Successive Hundreds and 300s

Saturday 23 Feb 2019 brought a slew of records as the 1st XI scored an imposing 8/368, with two players scoring hundreds for the second match in a row. Naturally this raised a number of questions.

Successive Hundreds

With Brad Kruger compiling hundreds in consecutive matches, the question was raised as to how often this has been done. Surprisingly often - 13 times in all senior teams, plus a single occurrence of three in a row. There has also been a handful of consecutive tons in the juniors over the years. Jack McAlister takes the cake, in the 1937/38 'A' team (as it was then known), with 128, 144 and 145 in three matches (interrupted by a bye). In addition to Jack's three-in-a-row, in the First XI there are five occurrences of two in a row: Walter Perrins (127* and 101) in 1927/28 Jack McAlister (124* and 117) in 1935/36 Wally Driver (104 and 116) in 1959/60 Troy Lamb (113* and 113*) in 2010/11 Brud Kruger (105 and 108) in 2018/19 Other notable mentions should go to - Alex Lundy who achieved this feat in 1932/33 in the 5th XI, and then again the following season with 134 in the 5ths, followed by 102 in the 'B' team. At this time I believe that the Fifths were essentially our juniors. - Don McDermott who also achieved this feat twice - in 1982/83 in the 4ths, and 1996/97 in the 3rds.

Two Hundreds in an Innings in Successive Matches

Brad Kruger & Troy Lamb each scored a ton in round 13. In round 14 Xavier Ross & Brad Kruger scored hundreds. This is the only time two tons have been scored in successive matches.

Successive scores of Three Hundred

There have been two previous occurrences of the MCC First XI scoring 300+ in successive matches. Way back in 1922/23 the 'A' team scored 6/301 and 9/305 in rounds 5 and 6 playing in the Caulfield-Moorabbin Cricket Association 1st Grade. In round 5 it was a comprehensive outright win over East Malvern (H Moyes scored 110) while round 6, against Oakleigh, was a very even batting performance, with eight players reaching double figures and Moyes top-scoring with 79. Oakleigh were dismissed for 81, but batted better in the 2nd innings to be 3/101 at stumps. The second set of 300s was in 1966/67, leading to famous victories in the Semi-Final and Grand-Final. In the semi we recovered from a precarious 4/54 to post 5/325, courtesy of a 232 run partnership for the 5th wicket between Jeff Graham (146*) and Adrian Cooke (97). Flem-Ken were dismissed for 185. In the GF a very even batting display which saw ten of the eleven batsman into double figures, headed by Jeff Graham (87) and with five scoring between 30 and 48, took us to 350. In reply Glenhuntly were rolled for 177 - David Wilkinson making up for scoring just one run by taking 5/67. Our innings went well into the second day, many more balls faced than the standard 480 nowadays. In the most recent occurrence we followed the 314 at Mentone (hundreds to Brad Kruger and Troy Lamb) by making 8/368 at the closure: Xavier Ross and Brad Kruger each scored tons. I must give a special mention to the 'A' team of 1937/38, who amassed 4/327 in round 7, 9/290 in round 8, had a bye in round 9, and then came back with 8/336 in round 10 - missing out by just ten runs on three successive 300s. Jack McAlister followed his three-in-a-row mentioned previously with 142 in the GF three games later, in the First XI record score of 446, being ably supported by Roy Bailey (121).

Highest Innings Score

Last season the First XI scored 352 against Brighton District, and last week we bettered that by 16 runs, falling just two runs short of the highest ever innings score on turf. I have a recollection that the record of 8/370 at Old Mentonians in 2006/07 included a couple of overs on the first day and we batted for 82 overs, so 368 is both the most runs scored in a single day, and our highest score at Beena. For interest, the highest score we have failed to defend is 262. I was also asked about the lowest score made by the First XI. That's 11, in 1955/56 against Ormond. The full list is here. We won that match outright, dismissing them for 28 and 59, and reaching the target of 77 with two wickets in hand. Don Johnston took 3/4 and 6/7.

100 and 5 dismissals in a match

Another query raised was made with an eye to next week, with the First XI keeper, Xavier Ross, having made a century on Saturday. Has any wicketkeeper completed five dismissals and made a century in the same match? I have limited data on catches, no more than 40 seasons or so, and even then relying on the names being written in the scorebook. The best I can come up with is Rick Bailes, in the 5th XI in 1974/75, who made 68 and took 5 catches. The best for the First XI is Darren Jacobson, who added a 64 to the five catches he took in 1990/91 against North Caulfield Glenhuntly. Darren batted ahead of Leigh Hardham and John Bailes, so presumably went in as a night watchman, with the score at 3/24 chasing 173.

Oldest Centurion and Captain
Following last week's listing of the oldest to take five wickets in an innings, I was asked about the oldest Beena player to score a century, and the oldest to captain a team. Leigh Hardham holds the record as the oldest centurion, at the ripe old age of 61 years and 257. Next oldest is Don McDermott, who peeled off successive hundreds at 59 years of age. Here's the list of those over 50 (subject to the usual disclaimer - I don't have all dates of birth):
full_name	age	season	XI	rnd	score	versus
Leigh Hardham	61.257	2014/15	2	8	108*	Mentone
Don McDermott	59.211	1996/97	3	11	115	Beaumaris
Don McDermott	59.197	1996/97	3	10	131*	East Malvern
Ray Phillips	55.258	2014/15	2	2	103	Parkdale United
Leigh Hardham	55.230	2008/09	1	2	104	Dingley
Ray Phillips	53.281	2012/13	2	3	105	McKinnon
Don McDermott	53.169	1990/91	3	8	112	Elsternwick
Lew Bristowe	51.300	1941/42	D	2	109	Cooper's Social Club
David Hardham	51.189	2000/01	2	4	137*	MHSOB
Don McDermott	50.215	1987/88	4	11	109*	Bentleigh

The Oldest captain seems to come down to three people:
full_name	age	season	XI	rnd	versus
David Hardham	66.282	2015/16	3	11	McKinnon
Jack McAlister	65.193	1969/70	4	2	Postal
Leigh Hardham	63.284	2016/17	2	1	McKinnon