Statistical Highlights from Bourda

Tue, Apr 15, '03

Has there ever been a situation where two injured batsmen in a Test match were using runners at the same time? What's Chanderpaul career average at his home ground in Guyana? Did you know that Daren Ganga set a world record in the first Test?

These and other questions are answered by CaribbeanCricket.com statistician Zito who sifts through the numbers to find some statistical nuggets from the Bourda Test...

** Australia's captain Steve Waugh broke Allan Border's Test appearances record when he took to the field on the first day by appearing in a world record 157th test match. The 37-year-old made his debut in 1985 and has scored 10,039 test runs, the third highest total behind Border (11,174) and Sunil Gavaskar of India (10,122).

** In the first innings, the 131-run partnership between Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ridley Jacobs was the best for the 6th wicket for the West Indies at Bourda. The previous best was 123 between Irving Shillingford (140) and Deryck Murray (42) during the 1976-77 series v Pakistan.

** Shivnarine Chanderpaul (100) recorded his third Test century at his home ground and seventh in his 64-match career. Chanderpaul now has 555 runs for an average of 92.50 at Bourda.

** In the second innings, Chanderpaul became the 13th West Indian to pass 4000 runs in Test cricket, joining Richards (8540), Sobers (8032), Lara (7708), Greenidge (7558), Lloyd (7515), Haynes (7487), Kanhai (6227), Richardson (5949), Hooper (5762), Weekes (4455), Kallicharran (4399) and Fredericks (4334). Chanderpaul now has 4029 runs, at an average of 44.76.

** Shivnarine Chanderpaul scored the third fastest hundred in test history, off 69 deliveries, only thirteen more than the quickest test century by current West Indies chairman of selectors, Viv Richards against England at Antigua Recreation Ground in the 1985-86 series.

** The 248-run partnership between Justin Langer (146) and Ricky Ponting (117) was the best second-wicket stand in West Indies by Australia. The previous best was 180 runs partnership between Graeme Wood (90) and Peter Toohey (97) at Kingston during the 1977-78 series.

** Justin Langer completed his 14th Test century in 60th match, while Ponting completed his 15th Test century in 65th match.

** Adam Gilchrist (77) and Andy Bichel (39) shared a partnership of 85 runs for the seventh wicket, the fifth highest for Australia against West Indies. The other seventh wicket stands are: 101 between Mark Waugh (71) & Ian Healy (53) at Bourda, 1990-91; 95 between Simpson (67) & Rixon (54) at Bourda, 1977-78; 90 between Archer (84) & Johnson (66) at Queen?s Park Oval, 1954-55; and 86 between Walters (70) & Marsh (56) at Queen's Park Oval, 1972-73.

** Vasbert Drakes (5-93) in his third match recorded the first five-wicket haul of his Test career. Drakes now has 16 Test wickets at average of 17.25.

** Devon Smith (62) recorded his maiden Test half-century on his debut. He became the only third Grenadian to represent West Indies and the first as a specialised batsman. Smith is only the 13th Windward Islander since Alphonso "Alfie" Roberts (St. Vincent) became the first islander to play in a Test for West Indies in 1955-56. The other Windward Islanders who have represented West Indies in Test cricket are: Winston Davis, Mike Findlay, Ian Allen, Cameron Cuffy, Nixon McLean (St. Vincent), Norbert Phillip, Grayson & Irvine Shillingford, Adam Sanford (Dominica), Junior Murray and Rawl Lewis (Grenada).

** Brian Lara (110) and his Trinidadian colleague Daren Ganga (113) shared a third wicket partnership ground record of 185. The previous best for the third wicket at Bourda was 159 runs between Chanderpaul (118) and Lara (93) v England, 1997-98.

** Lara (110) recorded his seventh Test century against Australia, the most apart from Richie Richardson (9), and his 19th Test century in his 91st match. It was his fourth century as skipper. During the second innings Lara passed 2000 runs against Australia, joining the players with most runs in the WI v Aus rubbers: Richards (2266), Haynes (2233), Lloyd (2211), Richardson (2175) and Border (2052). Lara now has 2073 runs at an average of 49.35.

** Daren Ganga recorded his maiden Test century for West Indies in his 18th match. Ganga was playing in his first 'home' Test in the West Indies, his 18 matches before first 'home' appearance is a record. His previous 17 Tests were all in overseas series: South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Sharjah. The previous record for most appearances before making a home game is 15 by the wicketkeeper Herbert Strudwick (Eng) who debuted in 1909-10 before playing in a series at home in 1921 and Billy Bates (Eng) who debut in 1881-82 on the three tours of Australia, but never appeared in a 'home' Test. For West Indies, Viv Richards and Allan Rae both made 13 away appearances before their first at home. Gordon Greenidge made 12 appearances before his first at home.

** West Indies recorded 365 runs in a single day, the 8th highest score of over 350 in a single day of a Test match by West Indies and a record in West Indies, just 75 runs short of the WI all time record of 437 runs on the first day of the 4th Test v England at Leeds in 1976. The previous record in West Indies was 357 runs (3rd Test, day 3) v Pakistan at Kingston in 1957-58.

** When Ridley Jacobs (torn groin muscle) joined Chanderpaul (bruised knee) on the fourth morning, it was the first time in Test history that there were two injured players at both ends with runners. The closest case as far as I could find was during the 1967 series between England and India at Headingley. Rusi Surti (bruised knee) and Bishen Bedi (leg strain) were due to bat with runners. At the start of the third morning, India's captain, the Nawab of Pataudi, when asked if they were going to both bat with runners replied: "Yes, and I want a photo when they both finish at the same end!" Surti was out the ball before Bedi came to the wicket -- to face his only ball.

** Jason Gillespie (5-39) recorded his 7th five-wicket haul of his career in his 40th match. Gillespie now has 152 wickets at an average of 25.61.

** Australia won the Test for the 4th time in only seven appearances at Bourda. The home team now has two wins and one draw at this venue. The last time that West Indies lost a Test match at Bourda was in the 1987-89 rubber against Imran Khan's Pakistan, amazingly also by 9 wickets. West Indies' record against Australia now read, 31 wins, 43 lost, 1 tie and 21 draws. In WI, the record is now perfectly even: 13 wins, 13 lost, and 13 draws.