One of the best things about Michael Clarkes triple century was he took a wicket in the same match. Other Australian triple centurions, Bradman, Hayden, Taylor, and Simpson, did not manage a wicket(s) in their match when they passed 300, and i’m 95% sure Bob Cowper did not take a wicket in the MCG test when he scrored 307. Thus Michael Clarke has scored the highest score for an Australian test cricketer who has taken a wicket in the same match.
Now that a beggars the question of who has taken the most wickets in a match they have scored a triple century. It seems Michael Clarke is the leading Australian in this category, but how many other triple centurions celebrated their big scores by taking a wicket(s) in the same match. I’m pretty sure Graham Gooch took a wicket when he made a triple century, and century against India in 1990, but who else has scored a triple century, and taken a wicket(s) in the same tests. Virender Sehwag maybe ?
Over to my fellow almancers for the answer(s).
Glen!
Not sure re this one Glen, Flynny will be your man I reckon.
I have another statistical query arising out of the Sydney Test – when is the last time a team won by a Test by an innings and eight of its batsman contributed a combined 24 runs (obviously 5 of these 8 didn’t get to the crease) ?
Sobers would be the fav.
Crio – I would have taken $1.20 about you being right. As Ken Howard used to say “never run upstairs and never bet odds on”. I grew up with the scoring records imprinted on my brain of Hanif Mohammed 499 in first class matches and Gary Sobers 365 in Tests. In recent years Sobers has been overtaken (but not HM – 500 seems as elusive as Bradman’s career average).
I looked up the Sobers 365 match record on Cricket Archive. It was Sobers first Test century and like Bob Simpson he made it a treble. The Third Test against Pakistan at Sabina Park in Jamaica in 57/58. He made 365 (not out – like Clarke). Figured in a 446 second wicket partnership with the fine opening batsman Conrad Hunte – who made 260 (run out). Windies won outright and Sobers took a catch – but critically for this question – no wickets though he had the opportunity. First innings 5 overs/1 maiden/0 wickets/ 13 runs. Second innings 15/4/0/41. Was on as the sixth bowler in each innings – so he may have bowled spin (orthodox or wrist? – he could do both) and not the medium fast he bowled a lot of. I remember him for SA and the Windies in later career in the mid and late 60’s. He just made everything look so natural and effortless. Batting style was like Lara except he was taller which made him look even more elegant.
The search for an answer to Glen’s question continues.
Jayasuriya the Sri Lankan left hand opening bat (and occasional spinner) took 3/45 against India in the First Test at Colombo in 1997. India made 8/537 declared – Tendulkar, Azharuddin and Sidhu all got hundreds. Jayasuriya then made 340. Mahanama got 225 and Aravinda da Silva 126. Sri Lanka got 6/952 declared and the match was drawn (surprise!) Who thought timeless tests would be a good idea – they would have had to play for a month.
The internet is a great source of trivia. Cheers.
To finish this compendious research – I think Jayasuriya is the highest triple century score and wicket taker in the same match. Michael Clarke is now second and Chris Gayle third highest scorer. I think they are the only players to have done it. Sehwag, Sobers, Wally Hammond and Bobby Simpson all had a bowl in their matches – but lightning would not strike twice for them.
I’m on a roll. Question for cricket nerds. Who was the first triple centurion and when/where? I had never heard of him. Triple centuries by decade – 30’s (5); 40’s (none – WW2 curtailed most things except death and destruction); 50’s (2); 60’s (3); 70’s (1); 80’s (none – my theory would be that the 70’s and 80’s were the great fast bowler period that chewed up batsmen); 90’s (4); since 2000 (10 – the era of Meaningless Songs in Very High Voices to cite the Bee Gees parody).
Ok Peter,
I will have a guess here. Can’t get them all, but confident most are right
30’s:
Hammond, Bradman, Hutton
50’s
Mohammad, Sobers
60’s
Simpson
70’s
?
90’s
Jayasuriya, Lara, Taylor, Gooch
Naughties
Clarke, Sehwag, Hayden, Gayle, Inzamam, Jayawardene, Sangakkara,
Tim’s list above gets most of them right, but requires a few additions and one subtraction.
The first-ever threebie (just 3 months before Bradman’s first at Leeds in 1930) was posted by English opener Andy Sandham at Sabina Park. (He never played another Test.) Bradman also got a second triple at Leeds in 1934 – and ran out his No. 11 partner when on 299 himself against SA at Adelaide in 1932.
Simpson’s 1964 effort at Manchester was closely followed by John Edrich at Leeds against NZ the next year, then by Cowper’s MCG effort. Lawrence Rowe – a forgotten man – made 302 at Bridgetown against Denness’s 73/74 English team.
Since 2000, both Gayle and Sehwag have twice passed 300 (the latter very nearly three times), whilst in 2004, Lara’s 400* retook the overall record from Hayden at Antigua, where he had also broken Sobers’ 1958 record ten years previously. In his 624 partnership with Mahela, Sanga fell 13 short of 300, but you can add Younis Khan, who tripled against Bangladesh, I think (should that count?)
As Tony correctly observed, the first triple centurion was Andy Sandham of England when he was 3 months short of his 40th Birthday. It was the Final Test of the series in the West Indies in 1930. He is one of the great ‘nearly men’ of international sport. Sandham opened the batting with Jack Hobbs at Surrey for 26 seasons from 1911 to 1937. They had 66 century opening partnerships. Sandham famously made a hundred for Surrey and the newspaper placards screamed “Hobbs out for a duck”. In later life Andy reflected that “it used to annoy the wife”.
He made his England debut in 1921 opening with Hobbs, but seems to have been just below Test standard despite a fine County record. In 1924 England dropped him for the Yorkeshireman – Herbert Sutcliffe – and he became a fixture as Hobbs’ Test opening partner. Playing 14 Tests over 9 years Sandham had 23 innings for 879 runs at an average of 38. But 325 and 152 of them came in 2 innings in his swansong series in the Caribbean – so he averaged only 19 in his other 21 Test innings.
The final Test in Jamaica was supposed to be a ‘Timeless Test’ and England batted first for 825 including Sandham’s triple century. England bowled the Windies out for 286 and then batted again, with Sandham getting 50 in the second dig. The Windies got 5/408 in their second innings with George Headley (the ‘Black Bradman’ with a Test average of 60) making 223 against an England attack that included Bill Voce who terrorised the Australians with Larwood on the Bodyline tour in 32/33.
During his 325 Sandham had a opening partnership of 173 with the 50 year old George Gunn, before Gunn was carelessly dismissed for 85. Andy lamented that it would have been nice to have made a Test century at Gunn’s age. Gunn retorted: “I thought if one of us didn’t get out we wouldn’t catch the boat home!” That in fact nearly happened as the Test ended in a draw after 9 days, as the boat taking the Englishmen home was due to sail the next day.
With his England career revived, Sandham toured South Africa in 1930/31, but broke his ankle in a car accident in Durban before the First Test. This and his age explains how he scored 375 in his Final Test and was never picked again.
Some might consider him unlucky, but a lovely David Frith portrait on Cricinfo that I drew much of this from, revealed otherwise. During the First World War he was repatriated after an appendix operation just before the Royal Fusiliers went into battle at Delville Wood. This was an early part of the Battle of the Somme, and Delville Wood was called “the bloodiest battle of hell of 1916”.
Sandham died in London in 1982 aged 91. Frith shared a pint with him in a London pub when he was in his late 80’s. What a life! Oh to be that unlucky and that untalented!
PB,
Hanif has been overtaken. BC Lara 501 not out.
TR,
No surprise that Pud Thurlow never played another Test. Run out for a globe leaving Braddles on 299 not out. It was his only Test innings.
So the answer is Jaya, Clarke, Gayle?
Jaya bats and bowls left.
Clarke RHB, Left Arm slow
Gayle LHB, Right Arm Slow
Hanif’s 337 is the highest 2nd innings score and the only test triple ton (of the 25) scored in the second innings. Pakistan followed on 473 runs behind the Windies, and then Hanif apparently batted for just over 16 hours for his 337, which eventually saved the match. He was not out at stumps 4 times in the test – surely a record? No triples have been scored against Bangladesh, and the only one against Zimbabwe was Hayden’s then record 380. Lara famously reclaimed the record a mere 6 months later.