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And is Mitch Marsh the only man to score a century and take a wicket on the first day of a Test?

Steven Lynch11-Jul-2023How many people have scored a century and taken five wickets in an ODI, as Bas de Leede did in the World Cup Qualifier? asked Carsten Wulff from the Netherlands

That astonishing performance by Bas de Leede, which almost single-handedly propelled Netherlands into the World Cup later this year, was only the fourth instance of a man scoring a century and taking a five-for in the same one-day international. But it’s fair to say that none of the others faced the pressure de Leede had: in his own version of “Basball”, he followed 5 for 52 with 123 off 92 balls as the Dutch beat Scotland in Bulawayo to clinch their place in the main event.The first to do this particular double was Viv Richards, with 119 and 5 for 41 for West Indies against New Zealand in Dunedin in 1986-87. He was followed by Paul Collingwood, with 112 not out and 6 for 31 for England vs Bangladesh at Trent Bridge in 2005, and Rohan Mustafa for United Arab Emirates against Papua New Guinea in Abu Dhabi in 2017.In women’s ODIs, New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr followed 232 not out with 5 for 17 against Ireland at Clontarf (Dublin) in 2018. And in men’s T20Is, Francisco Couana combined 104 with 5 for 19 for Mozambique against Cameroon in Rwanda in 2021-22.Mitch Marsh scored a century and later took a wicket on the first day of the third Test. How many people have done this? asked Keith McKenzie from Australia

Mitchell Marsh, in his first Test for nearly four years, scored 118 on the first day of the third Ashes Test at Headingley, and then took the wicket of Zak Crawley.I was surprised to find that only two men had previously achieved this particular double, both of them New Zealanders. The first was Giff Vivian, against South Africa in Wellington in 1931-32; he made exactly 100, and then dismissed the visitors’ captain Jock Cameron. He was joined many years later by Scott Styris, against West Indies in Auckland in 2005-06 – he followed an unbeaten 103 with the wickets of Chris Gayle and nightwatchman Ian Bradshaw.Records for women’s Tests are rather more sketchy, but it looks as if two women have also done it: Myrtle Maclagan for England against Australia in Blackpool in 1937, and Betty Wilson for Australia vs England in Adelaide in 1948-49Danni Wyatt recently made her Test debut after over 200 white-ball internationals. Was this the most, by a man or woman? asked Chris Merchant from England

Danni Wyatt made her Test debut for England recently, against Australia at Trent Bridge, after 245 white-ball internationals – 102 ODIs and 143 T20Is. That is indeed the most before a Test debut, beating 189 by Sune Luus of South Africa.The men’s record is 184 (125 ODIs and 59 T20Is) by Kevin O’Brien before his Test debut in 2018. His Ireland team-mate William Porterfield is next with 175 matches, then comes Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi with 161.The record for most white-ball internationals without ever playing a Test is 295, by New Zealand’s Suzie Bates; next comes the West Indian Deandra Dottin with 270. At the moment she’s one ahead of the leading man, South Africa’s David Miller, who has so far played 155 ODIs and 114 T20Is.Suzie Bates has played 295 internationals but is yet to make her red-ball debut for Zealand•AFP/Getty ImagesImran Khan dismissed Sunil Gavaskar with the first ball of the first Test played at Jaipur. How many other international grounds have seen a wicket from their very first ball? asked Rafay Iqbal from England

The match you’re talking about was the third Test of the 1986-87 series between India and Pakistan: Imran Khan had Sunil Gavaskar caught off the opening ball in Jaipur, which was staging its first – and to date only – Test match. Note that the Sawai Mansingh Stadium had previously held two ODIs, so this was not the first ball in international cricket there.Two other grounds have seen their Test careers begin with a wicket: Pakistan’s Mohsin Khan was trapped in front by Kapil Dev of India off the first ball of the only Test played at Burlton Park in Jalandhar, in 1983-84; it had also staged an ODI before this. And West Indies’ Chris Gayle was lbw to Suranga Lakmal of Sri Lanka off the first ball of the first Test – and first international – at the new stadium in Pallekele in 2010-11.Looking at all internationals, pride of place goes to the City Oval in Pietermaritzburg, which saw Chaminda Vaas take a hat-trick for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh with the first three deliveries there, during the 50-over World Cup early in 2003.Two other grounds have had a wicket go down to their first ball in men’s internationals: Scarborough (Barry Wood bowled by Andy Roberts for England vs West Indies in an ODI in 1976) and Windsor Park in Dominica (Tamim Iqbal caught behind off Kemar Roach for Bangladesh vs West Indies in an ODI in 2009). I remember a Sunday League game at Chelmsford many years ago, when the umpire had two walking sticks. Do you know who he was? asked Keith Mardell via Facebook

The gentleman you are thinking of was Roddy Wilson, a Yorkshireman who had one full season on the English first-class umpires’ panel, in 1978. He stood in some additional first-class games in other years, and more than 100 in the Minor Counties Championship. In his year on the first-class panel he umpired Essex’s County Championship and Sunday League games against Hampshire in Chelmsford.Roddy Wilson died in 2001 aged 69. He used a stick, sometimes two, to get around. I’m not sure why, but would hazard a guess at childhood polio. There was another Wilson umpiring at around the same time – the Lancastrian Tommy Wilson, who died earlier this year – who by coincidence had also suffered from polio as a child. Tommy remembered that Roddy, seven years his senior, eventually had to give up umpiring because he found his hands were being affected by constantly having to put weight on his arm crutches.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Somerset have felt foresaken by Hundred but diplomatic club captain has steered clear of culture war

David Hopps26-Aug-2021Tom Abell is centre stage again for Somerset’s official preview of their Vitality Blast quarter-final against Lancashire. Playing one of his trademark flips over the wicketkeeper’s head. A player admired from Wincanton to Watchet. Young Tom, 27 now, safely back in the fold just as the season reaches its climax.Somerset are in dependable hands with Abell back alongside the T20 captain, Lewis Gregory. His passion for Somerset is unstinting. They are also in the hands of a diplomat because Abell has a diplomat’s approach to life, uttering impeccably appropriate phrases with admirably steely determination.On the field, in the Blast, he prospers by dash and invention, an energising presence full of cricketing intelligence. Off the field, he plays it straight down the line, living life in the V, addressing events straight from the coaching manual. The captaincy nearly broke him in his early days; it will never remotely break him again.Related

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That diplomacy has never been more useful, this of all seasons. Abell is back from a stint with Birmingham Phoenix and mere mention of the Hundred in these parts causes a mass spluttering so great that it could cause mist to gather across the Somerset levels. No county has felt more forsaken than Somerset, its abiding love for cricket rejected because Taunton is not a city and it possesses a charming cricket ground not a high-capacity stadium.”I guess it’s obviously a slightly awkward position to be in,” Abell said. “I can understand the role in the Hundred and as a product it did exactly what it wanted to do – big crowds, good atmosphere and it generated a lot of interest in the cricket. Equally I am a very passionate Somerset player, very passionate about county cricket and I want to see county cricket thrive and I think county Twenty20 has been thriving. Cricket as a whole is in a really good place in this country.”As part of the Birmingham franchise I spent some time in a different environment and around some great people but I’m a Somerset boy and I’m excited to get back in and around the guys. We obviously still have a lot to focus on this summer.”No matter how the power structures shift in professional cricket in England in Wales over the next decade, it can be taken for granted that Abell’s bond with Taunton will never weaken.”I think cricket is at the heart of everything that goes on in Taunton,” he said. “You walk down the street and there is a very intimate feel around the place. You bump into supporters and members all the time. We are a very tight group as players, squad, coaching staff and have an incredible relationship. There is a huge amount of passion for Somerset cricket. That is what makes the place so special.”Abell has shared a dressing room with Liam Livingstone for the last month•Getty ImagesHe has had a frustrating two months, a hamstring complaint ruling him out of the bulk of the Blast’s group stages, and all but one match in the Hundred, but as he said with impeccable good sense: “I try and keep it all in perspective. Nobody enjoys being out injured. I love what I do. But there are worse things happen to other people.”In the one Phoenix match he did play, against Northern Superchargers at Headingley, he got a close-up view of the last blows from Liam Livingstone, on his way to an unbeaten 92 from 40 balls with 10 sixes. A threat, obviously, to Abell’s happy homecoming in the quarter-final.”He is a huge player, currently one of the best white-ball players in the world,” Abell said. “I have been watching him in the last month and to be brutally honest I didn’t think he was as good as he is. We’ll obviously be trying to negate his threat.”Somerset have challenges of their own, not least the loss of Devon Conway’s calming influence at the top of the order (he broke a finger in the Hundred and has flown home) which is bound to change the dynamic; James Hildreth is a likely candidate to fill in. Lewis Goldsworthy is also absent with illness while Craig Overton is playing for England in Leeds.Abell is returning at a vital time. Somerset loves him. Whether he will awake on Friday morning with Somerset still contesting two trophies – not just the Blast, but that elusive first Championship title – will soon be revealed.

In the MLB postseason, teams have to be ready to adjust on the fly. This is doubly true for do-or-die elimination games, such as Friday night’s decisive Game 5 between the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers.

In a game where one run might decide the difference between your season ending and your quest for the World Series carrying on, a team might have to pinch run for a better player than you normally would, or bring in a starting pitcher out of the bullpen to keep the game going, or any number of other bold strategies we only see in the playoffs.

And sometimes, in extreme circumstances, you have to let the loser fish win the mascot race.

The Mariners have hosted the Salmon Run—a mascot race around the warning track—at every home game at T-Mobile Park since the start of the 2024 season. Like many mascot races, the Salmon Run includes a lovable loser, who earns their status as a crowd favorite despite never coming in first. In Seattle, that’s Humpy.

As Friday’s game carried into the 14th inning, someone high atop the production team made a call—there would be a second “Salmon Run.” And this time, Humpy would win.

With the initial Salmon Run taking place before the game went to extras, it was decided that a second race would be run in the middle of the 15th inning, at which point the game was still tied 2–2 with the Mariners up to bat.

Despite falling behind early, the other salmon contenders ran into each other late, and Humpy was able to sneak through for their first ever victory. The crowd was electric.

Less than 10 minutes later, the Mariners would finally score the walk-off run that sent them to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2001.

Obviously, it’s the players on the field that deserve the most credit for the win, but I do think it’s worth shouting out Humpy and whatever production staff was behind the decision to run a second race.

Before Humpy’s victory, things at T-Mobile Park were . The Mariners had gotten runners in scoring position several times in extra innings, but never able to bring them home. The ballpark was still packed despite the game nearly entering its sixth hour.

When you have a loser in the mascot race and you want them to win, you can only fire that bullet once, but given the circumstances, there was simply no better time for the Mariners’ stadium ops team to pull the trigger. The result was an explosion of joy across the tens of thousands of fans at T-Mobile Park, which also served as a collective exhale after two hours of baseball that were as edge-of-your-seat as the sport can get.

The gambit worked. Humpy and the Mariners left Friday’s game as winners. Who doesn’t love an underdog story?

Manchester United have now submitted a £24m opening bid for a “powerful” midfielder, who has been compared to Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.

Man Utd stepping up new midfielder pursuit

Man United could smash their transfer record to get a new midfielder through the door, having set out to bolster their options in the engine room in 2026, and Wharton has been identified as one of their top targets, even though the Eagles are set to hold out for over £100m.

The Red Devils are confident they’ll be able to sign the Englishman, and it is little wonder they are so keen, given the level of some of his performances so far this season.

However, given that the move would be on the expensive side, it remains to be seen whether a deal will be possible, and some cheaper alternative targets have now been identified.

According to a report from Sport Time (via Sport Witness), Man United have now submitted an opening offer of €28m (£24m) for Olympiacos’ Christos Mouzakitis, who has started to attract interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Real Madrid have also made a slightly higher bid, but the Greek club aren’t in a rush to sanction a departure, and they are hoping to receive €40m (£35m) for the midfielder’s services in the January transfer window.

Olympiacos aren’t even willing to listen to proposals of less than €30m (£26m), so if a January deal is going to transpire, Ruben Amorim’s side will have to increase their offer.

"Powerful" Mouzakitis could be low-cost Wharton alternative

The advantage of signing Wharton is that he is already proven in the Premier League, but over £100m is a huge amount to pay for any player, and the Olympiacos star could be an interesting alternative option.

In fact, the 18-year-old has been directly compared to the Crystal Palace star by scout Ben Mattinson, who said: “Mouzakitis is a highly technical #8. As a profile if I was to compare him to someone, I’d say Adam Wharton and Granit Xhaka.”

“He’s that type of left footed #8 who’s tenacious off the ball, incredibly crisp passing through the lines, powerful ball striker, good weight of pass…”

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The starlet, who has made five Champions League appearances this season, also has a keen eye for creating chances, averaging 0.47 assists per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 99th percentile compared to other midfielders.

As such, the seven-time Greek international could be an exciting long-term addition to Amorim’s squad, but Man United should also bring in a midfielder who has more experience at the top level, with Mouzakitis yet to prove himself in one of Europe’s major leagues.

Tottenham Hotspur’s attack in 2025/26 has fallen way below the standards Thomas Frank will have expected, with the Dane previously working with numerous elite-level talents.

During his time as Brentford manager, he oversaw the likes of Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo, with both players managing to register 20+ goal seasons in the Premier League.

At present, the Lilywhites don’t have a player capable of achieving such feats, with Richarlison the current top scorer on five goals from his first 12 appearances.

Investment is no doubt needed during the upcoming transfer windows to provide the manager with the ammunition he will need to take the club to the next level.

With January rapidly approaching on the horizon, the hierarchy have already wasted no time in targeting multiple players who will improve the situation within the final third.

Spurs’ hunt for added attacking signings this January

Over the last couple of weeks, Spurs have been named as just one of the Premier League sides interested in a move to land Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

They aren’t alone in their pursuit of the Ghanaian international, with Arsenal and Liverpool just two other clubs interested in a deal for the 25-year-old this winter.

According to TEAMtalk, the Lilywhites are willing to meet the attacker’s current £65m release clause, but it’s unclear if the player himself would be open to a move to North London.

However, he’s not the only attacker currently being lined up by the Spurs hierarchy, with Porto centre-forward Samu Aghehowa another talent the board are closely monitoring.

The Spaniard has already scored 11 times in his 18 appearances across all competitions, subsequently showcasing the impressive goalscoring nature he possesses in the final third.

The same news outlet has also confirmed that the Lilywhites are also willing to fork out a reported £80m for the 21-year-old’s signature, which could see the hierarchy splash £145m on the pair.

Why Spurs’ £102k targets would be Frank’s answer to Son & Kane

Over the last few seasons, the Spurs faithful have been massively blessed with numerous attacking talents, but none more so than Heung-min Son and Harry Kane.

The pair featured together for just shy of a decade in North London, with the duo breaking numerous long-standing records during their time alongside one another.

As a result of their success alongside each other in the Premier League, they combined between one another for a staggering 47 goals in England’s top-flight.

Such a tally is higher than any other partnership in the division’s 33-year history, highlighting the success they achieved when featuring together at the Lilywhites.

However, none of the players remain on the books in North London, with Son moving to LAFC in the recent summer window, whilst Kane joined Bayern Munich a little over two years ago.

Frank will no doubt be wishing he could rely upon such stars in the present day, but he could be about to get his own version, if the hierarchy complete deals for Semenyo and Samu this January.

The former of the duo would likely occupy the left-wing position, but did possess a huge attacking threat, as seen by his tally of nine combined goals and assists in the Premier League this season.

His underlying stats further showcase his talents in attacking areas this campaign, with the Ghanaian completing 1.9 dribbles and creating an average of 1.4 chances per 90.

Out of possession, the Cherries star has been just as impressive, subsequently making 5.3 recoveries and winning possession 0.9 times per 90 in the final third – with both ranking him in the top 15% of attackers in the league.

Games played

11

Goals & assists

9

Take-ons completed

1.9

Chances created

1.4

Progressive passes

3.6

Passes into opposition box

1.6

Shots on target

1.3

Recoveries made

5.3

However, he could form a deadly partnership with Samu in the years to come, with the Spaniard potentially being the beneficiary of Semenyo’s quality in North London.

During his spell in Portugal with Porto, the 21-year-old has already demonstrated his clinical nature, as seen by his remarkable tally of 36 goals in his first 60 outings for the club.

This campaign alone, he’s posted a 64% shot on target accuracy rate, whilst achieving a 0.86 goal per 90 record – ranking him in the top

8% of all strikers in Europe to date.

His tally of 5.9 touches in the opposition box per 90 showcases his picker instincts, which could see him getting on the end of Semenyo’s mazy runs in North London.

The duo, who earn a combined £102k, would cost a reported £145m this January, but such a figure would be superb business for two players of their quality.

Since Kane and Son’s respective departures, the club have been lacking quality in forward areas, with various moves for Semenyo and Samu finally handing Frank the talent he’s craved since taking the reins.

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