Glamorgan’s Tom Norton took a hat-trick on his first-class debut the other day. How rare is this? asked Lewis Jones from Wales
Seamer Tom Norton marked his first-class debut by taking a hat-trick for Glamorgan against Somerset in Cardiff last week. The lively Norton first had England newcomer James Rew caught at second slip; then Tom Lammonby was caught behind, and finally Archie Vaughan was lbw.Norton is the 21st man to take a hat-trick on his first-class debut. Only three of the previous instances were in England, the last 101 years ago, in 1925, when Reginald “Dick” Wooster marked what turned out to be his only game for Northamptonshire with a hat-trick against Dublin University at Wantage Road. His victims did not include the man destined to become the best-known member of that opposition team, Samuel Beckett, who in 1969 would win the Nobel Prize for Literature.But Norton can claim a distinguished record: at just 18 years old, he’s the youngest from anywhere to take a debut hat-trick, undercutting left-arm seamer Zohaib Shera, who was 19 when he achieved the feat for Karachi Whites against National Bank in Pakistan’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in Karachi in 2009.After 12 matches in this IPL, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had hit 43 sixes. Is he close to the record for a single tournament? asked Arvind Sunderam from India
You’re right that the precociously talented Vaibhav Sooryavanshi – he’s still only 15 – topped the six-hitting table at this season’s IPL after 12 matches. He’d struck 43, six more than Abhishek Sharma and Ryan Rickelton as I write.Sooryavanshi has at least two matches left – more if Rajasthan Royals reach the playoffs – to chase the IPL record of 59, set by Chris Gayle in 2012. Gayle also clouted 51 in 2013, while Andre Russell struck 52 in 2019. Three others have hit more than 40 sixes in an IPL season.I noticed that when India were skittled for 46 by New Zealand in 2024, they had won the toss. Was this the lowest total in a Test after choosing to bat first? asked Michael Kennedy from New Zealand
You’re right that India were bowled out for 46 in Bengaluru in 2024, after Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to bat. The five lowest totals in Tests, including West Indies’ 27 all out against Australia in Kingston last July, all came after the side concerned lost the toss – but there have still been three totals lower than India’s 46 after opting to bat. Two of them were by New Zealand: 45 against South Africa in Cape Town in 2013, and 42 vs Australia in Wellington in 1946.Which Test cricketer once played for an amateur football side that drew 1-1 with Manchester United in the FA Cup? asked David Collins from England
The all-round sportsman here is Trevor Bailey, who was an almost automatic selection for England throughout the 1950s and finished with 2290 runs and 132 wickets from his 61 Tests. Bailey did the first-class double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in an English season eight times, surpassing himself in 1959 (just after being discarded by England) with 2011 runs and 100 wickets.
Bailey was also a useful footballer, mainly for Walthamstow Avenue, an amateur non-league team from east London. They won the FA Amateur Cup in 1951-52, beating local rivals Leyton in a Wembley final in front of 100,000 spectators. The following season, “The Avenue” reached the fourth round of the FA Cup proper, after beating Wimbledon (not then a League team), Watford and Stockport County. They were rewarded with a visit to Old Trafford to face mighty Manchester United, who were the reigning English League champions. Walthamstow battled gamely to a 1-1 draw, before losing a replay 5-2. “People tend to remember our draw against Manchester United,” wrote Bailey, “but in many respects our finest performance was to defeat Watford 2-1 away on the heaviest pitch I ever encountered.”
