Reading Cricket Cub

A key attribute of being an already is being able to consistently and significantly contribute with both the bat and ball. For a batsman, scoring over 100 runs in a match is considered well beyond average. For bowlers, taking more than 10 wickets in a match is exceptional. Fancy a player who scores over 100 runs and takes over 10 wickets in the same match. That must be some feat! Such a feat is it, that (at the time of writing) only three players have done this in Test cricket’s history – Australia’s Alan Davidson, England’s Ian Botham and Pakistan’s Imran Khan.

1. Alan Davidson – 124 runs and 11 wickets in December 1960

Against the West Indies in Brisbane, the left-arm fast bowler from New South Wales scored 44 and 80 runs in the first and second innings respectively. The second innings half-century was also the allrounder’s highest score in Tests. Davidson scalped two five-wicket hauls – 5/135 and 6/87 – to leave the Aussies 233 runs to win. Although the NSW left-handed batsman did his best to help Australia win, the match ended in a thrilling tie – the first-ever tie in Test history.

2. Ian Botham – 114 runs and 13 wickets in February 1980

Ian Botham was England’s greatest allrounder in his era and perhaps of all time. In the one-off Test against India at Bombay (now Mumbai), the England allrounder scored a test century and took two five-wicket hauls (6/58 and 7/48) to help England to a comprehensive 10-wicket victory over the Indians. What was amazing was that Botham’s 114 came in an innings total of 296, where no other batsman passed 43. His bowling effort also dominated the wickets column, with John Lever being the next best bowler with only four wickets in the match.

3. Imran Khan – 117 runs and 11 wickets in January 1983

India – Pakistan Test matches were usually hotly contested. Pakistan legend, Imran Khan, saved his best all-round performance for his sub-continental neighbours at Faisalabad in 1983. He opened the bowling, to take 6/98 as India was bowled out for 372 runs in the first innings. Although that seemed to be a competitive score, India were forced to toil in the field as four Pakistan batsmen scored centuries – including Imran’s aggressive 117 off 121 balls.

When India batted again, the greatest Pakistani allrounder reverted to the role of innings destroyer, as he took 5/82 to leave Pakistan a straightforward target of 7 runs to win the match. Pakistan won by 10 wickets, due to the amazing all-round performance of the Imran Khan – the inspirational captain and world-beater.

And now you can read brief profiles of some of the best spinners and fast bowlers that the game of cricket has ever seen:

The best spin bowlers in cricket history: http://www.helium.com/items/1516046-best-spin-bowlers-in-cricket

The top 5 fast bowlers in cricket history: http://www.helium.com/items/1518569-top-fast-bowlers-in-cricket-history

A key attribute of being an already is being able to consistently and significantly contribute with both the bat and ball. For a batsman, scoring over 100 runs in a match is considered well beyond average. For bowlers, taking more than 10 wickets in a match is exceptional. Fancy a player who scores over 100 runs and takes over 10 wickets in the same match. That must be some feat! Such a feat is it, that (at the time of writing) only three players have done this in Test cricket’s history – Australia’s Alan Davidson, England’s Ian Botham and Pakistan’s Imran Khan.

1. Alan Davidson – 124 runs and 11 wickets in December 1960

Against the West Indies in Brisbane, the left-arm fast bowler from New South Wales scored 44 and 80 runs in the first and second innings respectively. The second innings half-century was also the allrounder’s highest score in Tests. Davidson scalped two five-wicket hauls – 5/135 and 6/87 – to leave the Aussies 233 runs to win. Although the NSW left-handed batsman did his best to help Australia win, the match ended in a thrilling tie – the first-ever tie in Test history.

2. Ian Botham – 114 runs and 13 wickets in February 1980

Ian Botham was England’s greatest allrounder in his era and perhaps of all time. In the one-off Test against India at Bombay (now Mumbai), the England allrounder scored a test century and took two five-wicket hauls (6/58 and 7/48) to help England to a comprehensive 10-wicket victory over the Indians. What was amazing was that Botham’s 114 came in an innings total of 296, where no other batsman passed 43. His bowling effort also dominated the wickets column, with John Lever being the next best bowler with only four wickets in the match.

3. Imran Khan – 117 runs and 11 wickets in January 1983

India – Pakistan Test matches were usually hotly contested. Pakistan legend, Imran Khan, saved his best all-round performance for his sub-continental neighbours at Faisalabad in 1983. He opened the bowling, to take 6/98 as India was bowled out for 372 runs in the first innings. Although that seemed to be a competitive score, India were forced to toil in the field as four Pakistan batsmen scored centuries – including Imran’s aggressive 117 off 121 balls.

When India batted again, the greatest Pakistani allrounder reverted to the role of innings destroyer, as he took 5/82 to leave Pakistan a straightforward target of 7 runs to win the match. Pakistan won by 10 wickets, due to the amazing all-round performance of the Imran Khan – the inspirational captain and world-beater.

And now you can read brief profiles of some of the best spinners and fast bowlers that the game of cricket has ever seen:

The best spin bowlers in cricket history: http://www.helium.com/items/1516046-best-spin-bowlers-in-cricket

The top 5 fast bowlers in cricket history: http://www.helium.com/items/1518569-top-fast-bowlers-in-cricket-history

Rohan Kanhai was the first West Indian batting icon of East Indian descent. The Guyanese right-hander was known for his stroke play and innovation at the crease and had a colourful career in the maroon cap of the West Indies for nearly two decades.

Born in Berbice, Guyana on December 26, 1935, Kanhai made his debut for Guyana as a 19-year old in the 1954/ 1955 First Class season. It was not long until the middle order batsman caught the eye of West Indies selectors – after only three seasons. Kanhai’s Test debut came on the West Indies’ 1957 tour of England. In that drawn game, the Guyanese batsman opened the batting – scoring 42 and 1.

Rohan went on to play 79 Tests for the W.I., tallying 6,227 runs at a good average of 47.53. Of those 6227 runs, 15 were centuries and 28 were fifties. His highest score in Tests was also his highest score in First Class cricket – 256 against India at Eden Gardens in January 1959. Kanhai scored another Test double hundred – 217 against Pakistan at Lahore – and had the distinction of scoring a century at Lord’s, the home of cricket.

Although the Guyanese icon scored the majority of his Test runs against England (2267), he averaged the highest against India (62.70). Kanhai enjoyed batting on the subcontinent, as he averaged 63.75 in India and 54.80 in Pakistan. However, he was no flat-track bully, as he managed to average 40.32 in the difficult batting conditions of England.

Kanhai played with and against some illustrious names in cricket in his era. He played with Sonny Ramadhin, Garry Sobers, Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes and Sir Frank Worrell in his debut match. Later in his Test career, he shared the field with Roy Fredericks, Clive Lloyd and Andy Roberts. Rohan Kanhai also had the distinction of captaining the West Indies in 13 Test matches, scoring 738 runs and averaging 41 as captain.

Kanhai’s batting exploits took him all over the world. Apart from the West Indies and Guyana (formerly British Guiana), the attacking stroke-maker also played for North of South Africa, Tasmania, Transvaal, Trinidad, Warwickshire and Western Australia. For those teams, he played 421 First Class matches, scoring 29,250 runs at an average of 49.40. His best score was 256, while 86 hundreds and 120 fifties formed part of his massive tally.

Towards the end of his career, Kanhai played one-day matches as well, scoring 4,769 runs from 159 matches at an average of 39.09 – demonstrating his versatility. After he retired from First Class cricket in 1977, the Guyanese legend was involved in administration.

And now you can read brief profiles of some of the best spinners and fast bowlers that the game of cricket has ever seen:

The best spin bowlers in cricket history: http://www.helium.com/items/1516046-best-spin-bowlers-in-cricket

The top 5 fast bowlers in cricket history: http://www.helium.com/items/1518569-top-fast-bowlers-in-cricket-history