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Another landmark for Hayden
Wisden CricInfo staff - December 27, 2001
When he moved from 130 to 134, Matthew Hayden set a new record for most Test runs in a calendar year by an Australian. The record was previously held by Bobby Simpson, who made 1381 runs in 1964. Hayden has now made 1388 from 24 innings at an average of 63.09, though with only one innings left this year, he will have to go some to pass the world record – Viv Richards made a mighty 1710 in 1976. Hayden is playing in his 14th Test this year.
Hayden's 138 was his sixth Test hundred and his fifth this year. He is playing in his 26th Test.
When he reached 68, Steve Waugh became the 13th person, and only the second non-Englishman (the other is Neil Harvey), to make 1000 Test runs against South Africa. He is the third to reach the milestone since South Africa's return to international cricket in 1991-92; Mike Atherton and Alec Stewart are the others. This is Waugh's 12th Test against South Africa.
Justin Langer and Hayden added 202 for the first wicket, their third double-century partnership in eight attempts since they first came together against England at The Oval in August. Their run of partnerships reads: 158, 224, 223, 3, 1, 80, 8, 202 - 899 runs at an average of 112.38. Just as significantly, they have scored those runs off only 236.1 overs - a rollicking rate of 3.81 per over.
In that time the pair have managed seven centuries between them in 18 innings, four to Langer and three to Hayden. Langer has made 624 runs at an average of 89.14 and Hayden 665 at 73.88.
Mark Waugh is playing in his 100th consecutive Test, and is only the third player to achieve the feat. Allan Border played in 153 matches for Australia between 1978-79 and 1993-94, and Sunil Gavaskar managed 106 between 1974-75 and 1986-87. This is Waugh's 121st Test - the last one he missed was the third Test against New Zealand at Auckland in 1992-93. In the first match of this series, at Adelaide, Mark and Steve Waugh played in their 100th Test together.
Only 40 overs were bowled on the first day, another rainy day in an increasingly dank Australian summer. Of 22 scheduled days play in Tests against New Zealand and South Africa, 10 have been rain-affected.
The first day of the Boxing Day MCG Test, the showpiece of the Australian cricketing calender, is also becoming increasingly susceptible to the elements. The Boxing Day crowd have only seen a full 90 overs in one of the last four Tests, against West Indies in 2000. In 1998, against England, no play was possible and in 1999, against India, only 48 overs were bowled.
Inclement weather also affected the last Melbourne Test between these sides, which began on Boxing Day 1993. Only 59 overs were possible on the first three days of that match.
Rob Smyth is on the staff of Wisden.com
© Wisden CricInfo Ltd
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