Test Cricket Records: The 1980s Quiz

Answer: Allan Border

Australia's inspirational captain Allan Border scored 7386 of his 11174 runs in the 1980s. By the time he finished his career, he had scored more runs than any other batsman in the history of test cricket, although he was later overtaken by West Indies' Brian Lara. Some-time England captain David Gower scored 6196 runs in the 1980s, whilst his compatriot Graham Gooch managed 3970. Viv Richards top-scored for the West Indies with 5113.

Answer: Malcolm Marshall

Fast bowling was king in the 1980s, to the point where 17 of the top 20 wicket-takers that decade were fast men. Malcolm Marshall of the West Indies, regarded during the mid-1980s as the fastest bowler in the world, took 323 of his 376 wickets in the 1980s.

Incredibly, he did this bowling alongside the likes of Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Colin Croft, Andy Roberts and Courtney Walsh, where the competition for wickets was fierce. India's Kapil Dev (272), England's Ian Botham (258) and Pakistan's Imran Khan (256) were all the top wicket-takers for their respective test teams.

Answer: Jeffrey Dujon

In a team that consistently bowled opposing teams out with sheer pace, West Indies' Jeffrey Dujon was bound to get his share of dismissals. 206 of 272 victims came in the 1980s and only 5 of these were stumpings - a testament to how relatively rarely he kept to spin.

India's Syed Kirmani, in contrast, made 15 stumpings in his 107 dismissals in the same decade. Pakistan's Wasim Bari made 76 dismissals, while Australia's Wayne Phillips finished just ahead of his compatriot Ian Healy with 43 dismissals.

Answer: Javed Miandad

Pakistan's gifted captain Javed Miandad scored an amazing five double centuries in the 1980s, including the decade's two highest scores: 280 not out against India in 1983 and then 271 against New Zealand in Auckland in 1989. Sandwiched between these two innings were double centuries against England (1987), Australia and Sri Lanka (both in 1988). Australian captain Greg Chappell scored 235 against Pakistan in 1980, a match in which Miandad also scored an unbeaten century. Gordon Greenidge of the West Indies scored three double centuries in the 1980s and Mike Gatting scored one.

Answer: West Indies

"Calypso cricket" had a legendary swagger in the 1980s, with the mighty West Indies losing only eight of 82 test matches contested. The Windies won 43 tests in all, followed by Australia (27), Pakistan (23) and England (20). Sri Lanka became a test nation in 1982 and only managed to win two of 29 test matches contested, one against India and one against Pakistan.

Answer: Richard Hadlee

New Zealand's Richard Hadlee took ten wickets in a match seven times in the 1980s, two more than his nearest rival, Imran Khan of Pakistan. He was also the only fast bowler in the decade to take 15 wickets in a match, against Australia at the Gabba in 1985. Australia's Merv Hughes and Michael Holding of the West Indies took ten wickets in one match each in the 1980s.

Answer: Mark Taylor

Future Australian captain Mark Taylor played 11 tests in 1989 and scored 1219 runs at 64.15, placing him on top of the test averages list for the 1980s. His phenomenal start to test cricket included a highly successful Ashes tour, where he scored two centuries against England. Sri Lanka's Ranatunga (36.84), India's Armanath (47.73) and Clive Lloyd of the West Indies (52.38) all topped the averages for their respective teams.

Answer: Abdul Qadir

Pakistan's Abdul Qadir took 216 of his 236 wickets in the 1980s. His finest moment came when he took 9/56 against a bewildered England batting line-up at Lahore in 1987. Among his victims was England captain Mike Gatting for a second-ball duck. England's John Emburey, his own team's top spinner for the decade (120 wickets), played in that match and took three wickets of his own. Future New Zealand coach John Bracewell took 82 wickets for his country in the 1980s, whilst Bob "Dutchie" Holland took 34 wickets for Australia in his 11 tests, after making his debut at the age of 38.

Answer: John Emburey

England's John Emburey, although regarded as an all-rounder, made 13 ducks in the 1980s, one more than "Big Bird" Joel Garner of the West Indies. Australia's Terry Alderman and Ewen Chatfield of New Zealand, two genuine no. 11s in every respect, made ten ducks each. Of the recognised bastmen, England captain Mike Gatting comfortably heads the list with 12 ducks to his name.

Interestingly, the same dubious honour later befell his counterpart in the 1990s, England captain Mike Atherton.

Answer: Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes

The legendary Haynes and Greenidge consistently got the West Indies off to a good start in test cricket in the 1980s. They reached 150 runs for the first wicket an incredible six times in all, four more than any other opening combination in the same decade. Getting one of them out early was always cause for celebration, at least until Vivian Richards or Richie Richardson strode to the crease! Australia's Boon and Marsh, England's Fowler and Robinson and India's Gavaskar and Srikkanth, all managed a 150-run opening stand twice in the 1980s.