Chris crossword

David Barclay, Turl CC quizmaster, has concocted a new challenge. In David’s words:

I reckon there have been 28 Christophers who have played Test cricket – all are represented here cryptically and in some cases tortuously so. 15 are English, there are 6 New Zealanders, 3 South Africans, 2 Australians, 1 West Indian and 1 Zimbabwean.

There is of course only one Chris Smith.

Good luck! Answers to follow.

Not a straightforward win

Friday afternoon, just past half-way through the fourth innings, Middlesex’s disciplined, probing attack pushed it ahead of the other two teams contending for the 2016 County Championship. That was also the point when the Captain, my erstwhile opening partner, challenged me to name the 1993 Middlesex side. 

Barely an hour later, Toby Roland-Jones bowled Ryan Sidebottom to complete a hat-trick, Middlesex victory and Championship. After the match, approaching the pub, 15 minutes walk from Lord’s, I enjoyed a moment of clarity, reeling off the last three names in the Middlesex side for their final match of the 1993 season. “… and Mark Feltham!” I cried, before my pals mobbed me and carried me on their shoulders to the bar so I would have the honour of buying a celebratory round. 

Embellishment and simplification. The truth was altogether less straightforward. 

At lunch Middlesex had a lead of 80 with seven wickets in hand. To push for victory, it seemed clear that they would need to continue the acceleration Malan and Gubbins had managed before the break. Yorkshire took the new ball, but wickets didn’t fall and Middlesex ticked along at 3 to 4 runs per over. Yorkshire’s fielders had stopped jogging into position between overs. The cricket was respectable, but not Championship-winning. Neither side had a grip on the game. 

Processing the Captain’s question, I recited names of Middlesex county stalwarts of yesteryear: Barlow, Slack, Gould, Williams. I was recollecting real players’ names, but had telescoped the past, focusing on the era I had first followed cricket, 35-40 years ago. Gatting and Emburey came quickly to me, but they both spanned the period from my early interest in the game and 23 years ago. My mind had no traction on the question. 

Around 2pm, a change of bowling, of tactics, of atmosphere. Lee and Lyth bowled in the manner described in footnotes to fast scoring records as, “to expedite a declaration.” The fielders, stationed away from the busy traffic areas of cover point and deep mid-wicket, watched balls pass them, or chaperoned balls to the boundary rope. Some instincts stayed keen: Brooks took a one-handed catch at square leg before he remembered what was going on. Franklin came into bat and was talking to his opposite number, almost before he had a word for his batting partner. Collaboration, conspiracy – a pre-agreed target was being set. 

It wasn’t just my mind working on the trivia question. Four former teammates were pondering, keeping fingers away from smart phones. Tufnell, Fraser were added. But we were approaching stalemate. The Captain offered assistance – a big, juicy clue. “West Indian opening batsman.” We pounced on that: “Haynes” and our game was up and running again, fed more assistance, trying not to compromise the integrity of trivdom. 

There were a few moments of unaided excellence. We diverted to consider the Worcestershire team that took the field against Middlesex in September 1993. Our regular quiz-master (and Worcester resident), reeled off the majority of the playing XI, climaxing with a nonchalant “Gavin Haynes”. 

Yorkshire’s pursuit and Middlesex’s defence of the target of 240 in 40 overs brought sterner, more purposeful cricket. The players had to find the right balance of attack and defence. Errors might be irretrievable; a teammate lined up to replace any bowler or batter off their game. Yorkshire progressed to 80-3, slower than we had anticipated, but with Bresnan batting fluently a platform and the right personnel in place. 

Our minds now attuned to the task, we gradually filled out the 1993 Middlesex order. Discussion roved from England players of the era, to players that moved counties that might have included Middlesex. Our focus narrowing productively.

The home team’s burst to victory – six wickets in fewer than six overs – rewarded the pressure applied by Roland-Jones and Finn. But it also fed off Yorkshire’s commitment to attack come what may. To eschew the cricketers’ obligation to make the other team’s victory as hard as it can be. To fulfil an agreement made with Middlesex, that shut out the hopes of Somerset, the other team that might have won the title; that would have won a very first County Championship if Yorkshire had fought for a draw once it knew it could not win. 

My moment of clarity to remember the last three members of the 1993 Middlesex team never happened. Pure embellishment. The answers – John Carr, Keith Brown and Mark Feltham – were gifted to us, like batsmen swinging and hoping when the game is on the line. 

Perhaps it’s common for achievements to feature a share of compromise and collaboration with the opposition. It would seem fitting not to lose sight of that, the ambiguity tucked behind the victory and to acknowledge some unease amidst, or at least soon after the celebrations it creates. 

Turl Cricket Quiz 2015 – the Answers

18 rounds; 108 points. How many did you score? Declaration Game made a deserved half-century (just).

To see the full quiz, without answers, click here.

Round 1 – Who’s who in tattoos?

Round 2 – West Indies Test cricketers

Round 3 – 1981 remembered – who are they?

Round 4 – Training regimes – whose?

Round 5 – Zimbabwe Test cricketers

Round 6 – The Ians

Ian Peebles was the first Ian to play Test cricket for England in 1930. Not including Ian Botham, since then a further 6 Ian’s have played for England in Tests. Who are they?

Thomson, Greig, Ward, Salisbury, Bell, Blackwell

Round 7 – Five fors

Of England Test bowlers who have taken 5 wickets in an innings (5WI) more than 10 times, the best six in terms of ratio per match played are shown below. Who are they?

24 5WI in 27 matches. Ratio 1 per 1.13 matches. BB 9-103

SF Barnes

11 5WI in 14 matches. Ratio 1 per 1.27 matches. BB 8-94

Tom Richardson

15 5WI in 51 matches. Ratio 1 per 3.40 matches. BB 7-44

Alec Bedser

17 5WI in 60 matches. Ratio 1 per 3.53 matches. BB 6-65

Graeme Swann

13 5WI in 46 matches. Ratio 1 per 3.54 matches. BB 8-53

Angus Fraser

27 5WI in 102 matches. Ratio 1 per 3.78 matches. BB 8-34

Ian Botham

Round 8 – #SPoY

6 cricketers have finished in the top three for BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Who are they?

1st 2005, 2nd 2004 – Flintoff

3rd 1990 – Gooch

1st 1981, 2nd 1985 and 1979, 3rd 1978 – Botham

2nd 1977 – Boycott

1st 1975 – Steele

1st 1956 – Laker

Round 9 – A mixed bag

What reason did Phil Edmonds give for why he made a habit of walking back to his mark in reverse, still facing the batsman?

To stop Brearley changing the field behind his back

For which team would you be playing if your skipper told you “you are in the Rogers this week”, and why is it so-called?

Second XI – Roger Twose

Two England off-spinners have scored the most Test 50s (10) without ever scoring a Test 100. Who are they?

Emburey & Titmus

The record for most Test 50s without a Test 100 is 16 (HS 97) held by an Indian opening batsman of the 1970s. Who is he?

Chetan Chauhan

Who is the England 20/20 team’s most frequent captain (30 matches)?

Collingwood

Round 10 – T20I

The batting and bowling profiles of English players with the most T20I caps are shown below (as at early Sept 2015). Who are they?

56 matches 118 runs @ 7.37
65 wickets econ 7.6 21 catches – Broad

52 matches 1225 runs @ 29.87
No bowling 22 catches – Morgan

51 matches 759 runs @ 18.97
18 wickets econ 8.5 14 catches – Luke Wright

39 matches 104 runs @ 20.80
51 wickets econ 6.4 5 catches – Swann

38 matches 711 runs @ 28.44
16 wickets econ 7.2 7 catches – Bopara

38 matches 527 runs @ 21.08
No bowling 10 catches/1 stumping – Buttler

Round 11 – “Make it a Daddy”

Name the three English Test players who scored only one Test century, but it was a double. These centuries were scored in 1903 (on debut), 1974 and 2002.

RE Foster, David Lloyd, Rob Key

Imtiaz Ahmed was the first Test No 8 to score a double century in 1955. Another Pakistani did so in 1996, scoring 257* v Zim. Who was he?

Wasim Akram

Apart from the debutant in 1903 above, the next highest score on Test debut is 222* for SA v Ban in 2003. By whom?

Jacques Rudolph

Bradman has most Test scores of 200+ with 12. Who follows him with 11, most recently in January 2015?

Sangakkara

Round 12 – Another mixed bag

The two English players in an ODI who combined as catcher and bowler to dismiss Aaron Finch in 2015 matched the dismissal in an ODI of Rod Marsh in 1979. How were both Finch and Marsh dismissed ?

c Bairstow b Willey

Only one English player has scored more than one Test century batting at No 8 or lower. Who is it?

Matt Prior

Which Essex all rounder, with 1 50s (HS 68) and 70 first class wickets (BB 5-73), had try-outs for 6 major league baseball teams as a pitcher and is now an international fast bowling coach?

Ian Pont

One Englishman has more ducks (2) than runs (1) in Tests. 3 Tests, 3 innings, 1 run, average 0.33. His run was scored at Chittagong in 2003. Who is he?

Martin Saggers

He played 8 Tests & 4 ODIs for England in 1978, scored 2 Test & 1 ODI century, averaged 48.10 in Tests and 83.33 in ODIs, but never played for England again. Who is he?

Clive Radley

Which 2015 Ashes hero has the International number of the beast (666)?

Adam Lyth

Round 13 – Century conversions

Of batsmen who have scored more than 10 Test centuries, which six have scored more 100s than 50s?

30x100s, 29x50s for Aus. HS 380 – Hayden

28x100s, 27x50s for Aus. HS 329* – Clarke

29x100s, 13x50s for Aus. HS 334 – Bradman

22x100s, 21x50s for Ind. HS 199 – Azharuddin

15x100s, 14x50s for WI. HS 220 – Walcott

10x100s, 5x50s for WI. HS 270* – G Headley

Round 14 – The KP round

About whom was Kevin Pietersen speaking when he
(or his ghost-writer) used these descriptions?

“The Ned Flanders of the England set up … tactically inept” – Cook

“A sad sad bastard” – Swann

“A Dairylea triangle who thinks he is a Brie” – Matt Prior

“A triple espresso of a coach … unbelievably intense” – Peter Moores

“A lower order batsman with a Test average of less than 20” – Paul Downton

Someone who “thinks big and achieves big” and who just “wanted to be valued and respected” – KP

Round 15 – Yet another mixed bag

Which Australian opener had both a tattoo and personalised number plate of what he supposed to be his International number (326), before realising that fellow debutant Brendon Julian’s surname came alphabetically before his and therefore his true number was 327? – Slater

He played 250 matches for Notts between 1973 and 1988 and last year received a 2 year suspended sentence for possession of 37 cannabis plants. Who is he? – John Birch

Which current player has the most English Test wickets with only one 5-for. 72 wickets @ 32.73 BB 5-48 – Bresnan

Mascarenhas, Hales and Bresnan have 3 20/20 ducks for England. One man has 9. Who is it? – Luke Wright

Steve Borthwick and Gareth Batty are the only English International 20/20 bowlers to … what? – Have an economy rate below 6rpo

Of English batsmen who have scored over 1000 ODI runs, only one averages more than 50 (51.25). Who is it? – Trott

Round 16 – Agonisingly close

These English batsman ended their innings a boundary short of a maiden Test 100 and never came close again. Who are they?

95 Sydney 1983 – Eddie Hemmings

97 Adelaide 1979 – Bob Taylor

98 Karachi 1987 – David Capel

98* Old Trafford 1982 – Geoff Miller

99 Auckland 1988 – Martyn Moxon

99* Edgbaston 1999 – Alex Tudor

Round 17 – Pakistani connections

Identify these 6 Pakistani Test cricketers from the teams they played for and their role. The second name of each answer is the first name of the next.

Off spinner : Ireland, Islamabad Cricket Assn,Lahore Badshahs, Pakistan International Airways, Surrey, Sussex – Saqlain Mushtaq

Middle order batsman & leg breaks : Karachi, Northants, PIA, Shropshire – Mushtaq Mohammed

Fast bowler : Asian XI, Delhi Daredevils, Khan Research Labs, Lahore Division, Leicestershire, National Bank, Sheikhupura Cricket Assn., Sialkot Cricket Assn. – Mohammed Asif

All rounder : Hyderabad, Karachi, Kent, National Bank, PIA – Asif Iqbal

Slow left arm : Karachi, National Bank, Sind – Iqbal Qasim

Opening bat : Cumberland, Karachi, Muslim Commercial Bank, Sind – Qasim Umar

Round 18 – Name the prodders

Turl cricket quiz 2015

Turl CC’s quiz master, Dave Barclay, challenged the team with 20 rounds of questions at the most recent Friday 13th gathering. For Declaration Game readers, 18 rounds are provided (the musical rounds have been excluded – for copyright reasons, of course).

Answers will be supplied early in the New Year. The organisers will be happy to engage in correspondence. Leave your comments, compliments and complaints below.

The quiz starts with five picture rounds.

Round 1 – Who’s who in tattoos?

 

Round 2 – West Indies Test cricketers

 

Round 3 – 1981 remembered – who are they?

 

Round 4 – Training regimes – whose?

 

Round 5 – Zimbabwe Test cricketers

 

Round 6 – The Ians

Ian Peebles was the first Ian to play Test cricket for England in 1930. Not including Ian Botham, since then a further 6 Ian’s have played for England in Tests. Who are they?

Round 7 – Five fors

Of England Test bowlers who have taken 5 wickets in an innings (5WI) more than 10 times, the best six in terms of ratio per match played are shown below. Who are they?

24 5WI in 27 matches. Ratio 1 per 1.13 matches. BB 9-103

11 5WI in 14 matches. Ratio 1 per 1.27 matches. BB 8-94

15 5WI in 51 matches. Ratio 1 per 3.40 matches. BB 7-44

17 5WI in 60 matches. Ratio 1 per 3.53 matches. BB 6-65

13 5WI in 46 matches. Ratio 1 per 3.54 matches. BB 8-53

27 5WI in 102 matches. Ratio 1 per 3.78 matches. BB 8-34

Round 8 – #SPoY

6 cricketers have finished in the top three for BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Who are they?

1st 2005, 2nd 2004

3rd 1990

1st 1981, 2nd 1985 and 1979, 3rd 1978

2nd 1977

1st 1975

1st 1956

Round 9 – A mixed bag

What reason did Phil Edmonds give for why he made a habit of walking back to his mark in reverse, still facing the batsman?

For which team would you be playing if your skipper told you “you are in the Rogers this week”, and why is it so-called?

Two England off-spinners have scored the most Test 50s (10) without ever scoring a Test 100. Who are they?

The record for most Test 50s without a Test 100 is 16 (HS 97) held by an Indian opening batsman of the 1970s. Who is he?

Who is the England 20/20 team’s most frequent captain (30 matches)?

Round 10 – T20I

The batting and bowling profiles of English players with the most T20I caps are shown below (as at early Sept 2015). Who are they?

56 matches 118 runs @ 7.37
65 wickets econ 7.6 21 catches

52 matches 1225 runs @ 29.87
No bowling 22 catches

51 matches 759 runs @ 18.97
18 wickets econ 8.5 14 catches

39 matches 104 runs @ 20.80
51 wickets econ 6.4 5 catches

38 matches 711 runs @ 28.44
16 wickets econ 7.2 7 catches

38 matches 527 runs @ 21.08
No bowling 10 catches/1 stumping

Round 11 – “Make it a Daddy”

Name the three English Test players who scored only one Test century, but it was a double. These centuries were scored in 1903 (on debut), 1974 and 2002.

Imtiaz Ahmed was the first Test No 8 to score a double century in 1955. Another Pakistani did so in 1996, scoring 257* v Zim. Who was he?

Apart from the debutant in 1903 above, the next highest score on Test debut is 222* for SA v Ban in 2003. By whom?

Bradman has most Test scores of 200+ with 12. Who follows him with 11, most recently in January 2015?

Round 12 – Another mixed bag

The two English players in an ODI who combined as catcher and bowler to dismiss Aaron Finch in 2015 matched the dismissal in an ODI of Rod Marsh in 1979. How were both Finch and Marsh dismissed ?

Only one English player has scored more than one Test century batting at No 8 or lower. Who is it?

Which Essex all rounder, with 1 50s (HS 68) and 70 first class wickets (BB 5-73), had try-outs for 6 major league baseball teams as a pitcher and is now an international fast bowling coach?

One Englishman has more ducks (2) than runs (1) in Tests. 3 Tests, 3 innings, 1 run, average 0.33. His run was scored at Chittagong in 2003. Who is he?

He played 8 Tests & 4 ODIs for England in 1978, scored 2 Test & 1 ODI century, averaged 48.10 in Tests and 83.33 in ODIs, but never played for England again. Who is he?

Which 2015 Ashes hero has the International number of the beast (666)?

Round 13 – Century conversions

Of batsmen who have scored more than 10 Test centuries, which six have scored more 100s than 50s?

30x100s, 29x50s for Aus. HS 380

28x100s, 27x50s for Aus. HS 329*

29x100s, 13x50s for Aus. HS 334

22x100s, 21x50s for Ind. HS 199

15x100s, 14x50s for WI. HS 220

10x100s, 5x50s for WI. HS 270*

Round 14 – The KP round

About whom was Kevin Pietersen speaking when he
(or his ghost-writer) used these descriptions?

“The Ned Flanders of the England set up … tactically inept”

“A sad sad bastard”

“A Dairylea triangle who thinks he is a Brie”

“A triple espresso of a coach … unbelievably intense”

“A lower order batsman with a Test average of less than 20”

Someone who “thinks big and achieves big” and who just “wanted to be valued and respected”

Round 15 – Yet another mixed bag

Which Australian opener had both a tattoo and personalised number plate of what he supposed to be his International number (326), before realising that fellow debutant Brendon Julian’s surname came alphabetically before his and therefore his true number was 327?

He played 250 matches for Notts between 1973 and 1988 and last year received a 2 year suspended sentence for possession of 37 cannabis plants. Who is he?

Which current player has the most English Test wickets with only one 5-for. 72 wickets @ 32.73 BB 5-48

Mascarenhas, Hales and Bresnan have 3 20/20 ducks for England. One man has 9. Who is it?

Steve Borthwick and Gareth Batty are the only English International 20/20 bowlers to … what?

Of English batsmen who have scored over 1000 ODI runs, only one averages more than 50 (51.25). Who is it?

Round 16 – Agonisingly close

These English batsman ended their innings a boundary short of a maiden Test 100 and never came close again. Who are they?

95 Sydney 1983

97 Adelaide 1979

98 Karachi 1987

98* Old Trafford 1982

99 Auckland 1988

99* Edgbaston 1999

Round 17 – Pakistani connections

Identify these 6 Pakistani Test cricketers from the teams they played for and their role. The second name of each answer is the first name of the next.

Off spinner : Ireland, Islamabad Cricket Assn,Lahore Badshahs, Pakistan International Airways, Surrey, Sussex

Middle order batsman & leg breaks : Karachi, Northants, PIA, Shropshire

Fast bowler : Asian XI, Delhi Daredevils, Khan Research Labs, Lahore Division, Leicestershire, National Bank, Sheikhupura Cricket Assn., Sialkot Cricket Assn.

All rounder : Hyderabad, Karachi, Kent, National Bank, PIA

Slow left arm : Karachi, National Bank, Sind

Opening bat : Cumberland, Karachi, Muslim Commercial Bank, Sind

Round 18 – Name the prodders

 

All the answers can be found here.

Short pitch: Battle scar?

I’m not in the mood for much typing tonight. I returned from cricket with a sore thumb.

The question for you is, did I sustain this minor injury:

A: hitting my thumb with a mallet when setting up the stumps before the match;

B: fending off a bouncer;

C: shutting the car door on it when hurrying back to the house for my son’s spikes that he had left behind;

D: rolling the pitch covers over it when positioning them after the match.

Turl Cricket Quiz (part 1) – the answers

The answers to Dave Barclay’s 1-11 cricket quiz (part 1):

1. Who is the only cricketer to have captained both the Gentlemen and the Players?

Wally Hammond

2. Australians hold the record for most Test runs scored at two grounds in England and Wales. Name both grounds and both batsmen.

Don Bradman at Headingley

Clem Hill at Sheffield

3. Derbyshire’s T20 team has had three nicknames. What are they?

Falcons, Scorpions, Phantoms

4. Four men have taken more than one Test hat-trick. Who are they?

Hugh Trumble v Eng 1902, 1904

Jimmy Matthews v SA 1912 (same match)

Wasim Akram v SL 1999

Stuart Broad v Ind 2011, v SL 2014

5. Which five left-arm bowlers have taken the most Test wickets for the West Indies?

Garry Sobers (235), Alf Valentine (139), Pedro Collins (106), Suleiman Benn (72), Bernard Julien (50)

6. Six different bank teams have won either the Quaid-e-Azam trophy or the Patron’s Trophy in Pakistani domestic cricket. Name them.

United, Habib, Allied, National, Industrial Development, Agricultural Development

7. Seven cricketers have captained the England men’s ODI team, but not the Test team. Who are they?

Morgan, Stuart Broad, Collingwood, Adam Hollioake, Thorpe, Gifford, Knott

8. When Bob Willis bowled England to victory at Headingley in 1981, Graeme Wood was caught behind off Botham, Border was bowled by Old and Alderman was not out. Who were the eight Australians Willis dismissed?

Dyson, Trevor Chappell, Hughes, Yallop, Marsh, Bright, Lawson, Lillee

9. Lara scored 400 in a Test match. There are nine first class scores higher than this. What are they and who scored them?

Lara 501, Hanif 499, Bradman 452, Nimbalkar 443, Ponsford 437, Ponsford 429, Aftab Baloch 428, McLaren 424, Hick 405

10. Ten Grahams or Graemes have played Test cricket for England. Who are they?

Roope, Barlow, Gooch, Dilley, Stevenson, Fowler, Hick, Thorpe, Swann, Onions

11. Which eleven words (excluding “of”) comprised Ranji’s full title at the time of his death?

Colonel His Highness Shri Sir Ranjitsinghji Vibhaji Maharajah Jam Sahib of Nawagar

Turl Cricket Quiz – part 1

Turl CC quiz master, Dave Barclay, compiled trivia tests for both the southern and northern legs of the club’s annual (non-playing) tour in September. In common with the club, we begin with the south – 11 questions: one answer to number 1; two answers to number 2, etc.

Good luck and please submit suggested answers, requests for clues, complaints or corrections in the comments. The official, Barclay-approved answers will feature in a post later this week.

1. Who is the only cricketer to have captained both the Gentlemen and the Players?

2. Australians hold the record for most Test runs scored at two grounds in England and Wales. Name both grounds and both batsmen.

3. Derbyshire’s T20 team has had three nicknames. What are they?

4. Four men have taken more than one Test hat-trick. Who are they?

5. Which five left-arm bowlers have taken the most Test wickets for the West Indies?

6. Six different bank teams have won either the Quaid-e-Azam trophy or the Patron’s Trophy in Pakistani domestic cricket. Name them.

7. Seven cricketers have captained the England men’s ODI team, but not the Test team. Who are they?

8. When Bob Willis bowled England to victory at Headingley in 1981, Graeme Wood was caught behind off Botham, Border was bowled by Old and Alderman was not out. Who were the eight Australians Willis dismissed ?

9. Lara scored 400 in a Test match. There are nine first class scores higher than this. What are they and who scored them?

10. Ten Grahams or Graemes have played Test cricket for England. Who are they?

11. Which eleven words (excluding “of”) comprised Ranji’s full title at the time of his death?

Turl CC ‘up all night’ cricket quiz

Turl CC quiz master, Dave Barclay, returns to Declaration Game with the ‘up all night’ quiz. Like its predecessor, the Great After Dinner Quiz, the ‘up all night’ deals with English Test cricket.

There are eleven rounds; round 1 has a single answer, round 2 has two answers.. up to round 11 which seeks eleven answers.

All eleven rounds will be covered during the five first four days of the 1st Ashes Test at Brisbane, giving you all night to come up with the answers which will be published the following day on the ‘up all night’ answers post.

Brisbane Test Day 1 – night of 20 November

Round 1

Who is the only England Test batsman to average more than 100 in more than one Test series?

Round 2

Which two England Test players have had the initials K.P.?

Round 3

Which three Test captains of England touring teams at one time occupied a seat in the House of Lords?

Round 4

Name the four England post-war Test bowlers (qualification: 50 wickets) whose strike rates would round (to the nearest integer) to 50 or less?

Brisbane Test Day 2 – night of 21 November

Round 5

Name the five Englishmen who have scored a Test 300.

Round 6

Name six England players, whose careers are complete (i.e. not Graeme Swann) who have scored 1,000+ runs but never scored a Test 100.

Brisbane Test Day 3 – night of 22 November

Round 7

In which seven English cities has Test cricket been played?

Round 8

Ian Botham took five wickets on Test debut (1977). Eight bowlers have done so since – who are they?

Round 9

Name Devon Malcolm’s nine South African victims in the 2nd innings at the Oval in 1994

Brisbane Test Day 4 – night of 23 November

Round 10

Since Basil D’Oliveira’s debut for England, ten South African born cricketers have played for England – name them.

Round 11

Between Chris Old’s debut and Chris Tremlett’s appearance at Brisbane (his final Test?), eleven Christophers have played for England. Who were they?

Answers to the Turl CC ‘up all night’ quiz

For five days, starting with the second day of the Brisbane Ashes Test, answers to the Turl CC ‘up all night’ cricket quiz will be posted here. Please leave you comments, claims, cavils and challenges in the usual way.

Brisbane Test Day 3 – night of 22 November

Round 7

In which seven English cities has Test cricket been played?

London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Sheffield, Southampton

Round 8

Ian Botham took five wickets on debut (1977). Name the eight England bowlers to have done so since.

Nick Cook, Neil Mallender, Peter Such, Dominic Cork, Jimmy Anderson, Richard Johnson, Richard Kirtley, Graham Onions

Round 9

Name Devon Malcolm’s nine SA victims in the 2nd innings at the Oval in 1994

Peter Kirsten, Gary Kirsten, Hansie Cronje, Kepler Wessels, Jonty Rhodes, Brian Macmillan, Dave Richardson, Craig Matthews, Allan Donald

Brisbane Test Day 1 – night of 20 November

Round 1

Who is the only England Test batsman to average more than 100 in more than one Test series?

Tom Graveney (v WI 1957, v Pak in 1962)

Round 2

Which two England Test players have had the initials K.P.?

Kevin Pietersen, Ken Palmer

Round 3

Which three Test captains of England touring teams at one time occupied a seat in the House of Lords?

Lord Harris, Lord Hawke, Lord Cowdrey

Round 4

Name the four England post-war Test bowlers (qualification: 50 wickets) whose strike rates would round (to the nearest integer) to 50 or less?

Frank Tyson 45.4 balls/wicket, Simon Jones 47.8, Fred Trueman 49.4, Dean Headley 50.4

Brisbane Test Day 2 – night of 21 November

Round 5

Name five Englishmen who have scored a Test 300

Andrew Sandham (who features in this story), Wally Hammond, Len Hutton, John Edrich, Graham Gooch

Round 6

Which six England players who have completed their careers scored 1,000+ runs, without a Test century?

John Emburey 1713 (HS 75), Fred Titmus 1449 (HS 84*), Mike Brearley 1442 (HS 91), Ashley Giles 1421 (HS 59), Geoff Miller 1213 (HS 98*), Bob Taylor 1156 (HS 97)

Brisbane Test Day 3 – night of 22 November

Round 7

In which seven English cities has Test cricket been played?

London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Sheffield, Southampton

Round 8

Ian Botham took five wickets on debut (1977). Name the eight England bowlers to have done so since.

Nick Cook, Neil Mallender, Peter Such, Dominic Cork, Jimmy Anderson, Richard Johnson, Richard Kirtley, Graham Onions

Round 9

Name Devon Malcolm’s nine SA victims in the 2nd innings at the Oval in 1994

Peter Kirsten, Gary Kirsten, Hansie Cronje, Kepler Wessels, Jonty Rhodes, Brian Macmillan, Dave Richardson, Craig Matthews, Allan Donald

Round 10

Since Basil D’Oliveira’s debut, ten cricketers born in South Africa have played Test cricket for England. Who are they?

Tony Greig, Ian Greig, Allan Lamb, Chris Smith, Robin Smith, Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, Matt Prior, Nick Compton

Round 11

In between Chris Old’s debut and Chris Tremlett’s appearance in the 1st Ashes Test at Brisbane, eleven Christophers have played Test cricket for England. Name them.

Chris Balderstone, Chris Tavere, Chris Smith, Chris Broad, Chris Cowdrey, Chris Lewis, Chris Silverwood, Chris Read, Chris Adams, Chris Schofield, Chris Woakes

The great Turl CC after dinner cricket quiz

Declaration Game readers are invited to imagine they have dined well and are settling down with a glass of wine.

Turl CC quiz-master, David Barclay, takes the chair.

The theme is English Test Cricket. Two points for a correct answer; one for a near miss; one for a bonus piece of information which either a) deepens and enhances appreciation of English Test cricket or b) contributes to team well being and general gaiety.

(Answers can be found on the quiz answers post).

Round 9 – The picture round

All of these cricketers played briefly for England in the 1980s. Name them and estimate how many Tests they played in total.

Round 8 – Commentators

The answers are all members of BBC commentary teams who have covered England matches at home or away,

1	Which lover of White Chardonnay has a home in Beaulieu-sur-Mer and blames exposure to the Provencal sun for his lips colour changing from faint puce to light lilac ?
2	Who said, when it appeared that he would be called from the commentary box to play for England against India in 1964, “”I don’t care if Cowdrey and Parfitt are flying out as replacements. If I make 50 or above in either innings, I’m damned if I’ll stand down for Calcutta.”
3	Who ran his own team, the Malta Maniacs, and died of Legionnaire’s Disease?
4	Whose voice was described by Dylan Thomas as “A sound like Uncle Tom Cobleigh reading Neville Cardus to faraway natives”
5	Whose first two test wickets in 1984 were Gordon Greenidge and Viv Richards but finished with 4 wickets at 93.25 each ?
6	Whose writing style was described as “half way between the 10 commandments and Enid Blyton” and was famously so unwilling to leave London it is thought that he visited Leicester and Northampton only once?
7	Whose TV credits, although not as a contestant, included both Miss World and Come Dancing ?
8	Whose off break was described by John Arlott as “not merely his bread and butter but his staff of life” ?
9	Who took an Etonian’s third in History from New College, joined the family coffee import business before World War II, took a commission in the Grenadier Guards and was awarded the MC in the aftermath of D-Day ?
10	Was named after Woody Guthrie’s son ?

Round 7 – Slow bowlers

1	Who, according to his wife, “had a reputation for being arrogant and difficult because he was arrogant and difficult”
2	Who, reputedly while drunk, either bowled at the sightscreen, mistaking the large white shape for a Middlesex batsman, or urinated on the wicket, or both, and was helped from the field “and out of first class cricket” by Lord Hawke ?
3	Which off spinner bagged two consecutive pairs in Tests in 1984, facing 42 balls in total before getting out to Garner, Harper, Marshall and Holding respectively ?
4	Who was the last specialist leg spinner to play for England until Ian Salisbury and scored a 44 minute hundred for his county against the 1975 Australians which won the Lawrence trophy ?
5	Of whom was it said that England “carried him like an umbrella, in case of rain” and who scored his maiden first class century in 1984 at the age of 39 ?
6	When the crowd at Brisbane in 1982 released a pig onto the outfield, it had Botham painted on one side, and which spinner’s name on the other ?
7	Who in 1977 nearly took a hat trick on debut, only for Mike Brearley to recall Iqbal Qasim because he was unsure whether the catch had carried to him at slip ?
8	Who recently compared his own catching style to that of Edward Scissorhands ?
9	Was awarded one of the first batch of 12 central contracts in 2000 but only played 2 Tests and never took a wicket ?
10	Played 21 Tests between 1996 and 2001 for what he called “The British Lions” ?

Round 6 – New ball bowlers

1	Who said after watching a black and white film of himself “I’d have looked even faster in colour.”
2	Whose arrival at the crease at No. 11 for Leicestershire with 20 needed to save the follow on against Surry led by a whirlwind Sylvester Clarke prompted David Gower to say “I just can’t do it” and declare ?
3	Who, in 1954, is thought to be the only English bowler to have bowled a ball which was so fast and lifted so violently that it hit the sightscreen behind the wicketkeeper on the full going for 6 byes ?
4	Who played three Tests in the 1990s, was described by Australians as “the rat who joined the sinking ship” and consumed 72 pints of Guinness in 48 hours on team mate Steve Marsh’s stag weekend ?
5	Which poet and son of a clergyman was born in Peopleton ? [Note to readers: this is the village in Worcestershire where Turl CC played on tour from c.1998-2012]
6	Was unable to tie his touring MCC tie because of Klippel-Feil syndrome, which causes the fusion of the cervical vertebrae ?
7	In 1979 had the new Lord’s bowling machine named after him because it used to break down so regularly ?
8	With which No 11 did coach David Lloyd make a bet – “You get 30 and I’ll buy you 30 pints of Guinness”. On an all time high score of 24, the batsman shouted to the dressing room “Get em in” at which point he was yorked by Wasim Akram.
9	Who when on loan to Somerset from Lancashire in 2012 got lost trying to find Taunton, which was summed up by a commentator as typical of his bowling – “Tries to find the right area but could actually be anywhere” ?
10	Which qualified helicopter pilot was skilled at fixing his team mates equipment with his Swiss Army knife, in particular Alec Stewart’s wicket keeping gloves and Nasser Hussain’s TV ?

Round 5 – Wicket keepers

Who:

1	Played two tests against India in 1993, took 2 catches and scored 7 runs in four innings (av 1.75) and later wrote an autobiography called Taking it from behind ?
2	Played football for Bradford City several times in the late 1960s and early 1970s ?
3	Drove to matches zipped in a sleeping bag with the bottom cut out to avoid getting a chill in his back and had a wooden block under the accelerator to avoid straining his Achilles tendon ?
4	Currently turns a not quite blind eye to the investment portfolios of the aristocracy at J P Morgan Cazenove ?
5	Was recruited from the hospitality tent aged 44 to cover for the injured Bruce French against New Zealand in 1986 at Lord’s, two years after his retirement ?
6	Working for Ladbrokes, was responsible for setting the odds of 500-1 against England at Headingley in 1981 ?
7	Has scored one more 100 (8) than Matt Prior ?
8	Was christened Clifton James ?
9	Chose his one day squad number (4) because it was worn by his footballing hero, John Hollins ?
10	Lives most of the year in Cyprus, keeping up his exercise regime with swimming, tennis and dancing at an ex-pat bar called the Frog and Toad ?

Round 4 – All rounders

All the answers are the names of players who have filled the all rounder’s role for England, with varying degrees of success.

Who
1	Played one Test in South Africa in 1999-2000, made a pair, took 0-63 and didn’t take a catch ?
2	Injured his back in 1982 when a chair collapsed under him as he was putting some complimentary tickets in envelopes ?
3	Of his 21 Test wickets between 1987 and 1990, dismissed Viv Richards three times ?
4	Shaved his head and then got sunstroke in 1994 ?
5	Took 4-53 in Pakistan’s first innings on debut at Edgbaston in 1982 sharing the new ball with Ian Botham but took no more wickets in his brief 2 test career ?
6	According to his then trouser manufacturer was “a big unit who likes to get very animated when he is appealing, which puts extra duress on the crotch area of his trousers.”
7	Failed to recognise Don Bradman and asked him to carry his luggage at Adelaide airport in 1974 ?
8	Played 4 Tests in the 1990s and top scored v WI with 82*, putting on an unbeaten 80 for the 10th wicket with Richard Illingworth. When asked for a comment as to the motive for captain Atherton’s declaration said “He’s a red isn’t he and he didn’t want a Bolton lad to steal the show.”
9	Said on being dropped again, “Wait till the world champions turn up, then I’ll be in again” and played 15 of his 24 Tests against WI, scoring 2 unbeaten 100s ?
10	When first selected in 1966 let the selectors believe he was 31, but was in fact at least 35 and may have been 38 ?

Round 3 – Opening batsmen

Who:

1	When run out by a team mate for slow scoring sat with his head under a towel muttering “What am I doing ? Playing with children ?”
2	After making 0 in the second innings of his debut Test v SA in 1998 guarded against fate by refusing to allow his daughter to play with plastic ducks in the bath, but only played one further Test anyway ?
3	Was described by Gideon Haigh as “an ersatz opening batsman [between 1980 and 1984], who did not so much score runs as smuggle them out by stealth…” and who had “that Trevor Baileyesque quality of making every ditch a last one.”
4	Gave as his favourite meal “Sausages, chips, sausages, toast, sausages, beans, sausages, cheese, sausages, eggs and the occasional sausage”?
5	Was the first batsman for 60 years to be given out obstructing the field in a game in England, for Surrey against Gloucestershire in 2011 ?
6	Was the batsman given out the same way in 1951, this time for England v South Africa ?
7	Is thought to be the only spectator who witnessed Hanif Mohammed’s 499 (as a 10 year old schoolboy) and Lara’s 501* (as a county coach) ?
8	Whose citation as one of Wisden’s cricketers of the century in 2000 read “He was never as dominant as Bradman; he never wanted to be. But his contemporaries were in awe of his ability to play supremely and at whim, whatever the conditions.”
9	Scored almost 1000 runs at just under 70 in his first 11 Tests but was blown away by Joel Garner, Patrick Patterson and Malcolm Marshall in 1986, scoring 72 in 8 innings ?
10	Was dismissed first ball 3 times in 212 innings, lbw to Curtly Ambrose, lbw to Fanie de Villiers and caught behind by Mark Boucher off Shaun Pollock ?

Round 2 – Chair of selectors

Who:

1	Stood as the Conservative candidate against Jim Callaghan in Cardiff South East in 1964 and once declared an innings closed whilst at Brighton racecourse ?
2	Treated Lords like a second home, having his own set of keys to the Lords pavilion but thought that the Aborigines he saw on tour in Australia in 1936-7 were “a ghastly sight and the sooner they die out the better” ?
3	Was the Chair of Selectors about whom Geoff Boycott said “he should have spelt his name with an A” after dropping Boycott for slow scoring in 1967 ?
4	With his brother JWH, was never beaten at Eton Fives and won the National Championship between 1951 and 1953, and married Victoria Gilligan, daughter of Arthur Gilligan, the England captain was toured Australia in 1924-5 under MI5 surveillance because of his Fascist connections ?
5	Was a founder member in 1975 of Ross and Norris McWhirter’s Freedom Association, and objected to the Commonwealth Gleneagles Declaration which outlawed sporting contacts with South Africa saying “What’s a bloody golf course got to do with it ?”
6	Learned to bat in the 1870s in a marble corridor in Trinidad, where his father was Attorney General, against the bowling of a servant named Hummingbird ?
7	Served in the Boer War, was an MP for 11 years, was Governor of Bengal, surviving an assassination attempt in Calcutta in 1932 and died of complications from a broken leg in 1947, having been run over in Hyde Park by a taxi ?
8	Once had to retrieve a six hit off his own bowling from a bowl of coleslaw and proceeded to complain to the Yorkshire committee that their decision to shorten the straight boundary to accommodate another sponsor’s tent was the reason why the batsman wasn’t caught at long on ?
9	Was player manager of the 1990 rebel tour to South Africa, rather upstaged by the release in February of Nelson Mandela and later Durham’s first captain when they were given first class status in 1991?
10	Was the first England Chair of Selectors in 1899, responsibility for selection until then resting with the county committee where the match was to be played, and said in 1925 “Pray God no professional shall ever captain England.” ?

Round 1 – Skippers

Who:

1	Was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame alongside Billy Bremner ?
2	Was described by Phil Parkes as “too short and fat to make the grade as a goalkeeper at QPR” ?
3	Put a helmet at midwicket in a county match to try to persuade a batsman to play across the line to score penalty runs ?
4	Chose a Ku Klux Klan outfit for his fancy dress on England’s tour in 1986-7 and went on two rebel tours of South Africa?
5	Sent a telegram to Philip Mead while he was batting for Hampshire saying “Too slow. Get out at once”
6	After being struck full on in the chest by Michael Holding replied to county colleague Viv Richards’ concern for his health with a loud “Fuck off” ?
7	Chose a ukulele as the one object to take to the Desert Island in 1969 ?
8	Currently holds the record for the most Tests as captain (9) without taking a catch ?
9	Was given his nickname by Ray East because his winklepickers had begun to curl up at the toes due to wear ?
10	Took more Test wickets while skipper (77) than any other England Test captain ?