An elite club of triple centurions

An elite club of triple centurions
England’s Harry Brook, right, celebrates after scoring a triple century during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and England at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on Oct. 10, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 24 October 2024
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An elite club of triple centurions

An elite club of triple centurions
  • The most recent of 32 players to achieve that landmark was England’s Harry Brook against Pakistan in Multan on Oct. 10

For an individual to score 300 runs or more in a single innings must be regarded as the pinnacle of batting achievement. This feat of supreme technical skill, concentration and physical endurance has been achieved 32 times in Test cricket by 28 men. The most recent was Harry Brook for England against Pakistan in Multan on Oct. 10 this year.

Brook shared a partnership of 454 runs with Joe Root, one of the finest batters of his generation, now the fifth highest scoring player in Test match history. Root reached 262, the closest he has come to the magical figure.

Once a player reaches the pinnacle, is that an end in itself or are expectations heightened for future performances?

Scoring 300 is not a reliable predictor of future success — ask Brook and Root. In the second Test in Multan they scored 23 and 52, respectively. Although it was the same pitch, its condition was deteriorating, allowing Pakistan’s spinners to exert control. The result levelled the series and brought England back to ground.

The circumstances under which triple hundreds have been scored vary, as do the consequences for those who managed to do so. The distribution of the 32 scores over time is very uneven. Until 1990, it was a reasonable quiz question to ask — name the 10 players who have scored a triple hundred in Tests. All but three were either English or Australian.

The exceptions were Hanif Mohammad of Pakistan, and West Indians Garfield Sobers and Laurence Rowe. Not only was Rowe the only player to have scored a triple hundred in the 1970s, but he was also the only one to do so between 1966 and 1990. Sadly, his career was cut short by an eye condition and injury.

Prior to Sobers and Mohammad in 1958, all previous triple hundreds were scored in the 1930s. The first was in April 1930 by Andrew Sandham of England, aged 39, against the West Indies. This was Sandham’s final Test match and was also a “timeless” Test. On the eighth day, bad weather prevented any play and a draw was agreed. Three months later, Donald Bradman scored 334 against England at Leeds, only to be outscored by England’s Wally Hammond with 336 in 1934. All were eclipsed by Len Hutton’s undefeated 364 against Australia in 1938.

These players were the cream of their generation and it is no surprise that their abilities were expressed in terms of triple hundreds. Some fortune is often needed along the way. Hutton survived a fumbled stumping opportunity and was facing a below-strength fast bowling attack. Hammond gave three chances against a New Zealand bowling attack that was new to Test cricket.

There is no mention of dropped chances in Hanif’s innings of 970 minutes, the longest in Test cricket, an astonishing feat of endurance. He succeeded in saving the first Test match for Pakistan against the West Indies in 1958. In the third Test of the same series, Sobers, aged 21, was facing criticism for failing to realize his potential. Three key Pakistani bowlers suffered injuries and Sobers took full advantage on a benign pitch. It is typical of the man that his first hundred in Test cricket should be a triple.

Two other players have achieved that feat. One was Australia’s Bobby Simpson against England in 1964. Remarkably, Simpson, who had been playing Test cricket for seven years, often as an opener, had failed to score a century in that time. His triple century was also the first scored by the captain of a Test team. India’s Karun Nair was the other player to turn a first hundred into a triple. Blessed with outstanding talent, he made his debut for India against England in November 2016. In the next Test, he scored 303 from 381 deliveries faced. He played only four more Tests, his last innings against Australia in March 2017, when he scored five, after which he was sidelined. His triple hundred was no predictor of future success.

Brian Lara is the only player to have scored 400 in a Test match. This was in 2004 against England in Antigua. England led 3-0 in the four-match series and Lara’s captaincy was under threat. England’s bowling attack was weakened by injury and illness during the match and he took advantage, batting 13 hours and facing 582 deliveries. The feat was not universally applauded. Some called it a selfish act, not in the interests of his team. As it was, England were able to save the match, batting long into its second innings.

This innings by Lara was in very different circumstances to the one 10 years earlier when he scored 375 against England, also in Antigua. Although he batted for a similar length of time, he faced fewer deliveries (358). There had been an expectation for some time that Lara was the player who could surpass Sobers’ record. In the series, West Indies led 2-1 and a benign pitch provided Lara with the opportunity. When he overtook Sobers’ score of 365 the crowd erupted, flooding the field, along with assorted camera crews.

Lara’s record stood for almost 10 years, broken in October 2003 by Australia’s Matthew Hayden, who bullied a weak Zimbabwean attack and scored an unbeaten 380. Perhaps this rankled, making Lara determined to reclaim the record when the chance came six months later. In the same year, Lara also made the highest ever first-class score, an unbeaten 501 for Warwickshire against Durham.

If there are any common themes amongst the triple centurions, it is that there was sufficient time in the game for the feat to be achieved — all but two were scored in a first innings. They took advantage of the opportunity by dint of a mix of skill, good fortune, benign pitches, weakened bowling attacks and extreme physical effort. A number of players have fallen short, the saddest being Martin Crowe of New Zealand. In 1991, he edged to the wicketkeeper on 299. How that must have haunted him.


ICC to decide fate of Pakistan’s Champions Trophy on Friday

ICC to decide fate of Pakistan’s Champions Trophy on Friday
Updated 28 min 37 sec ago
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ICC to decide fate of Pakistan’s Champions Trophy on Friday

ICC to decide fate of Pakistan’s Champions Trophy on Friday
  • India has declined to play in Pakistan over security concerns, which the hosts have dismissed
  • Last year, when Pakistan hosted Asia Cup, India’s matches were played outside the country

KARACHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) will meet this week to determine the destiny of next year’s Champions Trophy after India refused to play in host nation Pakistan, a spokesman said Tuesday.

Earlier this month, the ICC informed the Pakistan Cricket Board that India would not tour Pakistan for the eight-team tournament, leaving the fate of the event hanging in the balance.

The nuclear-armed neighbors have fought three wars since being carved out of the subcontinent’s partition in 1947 and that rivalry is often reflected on the cricket field.

A spokesman for the ICC based in Dubai told AFP they could “confirm an ICC meeting on Friday” where the issue will be on the agenda, without providing further details.

The PCB has already rejected proposals that would allow India to play in a neutral third country, insisting the full schedule from February 19 to March 9 must be staged on their turf.

India’s cricket board has not commented on the tournament.

Deteriorating political ties mean bitter rivals India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral cricket series for over a decade — squaring off only in ICC multi-nation events.

Pakistan suffered a years-long drought of matches at home as teams refused to visit after a 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore. International play only fully resumed in 2020.

When Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup, India’s matches were played outside the country.

But Pakistani cricket chiefs have rejected security fears for the Champions Trophy, pointing to their recent successful hosting of top teams including Australia, England, and South Africa.

The Champions Trophy will be the first ICC event staged in Pakistan since it co-hosted the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.


Lewandowski hits Champions League century as Barca beat Brest

Lewandowski hits Champions League century as Barca beat Brest
Updated 27 November 2024
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Lewandowski hits Champions League century as Barca beat Brest

Lewandowski hits Champions League century as Barca beat Brest
  • It made Lewandowski only the third player to reach that milestone in the competition, behind former Barcelona great Lionel Messi, on 129, and former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, with 140

BARCELONA: Robert Lewandowski scored his 100th Champions League goal as Barcelona beat Brest 3-0 to climb provisionally second in the Champions League group standings on Tuesday.
The veteran striker slotted home from the spot in the 10th minute to fire the Catalans ahead and reach his milestone, adding a second late on after Dani Olmo’s goal to inflict the French side’s first defeat.
After dropping points in their last two outings in La Liga, coach Hansi Flick had urged his players to “eliminate” mistakes in their game and Barca produced a solid display.
They got off the mark quickly when Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot clumsily clattered into the back of Lewandowski after the forward controlled Pedri’s cross on his chest.
The striker dusted himself down and dispatched the penalty clinically to open the scoring after 10 minutes and bring up his century.
It made Lewandowski only the third player to reach that milestone in the competition, behind former Barcelona great Lionel Messi, on 129, and former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, with 140.
Under Flick, the forward’s form has improved significantly this season, reaching 22 goals in 19 appearances between La Liga and the Champions League.
The 36-year-old has made 125 Champions League appearances with Barcelona and before that German sides Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
“I am very happy, many years ago I did not think I could score more than 100 goals in the Champions League,” Lewandowski told Movistar.
“For me the most important thing is that we try to win every game, if I can score, then that’s the perfect solution.
“I don’t know how many games we have left before the end of the year but we have to win them all and rest over Christmas.”
Barcelona were still without teenage star Lamine Yamal, recovering from an ankle problem, but Raphinha was busy on the right and the Catalans dominated proceedings.
They did not create many clear chances though until Fermin Lopez forced a fine save from Bizot with a diving header.
The Dutch goalkeeper made amends for his earlier mistake by denying the Spaniard with his leg.
Lopez again came close early in the second half when Lewandowski put him in with a neat flick but Bizot was alert to save his low effort.
Playmaker Olmo had an effort scrambled off the line by Brendan Chardonnet as Barcelona sought to put the game to bed.
The former RB Leipzig midfielder eventually grabbed the second in the 66th minute when he received Gerard Martin’s pass in the box, showing some nifty footwork to dodge Chardonnet and beat Bizot at the near post.
Brest thumped RB Salzburg 4-0 and had dropped just two points from their first four matches despite sitting in mid-table in Ligue 1, but were brought down to earth at the Olympic Stadium.
Mathias Pereira Lage drilled home to momentarily delight nearly 3,000 traveling supporters but their joy was curtailed when the linesman raised his flag for offside.
Barca substitute Pablo Torre should have netted Barcelona’s third when he intercepted a pass with just the goalkeeper to beat, but fired wide.
Instead the job fell to Lewandowski and he rolled home his 101st Champions League goal with aplomb, beyond Bizot’s outstretched arm.
Brest fall a few places down the table but their strong start to the campaign means they are well placed to secure at least a play-off spot, while Barcelona are aiming to reach the last 16 directly.
Flick’s side travel to last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund next, before visiting Benfica and hosting Atalanta.


Man City blows 3-goal lead and gets booed by fans in draw with Feyenoord in Champions League

Man City blows 3-goal lead and gets booed by fans in draw with Feyenoord in Champions League
Updated 27 November 2024
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Man City blows 3-goal lead and gets booed by fans in draw with Feyenoord in Champions League

Man City blows 3-goal lead and gets booed by fans in draw with Feyenoord in Champions League
MANCHESTER, England: Manchester City’s players were booed by their own fans Tuesday after blowing a three-goal lead against Feyenoord in the Champions League to extend their winless run to six games.
Jeers rang around the Etihad Stadium after the final whistle of a dramatic 3-3 draw.
After five-straight losses in all competitions, City looked to be cruising to victory after going three up inside 50 minutes. But Feyenoord mounted an improbable comeback and leveled the game in the 89th minute to leave the home crowd stunned.
While the worst losing streak of Guardiola’s managerial career was brought to an end, his wait for a first win since Oct. 26 goes on.
Erling Haaland had scored twice, with Ilkay Gundogan also on target to put City in control. But goals from Anis Hadj Moussa in the 75th, Santiago Gimenez in the 82nd and David Hancko in the 89th turned the game on its head.
City’s players, including Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol and Haaland looked visibly frustrated as they left the field to cheers of the delirious traveling Dutch fans in the away section of the stadium.
City plays Premier League leader Liverpool on Sunday — defeat would leave it 11 points adrift of its title rival.

Al-Hilal book spot in knockout stage of AFC Champions League Elite

Al-Hilal book spot in knockout stage of AFC Champions League Elite
Updated 27 November 2024
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Al-Hilal book spot in knockout stage of AFC Champions League Elite

Al-Hilal book spot in knockout stage of AFC Champions League Elite
  • The 3 Saudi teams maintain stranglehold on 12-team Group B after matchday 5 of 8, with Al-Ahli top on 15 points, followed by Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr on 13
  • Riyadh side open scoring in 10th minute but Al-Sadd remain a threat throughout highly competitive encounter and the pressure pays off with an equalizer after 71 minutes

DOHA: A 1-1 draw with Al-Sadd in Qatar on Tuesday was enough for Al-Hilal to book their place in the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League Elite with three group games to spare.
The three Saudi teams in the competition maintain their stranglehold on the 12-team Group B after the fifth round of games, with Al-Ahli topping the group on a maximum 15 points, two ahead of Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr. All three have already qualified for the last 16.
During a highly competitive encounter in Qatar, the result of which might have gone either way, Al-Sadd asked some tough questions of the visitors early on, perhaps aware of how Al-Khaleej came back from two goals down to defeat Al-Hilal 3-2 in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday.
However, it was the men from Riyadh who opened the scoring in the 10th minute. Mohammed Kanno rose high at the near post to meet a Salem Al-Dawsari corner and flick it on to defender Ali Al-Bulaihi, who was waiting to slide the ball home from close range with the kind of goal-scoring instincts teammate Aleksandar Mitrovic would surely have been proud of.
Five minutes later, the Serbian striker himself had a great chance but headed over with the goal at his mercy. Marcos Leonardo came closer just before the break with a low shot from outside the box that goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham did well to get a hand to.
It was not all one-way traffic, however. Al-Sadd, winners of the Champions League in 2011, had a couple of good efforts in the first half, with Youcef Atal and Mohammed Camara asking the questions.
Early in the second half, Akram Afif — recently crowned the successor to Al-Dawsari as AFC Player of the Year — shot just wide from outside the box as he tried to get more into the game.
The tie was almost put beyond the home side on the hour mark but Mitrovic shot just wide from close range after Nasser Al-Dawsari whipped in a fierce cross from the left.
Al-Sadd, however, started to pile on the pressure and were rewarded with the equalizer in the 71st minute. Afif curled a low cross around the defense from the left and Paulo Otavio got to the ball just ahead of goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Al-Sadd continued to press forward and looked the likelier of the two teams to score, with Tarek Salman heading against the crossbar with Bounou beaten.
There was still time, though for the video assistant referee to consider, and reject, three Al-Hilal shouts for penalties, the last of which came in the 15th minute of added time. Ultimately, though, the spoils were shared and that was enough for Al-Hilal on the night.


AC Milan and Atletico Madrid each win to near automatic qualifying spots in Champions League

AC Milan and Atletico Madrid each win to near automatic qualifying spots in Champions League
Updated 26 November 2024
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AC Milan and Atletico Madrid each win to near automatic qualifying spots in Champions League

AC Milan and Atletico Madrid each win to near automatic qualifying spots in Champions League
  • Christian Pulisic put the seven-time champion ahead midway through the first half by finishing off a counterattack
  • Alvaraz and Griezmann lead Atletico to 6-0 rout

ROME: AC Milan followed up their win at Real Madrid with a 3-2 victory at last-place Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Christian Pulisic put the seven-time champion ahead midway through the first half by finishing off a counterattack. Then Rafael Leao restored the Rossoneri’s advantage after Tigran Barseghyan had equalized for Bratislava and Tammy Abraham quickly added another.
Nino Marcelli scored with a long-range strike in the 88th for Bratislava, which ended with 10 men.
Milan moved up to 10th place in the new single-league format and within sight of the automatic qualifying spots. Bratislava have lost all five of their matches.
Milan won 3-1 at Madrid in their previous match.
Alvaraz and Griezmann lead Atletico to 6-0 rout
Argentina World Cup winner Julian Alvaraz scored twice, and Atletico Madrid routed Sparta Prague 6-0 to move up to ninth.
Alvaraz scored with a free kick 15 minutes in and Marcos Llorente added a long-range strike before the break. Alvaraz finished off a counterattack early in the second half after being set up by substitute Antoine Griezmann, who then marked his 100th Champions League game by getting on the scoresheet himself.
Angel Correa added a late brace for Atletico.
Atletico beat Paris Saint-Germain in the previous round and extended their winning streak across all competitions to six matches.
Sparta remained in the elimination places with four points.
The top eight finishers in the standings advance directly to the round of 16 in March. Teams ranked ninth to 24th go into a knockout playoffs round in February, while the bottom 12 teams are eliminated.