Let's get quizical. Answers

We now have the answers for our quiz, which many who looked through this found tough. We have 3 entries and a winner.  Well done Jonathan Winsky for your dilligent ressearch.  For those who didn't enter this a useful potted history of some landmarks for our team. 

NOVEMBER

All statistics were correct when the quiz was completed on 29/10/2015.

Unless otherwise stated, all players referenced in the quiz have appeared for Middlesex in a first team game be it a first-class, List A or Twenty20 match.

1/ In a County Championship match at Lord’s, which opposition player was run out after collapsing in agony attempting a quick single, having torn the Achilles tendon in his left leg?

ü  C.B.Fry.

Middlesex v Sussex @ Lord’s on 24th-26th May 1906.

Opening the batting in Sussex’s second innings, Fry played the ball rather wide to mid-on and started for an attempted quick single off the bowling of JT Hearne. However, his left leg gave way and before he could limp back to the crease his bails had been removed and he was run out for 36.

Fry had to be carried from the field of play, in horrendous pain, to the pavilion by the Middlesex fielders. A subsequent medical exam revealed the damage to his Achilles tendon.

2/ Who was Middlesex’s first professional captain?

ü  Denis Compton.

In 1951 Compton was appointed joint captain of Middlesex together with Bill Edrich (who became an amateur after the war). He remained captain until 1952. Edrich took sole charge of the side from 1953-1957.

3/ In what year did Middlesex lose to Herefordshire in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy?

ü  2001: Herefordshire won by 3 wickets.

4/ Norman Featherstone & Will Slack are the only players in the club’s history to register what feat?

ü  Featherstone and Slack are the only players to post an unbeaten century in both innings of a first-class match for Middlesex.

N.G.Featherstone 127* & 100*, Kent v Middlesex, County Championship Match @ St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, 2nd, 4th-5th August 1975.

W.N.Slack 163* & 105*, Middlesex v Glamorgan, County Championship Match @ Lord's, 16th, 18th-19th July 1988.

5/ During which first-class match did Middlesex use three wicket-keepers in one afternoon?

ü  Middlesex v West Indians @ Lord’s on 31st, 2nd & 3rd August 1976.

During the 1976 season four wicket-keepers were used in the immediate aftermath of John Murray’s retirement in 1975. Indeed, Murray was asked to come back but declined.

In their victory over the touring West Indians, Ian Gould was away on a Young England tour and the first choice Nigel Ross was injured. In the afternoon session on Day 1, his replacement Rodney Kinkead-Weekes broke a thumb. He was replaced by Mike Brearley, who in turn was replaced by Roland Butcher after hurting his back.

Middlesex v Leicestershire, County Championship (Division 2) Match @ Southgate on 28^th April-1^st May 2009 was suggested for this question.

Although Middlesex used five wicketkeepers in this match, from my research only two played on any one day.

Ben Scott was taken ill at the start of Day 3. Eoin Morgan kept wicket up for most of the morning (to the 63rd over of Leicestershire’s first innings), until David Nash arrived from a second team game at Beckenham.

Nash was injured in the warm-ups before the start of play on Day 4. Therefore, Neil Dexter kept wicket until John Simpson (also seconded from Beckenham) arrived to take over.

6 /On two separate occasions in his Test career, who took eight wickets in one innings but failed to take ten wickets in the match?

ü  Glenn McGrath.

8-38 & 1-65, 2nd Test: England v Australia at Lord's, June 19th-23rd 1997.

1-44 & 8-24, 1st Test: Australia v Pakistan at Perth, December 16th-19th 2004.

7/ Which pair put on a 150 run partnership for the first wicket, in a first-class match for Middlesex, three times within a fortnight?

ü  J.Douglas and A.E.Stoddart in 1896.

176 (1^st Innings): Yorkshire v Middlesex, County Championship Match @ Park Avenue Ground, Bradford on 17th-19th August 1896.

158 (1^st Innings): Nottinghamshire v Middlesex, County Championship Match @ Trent Bridge, Nottingham on 20th-22nd August 1896.

166 (2^nd Innings): Middlesex v Kent, County Championship Match @ Lord’s on 27th-29th August 1896.

ü  Sydney Brown and Jack Robertson in 1947.

310 (1^st Innings): Middlesex v Nottinghamshire, County Championship Match @ Lord’s on 11^th-13^th June 1947.

222 (1^st Innings): Middlesex v Yorkshire, County Championship Match @ Lord’s on 14^th, 16-17^th June 1947.

172 (2^nd Innings): Essex v Middlesex, County Championship Match @ Castle Park Cricket Ground, Colchester on 21^st, 23^rd-24^th June 1947.

8/ When did Middlesex last lose to a University side in a first-class match and who were the opposition?

ü  Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence v Middlesex @ FP Fenner’s Ground, Cambridge on 1st-3rd June 2005.

Cambridge UCCE won by 2 wickets.

This was the match in which Middlesex’s youngest first-class debutants Billy Godleman (aged 16 years, 3 months and 21 days) and Steven Finn (aged 16 years, 1 month and 28 days) made their first-class debuts.

9/ In List A cricket who took a six wicket haul for Middlesex and two years later took another six wicket haul against the same opposition, on the same ground?

ü  Wayne Daniel v Sussex at the County Ground, Hove.

9-2-17-6, Sussex v Middlesex, Benson & Hedges Cup Match on 13th May 1978.

10-2-15-6, Sussex v Middlesex, Gillette Cup Match on 13-14th August 1980.

10/ What was Middlesex’s inaugural first team match at Brunton Memorial Ground, Radlett?

ü  Middlesex v Yorkshire, Yorkshire Bank 40 (Group C) Match on 27th May 2013.

11/ How many Middlesex cricketers have played in a World Cup Final? (1pt)

Can you name them? (3pts for correctly naming every player)

(Total: 4pts)

ü  13:

Jeff Thomson (1975).

Desmond Haynes (1979 & 1983).

Mike Brearley and Phil Edmonds (1979).

Larry Gomes (1983).

Mike Gatting, Paul Downton and John Emburey (1987).

Chaminda Vaas (1996 & 2007).

Glenn McGrath (1996, 1999, 2003 & 2007).

Abdul Razzaq (1999).

Adam Gilchrist (1999, 2003 & 2007).

David Warner (2015).

12/ In what Gillette Cup match was John Price nominated as man of the match by the adjudicator (C.J.Barnett), for his fine fielding on the boundary?

ü  Middlesex v Leicestershire, Gillette Cup Quarter-Final Match @ Lord’s on 3rd July 1968.

13/Who is the only player to score a hundred and take five wickets in each innings of a first-class match for Middlesex?

ü  Bernard Bosanquet: 141 & 0; 5-112 & 5-136.

Yorkshire v Middlesex, County Championship Match @ Bramall Lane, Sheffield on 8th-10th August 1904.

14/Which Middlesex players won a solitary Test cap for England during their careers, making them ill-fated members of England’s ‘One Test Wonders’ club? (6pts)

ü  George Vernon, A.J.Webbe, Jack Durston, Harry Lee, Fred Price & Neil Williams.

15/In List A matches who took four 5 wicket hauls for Middlesex in one season?

ü  Dennis Marriott in the 1973 John Player League.

5-13 v Gloucestershire @ Recreational Trust Ground, Lydney.

5-32 v Worcestershire @ Lord’s.

5-33 v Lancashire @ Old Trafford.

5-42 v Glamorgan @ St Helen’s, Swansea.

16/ Who accepted an invitation to captain Middlesex eleven years after his previous appearance for the club?

ü  Ian Bedford.

Bedford’s last appearance for Middlesex had been in a County Championship match v Worcestershire on 31st May - 2nd June 1950, before he returned to club cricket.

Middlesex captain John Warr retired at the end of 1960 to concentrate on his career in the City. As a result, in 1961 Middlesex recalled Bedford as captain and he led the county for two seasons until his own retirement in 1962.

17/Who was given out by seven different methods of dismissal over the course of his Test career? (1pt)

Can you correctly name them all? (1pt)

(Total: 2pts)

ü  Desmond Haynes.

Tests Innings: 202; Not Out: 25 = 177 dismissals

Caught: 107

Bowled: 31

LBW: 27

Run Out: 6

Stumped: 4

Hit Wicket: 1

(2nd innings, 1st Test: India v West Indies at Delhi, November 25th-29th 1987.)

Handled the Ball: 1

(1st innings, 4th Test: India v West Indies at Mumbai, November 24th-29th 1983.)

18/ Who was the first Middlesex cricketer to play an ODI for England?

ü  Mike Smith: 1st ODI, England v West Indies @ Leeds on September 5th 1973.

19/ In which County Championship match did Middlesex declare their first innings after a single ball?

ü  Middlesex v Surrey, County Championship Match @ Lord's on 6th, 8th & 9th August 1977.

There was no play on the first day and only five overs on the second. On a rain damaged pitch Surrey’s innings closed on 49 all out at 12:15.

Mike Brearley asked the umpires if Middlesex could forfeit their first innings. The umpires did not know so Brearley left the field to ask Donald Carr of the TCCB.

As Middlesex were not allowed to forfeit their first innings Brearley sent in John Emburey and Ian Gould to open before declaring after one ball.

This allowed Middlesex the chance to secure twelve points for a win. Surrey again batted on a damp pitch and were dismissed for 89 in fifty overs.

Middlesex needed 139 in 88 minutes for victory, doing so with 11 balls to spare.

20 / Who scored his maiden first-class century for Middlesex in his 152nd match and 243rd innings for the club?

ü  John Rawlin.

100, Middlesex v Surrey, County Championship Match @ Lord’s on 27th-29th July 1899.

21/  In what match did Garry Sobers score his first century for Nottinghamshire, only to be dismissed next ball, this being the first of 18 deliveries from John Price which brought him four for seven and closed Nottinghamshire’s innings?

ü  Midddlesex v Nottinghamshire, County Championship Match @ Lord’s on 12th, 13th-14th June 1968.

22/ Who scored 132* on Test debut?

ü  Pelham ‘Plum’ Warner who carried his bat through England’s second innings total of 237.

1st Test: South Africa v England at Johannesburg, February 14th-16th 1899.

23/ How many times have Middlesex failed to win a County Championship match at Lord’s in a season? (1pt)

Can you list the years when this occurred? (2pts)

(Total: 3pts)

ü  4: 1902, 1987, 2000 & 2006.

24/ Who was the first Middlesex player to score a Test match fifty for England?

ü  Charles Leslie.

54, 1st Test: Australia v England at Melbourne, January 19th-22nd 1883.

Alfred Perry (Bunny) Lucas did score 55 in the Only Test: England v Australia at The Oval, September 6^th-8^th 1880. However, he was a Surrey player at the time, only joining Middlesex in 1883.

25/ After what match did Fred Titmus announce his resignation from the Middlesex captaincy?

ü  Middlesex v Yorkshire, County Championship Match @ Lord’s on 10th-12th August 1968.

6. Who was dismissed LBW in both innings of a Test match six times in his career?

ü  Mike Gatting.

Mike Gatting was dismissed 124 times in his Test career. In total he was dismissed LBW in 31 innings which accounts for 25% of his career dismissals. 

[For those who may be curious, he was out caught on 53 occasions: 42.7% and bowled 34: 27.4%]

7. In an infamous County Championship Match at Lord’s, the visiting county’s captain refused to play on the third and final day.

In what County Championship match did this occur? (1pt)

Who was the captain who refused to play beyond the second day? (1pt)

What explanation did he provide for his decision? (1pt)

(Total: 3pts)

ü  Middlesex v Lancashire, County Championship Match @ Lord’s on 22nd & 23rd July 1907.

ü  Archie MacLaren.

ü  MacLaren claimed the pitch had been deliberately damaged by spectators following a rumpus which followed play being called off after a long rain delay. MacLaren made the following statement to the press:

“Owing to the pitch having been deliberately torn up by the public, I, as captain of the Lancashire Eleven, cannot see any way to continue the game, the groundsman bearing me out that the wicket could not be again put right.”

Rain restricted play on the first day of the three-day game. At the start of the second day, the umpires ruled that the waterlogged pitch remained unfit to play on.

Despite this, the paying public were admitted although the saturated turf showed no sign of drying and any cricket was extremely unlikely. After heavy rain, a drizzle set in and stumps were called at 16:45. 

With play being called off after a long rain delay, some of the crowd went on to the pitch to look for themselves and then protested in front of the pavilion clamouring for play.  

This incident was defused by the authorities but in the middle of the rumpus, somebody got on to the pitch itself. Many years later Patsy Hendren wrote that somebody, accidently or not, stuck the ferrule of an umbrella into the pitch, whilst other reports claimed it was a heel mark.

When this was discovered by Archie MacLaren he refused to play, even if a fresh wicket was cut out. After prolonged discussion between the captains and umpires, the aforementioned statement was handed to the Press by MacLaren himself.

Lancashire would not play and the match was drawn, although all decisions about fitness for play should have been made by the umpires, not MacLaren.

Rolled next morning for the regulation ten minutes, the pitch showed little trace of the damage.

8. Who scored 88 & 38 on Test debut?

ü  Owais Shah, 3rd Test: India v England at Mumbai, March 18th-22nd 2006.

9. Who was the last player to take a 100+ first-class wickets for Middlesex in a season?

ü  John Emburey: 103 in 1983.

1. Who scored centuries in the second innings of his first two matches in first-class cricket?

ü  Alan Fairbairn.

108, Somerset v Middlesex, County Championship Match @ County Ground, Taunton on 16th-18th July 1947.

110, Nottinghamshire v Middlesex, County Championship Match @ Trent Bridge, Nottingham on 26th, 28-29th July 1947.

Total Points: 43.