Can you help? WCM '81 Christmas Quiz

[stumpski]

I recently bought a job lot of issues of Wisden Cricket Monthly from 1981 - Botham's Ashes still has an irresistible appeal, the only mystery is why I didn't buy them (or the Cricketer) at the time - and the December issue has a 25 question quiz, some of which I know the answers to but many of which seem fiendishly difficult. I know there are a lot of very knowledgable individuals here so I thought if I post five questions for starters we might be able to get some answers between us. I can post the rest at a later date if there's any interest, but as I said I did actually know some of the answers! Oh,and if anyone has the Feb 82 issue, where the answers were published, feel free to cheat!

So here goes ...


Who was the first man to score a hundred at number 11 in a first-class match?

What bowling record is held, uniquely, by AE Moss?

When did a bowler bowl an 11 -ball over in a Test, which contained neither wides nor no-balls?

Where was cricket prohibited by law in 1890?

Who was given out in a first-class match for picking up a bail?


If you guys have any ideas, let me know. I have to say I find no 3 particularly intriguing.

 

[archie mac]

I recently bought a job lot of issues of Wisden Cricket Monthly from 1981 - Botham's Ashes still has an irresistible appeal, the only mystery is why I didn't buy them (or the Cricketer) at the time - and the December issue has a 25 question quiz, some of which I know the answers to but many of which seem fiendishly difficult. I know there are a lot of very knowledgable individuals here so I thought if I post five questions for starters we might be able to get some answers between us. I can post the rest at a later date if there's any interest, but as I said I did actually know some of the answers! Oh,and if anyone has the Feb 82 issue, where the answers were published, feel free to cheat!

So here goes ...


Who was the first man to score a hundred at number 11 in a first-class match?

What bowling record is held, uniquely, by AE Moss?

When did a bowler bowl an 11 -ball over in a Test, which contained neither wides nor no-balls?

Where was cricket prohibited by law in 1890?

Who was given out in a first-class match for picking up a bail?


If you guys have any ideas, let me know. I have to say I find no 3 particularly intriguing.

Mate these are tough, I don't know any off the top of my head, would the 11 ball over have been the one where Warwick Armstrong bowled two overs in a row?

 

[andyc]

I seem to remember a story about an umpire getting to five balls, losing the pebbles or whatever it is he used to count the balls in his pocket, and going for another six. I was under the impression it wasn't in a test match though.

 

[SJS]

I recently bought a job lot of issues of Wisden Cricket Monthly from 1981 - Botham's Ashes still has an irresistible appeal, the only mystery is why I didn't buy them (or the Cricketer) at the time - and the December issue has a 25 question quiz, some of which I know the answers to but many of which seem fiendishly difficult. I know there are a lot of very knowledgable individuals here so I thought if I post five questions for starters we might be able to get some answers between us. I can post the rest at a later date if there's any interest, but as I said I did actually know some of the answers! Oh,and if anyone has the Feb 82 issue, where the answers were published, feel free to cheat!

So here goes ...


Who was the first man to score a hundred at number 11 in a first-class match?

What bowling record is held, uniquely, by AE Moss?

When did a bowler bowl an 11 -ball over in a Test, which contained neither wides nor no-balls?

Where was cricket prohibited by law in 1890?

Who was given out in a first-class match for picking up a bail?


If you guys have any ideas, let me know. I have to say I find no 3 particularly intriguing.

AE Moss took all ten wickets in the first innings on his first class debut taking 10 for 28 for Canterbury against Wellington at Christchurch in 1889-90. He is the only bowler EVER to do that on debut.

 

[stumpski]

Mate these are tough, I don't know any off the top of my head, would the 11 ball over have been the one where Warwick Armstrong bowled two overs in a row?

Yes that was my first thought, I don't know a lot about that incident (I think it followed an argument about the playing regulations) but presumably Armstrong bowled his two overs from different ends.

Well done that man on Moss though. I thought they meant Alan Moss, the England fast bowler of the 60s.

 

[SJS]

Yes that was my first thought, I don't know a lot about that incident (I think it followed an argument about the playing regulations) but presumably Armstrong bowled his two overs from different ends.

Well done that man on Moss though. I thought they meant Alan Moss, the England fast bowler of the 60s.

Armstrong did bowl two overs in succession at Old Trafford in 1921 but how would it make 11 deliveries in all?

And it was not one eleven ball over. It was TWO overs

 

[Zimdan]

Armstrong did bowl two overs in succession at Old Trafford in 1921 but how would it make 11 deliveries in all?

And it was not one eleven ball over. It was TWO overs

He would have bowled his over, then 1 ball into the next over his teammate got injured and he finished it hence bowling 11 balls out of 12 in 2overs.

 

[SJS]

He would have bowled his over, then 1 ball into the next over his teammate got injured and he finished it hence bowling 11 balls out of 12 in 2overs.

No it did not happen like that in Armstrong's case.

Warwick Armstrong acted in an extraordinary manner by way of emphasising his opinion that all Test matches should be played to a finish irrespective of time. When a draw was certain he rested his regular bowlers, went into the long field himself, an unknown position for him, and actually picked up and read a fully extended newspaper that was blown from the crowd! Clearly he was then indifferent to what happened; but he was very much alert a few weeks before at Old Trafford, where the England captain erred over a declaration.

Rain prevented play on Saturday, and so the match became an affair of two days. With England's score over 300 for four wickets the Hon LH Tennyson, at ten minutes to six, went on to the field and called the players in. Ernest Tyldesley and PGH Fender, the batsmen, left the field, but Armstrong demurred and sat on the turf near the stumps where he had been bowling.

After a wait the Australians and umpires went to the pavilion, and Armstrong pointed out that the law, amended in 1914, showed that a closure in the circumstances of a lost first day could not be made later than an hour and forty minutes before the time for drawing stumps.

It was amazing that no England official or player in the pavilion knew enough to prevent such a lamentable blunder; that the captain should be corrected by his Australian rival was a humiliating incident. The umpires, also at fault of course, were so muddled that when, after twenty minutes delay, play was resumed, Armstrong himself was allowed to commit an error by bowling the next over -- two in succession.

 

[stumpski]

I would hazard a guess that the first number 11 to make a first-class hundred was Kent's Arthur Fielder, who made 112* against Worcs at Stourbridge in 1909, sharing in a last-wicket partnership of 235 with Frank Woolley. I only know of three other instances of 100s at 11 (SN Banerjee, Peter Smith and Graham Stevenson) all post WW2. Doing further research by looking at county last-wicket records.

 

[SJS]

I would hazard a guess that the first number 11 to make a first-class hundred was Kent's Arthur Fielder, who made 112* against Worcs at Stourbridge in 1909, sharing in a last-wicket partnership of 235 with Frank Woolley. I only know of three other instances of 100s at 11 (SN Banerjee, Peter Smith and Graham Stevenson) all post WW2. Doing further research by looking at county last-wicket records.

There are a total of six first class hundreds by nymber 11 batsmen. I think a Punjab batsman last year made it seven.

 

[Tapioca]

>> Who was the first man to score a hundred at number 11 in a first-class match?

One Thomas Hastings in 1902-03 (Fielder was the second)
http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6121.html

>> When did a bowler bowl an 11 -ball over in a Test, which contained neither wides nor no-balls?

This was John Sparling of New Zealand in 1963-64. The series should be the one v SAF (http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Seasons/NZ/1963-64_NZ_South_Africa_in_New_Zealand_1963-64.html ). The umpire dropped the counters and started all over again. Not sure which Test match, the online Wisden match reports are also of no help.

 

[SJS]

>>

This was John Sparling of New Zealand in 1963-64. The series should be the one v SAF (http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Seasons/NZ/1963-64_NZ_South_Africa_in_New_Zealand_1963-64.html ). The umpire dropped the counters and started all over again. Not sure which Test match, the online Wisden match reports are also of no help.

Yess. Thats the one.

 

[SJS]

Okay I found it

7 John Sparling
New Zealand v England, first Test, Auckland, 1962-63
Counting to six is usually the least of an umpire's concerns. Not so for New Zealander Dick Shortt when England played a Test match in Auckland. John Sparling had all but finished his sixth over against the tourists when Umpire Shortt lost count. Instead of chucking in another ball for luck, Mr Shortt began the over again. In all, Sparling had to trundle in 11 times before collecting his sweater.

 

[stumpski]

You'd think, really, he might have checked with his colleague, or the scorers.

 

[Tapioca]

New Zealand v England, first Test, Auckland, 1962-63

Thanks. My source was inaccurate

 

[andyc]

I seem to remember a story about an umpire getting to five balls, losing the pebbles or whatever it is he used to count the balls in his pocket, and going for another six.

 

[Tapioca]

Teamwork

 

[Tapioca]

Please ask a few more, stumpski.

Do you know the answers ?

 

[stumpski]

Will do - I'll post a few more in the next day or so.

I'm also going to check my collection (in the loft) to see if I've got the issue with the answers in.