Record-breaking Ashes Series
Celebrating England’s first Ashes series victory in Australia for 24 years, here are some
of the records and landmark achievements of Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook down under;
all made using Gray-Nicolls Equipment, Helmets and Shoes throughout:
Led from the front by Captain Andrew Strauss, England become only the third team in
history to total more than 500 four times in a Test series and the first team ever to
win 3 matches in a series in Australia by more than an innings.
Andrew uses the Gray-Nicolls Quantum Bat, Legend range and Predator Helmet
Alastair Cook enjoyed a hugely prolific series using the
Oblivion range,
Elite Helmet and
Optimum shoe and surpassed a multitude of landmarks in the process:
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- Cook's tally of 766 runs during the series is the second highest by an England batsman in any Ashes
series, behind only Walter Hammond's (a Gray-Nicolls player) 905 in Australia in 1928/29,
which was achieved over nine innings to Cook's seven.
- His average of 127 is the second highest by an Englishman in the Ashes behind Geoff Boycott,
who averaged 147 in 1977 but played in only three Tests. Apart from Cook and Boycott, only Hammond,
Len Hutton and Eddie Paynter have finished an Ashes series with three-figure averages having
played three or more Tests.
- Cook has set a new world record for a five-Test series by spending 2,171 minutes at the crease,
beating Shivnarine Chanderpaul's (Gray-Nicolls) 2,057 for the West Indies against India in 2002.
- During the first innings of the fifth Test, Cook became the second youngest player behind India
legend Sachin Tendulkar to reach a career total of 5,000 runs.
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First Test, Brisbane |
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England's top three all compiled centuries in a sensational second-innings display in the opening Test at the Gabba |
- Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook's opening partnership of 188 in the second innings was an England record at the Gabba.
- During the stand, Strauss and Cook overtook Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe's tally of 3,249 runs to become England's most prolific opening pair.
- Cook and Jonathan Trott's unbeaten partnership of 329 runs was England’s best for any wicket
in Australia, beating the 323 set by Hobbs and Wilfred Rhodes in Melbourne in 1911-12, and the
ninth highest England partnership in history.
- Cook's score of 235 not out broke Sir Donald Bradman's record for the highest Test score at the Gabba.
- It was only the second time in England's cricketing history that the top three batsmen had made centuries and the first since 1924.
- England's total of 517 for one declared was their highest in a second innings in a Test match in Australia.
Second Test, Adelaide
- Prior to losing his wicket on the third morning for 148, Cook had scored 383 runs and batted for 1,058
minutes without being dismissed, an England record.
- In racking up 620 for five, England passed the 500-run mark in successive innings in the Ashes for the first time.
Fourth Test, Melbourne
- Strauss and Cook’s opening stand of 150, with both passing 50, set up the England’s win.
The margin of defeat was Australia's worst on home soil in 98 years, and their eighth-worst of all time.
Fifth Test, Sydney
- Both Strauss and Cook had reached fifty by close of play on Day 2.
- Cook went on to narrowly miss a second double century, scoring 188.
- England's total of 644 was their highest score in Australia.
- England’s last five wickets alone put on 418, a new English record; it was the first time in
Test history that the sixth, seventh and eighth-wicket partnerships have all produced 100 runs.
Date: 7 January 2011