One-Test wonder

In cricket, a one-Test wonder is usually a cricketer who is only selected for one Test match during his career and never represents his country again. This is not necessarily due to a poor performance.[1][2][3] The term is also used in rugby.[4]

More rarely, the term may refer to a player who has played in more than one Test, but was very successful only once. Examples include the bowlers Narendra Hirwani of India[5] and Bob Massie of Australia,[6] both of whom took eight wickets in each innings of their debut matches, but then failed to live up to their early promise.

Notable examples

As of April 2020, there have been 451 players who have only played one Test match.[7][8] Some of the best performances by these players are:

• Andy Ganteaume, who scored 112 for the West Indies in his only Test innings in 1948, and so has the highest Test batting average of all time.[9]
• Rodney Redmond is the only other player to have scored a century in his only Test, scoring 107 and 56 while opening the batting for New Zealand in 1973.[10]
• West Indian Vic Stollmeyer, brother of Jeff Stollmeyer, scored 96 in his only Test.[11]
• Stuart Law scored 54 not out in his only Test innings for Australia, leaving him without a Test average.[12]
• Gobo Ashley took 7 for 95 for South Africa in the first innings of his single Test in 1889.[13]
• Charles Marriott recorded match figures of 11 for 96 (5 for 37 and 6 for 59) in his only Test for England in 1933.[14][15] No other bowler has taken more than ten wickets in his only Test.[16]
• Among wicket-keepers, Indian player Rajindernath made four stumpings in his only Test, but was not called on to bat.[17]
• Ed Joyce played in Ireland's first Test match in May 2018, and announced his retirement from all cricket one week later.[18]
• Andy Lloyd scored 10 runs (not out) for England in his only test against the West Indies, in June 1984, before being struck on the head (helmeted), by a short-pitched delivery from Malcolm Marshall. Although subsequently recovering from the injury, he never played for his national team again.

About one in eight Test cricketers are only picked once.[1] Occasionally, one-Test wonders have been recalled to Test cricket after a gap of several years. One example was Ryan Sidebottom, who was recalled for his second Test in 2007 after his debut in 2001.[19] Coincidentally his father, Arnie Sidebottom, was a one-Test wonder.[20]

Darren Pattinson is an unusual one-Test wonder in that he played a single Test for England, while his brother James Pattinson had a more successful Test career with Australia.

As of May 2007, fourteen one-Test wonders have also played in a single One Day International for their team.[16]

References

1. Huw Richards (6 June 2007). "Cricket: Sidebottom lifts family curse". New York Times. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
2. Martin Bowerman (14 December 2006). "No shame in one-Test wonder". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney). Retrieved 29 April 2013.
3. "Is WA's Chris Rogers a one-Test wonder". The Sunday Times (Western Australia). 18 January 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
4. Darren Walton (6 November 2008). "Turner no longer a one-Test wonder". Retrieved 29 April 2013.
5. Narendra Hirwani took 8/61 and 8/75 for India in the fourth Test against West Indies at Madras in January 1988.
6. Bob Massie took 8/84 and 8/53 for Australia in the second Test against England at Lord's in June 1972.
7. The 377 One-Test wonders in September 2006 exclude Alan Jones, who played one "Test" for England against a Rest of the World XI in 1970 which was later stripped of Test status, and never played for England again - The uncapped One-Test wonder, Cricinfo, 9 September 2006.
8. "All-Round records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
11. "Vic Stollmeyer". Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
12. Cricinfo - Players and Officials - Stuart Law
15. Best performances by One-Test wonders, Stump Bearders No 33, BBC Sport, 20 August 2002.
16. One-match wonders, and Shah's second chance, Cricinfo, 16 May 2007
17. Cricinfo - Players and Officials - Rajindernath
18. "Ireland legend Ed Joyce retires from all cricket". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
19. Cricinfo - Glowing in the cold
20. Cricinfo - Sidebottom ready for long-awaited second chance

External links

• Ultimate One-Test wonder, Cricinfo, 31 December 2005