With the second and final Test for the Trans–Tasman Trophy starting today on the grassy Christchurch pitch, the statisticians are rubbing their hands in anticipation.
Although David Warner, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, Joe Burns and Ross Taylor have batted with authority and conviction from last November until now in seven Tests, Adam Voges and Usman Khawaja have stolen the show with their amazing, almost Bradman-esque, run-scoring sprees.
In these seven Tests (four against New Zealand and three against the West Indies), Voges has amassed 899 runs at an awesome average of 179.80 with four centuries (269 not out, 239, 119 and 106 not out) and one fifty.
In his short Test career of nine months, the 36 year-old Voges has scored 1267 runs at 97.46 in 14 Tests (13 completed innings) with five centuries (highest score 269 not out) and three fifties.
An unbeaten 33 or 133 out in the first innings of the Christchurch Test this weekend will give him an average of 100.00, above Sir Don Bradman’s iconic 99.94.
In the December 2015 Hobart Test, Voges (269 not out) outscored the West Indies (223 all out) in the first innings. And his batting partner in Australia’s only innings, Shaun Marsh (182), scored more runs than the Windies total of 148 in the second.
The fourth wicket stand of 449 runs between Voges and Marsh was 78 runs more than the Windies total 371 in both the innings.
Voges continued in New Zealand from what he had left off in Australia in this golden summer for him.
In the recently concluded Wellington Test, he outscored New Zealand in the first innings, stroking a magnificent 239, which was 56 runs more than the opponents’ 183 all out.
Khawaja has been equally prolific this summer. In four Tests, he has stroked 644 runs at 128.80 with four centuries (highest score 174) and one fifty.
He is averaging over 100 in three consecutive Test series; 152.00 against New Zealand in Australia, 100.00 against West Indies in Australia and so far 140.00 v. New Zealand in New Zealand.
Bradman could never average 100 in two successive Test series in his long Test career ranging from 1928 to 1948.
Only Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara has 100-plus batting average in four successive Test series: 113.33 v. South Africa in 2006, 134.00 v. New Zealand, 2006-07, 428.00 v. Bangladesh, 2007 and 124.50 v. Australia, 2007-08.
So Aussie Aussie Ussie is on the way to approach the great Sangakkara.
As for the New Zealanders, things couldn’t be much worse.
When New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum, playing his 100th Test, made a duck in the first innings in Wellington last Friday he joined the legendary Allan Border.
Border was the eighth cricketer and first Australian to play 100 Tests. He brought up his century against the West Indies in Melbourne in December 1988. Captaining Australia, he was given a standing ovation by over 26,000 MCG fans as he reached the batting crease.
Unfortunately he lasted only eight minutes and five balls as the Windies fast bowler Curtly Ambrose bowled Border for a duck. The next day’s newspapers carried cruel headlines. The Sydney Morning Herald said “Border’s day is Curtly curtailed” and the Daily Telegraph said “AB Duck is a bitter pill to swallow”.
And Australia lost by 285 runs.
In the next Test in Sydney in January 1989, Border scored 75 and 16 not out as Australia won by seven wickets.
This could be the inspiration McCullum needs in his 101st and final Test.
riddler
Guest
surely it is the numbers of balls bowled.. minutes is irrelevant... long run up vs short left hand and the right field placing plus all the other stuff kersi has said.. as an ozzie, am well pleased for brendan in his last test..a very well deserved record (against a better than average attack) and a cricketer i have enjoyed watching a lot.. congrats to the guy on a great career..
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
A good point, Mark. Let us have a debate on this. Gregory took 70 minutes for his 100, McCullum 78 minutes for his 100. In the past bowlers and fielders wasted less time than they do today. Many more overs were bowled in a day's play in the past than there are today. Fewer unnecessary drinks breaks in the past. No time taken for DRS which might take up many minutes per day. Also, correct me if I am wrong, in the past scorers did not count the number of balls a batsman took to reach a milestone; in this case a century. Of course more research needs to be done to prove my theory. But you have raised an interesting topic to debate on. Your opinion, Roarers?
Mark
Guest
Kersi - McCullum's 100 took 78 or 79 mins (depending on where you look). So Jack Gregory's 70 minute ton in Jo'burg 1921/22 (Aus vs /Saf) still remains as the fastest in minutes! Not trying to discredit McCullum's record, but it irks me when it's described as the fastest 100 in test history, Can we definitively say that, given that counting balls faced is only a recent phenomenon?
Republican
Guest
No NZ are scripted to draw or win this one courtesy of the Macca factor.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Dear Roarers, The story I wrote is on two Australian batsmen breaking records and winning Tests for their country. It is NOT on bread -- sliced or otherwise. Cadfael, you are an exception. You know your cricket. Thank you. Steve, I've written on Steve Smith and David Warner in the past and will write again on them. The person I would like to feature in near future is Brendon McCullum.
Forest Gimp
Guest
Lancey: Pre the invention of the inferior mass production technique of sliced bread it was baked 1 slice at a time. The revolutionary thinker responsible for the amazing breakthrough is the seldom credited Totes Bleeding Obvious (he was also responsible for pizzas being made circular rather than in smaller individual triangles, and newspapers sold as a whole instead of each page sold separately)
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Burns and Khawaja are motoring on nicely. Good batting from McCullum and Anderson but maybe had McCullum spaced his innings better, the Kiwis could have ended up with 450-500 on the second day instead of blazing away today. Still, the Kiwis have the runs on the board and it is up to us to catch them.
Lancey5times
Guest
Isn't the machine that slices the bread the actual invention? If so, sliced bread is the product of said invention. Unless there is an oven that bakes bread already sliced. Then sliced bread could maybe be an invention. Maybe
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Talking of Bradman's Test batting average of 99.94 and Voges' of 97.46 reminds me of Andy Ganteaume who passed away recently aged 95. His Test average was 112.00. Played one Test innings, scored 112 and was never picked again in Test cricket. Why, why, oh why?
Steve
Guest
Cool - will you do one now for Steve Smith? Or David Warner? Might as well do one for Djokovic, Messi, Lebron, etc. while you are at it.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Why this sarcasm, NYCric? I wrote glowingly about both Voges and Khawaja and both deserve high praise. No one says that Khawaja is the greatest but he certainly has talent, stroke-play and is not a boaster. It does not matter where he was born, he calls himself an Aussie. To score four centuries in his last four Tests is a big achievement. And the Kiwi attack is nothing to be sniffed at.
Rob JM
Guest
I thought sliced bread was invented before Ricky Ponting! Therefor your post is clearly incorrect!
NYCric
Guest
Yet another Khawaja thread. I'll save everyone the trouble and say everything that's going to be discussed endlessly by his fanboys. If you have to, copy paste as needed :-) Khawaja is the first Muslim to play for CA Khawaja is brown skinned Khawaja plays left handed Khawaja is Pakistani born Khawaja was ill treated by Mickey Arthur, Inverarity and Clarke Khawaja was snubbed by Rod Marsh until previous greats went to bat for him Khawaja's career was saved by Boof Khawaja is the best in-form batsman in the intergalatic realm of realms Khawaja is the most stylish and sublime batsman Khawaja is the greatest invention since slice bread . .. Khawaja can do no wrong There!