Who holds the record for most consecutive fifer from Test debut?

What is the maximum combined number of players who got into the eleven in a Test series? For both teams combined, and also the record for a single team. – Balram Parappil on Facebook    

The Test record for the maximum number of players participating in a Test series is 43. This occurred in the Ashes series of 1921, which incidentally, was the first Test series in England after the Great War. The five-match series had the home team England represented by a record 30 players (the most for one side) while the visitors managed with just 13 players. 

Fresh from a thumping 5-0 win in the previous home summer — the only Ashes whitewash of the twentieth century — Warwick Armstrong’s Aussie side arrived in England and resumed where they had left off, by winning the first 3 Test matches by 10 wickets (at Nottingham), 8 wickets (at Lord’s) and 219 runs (at Leeds) to seal the series at the earliest opportunity. This meant that England had the dubious distinction of losing their first eight Test matches since the end of WW1. 

In such a scenario, it was not surprising that the England selectors had to use various combinations in each of the five-Test matches and finally they ended up using 30 different players in the series, of which 16 were appearing in a Test match for the first time. Australia had just two debutants and that too in the opening Test match at Nottingham.

All the 43 players are listed below 

Who holds the record for most consecutive fifer from Test debut? – Nagesh Kumar Sahu on Facebook

Only two bowlers have managed to take three consecutive five-wicket hauls since their Test debut. The first was England paceman Tom Richardson (from Aug 1893 to Dec 1894) and New Zealand born Aussie leg-spinner Clarrie Grimmett (from Feb 1925 to July 1926). However, Australian paceman Charles (CTB) Turner holds the record of claiming at least one five-wicket haul in each of his first six Test matches between January 1887 and September 1888. This means Axar Patel will have to claim at least one five wicket haul in his next four Test matches to go past Turner.

I notice from your previous column that Aubrey Smith of England took a five-wicket haul in his only Test match. Why didn't he appear in more Test matches despite this five-wicket haul? - Anirban Kumar Bora on Facebook

The England team Aubrey Smith led to South Africa in 1888/89 was by no means representative of the best players of the time. It was a private tour managed by Major RG Warton, a retired British Army officer. At that time, no first-class matches were played in South Africa and their cricketing standard was considered well below club cricket. Therefore, the visiting side had to play odd matches against opponents that had more than 11 players on their side and in some cases, the touring XI had to play against 18-22 opponents. 

As the tour was ending, Major Warton was able to identify some of the best local players who could take on the tourists on equal terms, i.e. 11 vs 11. It was then decided that the England side play two matches against the supposedly best available South African XI. These matches were played at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth and Newlands in Cape Town in March 1889 respectively. 

Nobody at the time realised that the match would enter the cricket records as an official Test match. The players involved in these games did not even know that they were representing England in a Test match, as these matches were later given the Test status. 

Aubrey Smith as captain of the touring side led the side at Port Elizabeth when he claimed his five-wicket haul. In the next match at Cape Town, Smith could not play since he had developed a fever. This allowed a 23-year-old Monty Bowden to captain the side. Incidentally, Bowden remains England’s youngest Test captain!

Back home, Aubrey Smith being an above-average cricketer for his county Sussex, was never considered to appear in any Tests for any England side. He continued playing for Sussex until 1896 when he took to a new career in acting. He soon began his stage career in London. And then went off to Los Angeles to start a career in Hollywood. He became a famous actor and had to his credit several successful films both during the silent and the later talkies era. He also has the distinction of forming the Hollywood Cricket Club in Los Angeles in 1932. He died from pneumonia at home in Beverly Hills on 20 December 1948, aged 85.

All records mentioned above are correct and updated as on 8 March 2021