Stats highlights from the fourth day’s play at the WACA where Ross Taylor broke a few batting records
Shiva Jayaraman16-Nov-2015274* Stephen Fleming’s score at the P Sara Oval in 2003, the highest by a New Zealand batsman in away Tests before Ross Taylor’s 290. Taylor’s knock is only the fourth 250-plus score by a New Zealand batsman in away Tests.287 The previous highest score by an overseas batsman in Tests in Australia – England’s Tip Foster at the SCG in 1903. Taylor’s 290 eclipsed that 111-year record and is only the fourth score of 250 or more by an overseas batsman in Australia. The previous instance was Brian Lara’s 277 at the SCG in 1993.0 Batsmen with a score higher than Taylor’s at the No. 4 position in away Tests. During his 290, Taylor surpassed the previous highest of 277 by Lara at the SCG. Overall, only four batsmen have higher scores at No. 4.364 Len Hutton’s tally at the Oval in 1938, which is the highest individual score against Australia and the only triple-century against them. Taylor’s 290 is second on that list.2 Individual scores by New Zealand batsmen higher than Taylor’s 290. Brendon McCullum hit the only triple-hundred by a New Zealand batsman against India in Wellington last year, and Martin Crowe was dismissed on 299 against Sri Lanka at the same venue in 1991.117 Innings Crowe took to complete 5000 Test runs – the fastest New Zealand batsman to the milestone. Taylor is next on the list, with 120 innings. He is also the fifth New Zealander after Crowe, John Wright, Fleming and McCullum to complete 5000 Test runs.10 Instances, prior to this Test, in which a team conceded the first-innings lead after making 550 or more. Sri Lanka were the last to do so in Galle, when they gave up a lead of 68 to Bangladesh after making 570 in their first innings. This is only the fifth time that a team had conceded the first-innings lead after making a total of 500 or more in Tests in Australia. The previous instance was by India at the Adelaide Oval in 2008 when they handed a lead of 37 after making 526 in their first innings.Steven Smith has hit five hundreds in 2015 at an average of 74.12•Getty Images1991 The previous instance of two batsmen from opposing teams scoring more than 250. Incidentally, New Zealand were also a part of that match. Crowe hit 299 and Aravinda de Silva had made 267 for Sri Lanka in Wellington. In the current match, David Warner scored 253, followed by Taylor’s 290. There has been only one other instance of opposing batsmen scoring more than 250: Bob Simpson and Ken Barrington had hit 311 and 256, respectively, at Old Trafford in 1964. Overall, this is only the fifth time that two batsmen from either side have made 250-plus scores in a Test.1986 The last time an Australia captain made a hundred in Tests at the WACA before Smith in this match. Allan Border had made 125 in Australia’s first innings in the Ashes Test at this venue in 1986-87. Overall, Smith’s was only the fourth century by an Australia captain at the WACA in Tests.0 Hundreds by Smith in the second innings before his 131* in this Test. Each of his 11 Test hundreds before this one had come in the first innings. Smith had crossed 50 on eight previous occasions in the second innings and has made 2323 runs in the first innings at 70.39. He had made 848 runs in the second innings at an average of 33.92.5 Test hundreds by Smith in 2015 including the one in this Test – the most by any batsman. Smith has now made 1186 runs this year at an average of 74.12.4 Hundreds Smith has hit in his first five Tests as captain. Only Alastair Cook’s five centuries as England’s captain are higher. Virat Kohli and Sunil Gavaskar too made four centuries in their first five Tests as captain.4 Centuries Adam Voges has made in his last four first-class matches at the WACA including this one. Voges has accumulated 588 runs in his last four matches at this venue and is averaging 147.00. This was Voges’ second Test hundred in nine Tests. He has made 594 runs at an average of 66.00. His first Test hundred had come on his debut, against West Indies earlier this year.1150 The previous highest score by the top four batsmen in a Test before this one – in the Ashes Test at Headingley in 1948. With one more innings still to go, the top four batsmen in this Test have already scored 1190 runs. The six centuries hit by the top four in this Test also equal the most hit by them in any Test. There are only two other such instances – both of them have involved Australia – with the previous one coming in a Test at the MCG between Australia and Pakistan in 1972-73.4.11 Scoring rate in this Test – the third highest in a Test in Australia. The highest had also come in this series, at the first Test at the Gabba, when the teams had scored at a rate of 4.17 runs an over. Overall, the top five instances in this list have come in the last seven Tests in the country, all of which have been played since 2014.
