Nathan Lyon is set to play his 100th consecutive Test when Australia and England meet at Lord’s from Wednesday.
The second Ashes Test sees the visiting spinner bring up an unprecedented landmark for a bowler and here, the PA news agency looks at his record in that time.
Six of the bestLyon will become only the sixth man to play 100 consecutive Tests, with the others all specialist batters including one regular wicketkeeper – current England coach Brendon McCullum, whose 101 Tests without missing a game mark the next figure for Lyon to pass. McCullum took the gloves in 52 of those games.
India’s Sunil Gavaskar and Australia’s Mark Waugh played 106 and 107 consecutive Tests respectively, both in Lyon’s sights barring injury or a shock omission.
Allan Border’s Australian record of 153 successive appearances will surely remain out of reach, however, along with former England captain Sir Alastair Cook’s world record of 159.
Even the other regular bowlers on the list were all-rounders, with Sir Garry Sobers closest behind Lyon with 85 consecutive appearances for the West Indies.
Kapil Dev had separate runs of 66 and 65 for India, missing only one Test in his 131-match career, while Lord Ian Botham also played 65 in a row for England between 1978 and 1984.
In terms of specialist bowlers, spinner Anil Kumble’s 60 consecutive Tests for India from 1992 to 2000 is the longest run other than Lyon’s.
Five from 500Lyon’s 495 Test wickets rank eighth all time and fourth among spinners, with the fairytale prospect of bringing up 500 and adding his name to the famous Lord’s honours board in the process.
On his previous visits to the Home of Cricket, he took one for 53 and two for 27 in 2015 and three for 68 before a wicketless second innings in 2019.
He needs 24 wickets to catch former West Indies paceman Courtney Walsh for the next spot on the list, though compatriot Glenn McGrath could remain out of reach in sixth, 68 ahead of Lyon.
England’s long-standing new-ball pair James Anderson (686) and Stuart Broad (588) are in the top five along with the other spinners on the list – Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan clear on 800, Australia great Shane Warne taking 708 and India’s Anil Kumble splitting Anderson and Broad with 619.
Since his debut in August 2011, Lyon has missed only four of the 125 Tests Australia have played – against India at Perth in 2012 and Hyderabad the following year, plus the first two games of the 2013 Ashes in England.
Since being recalled at Old Trafford in August 2013 he has been ever-present, taking 419 wickets at an average of 30.60 including 20 of his 23 five-wicket hauls.
He has four 10-wicket matches along the way, with his best figures of eight for 50 in an innings and 13 for 154 in a match both set in 2017 against India and Bangladesh respectively.
His run of 99 Tests so far includes 109 wickets in 29 Ashes Tests and 99 in 21 against India, with double figures of Tests too against South Africa (13) and Pakistan (12). Eight games against New Zealand, seven each against the West Indies and Sri Lanka and two against Bangladesh complete the list.
IPL: Gaikwad inspires CSK to emphatic victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad
Ruturaj Gaikwad inspired Chennai Super Kings to a 78-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.
CSK lost by six wickets to Lucknow Super Giants in their last outing, but they bounced back in emphatic fashion on Sunday.
Captain Gaikwad was in rampant form, plundering 98 runs from 54 balls, a knock that included 10 fours and three sixes, while Daryl Mitchell added a useful 52.
Tushar Deshpande subsequently picked up the mantle with the ball, taking 4-27, including dismissing Hyderabad's top three - Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Anmolpreet Singh.
Aiden Markram offered some resistance with a 26-ball 32, but once skipper Pat Cummins also fell to Deshpande, the game was all but up.
Jaydev Unadkat was the final one to tumble, as Hyderabad were bowled out for 134 and saw CSK move above them into third in the standings.
Data Debrief: Gaikwad on Kohli's heels
With 447 runs across nine innings, Gaikwad is now second on the list of leading run scorers in the IPL this season, behind only the great Virat Kohli (500).
Gaikward, though, has the better strike-rate at 149.49, while he is averaging 63.86.
Hayley Matthews leads from the front as West Indies Women take 2-0 lead over Pakistan Women with seven-wicket victory at Karachi
In yet another stunning performance, West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews led her team to a commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan Women, securing a 2-0 lead in their five-match T20 series in Karachi on Sunday.
Matthews showcased her all-round prowess by first starring with the ball, taking an impressive 3 wickets for just 25 runs to restrict Pakistan Women to 121-7 in their allotted 20 overs. Despite a resilient 55 from Muneeba Ali, the hosts struggled against the visitors’ bowling attack, with Matthews leading the charge. She received support from Chinelle Henry, Karishma Ramharack, and Afy Fletcher, each claiming a wicket to stifle Pakistan’s batting efforts. Matthews also contributed to a crucial run-out that ended Pakistan’s innings.
With a manageable target of 122 for victory, Matthews continued her dominance, opening the batting for West Indies Women. She began her innings aggressively, smashing 10 boundaries on her way to a match-high 58 runs off just 43 balls. Her attacking display laid a solid foundation for the run chase.
Supported by contributions from Shemaine Campbelle (21) and Chedean Nation (unbeaten 17), Matthews guided her team to victory in emphatic fashion, sealing the win with 10 balls to spare.
Matthews’ outstanding performance with both bat and ball underscores her invaluable role as a leader and key player for the West Indies Women’s team. Her contributions have been instrumental in securing consecutive victories against Pakistan Women, setting a strong foundation for the remainder of the series.
The West Indies Women will look to build on this momentum as they aim to maintain their winning streak and clinch the series against Pakistan Women in the upcoming matches.
Motie's heroics lead West Indies A to victory over Nepal in T20 thriller: Series level at 1-1
In a thrilling encounter at Kirtipur, Gudakesh Motie emerged as the standout performer for West Indies A, propelling his team to a crucial victory over Nepal in the second T20 International to level the five-match series at 1-1. Motie's exceptional all-round display, featuring an unbeaten 33 off just eight balls and impactful bowling, played a pivotal role in securing the win.
Batting first, West Indies A faced early setbacks but rallied behind Andre Fletcher's resilient 43 and Captain Roston Chase's 23. However, wickets fell at regular intervals, leaving the team in a precarious position at 115 for 7. When Fletcher departed, the onus fell on Motie to provide a late surge. With only 13 balls remaining, Motie unleashed a blitz, smashing two fours and four sixes to power his team to a competitive total of 160 for 7. Matthew Forde contributed with an unbeaten 11 as Sagar Dhakal and Kushal Bhurtel each picked up crucial wickets for Nepal.
In response, Nepal's captain Rohit Paudel led the charge with a magnificent 71 off 48 balls, keeping his team in contention. However, Nepal's batting struggled against the West Indies A bowling attack, with only Gulsan Jha offering notable support with 26 runs. Motie continued to make an impact with the ball, claiming 2 crucial wickets for 244 runs alongside Obed McCoy, who showed signs of returning to form with his 2 for 24.
Despite Paudel's heroics, Nepal fell short in their chase, ultimately conceding victory to West Indies A by 10 runs. Motie's exceptional performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
The third match in the series is set for Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
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