Five weird and bizarre cricket records of all time
What's the story
Cricket is a gentlemen's game as it is also famously called the game of glorious uncertainties. It is this uncertainty that makes the game so special that a number of records get scripted in the process. However, over the years, we have also witnessed some weird and bizarre records. While there are a number of such records, we take a look at a few.
Deliveries
17: Most deliveries in an over
If a bowler bowls an illegal delivery (no-ball or wide), it is counted as an extra and the over gets only finished when six legal deliveries are bowled. In a bizarre instance, 17 deliveries were bowled in an over, as Pakistan's Mohammad Sami recorded the unwanted feat against Bangladesh in an ODI. The over included seven wides and four no-balls, costing 22 runs.
Shortest Test
Test match lasting only 110 overs
Test cricket is the longest format, with the game scheduled to be played over five days. While there have been instances of Tests getting washed out, ever wondered which one was the shortest yet produced a result? The record stands for a match between Australia and South Africa where only 656 deliveries were bowled, as the former won by an innings and 72 runs.
Duck
Kiwi bats 77 balls for a duck
A duck in the game is always considered unfortunate. Moreover, there are quite a few types of ducks, such as the golden duck, diamond duck, and pair. Do you know which has been the most humiliating duck to date? New Zealand's Geoff Allott registered a duck after facing 77 deliveries against South Africa in a 1999 Test. With this, he scripted an unwanted record.
Most ducks
Most ducks in international career
In follow-up, there is another bizarre and unwanted record held by an individual involving ducks. If scoring a duck a couple of times was not unfortunate enough, this guy holds the record of the most number of ducks in his international career. Sri Lanka's legendary spinner Muttiah Muralitharan scripted a total of 59 ducks. But we know that his bowling did all the talking.
Slowest half-century
Slowest half-century in Test history
Test cricket is often painful to watch, as batsmen tend to take their time to score runs. However, sometimes batsmen go overboard to play a really long and slow innings. In the same context, England's Trevor Bailey scripted history when he played 350 deliveries to bring up his half-century. To date, it remains as the slowest half-century in the sport.