South Africa won 333 runs v Bangladesh Potchefstroom 28 Sep 2017
6 South Africa won 329 runs v India Kolkata 27 Nov 1996
7 South Africa won 328 runs v India Durban 26 Dec 1996
8 South Africa won 324 runs v Pakistan Johannesburg 19 Jan 1995
9 South Africa won 323 runs v Australia Port Elizabeth 05 Mar 1970
10 South Africa won 322 runs v Australia Cape Town 22 Mar 2018
11 South Africa won 309 runs v Australia Perth 30 Nov 2012
12 South Africa won 307 runs v Australia Johannesburg 19 Feb 1970

It also provides the fourth occasion of South Africa winning a test by 300 plus runs margin against Australia. All such occasions are listed below

No Team Result Margin Opposition Ground Start Date
1 South Africa won 323 runs v Australia Port Elizabeth 05 Mar 1970
2 South Africa won 322 runs v Australia Cape Town 22 Mar 2018
3 South Africa won 309 runs v Australia Perth 30 Nov 2012
4 South Africa won 307 runs v Australia Johannesburg 19 Feb 1970

Australia lost the Cape Town Test against South Africa by a margin of 322 runs to provide the twelfth occasion of Australia losing the test by 300 plus runs margin. All such occasions are tabulated below with the descending order of runs margin.

No Team Result Margin Opposition Ground Start Date
1 Australia lost 675 runs v England Brisbane 30 Nov 1928
2 Australia lost 408 runs v West Indies Adelaide 26 Jan 1980
3 Australia lost 356 runs v Pakistan Abu Dhabi 30 Oct 2014
4 Australia lost 347 runs v England Lord’s 18 Jul 2013
5 Australia lost 343 runs v West Indies Bridgetown 19 Apr 1991
6 Australia lost 338 runs v England Adelaide 13 Jan 1933
7 Australia lost 323 runs v South Africa Port Elizabeth 05 Mar 1970
8 Australia lost 322 runs v South Africa Cape Town 22 Mar 2018
9 Australia lost 322 runs v England Brisbane 04 Dec 1936
10 Australia lost 320 runs v India Mohali 17 Oct 2008
11 Australia lost 309 runs v South Africa Perth 30 Nov 2012
12 Australia lost 307 runs v South Africa Johannesburg 19 Feb 1970

 

Ball tampering

Ball tampering

A pristine cricket ball

In the sport of cricket, ball tampering is an action in which a fielder illegally alters the condition of the ball. The primary motivation of ball tampering is to interfere with the aerodynamics of the ball.

Definition

Under Law 41, subsection 3 of the Laws of Cricket, the ball may be polished without the use of an artificial substance, may be dried with a towel if it is wet, and have mud removed from it under supervision; all other actions which alter the condition of the ball are illegal. These are usually taken to include rubbing the ball on the ground, scuffing with a fingernail or other sharp object, or tampering with the seam of the ball.

Purpose

Generally, the purpose of altering the state of the ball is to achieve more favourable bowling conditions. Examples of ball tampering would include a fielder applying a substance, such as lip balm or sweetened saliva, to shine one side of the ball or pick the seam of the ball to encourage more swing. Conversely, roughening one side of the ball by use of an abrasive or cutting surface (such as boot spikes or bottle caps) is also ball tampering.

Altering a ball legally

Using spit and/or sweat is common and, for practitioners of swing bowling, integral. The moisture gained from spit or sweat when combined with polishing, smooths out one half of the ball which in turn allows air to pass over one side of the ball more quickly than over the other. When bowled correctly, a bowler can get the ball to move from one side to the other through the air. Also, it is common for bowlers to rub the ball against their clothing to dry or polish it, as seen in most cricket matches.

Sanction

The umpires are responsible for monitoring the condition of the ball, and must inspect it regularly. Where an umpire has deemed a fielder to be guilty of ball-tampering, five penalty runs are awarded to the batting side, and the ball must be immediately replaced. The replaced ball is normally chosen by the umpires, in which case the ball chosen should match the condition of the previous ball (before tampering) as closely as possible. Depending on additional agreements laid out before the beginning of a series of matches, the batsmen may be instead permitted to choose the ball from a selection of balls in various stages of use.

If a bowler is found to be guilty of repeatedly ball-tampering he can be prohibited from continuing to bowl in that innings. Following the conclusion of play, additional sanctions are usually brought against a ball-tamperer, as it is considered a serious offence. The captain may be equally penalized, as he is responsible for the conduct of his players on the field.

Examples and allegations

The use of foreign substances to polish the ball, while illegal, is in some corners considered to be relatively common, and passes without incident or sanction. Substances which have been used for this purpose include hair gel, sugar and lip balm.

In addition, picking at the threads of the main seam or ‘lifting’ the quarter seam to aid conventional and reverse swing respectively are considered illegal. Modifying the quarter seam can be particularly difficult to detect or prove.

However, there have been a number of high-profile instances of alleged ball tampering, particularly in international cricket due to the increase in television coverage. Waqar Younis became the first player to receive a suspension for ball-tampering after a match in 2000.

Michael Atherton in 1994

In the “dirt in pocket” affair, then England captain Michael Atherton was accused of ball tampering during a Test match with South Africa at Lord’s in 1994 after television cameras caught Atherton reaching into his pocket and then rubbing a substance on the ball. Atherton denied ball tampering, claiming that he had dirt in his pocket which he used to dry his hands. He was also accused of lying to the match referee. Atherton was summoned to the match referee and was fined £2,000 for failing to disclose the dirt to the match referee.

Sachin Tendulkar from Indian Cricket team in 2001

In the second Test match of India’s 2001 tour of South Africa, at St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth, match referee Mike Denness suspended Sachin Tendulkar for one game in light of alleged ball tampering. Television cameras picked up images that suggested Tendulkar was involved in scuffing the seam of the cricket ball. While he claimed he was actually just removing the piece of grass stuck in the seam of ball, it seemed he may have tampered with the ball. The incident escalated to include allegations of racism, and led to Mike Denness being barred from entering the venue of the third test match. The ICC revoked the status of the match as a Test as the teams rejected the appointed referee. The charges against Tendulkar and Sehwag’s ban for excessive appealing triggered a massive backlash from the Indian public. ICC later cleared Tendulkar of ball tampering charges.

Rahul Dravid from Indian Cricket Team in 2004

Rahul Dravid coughed a lozenge on more shiny side of the ball at Brisbane during a Triangular Series match against Zimbabwe and India won this match at first but later cameras caught Rahul Dravid tampering with the ball and he was charged with half of match fee.

England cricket team in 2005

Marcus Trescothick admitted in his autobiography, Coming Back to Me, that he used mints to shine the ball to endure more swing on the ball: “It was my job to keep the shine on the new ball for as long as possible with a bit of spit and a lot of polish. And through trial and error I finally settled on the type of spit for the task at hand. It had been common knowledge in county cricket for some time that certain sweets produced saliva which, when applied to the ball for cleaning purposes, enabled it to keep its shine for longer and therefore its swing.” He found Murray Mints worked the best.  This admission was 3 years after the series.

Controversy against Pakistan cricket team in August 2006

In 2006, an alleged ball-tampering issue overshadowed a Test match between Pakistan and England, whereby Pakistan refused to take to the field for the evening session after being penalised for ball-tampering in the afternoon. Television cameras caught the umpires discussing the condition of the quarter seam. Pakistan are believed to have intended a protest against the decision by delaying their return after tea; however, while they were refusing to play, the umpires awarded the game to England in accordance with the laws of cricket.

The controversy arose when the umpires, Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove, ruled that the Pakistani team had been involved in ball tampering. They awarded five penalty runs to England and a replacement ball was selected by England batsman Paul Collingwood. Play continued until the tea break, without any Pakistani protest. After the tea break, the Pakistani team, after having agreed amongst themselves that no ball tampering had taken place and given consideration to the severity of the implication, refused to take the field. The umpires then left the field, gave a warning to the Pakistani players, and returned once more 15 minutes later. After waiting two more minutes the umpires removed the bails and declared England winners by forfeiture. A deal was brokered between the English and Pakistani cricket boards to allow the match to continue, and the Pakistani team did take to the field 55 minutes after the umpires first took to the field for the resumption of play. Umpires Hair and Doctrove, however, declined to continue the game maintaining their decision that Pakistan had forfeited the match by refusing to play.

The impasse continued late into the evening. Pakistan captain Inzamam ul-Haq claimed that Darrell Hair did not inform him or the rest of his side of the reasons why the ball was replaced, and that Hair had implied that Pakistan were cheating. At 19:50 UTC it was finally announced at a press conference that the Test was called off. The ECB’s statement said that England were awarded the match by the umpires as Pakistan refused to take the field after being warned that under law 21.3, failure to do so would result in them forfeiting the game. This is the first time a Test match has been decided this way.

The England and Wales Cricket Board refunded fourth-day spectators 40% of their ticket price (after deduction of an administration fee), and gave an automatic 100% refund to those with tickets for the fifth day. It later asked the Pakistan Cricket Board to pick up the £800,000 costs of doing this, which the PCB refused to do. In March 2007, the PCB and ECB reached a settlement where Pakistan would play a Twenty20 International in England and waive their fees.

As a result of Pakistan’s forfeiting of the game captain Inzamam was charged and found guilty of “bringing the game into disrepute”, though he was cleared of the charges relating to “changing the condition of the ball”. In January 2008, Pakistan’s cricket board asked the International Cricket Council to change the official result to “match abandoned” or “match drawn” on the basis of having been subsequently cleared of ball-tampering by an ICC tribunal. In July 2008, the International Cricket Council (ICC) changed the result of the match to a draw, though in October 2008 the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) released the statement “The ICC has no power under the laws of cricket to decide that results should be altered, whether it feels it’s ‘inappropriate’ or otherwise,”  The decision also angered former players including Michael Holding who at the time was a member of the ICC cricket committee. Holding felt that Pakistan’s refusal to play should not go unpunished even though they were not guilty of ball-tampering,

“I have just written my letter of resignation to the ICC cricket committee because I cannot agree with what they’ve done,” Holding said while commentating for Sky Sports during a domestic match in England. “That game should never, ever be a draw. When you take certain actions, you must be quite happy to suffer the consequences.”

On 1 February 2009, the ICC reversed their earlier decision, and changed the match result back to a win for England.

Anderson and Broad 2010 incident

In January 2010, England bowlers Stuart Broad and James Anderson were accused of ball tampering by rubbing the ball on the ground with their spikes in the third Test Match against South Africa. Broad maintained that he was just being lazy, because it was 40 degrees Celsius in Cape Town that day. Andrew Flower said in his defence that “the scoreline suggested that there was obviously no ball tampering. Nasser Hussain who had captained Anderson said: “Stuart Broad and James Anderson were wrong to behave in the manner they did and I’ve no doubt that if a player from another country did the same we’d have said they were cheating. No charges were formally placed by South Africa even though they made the accusations at a press conference.

Shahid Afridi 2010

Shahid Afridi, standing in as the Pakistani Captain, received a two T20 international match ban for ball-tampering in a match against Australia in January 2010. He was caught on camera biting the cricket ball in a bizarre attempt to readjust the seam of the ball. The ball was eventually replaced. He told the Hindustan Times that he was trying to smell the ball but he pleaded guilty for ball tampering.

Australia v Sri Lanka, 2012

In the first test, Sri Lanka notified Chris Broad that Peter Siddle may have been raising the seam during Sri Lanka’s first innings. Peter Siddle collected 5/54. He was later cleared by the ICC.

Faf du Plessis from South African Cricket Team, 2013

While fielding on during the third day of the 2nd Test, in Dubai, cameras captured footage of South Africa fielder Faf du Plessis scuffing the ball against the zip on his trousers. The on-field umpires penalised South Africa by adding 5 runs to Pakistan’s total, and changing the ball. The match referee imposed a 50% match fee fine on du Plessis after the fielder pleaded guilty, although the team manager Mohammad Mosajee maintained that penalty was “harsh”, and the team decided not to challenge to finding as it may have led to heavier sanctions. Despite the “guilty” plea, team vice-captain AB de Villiers maintained that “we are not cheats” and team captain Graeme Smith denied that their participation in ball tampering tainted the series-levelling win as South Africa went on to record an innings-victory during the Dubai test, to tie the series 1-1.

During the same match, footage of South African medium-pace bowler showing Vernon Philander apparently scratching the ball with his forefinger was also brought under scrutiny, but ultimately was not considered by the match referee to have constituted any illegal ball-tampering.

South Africa v Sri Lanka, 2014

For the second time in nine months, the South African test side found itself in a ball-tampering scandal, this time with medium-pace bowler Vernon Philander found guilty of tampering with the ball during the 3rd day of the Galle test against Sri Lanka in 2014. Philander was found to have breached clause 42.1 of the Laws, “scratching the ball with his fingers and thumb”, and was fined 75% of his match fee. South Africa were to go on and win the test by 153 runs.

This incident followed speculation by Australian test batsmen David Warner in February 2014 over the South African team’s practices in altering the state of the ball during Australia’s tour to South Africa. Speaking to Sky Sports Radio. Warner commented the South African fielders’ more “obvious” use of throwing the ball into the ground on return throws after fielding, and South African wicket-keeper AB de Villiers’ habit of getting “the ball in his hand and with his glove wipe the rough side every ball. Warner was later fined 15% of his match fee for the comments he made, under an ICC Code of Conduct breach.

South Africa vs Australia, 2016

Another South African was charged with alleged ball tampering on 18 November 2016 after their victory in the second Test against Australia in Hobart. Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis was alleged to have tampered with the condition of the ball after TV footage appeared to show him applying saliva onto the ball from a mint or a lollipop. The charge was made by the ICC although Cricket Australia did not file a complaint. Du Plessis was found guilty of ball tampering on 22 November and fined his match fee from the second Test.

Australia vs South Africa, 2018

Australian batsman, Cameron Bancroft was charged with ball tampering on 24 March 2018, when videos emerged that showed him rubbing and then concealing a suspicious yellow object during day three of the Third Test against South Africa, at Newlands Stadium. Captain Steve Smith and Bancroft attended a press conference at the end of that day’s play. Bancroft admitted to ball tampering in front of Andy Pycroft, the match referee, and the press. Smith then said that the tampering was planned by the unnamed “leadership group” during the lunch break. Smith and vice-captain David Warner stood down from the team leadership the morning after the incident, but still played on, and wicketkeeper Tim Paine took over the captaincy for the rest of the test match. Subsequently the ICC banned Smith for one test match and he was fined 100% of his match fee and Cameron Bancroft was fined 75% of his match fee.

As well as a public outcry, especially in Australia, the Australian Sports Commission, the Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull, and many famous international cricketers universally condemned Smith for his actions, demanding Smith’s resignation or sacking as the team’s captain together with sanctions against the “leadership group” and Bancroft.

The incident is the subject of a separate and ongoing investigation by Cricket Australia, led by Executive General Manager Team Performance Pat Howard, along with Senior Legal Counsel and Head of Integrity Iain Roy. Cricket Australia may then impose their own sanctions including fines, suspensions and bans.

 Information Source – Wikipedia

South African batsmen scoring half centuries in both innings of a test against Australia

South African batsmen scoring half centuries in both innings of a test against Australia

AB de Villiers of South Africa scored 64 and  51  not out at the end of the third day of the ongoing test against Australia at Cape Town to provide the 57th occasion of a South African batsman scoring half-centuries in both innings of a test. It also provides the 18th occasion of a South African batsman scoring half-centuries in both innings of a test against Australia. All such occasions are tabulated below

No Player FI SI Opposition Ground Start Date
1 GA Faulkner 52 92 v Australia Sydney 03 Mar 1911
2 B Mitchell 75 95 v Australia Adelaide 29 Jan 1932
3 HW Taylor 78 84 v Australia Adelaide 29 Jan 1932
4 RA McLean 81 76* v Australia Melbourne 06 Feb 1953
5 JC Watkins 92 50 v Australia Melbourne 06 Feb 1953
6 WR Endean 50 77 v Australia Johannesburg 23 Dec 1957
7 KJ Funston 70 64* v Australia Johannesburg 07 Feb 1958
8 KC Bland 51 85 v Australia Sydney 10 Jan 1964
9 TL Goddard 80 84 v Australia Sydney 10 Jan 1964
10 TL Goddard 74 59 v Australia Port Elizabeth 24 Feb 1967
11 BL Irvine 79 73 v Australia Johannesburg 19 Feb 1970
12 RG Pollock 52 87 v Australia Johannesburg 19 Feb 1970
13 JH Kallis 63 57 v Australia Perth 17 Dec 2008
14 GC Smith 62 75 v Australia Melbourne 26 Dec 2008
15 HM Amla 51 59 v Australia Sydney 03 Jan 2009
16 AB de Villiers 64 73 v Australia Johannesburg 17 Nov 2011
17 Q de Kock 84 64 v Australia Perth 03 Nov 2016
18 AB de Villiers 64 51* v Australia Cape Town 22 Mar 2018

AB de Villiers and TL Goddard are the two South African batsmen to score twin half-centuries against Australia on two occasions.

No Player FI SI Opposition Ground Start Date
1 AB de Villiers 64 73 v Australia Johannesburg 17 Nov 2011
2 AB de Villiers 64 51* v Australia Cape Town 22 Mar 2018
             
1 TL Goddard 80 84 v Australia Sydney 10 Jan 1964
2 TL Goddard 74 59 v Australia Port Elizabeth 24 Feb 1967

AB de Villiers’ feat provides the seventh occasion of a South African batsman scoring half-centuries in both innings of a test at home.  All such occasions are tabulated below

No Player FI SI Opposition Ground Start Date
1 WR Endean 50 77 v Australia Johannesburg 23 Dec 1957
2 KJ Funston 70 64* v Australia Johannesburg 07 Feb 1958
3 TL Goddard 74 59 v Australia Port Elizabeth 24 Feb 1967
4 BL Irvine 79 73 v Australia Johannesburg 19 Feb 1970
5 RG Pollock 52 87 v Australia Johannesburg 19 Feb 1970
6 AB de Villiers 64 73 v Australia Johannesburg 17 Nov 2011
7 AB de Villiers 64 51* v Australia Cape Town 22 Mar 2018

AB de Villiers is the only South African batsman to score twin half-centuries in a test against Australia at home on two occasions.

No Player FI SI Opposition Ground Start Date
1 AB de Villiers 64 73 v Australia Johannesburg 17 Nov 2011
2 AB de Villiers 64 51* v Australia Cape Town 22 Mar 2018

 

Occasion of fieldsmen excluding wicket keepers accounting for six or more catches in a test

Occasion of fieldsmen excluding wicket keepers accounting for six or more catches in a test

SPD Smith of Australia pouched six catches – five in the first innings and one in the second innings – in the ongoing test against South Africa at Cape Town to provide the 36th occasion of a fieldsman excluding wicketkeepers to pouch six or more catches  in a test in the annals of test cricket. All such occasions are tabulated below.

No Player Dis Ct Ct Fi Team Oppn Ground Start Date
1 A Shrewsbury Snr 6 6 6 Eng Aus Sydney 10 Feb 1888
2 AEE Vogler 6 6 6 SAF Eng Durban 21 Jan 1910
3 FE Woolley 6 6 6 Eng Aus Sydney 23 Feb 1912
4 JM Gregory 6 6 6 Aus Eng Sydney 25 Feb 1921
5 B Mitchell 6 6 6 SAF Aus Melbourne 31 Dec 1931
6 VY Richardson 6 6 6 Aus SAF Durban 28 Feb 1936
7 RN Harvey 6 6 6 Aus Eng Sydney 15 Feb 1963
8 MC Cowdrey 6 6 6 Eng Win Lord’s 20 Jun 1963
9 ED Solkar 6 6 6 Ind Win Port of Spain 06 Mar 1971
10 GS Sobers 6 6 6 Win Eng Lord’s 23 Aug 1973
11 IM Chappell 6 6 6 Aus NZl Adelaide 26 Jan 1974
12 AW Greig 6 6 6 Eng Pak Leeds 25 Jul 1974
13 GS Chappell 7 7 7 Aus Eng Perth 13 Dec 1974
14 Yajurvindra Singh 7 7 7 Ind Eng Bengaluru 28 Jan 1977
15 DF Whatmore 6 6 6 Aus Ind Kanpur 02 Oct 1979
16 AJ Lamb 6 6 6 Eng NZl Lord’s 11 Aug 1983
17 GA Hick 6 6 6 Eng Pak Leeds 23 Jul 1992
18 HP Tillakaratne 7 7 7 Srl NZl Col-SSC 06 Dec 1992
19 BA Young 6 6 6 NZl Pak Auckland 10 Feb 1994
20 JC Adams 6 6 6 Win Eng Kingston 19 Feb 1994
21 SP Fleming 7 7 7 NZl Zim Harare 18 Sep 1997
22 SP Fleming 6 6 6 NZl Aus Brisbane 07 Nov 1997
23 M Jayawardene 6 6 6 Srl Pak Peshawar 05 Mar 2000
24 ME Waugh 6 6 6 Srl Ind Chennai 18 Mar 2001
25 V Sehwag 6 6 6 Ind Eng Leeds 22 Aug 2002
26 Taufeeq Umar 6 6 6 Pak SAF Faisalabad 24 Oct 2003
27 ML Hayden 7 7 7 Aus Srl Galle 08 Mar 2004
28 M Jayawardene 6 6 6 Srl Zim Harare 06 May 2004
29 SP Fleming 6 6 6 NZl Win Wellington 17 Mar 2006
30 AN Cook 6 6 6 Eng NZl Hamilton 05 Mar 2008
31 JH Kallis 6 6 6 SAF Srl Cape Town 03 Jan 2012
32 GC Smith 6 6 6 SAF Aus Perth 30 Nov 2012
33 DM Bravo 6 6 6 Win Ban Kingstown 05 Sep 2014
34 AM Rahane 8 8 8 Ind Srl Galle 12 Aug 2015
35 SPD Smith 6 6 6 Aus Srl Col-SSC 13 Aug 2016
36 SPD Smith 6 6 6 Aus SAF Cape Town 22 Mar 2018

SPD Smith’s feat provides the ninth occasion of an Australian fieldsman excluding wicketkeepers to pouch six or more catches in a test. All such occasions are tabulated below

No Player Dis Ct Ct Fi Team Oppn Ground Start Date
1 JM Gregory 6 6 6 Aus Eng Sydney 25 Feb 1921
2 VY Richardson 6 6 6 Aus SAF Durban 28 Feb 1936
3 RN Harvey 6 6 6 Aus Eng Sydney 15 Feb 1963
4 IM Chappell 6 6 6 Aus NZl Adelaide 26 Jan 1974
5 GS Chappell 7 7 7 Aus Eng Perth 13 Dec 1974
6 DF Whatmore 6 6 6 Aus Ind Kanpur 02 Oct 1979
7 ML Hayden 7 7 7 Aus Srl Galle 08 Mar 2004
8 SPD Smith 6 6 6 Aus Srl Col-SSC 13 Aug 2016
9 SPD Smith 6 6 6 Aus SAF Cape Town 22 Mar 2018

SPD Smith’s feat provides the third occasion of a fieldsman excluding wicketkeepers to pouch six or more catches in a test against South Africa. All such occasions are tabulated below

No Player Dis Ct Ct Fi Team Oppn Ground Start Date
1 VY Richardson 6 6 6 Aus SAF Durban 28 Feb 1936
2 Taufeeq Umar 6 6 6 Pak SAF Faisalabad 24 Oct 2003
3 SPD Smith 6 6 6 Aus SAF Cape Town 22 Mar 2018

SPD Smith became the second Australian fieldsman excluding wicket keepers to pouch six catches in a test against South Africa. VY Richardson had pouched six catches against South Africa at Durban in Feb 1936.

No Player Dis Ct Ct Fi Team Oppn Ground Start Date
1 VY Richardson 6 6 6 Aus SAF Durban 28 Feb 1936
2 SPD Smith 6 6 6 Aus SAF Cape Town 22 Mar 2018

SP Fleming of New Zealand {03}, M Jayawardene of Sri Lanka {02} and SPD Smith of Australia {02} are the three fieldsmen excluding wicket keeper in the annals of test cricket to pouch six or more catches in a test on two or more occasions. The performance of these three fieldsmen  are tabulated below

No Player Dis Ct Ct Fi Team Oppn Ground Start Date
1 SP Fleming 7 7 7 NZl Zim Harare 18 Sep 1997
2 SP Fleming 6 6 6 NZl Aus Brisbane 07 Nov 1997
3 SP Fleming 6 6 6 NZl Win Wellington 17 Mar 2006
                 
1 M Jayawardene 6 6 6 Srl Pak Peshawar 05 Mar 2000
2 M Jayawardene 6 6 6 Srl Zim Harare 06 May 2004
                 
1 SPD Smith 6 6 6 Aus Srl Col-SSC 13 Aug 2016
2 SPD Smith 6 6 6 Aus SAF Cape Town 22 Mar 2018
D Elgar’s distinction – carries the bat through the completed innings on two occasions in the same calendar year

D Elgar’s distinction – carries the bat through the completed innings on two occasions in the same calendar year

D Elgar became the first batsman in the annals of test cricket to carry the bat through the completed innings on two occasions in the same calendar year.  He carried the bat through the completed innings against  India in the fourth innings of the test by scoring 86 not out in a total of 177 at Johannesburg in Jan 2018. He again carried the bat through against Australia in the ongoing test by scoring 141 not out in a total of 311 at Cape Town in  March 2018

M Morkel joins the 300 plus wicket takers club in tests

M Morkel joins the 300 plus wicket takers club in tests

M Morkel of South Africa captured four wickets conceding 87 runs in Australia’s first innings on day two of the ongoing Cape Town test which fetched him an aggregate of 301 wickets. He became the 32nd bowler to capture 300 plus wickets the annals of test cricket. The performance of all the 32 bowlers is tabulated below in the descending order of wickets taken by them.

No Player Team Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts Ave 5 10
1 M Muralitharan Srl 133 230 44039 18180 800 22.72 67 22
2 SK Warne Aus 145 273 40705 17995 708 25.41 37 10
3 A Kumble Ind 132 236 40850 18355 619 29.65 35 8
4 GD McGrath Aus 124 243 29248 12186 563 21.64 29 3
5 JM Anderson Eng 135 251 29720 14386 526 27.34 25 3
6 CA Walsh Win 132 242 30019 12688 519 24.44 22 3
7 N Kapil Dev Ind 131 227 27740 12867 434 29.64 23 2
8 Sir RJ Hadlee NZl 86 150 21918 9611 431 22.29 36 9
9 SM Pollock SAF 108 202 24353 9733 421 23.11 16 1
10 DW Steyn SAF 86 157 17391 9354 419 22.32 26 5
11 Harbhajan Singh Ind 103 190 28580 13537 417 32.46 25 5
12 HMRKB Herath Srl 89 162 24920 11694 415 28.17 33 9
13 Wasim Akram Pak 104 181 22627 9779 414 23.62 25 5
14 CEL Ambrose Win 98 179 22103 8501 405 20.99 22 3
15 SCJ Broad Eng 115 209 23653 11743 400 29.35 15 2
16 M Ntini SAF 101 190 20834 11242 390 28.82 18 4
17 IT Botham Eng 102 168 21815 10878 383 28.40 27 4
18 MD Marshall Win 81 151 17584 7876 376 20.94 22 4
19 Waqar Younis Pak 87 154 16224 8788 373 23.56 22 5
20 Imran Khan Pak 88 142 19458 8258 362 22.81 23 6
21 DL Vettori NZl 113 187 28814 12441 362 34.36 20 3
22 DK Lillee Aus 70 132 18467 8493 355 23.92 23 7
23 WPUJC Vaas Srl 111 194 23438 10501 355 29.58 12 2
24 AA Donald SAF 72 129 15519 7344 330 22.25 20 3
25 RGD Willis Eng 90 165 17357 8190 325 25.20 16 0
26 MG Johnson Aus 73 140 16001 8891 313 28.40 12 3
27 R Ashwin Ind 57 107 16515 7951 311 25.56 26 7
28 Z Khan Ind 92 165 18785 10247 311 32.94 11 1
29 B Lee Aus 76 150 16531 9554 310 30.81 10 0
30 LR Gibbs Win 79 148 27115 8989 309 29.09 18 2
31 FS Trueman Eng 67 127 15178 6625 307 21.57 17 3
32 M Morkel SAF 85 157 16296 8465 301 28.12 7 0

M Morkel became the fifth South African bowler to capture 300 plus test wickets. The performance of these five bowlers is tabulated below in the descending order of wickets  taken by them.

No Player Team Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts Ave 5 10
1 SM Pollock SAF 108 202 24353 9733 421 23.11 16 1
2 DW Steyn SAF 86 157 17391 9354 419 22.32 26 5
3 M Ntini SAF 101 190 20834 11242 390 28.82 18 4
4 AA Donald SAF 72 129 15519 7344 330 22.25 20 3
5 M Morkel SAF 85 157 16296 8465 301 28.12 7 0

M Morkel of South Africa captured four wickets conceding 87 runs in Australia’s first innings on day two of the ongoing Cape Town test which fetched him an aggregate of 301 wickets. He became the 24th pace bowler to capture 300 plus wickets the annals of test cricket. The performance of all the 24 bowlers is tabulated below in the descending order of wickets taken by them.

No Player Team Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts Ave 5 10
1 GD McGrath Aus 124 243 29248 12186 563 21.64 29 3
2 JM Anderson Eng 135 251 29720 14386 526 27.34 25 3
3 CA Walsh Win 132 242 30019 12688 519 24.44 22 3
4 N Kapil Dev Ind 131 227 27740 12867 434 29.64 23 2
5 Sir RJ Hadlee NZl 86 150 21918 9611 431 22.29 36 9
6 SM Pollock SAF 108 202 24353 9733 421 23.11 16 1
7 DW Steyn SAF 86 157 17391 9354 419 22.32 26 5
8 Wasim Akram Pak 104 181 22627 9779 414 23.62 25 5
9 CEL Ambrose Win 98 179 22103 8501 405 20.99 22 3
10 SCJ Broad Eng 115 209 23653 11743 400 29.35 15 2
11 M Ntini SAF 101 190 20834 11242 390 28.82 18 4
12 IT Botham Eng 102 168 21815 10878 383 28.40 27 4
13 MD Marshall Win 81 151 17584 7876 376 20.94 22 4
14 Waqar Younis Pak 87 154 16224 8788 373 23.56 22 5
15 Imran Khan Pak 88 142 19458 8258 362 22.81 23 6
16 DK Lillee Aus 70 132 18467 8493 355 23.92 23 7
17 WPUJC Vaas Srl 111 194 23438 10501 355 29.58 12 2
18 AA Donald SAF 72 129 15519 7344 330 22.25 20 3
19 RGD Willis Eng 90 165 17357 8190 325 25.20 16 0
20 MG Johnson Aus 73 140 16001 8891 313 28.40 12 3
21 Z Khan Ind 92 165 18785 10247 311 32.94 11 1
22 B Lee Aus 76 150 16531 9554 310 30.81 10 0
23 FS Trueman Eng 67 127 15178 6625 307 21.57 17 3
24 M Morkel SAF 85 157 16296 8465 301 28.12 7 0

 

Opening batsmen carrying the bat through the completed test innings – DL Elgar emulates DL Haynes to perform the feat on three occasions

Opening batsmen carrying the bat through the completed test innings – DL Elgar emulates DL Haynes to perform the feat on three occasions

D Elgar of South Africa carried his through the completed innings in South Africa’s first innings against Australia in the ongoing test at Cape Town to provide the 54th occasion of a batsman carrying the bat through the completed innings in the annals of test cricket. All such occasions are tabulated below

No Player Runs Total Inns Team Oppn Ground Match Date
1 AB Tancred 26* 47 2 SAF v Eng Cape Town 25 Mar 1889
2 JE Barrett 67* 176 3 Aus v Eng Lord’s 21 Jul 1890
3 R Abel 132* 307 2 Eng v Aus Sydney 29 Jan 1892
4 PF Warner 132* 237 3 Eng v SAF Johannesburg 14 Feb 1899
5 WW Armstrong 159* 309 3 Aus v SAF Johannesburg 18 Oct 1902
6 JW Zulch 43* 103 2 SAF v Eng Cape Town 11 Mar 1910
7 W Bardsley 193* 383 1 Aus v Eng Lord’s 26 Jun 1926
8 WM Woodfull 30* 66† 4 Aus v Eng Brisbane 30 Nov 1928
9 WM Woodfull 73* 193† 4 Aus v Eng Adelaide 13 Jan 1933
10 WA Brown 206* 422 2 Aus v Eng Lord’s 24 Jun 1938
11 L Hutton 202* 344 2 Eng v Win The Oval 12 Aug 1950
12 L Hutton 156* 272 2 Eng v Aus Adelaide 02 Feb 1951
13 Nazar Mohammad 124* 331 2 Pak v Ind Lucknow 23 Oct 1952
14 FMM Worrell 191* 372 2 Win v Eng Nottingham 04 Jul 1957
15 TL Goddard 56* 99 3 SAF v Aus Cape Town 31 Dec 1957
16 DJ McGlew 127* 292 1 SAF v NZl Durban 08 Dec 1961
17 CC Hunte 60* 131 3 Win v Aus Port of Spain 14 May 1965
18 GM Turner 43* 131 4 NZl v Eng Lord’s 24 Jul 1969
19 WM Lawry 49* 107 3 Aus v Ind Delhi 28 Nov 1969
20 WM Lawry 60* 116† 4 Aus v Eng Sydney 09 Jan 1971
21 GM Turner 223* 386 2 NZl v Win Kingston 16 Feb 1972
22 IR Redpath 159* 346 3 Aus v NZl Auckland 22 Mar 1974
23 G Boycott 99* 215 4 Eng v Aus Perth 14 Dec 1979
24 SM Gavaskar 127* 286 3 Ind v Pak Faisalabad 03 Jan 1983
25 Mudassar Nazar 152* 323 1 Pak v Ind Lahore 23 Jan 1983
26 S Wettimuny 63* 144 2 Srl v NZl Christchurch 4 Mar 1983
27 DC Boon 58* 103 3 Aus v NZl Auckland 13 Mar 1986
28 DL Haynes 88* 211 3 Win v Pak Karachi 20 Nov 1986
29 GA Gooch 154* 252 3 Eng v Win Leeds 06 Jun 1991
30 DL Haynes 75* 176 2 Win v Eng The Oval 08 Aug 1991
31 AJ Stewart 69* 175 3 Eng v Pak Lord’s 18 Jun 1992
32 DL Haynes 143* 382 3 Win v Pak Port of Spain 16 Apr 1993
33 MH Dekker 68* 187 4 Zim v Pak Rawalpindi 09 Dec 1993
34 MA Atherton 94* 228 2 Eng v NZl Christchurch 14 Feb 1997
35 G Kirsten 100* 239 1 SAF v Pak Faisalabad 24 Oct 1997
36 MA Taylor 169* 350 2 Aus v SAF Adelaide 30 Jan 1998
37 GW Flower 156* 321 1 Zim v Pak Bulawayo 14 Mar 1998
38 Saeed Anwar 188* 316 3 Pak v Ind Kolkata 16 Feb 1999
39 MS Atapattu 216* 428 2 Srl v Zim Bulawayo 18 Nov 1999
40 RP Arnold 104* 231 2 Srl v Zim Harare 04 Dec 1999
41 Javed Omar 85* 168† 3 Ban v Zim Bulawayo 19 Apr 2001
42 V Sehwag 201* 329 1 Ind v Srl Galle 31 Jul 2008
43 SM Katich 131* 268 3 Aus v NZl Brisbane 20 Nov 2008
44 CH Gayle 165* 317 3 Win v Aus Adelaide 04 Dec 2009
45 Imran Farhat 117* 223 1 Pak v NZl Napier 11 Dec 2009
46 R Dravid 146* 300 2 Ind v Eng The Oval 18 Aug 2011
47 TMK Mawoyo 163* 412 1 Zim v Pak Bulawayo 01 Sep 2011
48 DA Warner 123* 233 4 Aus v NZl Hobart 09 Dec 2011
49 CA Pujara 145* 312 1 Ind v Srl Colombo (SSC) 28 Aug 2015
50 D Elgar 118* 214 2 SAF v Eng Durban 26 Dec 2015
51 KC Brathwaite 142* 337 2 Win v Pak Sharjah 30 Oct 2016
52 AN Cook 244* 491 2 Eng v Aus Melbourne 26 Dec 2017
53 D Elgar 86* 177 4 SAF v Ind Johannesburg 24 Jan 2018
54 D Elgar 141^ 311 1 SAF v Aus Cape Town 22 Mar 2018

D Elgar’s feat provides the eighth occasion of a South African batsman carrying the bat through the completed innings. All such occasions are tabulated below

No Player Runs Total Inns Team Oppn Ground Match Date
1 AB Tancred 26* 47 2 SAF v Eng Cape Town 25 Mar 1889
2 JW Zulch 43* 103 2 SAF v Eng Cape Town 11 Mar 1910
3 TL Goddard 56* 99 3 SAF v Aus Cape Town 31 Dec 1957
4 DJ McGlew 127* 292 1 SAF v NZl Durban 08 Dec 1961
5 G Kirsten 100* 239 1 SAF v Pak Faisalabad 24 Oct 1997
6 D Elgar 118* 214 2 SAF v Eng Durban 26 Dec 2015
7 D Elgar 86* 177 4 SAF v Ind Johannesburg 24 Jan 2018
8 D Elgar 141^ 311 1 SAF v Aus Cape Town 22 Mar 2018

D Elgar’s feat provides the eighth occasion of a batsman carrying the bat through the completed innings against Australia. All such occasions are tabulated below

No Player Runs Total Inns Team Oppn Ground Match Date
1 R Abel 132* 307 2 Eng v Aus Sydney 29 Jan 1892
2 L Hutton 156* 272 2 Eng v Aus Adelaide 02 Feb 1951
3 TL Goddard 56* 99 3 SAF v Aus Cape Town 31 Dec 1957
4 CC Hunte 60* 131 3 Win v Aus Port of Spain 14 May 1965
5 G Boycott 99* 215 4 Eng v Aus Perth 14 Dec 1979
6 CH Gayle 165* 317 3 Win v Aus Adelaide 04 Dec 2009
7 AN Cook 244* 491 2 Eng v Aus Melbourne 26 Dec 2017
8 D Elgar 141^ 311 1 SAF v Aus Cape Town 22 Mar 2018

D Elgar became  the second South  African batsman to carrying the bat through in a completed innings against Australia. TL Goddard was the other batsman to  perform  such a feat against Australia. Both the batsmen’s feat was performed at the  same ground Cape Town – after 61 years

No Player Runs Total Inns Team Oppn Ground Match Date
1 TL Goddard 56* 99 3 SAF v Aus Cape Town 31 Dec 1957
2 D Elgar 141^ 311 1 SAF v Aus Cape Town 22 Mar 2018

D Elgar emulated DL Haynes in carrying the bat through the completed innings on three occasions. Their performance is listed  below

No Player Runs Total Inns Team Oppn Ground Match Date
1 D Elgar 118* 214 2 SAF v Eng Durban 26 Dec 2015
2 D Elgar 86* 177 4 SAF v Ind Johannesburg 24 Jan 2018
3 D Elgar 141^ 311 1 SAF v Aus Cape Town 22 Mar 2018
                 
1 DL Haynes 88* 211 3 Win v Pak Karachi 20 Nov 1986
2 DL Haynes 75* 176 2 Win v Eng The Oval 08 Aug 1991
3 DL Haynes 143* 382 3 Win v Pak Port of Spain 16 Apr 1993

GM Turner, L Hutton, WM Lawry and WM Woodfull are the four batsmen who have carried the bat through in a completed innings on two occasions

No Player Runs Total Inns Team Oppn Ground Match Date
1 GM Turner 43* 131 4 NZl v Eng Lord’s 24 Jul 1969
2 GM Turner 223* 386 2 NZl v Win Kingston 16 Feb 1972
                 
1 L Hutton 202* 344 2 Eng v Win The Oval 12 Aug 1950
2 L Hutton 156* 272 2 Eng v Aus Adelaide 02 Feb 1951
                 
1 WM Lawry 49* 107 3 Aus v Ind Delhi 28 Nov 1969
2 WM Lawry 60* 116† 4 Aus v Eng Sydney 09 Jan 1971
                 
1 WM Woodfull 30* 66† 4 Aus v Eng Brisbane 30 Nov 1928
2 WM Woodfull 73* 193† 4 Aus v Eng Adelaide 13 Jan 1933

 

SPD Smith becomes the fifth captain excluding captain wicket keepers to pouch five catches in a test innings

SPD Smith becomes the fifth captain excluding captain wicket keepers to pouch five catches in a test innings

SPD Smith of Australia pouched five catches in South Africa’s first innings in the ongoing test at Cape Town to become the fifth captain excluding captain wicketkeepers to pouch five catches in test innings. The following table lists all the five captains who have pouched five catches in test innings.

No Player Dis Ct Inns Team Oppn Ground Start Date
1 VY Richardson 5 5 3 Aus SAF Durban 28 Feb 1936
2 SP Fleming 5 5 1 NZl Zim Harare 18 Sep 1997
3 GC Smith 5 5 4 SAF Aus Perth 30 Nov 2012
4 DJG Sammy 5 5 2 Win Ind Mumbai 14 Nov 2013
5 SPD Smith 5 5 1 Aus SAF Cape Town 22 Mar 2018

SPD Smith became the second Australian captain excluding captain wicketkeepers to pouch five catches in test innings. The other captain to perform the feat was VY Richardson. Interestingly enough, both VY Richardson and SPD Smith pouched five catches against South Africa on the South African soil. The former’s performance was at Durban in Feb 1936, while the latter’s performance came 72 years later at Cape Town

No Player Dis Ct Inns Team Oppn Ground Start Date
1 VY Richardson 5 5 3 Aus SAF Durban 28 Feb 1936
2 SPD Smith 5 5 1 Aus SAF Cape Town 22 Mar 2018