KANHAI JOINS THE GREATS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29436, 11 February 1961, Page 5

KANHAI JOINS THE GREATS

When the billiant West Indies batsman, R. Kanhai. scored a century in each innings of the fourth test against Australia at Adelaide, he joined a very select group of 16 other cricketers who have performed this feat in test cricket, and he became the seventh to do it in Australia. Naturally scoring two Gentries in the same test match is by no means common and the short list of players who have done it in Australia reads almost like a cricketer's who's who.

First was the English opening batsman H. Sutcliffe. In 1924 he scored 176 and 117 at Melbourne. W. R. Hammond in the course of a great series against Australia in 1928-29 when he scored 905 runs at an average of 112.35, made 119 and 117 at Adelaide.

Then in the first EnglishAustralian tests after the Second World War. D. C. S. Compton scored 147 and 103 at Adeliade. The Australian opening batsman, A. R. Morris, followed suit in the same match by scoring 122 and 124. The next year Sir Donald Bradman, who for all the amazing batting records he had set, had never scored two centuries in a test, scored 132 and 127 against India at Melbourne. In the following test the Indian captain. V. S Hazare, scored 145 and 116 at Adelaide. The perfect batting pitch at Adelaide seems to help the scoring of centur es for the feat has been performed five times on that ground. The next highest is at the Oval and Johannesburg where it has been done twice. "he great West Indies batsman. G Headley, is the only cricketer to have scored two centuries twice. At Lords he scored 106 and 107 against England in 1939 and in 1930 at Georgetown he also scored 106 and 107. against England.