PAUL NIXON (ENGLAND)
Paul Nixon is the England wicketkeeper who made his debut aged 36, representing his country for in 19 ODIs in a three-month span. since debuting in January 2007 in post-Ashes ODI series but his ODI career ended with the World Cup a few months later. With the bat, he didn’t do much with high score of 49 @ 21.21 but he never batted above no.7 in the lineup. He also played a single T20 international match scoring 31* against Aussies.
The 41-year old, who retired last year from all forms, was in domestic circuit since 1989 playing 355 first-class and 411 list-games for Leicestershire and then Kent and also featured in 96 t20 games. He crossed 14000 in 4-day format with 21 centuries but managed just 1 in limited-overs. He was handy in t20 games too over 1846 runs scored in 96 games for Leicestershire and his last match was against Ruhuna in CLT20 2011 in India. Despite playing so many years in county cricket, he got his chance too late. He left his imprints in T20 cricket, and is the best reverse-sweep player in the world.
RECORD HOLDER : DOUG WRIGHT (ENGLAND)
The right-arm leg-break bowler is the only bowler to claim 7 hat-tricks in first-class career. One of finest leg-spinners before war, he represented England in 34 test matches from 1938 to 1951 bowling in difficult conditions for spin. He claimed 108 wickets in those tests, with 6 5-fers including 7/105 and a solitary 10-wicket haul when he had match figures of 10/175 against South Africa.He played for Kent from 1932-1956 which included 7 hat-tricks in 2056 wickets taken including a 9/47 in one of them. He passed away in 1998 aged 84.
SA V NZ TEST AT CENTURION : STEYN RIPS THROUGH KIWIS, 2007-08
Dale Steyn ripped through New Zealand with a 10-wicket haul including a 6/49 in the 2nd innings as South Africa won by an innings & 59 runs. New Zealand elected to bat first and were shot out for 188 with Steyn picking up 4/42. Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis hitting centuries as hosts build up a 195-run 1st inning lead scoring 383 with Mark Gillespie picking up 5/136 on debut. South Africa never had to bat again as Man-of-the-match & Man-of-the-series Steyn ran havoc give the Proteas a 2-0 series lead after winning opening match also convincingly.
New Zealand – 188 (C Cumming 48; Steyn 4/42, Nel 2/42) & 136 (S Fleming 54; Steyn 6/49)
South Africa – 383 (J Kallis 131, H Amla 103; Gillespie 5/136, O’Brien 3/78)
Result: SA win by innings and 59 runs; win series 2-0
The Cricket Cauldron 