At the New Zealand Cricketers’ Night organised by the Australian Cricket Society in Sydney on Monday, Spiro Zavos put me on the spot. Spiro was one of the five New Zealanders interviewed by Ronald Cardwell, the founder of the Society and publisher of rare cricket books, including the award winning Baggy Green by Michael Fahey and Mike Coward.
The other interviewees were former New Zealand Test cricketers Bruce Murray, Bruce Edgar, Richard Collinge and Bill Playle. They recalled their playing days with nostalgia and humour, teasing each other with reminiscences of their Test and first-class careers.
Colin Cowdrey was their hero and Geoff Boycott “the villain”.
Tall, big, fast-medium bowler Collinge is still the holder of a Test record in batting. With Brian Hastings (110 runs), Collinge (68 not out) added 151 runs in 155 minutes for the 10th wicket.
This was against Pakistan at Auckland in February 1973. Even after 37 years, this record remains intact.
Spiro remembered his first-class match for Wellington against MCC in March 1959 at the Basin Reserve. He was 20 then and faced the fury of Fred Trueman and Frank Tyson. His opening partner in that match was Bruce Murray, sitting on his right on Monday.
Spiro’s readers would like to know the score of that memorable and forgettable match: bowled Tyson, 3; caught Dexter bowled Tyson 5. But what trembling memories, even after 50 years for both Spiro and Murray.
But I am digressing.
Spiro said that in the Wellington Test against India in March 1968, Murray bowled a single over in his entire Test career (13 Tests from 1967-70, 598 runs at 23.92, top score 90) and took a wicket without conceding a run.
His Test career bowling reads 1-1-0-1. His sole victim? Opening batsman Abid Ali.
It was in his third Test and he did not bowl again in his remaining 10 Tests, perhaps to keep his record unblemished [Loud laughter!]
That’s when Spiro put me on the spot: “Has anyone else taken a wicket without conceding a run in his entire Test span, Kersi?”
I felt as non-plussed as Mike Gatting was when clean bowled by that Warney monster leggie in the Manchester 1993 Ashes Test.
I came home and opened several Wisdens and the on-line Cricinfo record section but drew a blank. Then I e-mailed the world-renowned statistician Rajesh Kumar. And he did not let me down.
There are two other such instances (one wicket for no runs) in a cricketer’s Test career.
The first one in the “One for None Test Club” is England’s Albert ‘Monkey’ Hornby.
In his Test debut in Melbourne against Australia in January 1879, he bowled seven 4-ball overs and dismissed Francis Allan without conceding a run. His figures? 7-7-0-1. He played two more Tests, but did not bowl. Probably because he was the captain.
England’s Wilfred Barber is the second one in the Elite Club. In the first of his two Tests, he bowled two balls and took HB ‘Jock’ Cameron’s wicket; stumped Ames bowled Barber.
Barber retired with a quirky bowling spell of 0.2-0-0-1.
What batsmen won’t do to get in a Roar post as a bowler!
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April 15th 2010 @ 1:19pm
Kersi Meher-Homji said | April 15th 2010 @ 1:19pm | Report comment
Good on you, Jameswm. The captain must be jealous of you!
In minor cricket, 4-0 is not uncommon. On 20 March 1994, Barry Eastment from Gordon, Sydney, once took 5-0. That was for I. Zingari vs. Lord’s Taverners at Acron Oval in St Ives. And he was 64 then.
But wait, there is more! Trevor Kidd, aged 12, clean bowled six batsmen in six balls (6-0) for St Martin School vs. Marian College in Johannesburg on 21 January 1992, He finished with 8-8, all bowled. No Kidding!
April 15th 2010 @ 1:28pm
Jameswm said | April 15th 2010 @ 1:28pm | Report comment
My team plays against I Zingari coincidentally.
In one of our club games a guy who normally doesn’t bowl walked away with 3 for 0. It was pretty dark by then though – I reckon they needed to attach rattles to the balls! He didn’t want to bowl the rest of the season!
September 19th 2010 @ 6:06pm
Barry Eastment said | September 19th 2010 @ 6:06pm | Report comment
I have just read (to my surprise) the article by Kirsi Meher-Homji on my taking 5-0 vs Lords Taverners in 1994. The interesting thing is that it was with 5 consecutive balls. It prompted the question which I think I asked Kersi, “How many hat-tricks did I take?” To take three hat-tricks with 5 consecutive balls must in itself be a hat-trick of hat-tricks. So is the answer FOUR HAT-TRICKS IN FIVE BALLS?
December 8th 2011 @ 1:49pm
Belinda said | December 8th 2011 @ 1:49pm | Report comment
My sister has 4 cricket balls, Ball 1. used at Lords 1850…. ball 2 Australia England 1938…. ball 3 was used by Alfred Freeman of Kent 1929….. and ball 4 was used in 1948 Can anyone tell me what sort of price would they fetch on todays market. Not leather but all cork.
December 8th 2011 @ 2:10pm
Johnno said | December 8th 2011 @ 2:10pm | Report comment
My fondest cricket memories of batsman doing well heroics with the ball, is 3 that stand out for me and im sure there are many great examples, and even better ones but here is 3.
1) Punter’s 1 wicket at the gabber in 96 a young punter thrown the ball and got a wicket leaping everywhere
2)Another tasmanian David Boon putting the screws on australia A int eh 94/95 ODI game finals game 2 MCG, i think boon bowled 10 miserly overs for 1/30 or none for 30. Wow i loved a young damien martyn’s innings that day vs the Australia. Martyn almost won Australia A the game until Warney got him in a controversial wicket for the aussies, wow didn’t that 1st ODI match of that season australia V Australia A at adeliade oval capture the coutnrys attention, and who could forgot haydne and mcgraths SCG push and shove, good stuff gold.
3) ANd 3 probably really was no 1 but wHEN Alan Border became Shane warne for a match at the SCG and got 13 wickets vs a Viv richards captianed West indies 88/89. mark talyor first match. Mark Who, Peter Who.
And just to throw in some other irrelevant information everyone remember Peter Taylors classic catch v Inida at MCG getting Srrikanth out. And everyone remember steve waugh dropping the sitter or all sitters of his own bowling on a18 yr old sachin tendulkar,.
But steve waught still took the best catch ever , a massive roger Harper shot in the air of merv hughes or simon odonnell, flying way up high in lien without he flod lights and steve waugh took the catch, a hero in bay 13 with Merv.
Funny in that match Simon O’donnell almost took the best catch ever of his own bowling almost was impossible catch though.
Now the in thing to do or fashionable thing to do currently is give Mike Hussey the ball to do some majician like heroics with it. Who needs Warney. Like a yo yo, or the video game pac man,or roller blades, or teenage mutant ninja turtles, or pokemon, Mike hussey bowling is really cool.