And is 87 really Australia’s unlucky number?
Steven Lynch25-Mar-2025Pakistan overhauled New Zealand’s total in just 16 overs the other day. Was this the fastest chase of a target of 200-plus in a T20 international? asked Raza Shah from Pakistan
Pakistan scooted to 207 for 1 in just 16 overs to beat New Zealand (204) in Auckland last week. That’s a rate of 12.93 per over: only two targets in excess of 200 have been chased down faster in T20Is.In Centurion in 2023 , South Africa (259 for 4) went at 13.75 an over in beating West Indies. And in Auckland in 2018, Australia scored at 13 an over in overhauling New Zealand’s total of 243.I was joking with my dad about Australia’s “devil’s number” being 87, and he said actually it’s 111 as they have often been bowled out for that in Tests! Is he right? asked Jamie Campbell from Australia
Your dad has a point: Australia have been bowled out for 111 on seven occasions in Tests, and (not surprisingly perhaps) have lost each time. That includes one of the most famous of all Tests, at Headingley in July 1981 when England won after following on, and successive matches in the 1954-55 Ashes, when England prevailed in the third Test in Melbourne and the fourth in Adelaide.The most recent occasion was in Sydney in 1994, when – chasing 118 to defeat South Africa – Australia were bowled out for 111 to lose by runs, with Fanie de Villiers taking 6 for 43.It works individually too (just): Australian batters have been dismissed for 87 on 15 occasions in men’s Tests (it happened twice to Clem Hill), while there have been 16 instances of Aussies being out for 111.What first-class record was set by Agni Chopra in 2023? asked Vivek Mohandas from India
I have to admit that I missed this at the time, but late in 2023 Agni Chopra of Mizoram became the first man to score centuries in each of his first four first-class matches. Chopra, who was born in the United States in 1998, hit 166 (and 92) on his debut against Sikkim in Nadiad, and then added 164 against Nagaland, 114 vs Arunachal Pradesh, and 105 and 101 against Meghalaya in Anand, all in the Plate section of the Ranji Trophy. Chopra has continued his good form in 2024-25: successive innings of 110 and 238 not out against Arunachal Pradesh in Ahmedabad and 218 vs Manipur in Nadiad mean he currently has a first-class batting average of 94.94, scored at an impressive strike rate of 95.Three men had previously made centuries in their first three first-class matches: Owen Rock of New South Wales in the mid-1920s, the future West Indies Test batter Joe Solomon in the 1950s, and Afghanistan’s Darwish Rasooli in 2017-18.Molly Hide, who captained England women in 11 Tests, was born in Shanghai in 1911•Bert Hardy/Getty ImagesWho’s the only Test player who was born in China? asked Marion Johnson from England
My first thought was that it was Nat Sciver-Brunt, but actually she was born in Japan, while her mother was working in an embassy there. But the answer is another woman player, of an earlier vintage: Molly Hide, was born in Shanghai in China in 1911. She played 15 times for England in all, including the inaugural women’s Test against Australia in Brisbane in December 1934. The higher of her two centuries was an undefeated 124 – after 63 in the first innings – against Australia in Sydney in February 1949, by which time Hide was England’s captain. No male Test cricketers have been born in China (or Japan).I live in Queensland, and Australia are going to play South Africa near me in Mackay in August. Will these be the first proper internationals played there? asked Klynton Marshall from Australia
I’m not sure the venues have been officially announced yet, but it seems likely that South Africa’s white-ball games in Australia in August will be shared between Darwin in the Northern Territory and Cairns – and Mackay, a little further down the Queensland coast, which will host two one-day internationals. The Great Barrier Reef Arena in the town (formerly known as Harrup Park, and Ray Mitchell Oval), has had a very brief taste of men’s international cricket before: it staged one match during the 1992 World Cup, between India and Sri Lanka, which was rained off after just two balls (Kris Srikkanth scored the only run).The Mackay ground has also hosted three women’s ODIs, against India in September 2021 (Beth Mooney hit 125 not out in the second match>) and two T20Is, against New Zealand’s women in September 2024.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions