From: moghal@aludra.usc.edu (Nadeem Moghal)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: Re: Highest maiden centuries
Date: 13 Jan 93 04:33:15 GMT
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu

In article <1ilgt1INNmb8@skeena.ucs.ubc.ca> banarji@unixg.ubc.ca (Ajai Banarji) writes:
>	        	Highest maiden test century
>
>  As others have pointed out, Lara's 277 is the 4th highest maiden century.
>Here is a list of the highest maiden centuries. It is surprising that there
>have been so many 250-plus maiden centuries. They are listed in descending
>order.

Thanks Ajai. This article certainly made a very interesting reading. Let
me add some more points on these feats.



>1) 365* by G.S. Sobers, WI vs Pak, Kingston, 1957-58.
>	 This remains the world test record. Sobers had started his test 
>	career in 1953-54 and had played about 15 tests before making his
>	maiden century, the first of his 26 tons.

He began the series against Pakistan in quite an enviable form, with
52 at Bridgetown and 52 & 80 at Port of Spain. Then came the Kingston
test where he, and another new player, Conrad Hunte, took apart the
Pakistan attack. They batted almost two whole days, and scored 365*
and 260 runs, scoring 446 for the second wicket. Their partnership
ended when a hit towards the long on region folled by a lazy running,
and a quick direct throw from the substitute fielder. Sobers later
added another 188* runs with Clyde Walcott (88*) to take West Indies
to their record 790 for three wickets. 

They won the game by an innings and 174 runs.

Sobers continued his form with 125 & 109* in the fourth test (at
Georgetown?). 

>2) 311 by R.B. Simpson, Aus vs Eng, Manchester, 1964.
>	Simpson had played in about 25 tests before making his maiden century.
>	In this match Australia batted first and made 600-plus. England also
>	made 600-plus, with Barrington scoring 256.

Bobby was the skipper in this match. In fact, all ten of his ten hundreds
came when he was leading the side. He probably completed his 1000 runs
during the course of this innings.

>3) 287 by R.E. Foster, Eng vs Aus, Sydney, 1903-04.
>	This innings should be well known to statistics buffs. It is the 
>	highest score made by anyone on debut. It was also the world test
>	record until 1930. Foster had a rather short test career and played 
>	only in 8 tests, and never scored a century again.
>	I vaguely remember reading that he scored his century on the same
>	day the Wright Brothers made their first flight.

He also shared, with Wilfred Rhodes, a 130-run last wicket partnership,
the world record till 1972-73, when Rick Collinge (107) and ??? (68* -
the highest ever at No. 11) added 151.


>4) 277 by B.C. Lara, WI vs Aus, Sydney, 1992-93.

>5) 274 by Zaheer Abbas, Pak vs Eng, Birmingham, 1971.
>	This came in Zaheer's second test. His second test century was also a
>	double, 240 vs Eng at Oval, 1974.

... a feat that he shares with Wally Hammond and Rohan Kanhai.

(Oops, Ajai has already mentioned this feat!)

>6) 256 by R.B. Kanhai, WI vs Ind, Calcutta, 1958-59.
>	This remains the highest test score made by anyone in India. Like
>	Zaheer, his second test was also a double (217 vs Pak at Lahore, 
>	1958-59).

>7) 255* by D.J. McGlew, SA vs NZ, Wellington, 1952-53.
>	This was SA's record score until G.Pollock scored 274 in 1969-70.

>8) 251 by W.R. Hammond, Eng vs Aus, Sydney, 1928-29.
>	Hammond's second test century was also a double, 200 later in the
>	same series. These were the first of his 22 centuries.

>9) 250 by S.F. Bacchus, WI vs Ind, Kanpur, 1978-79.
>	This was the only century in Bacchus's short test career.
>
>  Apart from these, there are several others whose maiden centuries were 
>double; they include Rowe, Kuruppu, David Lloyd, Sardesai, Donnelly, Taslim
>Arif and possibly others.

and Imtiaz Ahmed. Interesting observation: three of these were keeping
wickets in those games. Taslim, of course, earned the distinction by
remaining on the field for the entire duration of the game. (He kept
wickets while Australiand plundered 617 runs, Greg Chappell banging
235 runs).

Well, I take your leave now. 

Nadeem Moghal