Test Cricket Statistics · 1877 – 2019

Every figure.
Every feat.
Every Test nation.

Two meticulously compiled reference books on Test cricket — from the very first match in 1877 to the modern era — by Guyanese statistician Ramnarine “Shako” Sambhudat.

Shop the books Meet the author
★★★★★Forewords by West Indies legend Lance Gibbs
The Collection · Two Titles

Reference books for people who believe figures are fun.

Decades of Test-match scorecards, distilled by hand into two definitive volumes — each forewarded by West Indies spin legend Lance Gibbs.

Front cover — WI in Test Matches: Facts and Feats 1928–2013
West Indies · 2nd edition · 2014

WI in Test Matches

Facts & Feats, June 1928 – December 2013

Foreword by West Indies off-spin great Lance Gibbs

A complete statistical record of West Indies Test cricket — from the side's very first Test against England in 1928 through to 2013. Batting, bowling, wicket-keeping, fielding, partnerships and all-round feats; records for and against every Test nation; every WI captain, opener and player with their figures; and every century scored by and against the West Indies.

  • 551 pages
  • 86 photographs
  • 6 × 9 paperback
  • ISBN 978-1-62847-567-8
$29.95 Buy now → Order direct

★★★★★ 5.0 on Amazon

Front cover — Test Cricket Records from March 1877 – September 2019
All Test Nations · 1st edition · 2019

Test Cricket Records

“Figures Are Fun” · March 1877 – September 2019

Foreword by Lance Gibbs

The companion volume widens the lens from the Caribbean to all twelve Test-playing nations, across the entire history of the game — from the inaugural Test of March 1877 to September 2019. Records and figures are laid out nation by nation, each country represented by a signature great: Bradman, Sobers, Gavaskar, Hadlee, Imran Khan, Muralitharan and more.

  • 561 pages
  • 12 Test nations
  • 6 × 9 paperback
  • ISBN 978-0-578-54698-8
$33.90 Buy now → Order direct

Independently published · also on eBay

Cover — WI in Test Matches: Facts and Feats 1928–2013
Book one of two · Inside

Inside WI in Test Matches

A foreword from Lance Gibbs, the story of West Indies cricket and the team like no other, and the full run of chapters — 551 pages and 86 photographs, from the very first West Indies Test in 1928 to the 2013 series in New Zealand.

Not many books have been written in the history of West Indies cricket, and the few that have don't carry up-to-date statistical sections — so they never fully satisfy the avid fan who wants to know more about West Indies cricket and its players. This book covers WI records from June 1928 right through to the West Indies' last series, against New Zealand, in December 2013 — every department of the game: batting, bowling, wicketkeeping, fielding, all-round, individual and a host of other topics.

The facts and figures recorded here are truly amazing — two of them brought back memories for me as a West Indies player. I held the record for the most Test wickets in the world from February 1976 to December 1981, breaking Fred Trueman's England mark of 307 in 1976, until Dennis Lillee of Australia passed my 309 in 1981. I also held the record for the most Test wickets by a West Indian — 309 — for thirteen years, until Malcolm Marshall took his 310th wicket against India at Bridgetown in April 1989.

I met Mr. Sambhudat for the first time at my office at Laparkan in Miami in June 2013, and after going through his book I can tell you he knows his cricket. This is the kind of book cricket lovers use to question each other over a beer or a drink after a game, or at the local bar. I highly recommend it to all cricket lovers — and I know you will enjoy it.

Lance Gibbs West Indies off-spinner · 309 Test wickets

The West Indies story

A team like no other in world cricket — and the board, the flag and the spirit behind it.

  • About cricketA game of great uncertaintyNothing can be predicted until the last ball is bowled — the bad ball does not always take a wicket, and the best ball can be survived.
  • The WICBFormed in 1926The governing body for cricket across the English-speaking Caribbean; the letter “C” for Control was dropped in 1996 to become the WICB.
  • The flagA palm tree & stumpsWith no single nation to represent, the board designed a flag of cricket stumps and a palm tree on a sunny island.
  • The teamA “country” that is not a countryA side drawn from mainland Guyana and several Caribbean nations — cricket is the one activity that gives the West Indies a single identity.

Recorded throughout as: WI West Indies · E England · A Australia · NZ New Zealand · I India · P Pakistan · SA South Africa · SL Sri Lanka · Z Zimbabwe · B Bangladesh · M Matches.

The full table of contents

From a brief history of West Indies cricket through every department of the records, the Guyanese and East Indian contributions, the rise and fall of WI cricket — and a closing quiz.

A brief history of WI cricket9
Team records15
WI first ever Test tour to England, 192827
First Test tour to the WI — England in 193031
WI first tour to other Test-playing countries37
Other Test-playing countries' first tour to the WI43
WI first Test win, loss, draw and tie — in WI and abroad51
WI closest Test wins and losses61
WI smallest Test draws63
WI first Test series win, loss and draw65
WI “whitewash” series wins and losses66
All Test countries' first Test win v WI — in WI and in their countries69
All Test countries' first series win v WI — in WI and in their countries71
Test countries' first drawn series v WI — in WI and at home71
The first tied Test73
WI records — Batting77
Bowling147
Wicketkeeping171
Fielding179
Partnerships181
All-round185
Individual189
Records in the WI193
Records against the WI225
WI records against all Test-playing countries255
The dominance of right- and left-handers in WI cricket319
WI best opening batsmen323
Meet the West Indians with 100-plus Tests341
WI captains363
Guyanese contribution to WI cricket377
Notable cricketers from other Caribbean countries397
Cricketers of Indian origin who represented the WI431
Contributions of East Indians to WI cricket433
Achievements of WI cricket435
WI cricketers up to December 2013439
ICC Hall of Fame for Cricketers456
Wisden Top 100 batsmen in Test history — WI batsmen by ranking and innings458
WI cricketers — Wisden Cricketers of the Year459
Wisden Cricketers of the Century459
WI cricketers awarded a Knighthood460
WI players who won the most match and series awards460
Umpires and match referees461
WI players sent home for disciplinary reasons463
Trophies463
WI under-19's465
Just for the record467
EE Achong & Adam Sandford473
Relations in WI cricket & those who represented two countries474
Most matches played on a single ground — all WI cricket grounds475
The rise and fall of WI cricket477
Some “firsts” in WI cricket509
Do you know?511
The South African connection519
WI and the South African connection527
Records held by West Indians and in the West Indies in Test cricket527
Cricket jokes and funnies529
Can five batsmen be dismissed by one ball bowled?533
Can a match be drawn with one ball bowled?539
The first ever Test match539
The first recognised International Match541
From hats to bats — the development of cricket equipment543
Cricket — lovely cricket545
The quiz547
Answers548
Cover — Test Cricket Records from March 1877 – September 2019
Book two of two · Inside

Inside Test Cricket Records

A foreword from a West Indies great, the story behind the cover, and the full run of chapters — 561 pages of Test cricket, from the very first match to September 2019.

My friends and fellow cricket lovers, let me introduce to you another book by Mr. Sambhudat, his second — Test Cricket Records from March 1877 – September 2019. As you all know, I have forewarded his first book, West Indies in Test Matches, Facts and Feats, June 1928 – December 2013. For those who are interested in the statistical department of Test cricket, these two books are a must for you. Cricket, as we all know, is a game about facts and figures, and I know most cricket fans love to follow statistics on the game — and this book compiled by Mr. Sambhudat is a perfect one as such.

In this book Mr. Sambhudat has assembled and recorded the most important records in the game in all departments — batting, bowling, wicketkeeping, fielding, all-round, individual and a host of other topics — and I am sure you cricket fans will find it very interesting. Every chapter, the way I see it, is of importance to a cricket fan, and the best part of it is you have all the information right at your finger-tips and all up to date.

So my friends, I told you once before, and I am telling you again: these are the kinds of books cricket fans use to question each other about their knowledge of the game — during a match, or over a beer or a drink after a game, or at the local bar.

So I highly recommend that you cricket fans secure a copy of both books. I know you will find them to be very interesting and enjoyable.

Lance Gibbs West Indies off-spinner · 309 Test wickets

On the cover

Every Test nation, marked by the year it joined the game's top table — and one of its greatest players.

  • Australia 1909Sir Donald BradmanRegarded as the best batsman the game has seen — there is no batsman like the Don.
  • England 1909Sir Ian BothamOne of Test cricket's best all-rounders, famed for his performances against Australia in 1981.
  • South Africa 1909Graeme SmithThe only captain to lead his country in over 100 Test matches.
  • West Indies 1926Sir Garry SobersThe best all-rounder that ever played the game.
  • India 1926Sunil GavaskarThe first batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs.
  • New Zealand 1926Sir Richard HadleeThe first bowler to reach 400 Test wickets, and another all-round great.
  • Pakistan 1952Imran KhanOne of Test cricket's finest all-rounders.
  • Sri Lanka 1981Muttiah MuralitharanHolds the record for the most wickets in Test cricket.
  • Zimbabwe 1992Andy FlowerThe only wicketkeeper to score a century in each innings of the same Test.
  • Bangladesh 2000Sohag GaziThe first player to score a century and take a hat-trick in the same Test match.
  • Ireland 2017Kevin O'BrienScored a century on debut in his country's inaugural Test match.
  • Afghanistan 2017Hashmatullah ShahidiScored the most runs in his country's debut Test match.

At the centre — the first ever tied Test, West Indies v Australia at Brisbane, December 1960.

The full table of contents

From a brief explanation of the game to every flavour of record — batting, bowling, wicketkeeping, fielding, all-round, captaincy and the curiosities in between.

A brief explanation of Test cricket9
A few Test cricket controversies11
The Bodyline Series11
The Basil D'Oliveira Affair12
Formation of World Series Cricket (WSC)13
The Hansie Cronje match-fixing scandal13
The formation of the Indian Premier League (IPL)13
One-day cricket — different versions14
The 1st ever Test and the 1st ever day/night Test17
Australia v England, Melbourne, March 187717
Australia v New Zealand, Adelaide, November 201517
All Test countries' 1st Test — result and summarised scores20
First Test, and matches played before a first Test win21
The 1st Test and the 100th for each country, and most matches by a single player in a country's first 100 Tests24
The first 30 players to appear in 100 Test matches26
Sir Donald Bradman28
Sir Garry Sobers52
Sunil Gavaskar64
The Magnificent Four — Gavaskar & Border, first two to 10,000 Test runs74
Sachin Tendulkar88
The Golden Twins — Steve and Mark Waugh94
The Magnificent Four — Imran Khan, Richard Hadlee, Ian Botham & Kapil Dev105
Jacques Kallis107
Greatest comeback in Test cricket113
England v Australia, Headingley, July 1981114
India v Australia, Kolkata, March 2001114
Records that may never be broken (or may take a while)117
Records over a 100 years old118
Unwanted records127
Test records held by individuals and Test countries129
The 1970s133
Lord's — the Home of Cricket143
The African Connection157
Charlie Llewellyn157
John Traicos — the man with the rarest achievements in Test cricket159
Kepler Wessels160
Makhaya Ntini161
South Africa v Zimbabwe — first ever Test between two African countries163
African countries165
Zimbabwe's historic first Test v India, October 1992167
Test cricketers — weights and heights167
The lightweights, or the bean poles167
The heavyweights — excess baggage171
The tallest — head and shoulders above the rest174
The shortest — good things come in small packages175
All about Test debut177
Players who open the batting and bowling on Test debut217
Short topics of interest220
First to milestones in Tests played — Test #1 to Test #200220
Test cricket's greatest Test matches221
One-Test Wonders224
Follow-on226
Run out in both innings of a Test228
Stumped in both innings of a Test229
Worst start in the 1st innings and won230
Worst 10-wicket collapses in 4th-innings chases and loss231
Defending a small total in the 4th innings and won232
Bowled out twice on the same day232
Nightwatchman233
Losing a Test and setting a world record in that defeat234
The lowest total by a team that still won by an innings234
The most amazing escape by a batsman234
Can five batsmen be dismissed by one ball bowled?235
Some of Test cricket's biggest coincidences235
Records236
Team238
The 1st tied Test252
The 2nd tied Test255
Batting257
Ducks and pairs285
Ducks285
Pairs307
10's and 11's313
50's317
The 90's327
The 99 Club338
All about centuries in Test cricket351
Centuries at 8, 9 & 10372
The 190's and 199's393
All about double-hundreds — the 290's and 299's399
All about triple-hundreds — the 300 Club and quadruple hundred431
Bowling445
Perfect 10 — Jim Laker and Anil Kumble, all 10 wickets in an innings466
All-round — players who can make things happen495
Individual507
Wicketkeeping — sending batsmen pavilion-bound from behind the stumps516
Fielding532
Partnership535
Captaincy541
The Author

Ramnarine “Shako” Sambhudat

A cricket statistician from Crabwood Creek on the Corentyne Coast of Berbice, Guyana, Shako has spent a lifetime in love with the longest form of the game — and an extraordinary amount of patience turning its scorecards into something you can hold.

What began as one fan's devotion to West Indies cricket grew into two hand-compiled reference works spanning the entire history of Test cricket. Every figure is checked against the record; every feat earns its place. The result is part almanac, part labour of love.

Both volumes carry a foreword by Lance Gibbs — the West Indies off-spinner who took 309 Test wickets — a fitting endorsement from one of the game's own greats.

“Figures are fun — follow them with Shako.”

Get in Touch

Order a copy, or just talk cricket.

For signed copies, bulk orders, shipping beyond the listed marketplaces, or a question about the records — reach out directly. Shako reads every message.

Email
sramnarine@myyahoo.com
Phone
+1 (407) 218-0867
Online
sambhudat.org