Cricket history on April fools day

Happy April Fool’s Day. How have cricket and cricketers celebrated this comical day? How many occasions do you remember about cricket on April Fool’s day? Not many?

Here is a list of matches, both Test and ODIs, top batting innings, bowling innings and some facts.

Test matches that began on April 1

1.1899, April 1, 3, 4 (3 day match)England vs South Africa, CapetownEngland won by 210 runs

2.1971, April 1, 2, 3, 4, 6India vs West Indies, Kensington OvalMatch Drawn

3.1977, April 1, 2, 3, 5, 6Pakistan vs West Indies, Port of SpainPakistan won by 266 runs

4. 2004, April 1, 2, 3West Indies vs England, Kensington OvalEngland won by 8 wicketsMan of the Match – Graham Thorpe (Eng)

Test Matches ended on April 1

1. 1948 March 27, 29, 30, 31, April 1West Indies vs England, KingstonWest Indies won by 10 wickets

2. 1965 March 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, April 1 (6 Day match)West Indies vs Australia, Port of SpainMatch Drawn

3. 1981 March 27, 28, 29, 31, April 1West Indies vs England, St.John’sMatch DrawnMan of the Match – Peter Willey (Eng)

4. 2004 March 28, 29, 30, 31, April 1India vs Pakistan, MultanIndia won by an innings and 52 runsMan of the Match – Virender Sehwag (Ind)

ODI Matches played on April 1

1. 1984, April 1 (45 over match)Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, ColomboNew Zealand won by 86 runsMan of the match – Lance Cairns (NZ)

2. 1988, April 1India vs New Zealand, Sharjah (Sharjah Cup-Final)India won by 52 runsMan of the Match – Ravi Shastri (Ind)

3. 1995, April 1New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, AucklandSri Lanka won by 51 runsMan of the Match – Sanath Jayasuriya (SL)

4. 1996, April 1Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, The Pedang (Singapore)No Result

5. 1998, April 1India vs Australia, KochiIndia won by 41 runsMan of the Match – Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)

6. 1999, April 1India vs Pakistan, MohaliPakistan won by 7 wicketsMan of the Match – Izaz Ahmed (Pak)

7. 2000, April 1West Indies vs Zimbabwe, KingstonWest Indies won by 87 runsMan of the Match – Sherwin Campbell (WI)

8. 2007, April 1West Indies vs Sri Lanka, Guyana (Super Eights, ICC WC 2007)Sri Lanka won by 113 runsMan of the Match – Sanath Jayasuriya (SL)

9. 2009, April 1Ireland vs Scotland, Benoni (ICC World Qualifiers)Ireland won by 7 wickets

10. 2009, April 1Netherlands vs Kenya, Potchefstroom (ICC World Qualifiers)Netherlands won by 7 wicketsMan of the Match – Ryan Ten Deschate (Net)

Test Matches involving April 1

1. 1933, March 31, April 1, 3 (3 Day Match)New Zealand vs England, AucklandMatch Drawn

2. 1953, March 28, 30, 31, April 1, 2, 4 (6 Day Match)West Indies vs India, KingstonMatch Drawn

3. 1954, March 30, 31, April 1, 2, 3 (6 Day Match)West Indies vs England, KingstonEngland won by 9 wickets

4. 1968, March 28, 29, 30, April 1, 2, 3 (6 Day Match)West Indies vs England, GeorgetownMatch Drawn

5. 1978, March 31, April 1, 2, 4, 5West Indies vs Australia, GeorgetownAustralia won by 3 wickets

6. 1984, March 30, 31, April 1, 3, 4West Indies vs Australia, Kensington OvalWest Indies won by 10 wicketsMan of the Match – Malcolm Marshall (WI)

7. 1995, March 31, April 1, 2West Indies vs Australia, Kensington OvalAustralia won by 10 wicketsMan of the Match – Glenn McGrath (Aus)

8. 2000, March 31, April 1, 2, 3New Zealand vs Australia, HamiltonAustralia won by 6 wicketsMan of the Match – Adam Gilchrist (Aus)

9. 2001, March 29, 30, 31, April 1, 2West Indies vs South Africa, Kensington OvalMatch DrawnMan of the Match – Daryll Cullinan (SA)

10. 2002, March 30, 31, April 1, 2, 3New Zealand vs England, AucklandNew Zealand won by 78 runsMan of the Match – Daryll Tuffey (NZ)

11. 2005, March 31, April 1, 2, 3, 4West Indies vs South Africa, GeorgetownMatch DrawnMan of the Match – Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI)

12. 2006, March 31, April 1, 2, 3, 4South Africa vs Australia, JohannesburgAustralia won by 2 wicketsMan of the Match – Brett Lee (Aus)

Top Scores achieved by Batsmen in Tests on April 1(100s)

336*- Wally Hammond, 1933237 – Sir Frank Worrell, 1953213 – Wavell Hinds, 2005205 – Sir Len Hutton, 1954203*- Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 2005145 – Desmond Haynes, 1984118 – Sir Clyde Walcott, 1953116 – Geoff Boycott, 1968113*- Ridley Jacobs, 2001104 – Geoff Boycott, 1981107 – Winston Place, 1948

Top Scored achieved by Batsmen in ODIs on April 1 (100s)

121*- Neil McCallum, 2009115 – Sanath Jayasuriya, 2007108 – Asanka Gurusinha, 1999105 – Ajay Jadeja, 1998106 – Ryan Ten Doeschate, 2009103 – Shervin Campbell, 2000101 – William Potterfield, 2009

Top Bowling figures achieved by Bowlers in Tests on APRIL 1 (5 or more wickets)

6/26 – Jimmy Sinclair, 18996/34 – Bill Bowes, 19336/67 – Jacques Kallis, 20016/100- Makhaya Ntini, 20065/51 – Shayne O’Connor, 20005/55 – Hines Johnson, 19485/58 – Andrew Flintoff, 20045/180- Subhash Gupte, 19535/228- Vinoo Mankad, 1953

Top Bowling Innings achieved by Bowlers in ODIs on April 1 (4 or more wickets)

5/32 – Sachin Tendulkar, 19984/46 – Narendra Hirwani, 1988

International Cricketers born on April 1

1861 Teddy Wynyard (Eng)1902 Laxmidas Jai (Ind)1941 Ajit Wadekar (Ind)1953 Aftab Baloch (Pak)1954 Arnie Sidebottom (Eng)1957 David Gower (Eng)1964 John Morris (Eng)1965 Bhupinder Singh Sr (Ind)1973 Stephen Fleming (NZ)1975 Aminul Islam Jr (Ban)1976 Vikram Solanki (Eng)1981 Mluleki Nkala (Zim)1984 Murali Vijay (Ind)

The only instances when two players born on April 1 played together in a match

* David Gower and Arnie Sidebottom played 1 Test match together, both born on April 1

* David Gower and John Morris played 3 Test matches together, both born on April 1

* David Gower and John Morris played 2 ODI matches together, both born on April 1

Some Facts

* There have been 20 Test matches related to April 1, 14 of them were played by West Indies in West Indies.

* England has played in 9 Test matches related to April 1.

* Australia has played in 6 Test matches related to April 1.

* West Indies and England have faced each other in 5 Test Matches related to April 1.

* West Indies and Australia have faced each other in 4 Test Matches related to April 1

* Jimmy Sinclair grabbed his only 5 wicket haul in Test matches on April 1, 1899 and also scored a century in the match, thus becoming the first player to score a century and take a 5 wicket haul in a test match.

* Wally Hammond scored his career best score of 336* on April 1, 1933.

* Winston place scored his only Test century on April 1, 1948.

* Geoff Boycott 2 centuries on April 1 (1968 and 1981)

* Shayne O’Connor took his only 5 wicket haul in Test career on April 1, 2000.

* Ridley Jacobs scored his maiden test century on April 1, 2001

* Wavell Hinds scored his career best score of 213 on April 1, 2005.

* Shivnarine Chanderpaul scored his career best score of 203* on April 1, 2005 and equalled it again in 2012.

* Wavell Hinds and Shivnarine Chanderpaul completed their maiden double centuries on April 1, 2005

* Bill Bowes took his maiden 5 wicket haul in Tests on April 1, 1933.

* Hines Johnson completed his only 10 wicket haul in Test Career on April 1, 1948.

* Vinoo Mankad’s figures of 5/228 are the 3rd instance of a bowling giving away 200 or more runs in a 5 wicket haul, on April 1, 1953. (Now there have been 8 such instances)

* Subhash Gupte conceeded 180 runs for his 5 wickets, most by him in his career, April 1, 1953

* Andrew Flintoff achieved his career best bowling figures in an innings on April 1, 2004

* Sachin Tendulkar grabbed his maiden 5 wicket haul in ODIs on April 1, 1998

* Sanath Jayasuriya received 2 Man of the Match Awards in ODIs on April 1 (1995 and 2007)