26 Guinness World records held by Cricket: The Guinness book of word records is the most prestigious and acclaimed records in the world. And as Cricket has a position of its own in the world of sports it occupies a prominent place in the Guinness book of world records as well. Numbers add a dimension like no other to the game of cricket. The uncertainties of the contest add a flavour which is not only exciting but one to take note of. And therefore cricket comes with records and statistics embedded in it. They can make even the most conservative purist go wondering and can also make the most volatile fan stop and think once. If there is one landmark and parameter for the records it has to be the Guinness book. So why not have a peep into what are the 26 Guinness World records held by Cricket: 1. Longest cricket marathon: (source) The longest marathon playing cricket is 150 hr 14 min and was achieved by Loughborough University Staff Cricket Club (UK) at Loughborough College Rubber Crumb in Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK, from 24 to 30 June 2012. The marathon pitted Chris’ Crusaders against Waghray’s Warriors, with the Crusaders winning 10 matches to the Warriors nine. Chris’ Crusaders scored a total of 6,382 runs, whilst Waghray’s Warriors managed 6,346 runs. The honour of the highest individual score in an innings belonged to Chris’ Crusaders player Surender Mohandass, who scored an unbeaten 323 on his way to help his side win Match 14 of this 19 match contest. 2. Most expensive cricket bat: MS Dhoni World Cup 2011 Final Six. (Photo Source: Getty Images) The most expensive cricket bat was Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s bat sold at auction for £100,000 ($161,295), bought by R K Global Shares & Securities Ltd (India), at the M.S Dhoni’s ‘East Meets West’ Charity Dinner, in London, UK, on 18 July 2011. The bat was used by Mahendra Singh Dhoni in World Cup 2011 finals on 2 April 2011 at Wankhede Stadium to hit the winning shot. 3. Most runs scored in an ICC World Cup career (male): Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo Source: Getty Images) No prices for guessing here. How could anybody else hold that record apart from the God of cricket. Sachin Tendulkar (India) scored 2,278 runs in 44 innings at Cricket World Cup tournaments between 22 February 1992 and 2 April 2011. It is safe to say that Sachin just loved the big stage. 4. Largest cricket tournament: (Source) The largest cricket tournament consists of 16,215 participants and was achieved by Eenadu Cricket Champion Cup- 2013 (India) in different venues across India from 30 December 2013 to 20 February 2014. 5. First broadcast use of Hawk-Eye technology: (Source) The Hawk-Eye technology, which tracks and predicts the path of a ball in flight using eight cameras placed around the edge of the playing field, has revolutionized the officiating of sports such as cricket and tennis. Operating at 500 frames per second, the system is accurate to within 3mm and has helped officials to make more informed decisions, for example, whether a ball has crossed a particular line. First developed by 26-year-old British mathematician Paul Dawkins in 1999, Hawk-Eye made its broadcast debut in 2001 during a cricket match between England and Pakistan at the Lord’s cricket ground in London, UK. 6. First bowler to take 10 wickets in a limited overs international: (Source) The earliest bowler to take all 10 wickets in an ICC international cricket match with limited overs was (Nepal) for Nepal against Mozambique in Jersey, UK, on 25 May 2008. The match was contested as part of the 2008 ICC World Cricket League Division V competition. The accomplishment has only happened professionally in two other instances, both in Test cricket with unlimited overs: once each by Jim Laker (UK) and Anil Kumble (India). 7. Most expensive cricket memorabilia sold at a private auction: (Source) The most valuable piece of cricket history is Australian cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman’s 1948 cap. In June 2003 Tim Serisier, a “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” winner bought the cap in a pre-auction deal with Ludgrove’s auctioneer from Bradman’s Godson for A$425,000 (US$283,000 or £170,000). Bradman wore the cap on the 1948 tour of England when he scored the last of his 29 test centuries and then when he made the most famous duck in cricketing history in his final Test appearance. Sir Donald Bradman died in 2001 aged 92. 8. Most matches played in Test cricket as captain: Graeme Smith. (© Getty Images) Graeme Smith (South Africa) became the first cricketer to make 100 Test match appearances as captain when he led out the Proteas for the 1st Test against Pakistan on home soil in Johannesburg on his 32nd birthday, 1 February 2013. The left-handed opening batsman took charge of South Africa for the first time against Bangladesh on 24 April 2003 to become his country’s youngest ever Test captain, at the age of 22 years 82 days. As of 4 February 2013, Smith had won 48 of his 100 matches as captain and scored 26 Test match hundreds. 9. Oldest cricket player in a first-class match (male): (Source) The oldest player in first-class cricket was the Governor of Bombay, Raja Maharaj Singh (India) (1878-1959), aged 72 years 192days, when he batted, scoring 4, on the opening day of the match played on 25-27 November 1950 at Bombay for his XI v Commonwealth XI. The oldest Englishman was Benjamin Aislabie (1774-1842) for MCC (of whom he was the secretary) v Cambridge University at Lord’s on 1 and 2 Jul 1841, when he was aged 67 years 169 days. 10. Longest bowling run-up (male): The longest bowling approach in a cricket match is 2.7 km (1.6 mi) by Jason Rawson (UK) in a 20/20 match played at Salesbury Cricket Club in Salesbury, Blackburn, UK on 20 March 2010. The delivery was the first of the match to batsman Ian Riley, who went on to smash successive boundaries. The match was abandoned by the umpire after six balls due to inclement weather (persistent rains). Rawson completed the 2.7-km approach immediately after running a full marathon unrelated to the attempt. A bowling approach is the run-up taken by a bowler in cricket before delivering (or bowling) the ball to the batsman, thus initiating game-play. 11. Youngest player to hit six sixes off one over (male): The youngest cricketer to hit six consecutive sixes in the same over is Anthony McMahon (UK) who achieved the feat, aged 13 years 261 days, on 24 May 2003, playing for Chester-le-Street against Eppleton at Eppleton Cricket Club, Durham, UK. 12. Only bowler to take four wickets with successive balls twice in first-class cricket (male): The only man to have taken four wickets with consecutive balls more than once is Robert James Crisp (1911-94) for Western Province v Griqualand West at Johannesburg, South Africa on 24 Dec 1931 and against Natal at Durban, South Africa on 3 Mar 1934. Patrick Ian Pocock (b. 24 Sep 1946) took five wickets in six balls, six in nine balls and seven in eleven balls for Surrey v Sussex at Eastbourne, E Sussex on 15 Aug 1972. 13. Most runs scored by a player in a Blind Cricket World Cup innings (male): (Source) The first cricket World Cup for the blind was held in New Delhi, India in November 1998. The winners of the inaugural competition was South Africa beating Pakistan in the final. The highest individual score during the competition was 262 not out by Masood Jan (Pakistan) against South Africa at Roshanara Club on 19 Nov 1998. 14. Most women’s ODI matches as captain: (Source) The most One Day International cricket matches played as captain by an individual female cricketer is 101 by Belinda Clark (Australia), playing for Australia between 1994 and 2005. 15. Most ODI Cricket World Cups won by a captain: Ricky Ponting. (Photo Source: Reuters) The most ODI Cricket World Cups won by a captain is two, by two players, Clive Lloyd (Barbados) for the West Indies in 1975 and 1979, and Ricky Ponting (Australia) for Australia in 2003 and 2007. 16. Highest team score in a One-Day International (male): Sri Lanka 443/9. (Photo Source: Charly Booker) The highest target ever reached in a one-day international by a cricket team is 443-9 by Sri Lanka v Netherlands in Amstelveen, Netherlands 4 July 2006. 17. Oldest debutant in ODI cricket: (Source) On 17 February 1996, at the Cricket World Cup, Nolan Clarke (Netherlands, b. 22 June 1948) made his ODI debut for the Netherlands in a group match against New Zealand at Moti Bagh Stadium, Vadodara, India, aged 47 years 240 days. 18. Longest Test match (male): (Source) The lengthiest recorded cricket match was the `timeless’ Test between England and South Africa at Durban, South Africa, on 3-14 March 1939. It was abandoned after ten days (eighth day rained off) because the ship taking the England team home was due to leave. The total playing time was 43 hr 16 min and a record Test match aggregate of 1,981 runs was scored. 19. Fastest delivery of a cricket ball (male): Shoaib akhtar. (© Getty Images) The highest electronically measured speed for a ball bowled by any bowler is 161.3 km/h (100.23 mph) by Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan) against England on 22 February 2003 in a World Cup match at Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa. Quote from World Cup communications director: “ICC has always said there is not enough uniformity in the various speed guns around the world for any one performance to be designated official”. However many believe this to have been the fastest ball bowled. 20. Most cricket bat touches in one minute: Wayne Madsen 282 Touches. (© Getty Images) The most cricket bat touches in one minute is 282 and was achieved by Wayne Madsen (South Africa) at an event hosted by Royal London (UK) at the Royal Opera House, London, UK, on 6 May 2014. The attempt was part of Royal London’s launch event celebrating their sponsorship of the new English one-day cricket tournament, the Royal London One-Day Cup. Derbyshire captain Wayne beat out competition from England all-rounder Stuart Broad (212) and England Women’s captain Charlotte Edwards (195) to claim a new Guinness World Records title. 21. Fastest time to dress in cricket whites (batsman gear): The fastest time to dress in full cricket whites is 1 minute and 18 seconds and was achieved by Mohammed Jaleel ul Hassan (Pakistan) at the Punjab Youth Festival in Lahore Expo Center, Pakistan, on 21 October 2012. This attempt was one of 12 set during the Punjab Youth Festival in Pakistan in front of a Guinness World Records adjudicator. 22. Highest batting average in a first-class career (male): Sir Don Bradman. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Sir Don Bradman (Australia) holds the record for the highest batting average in first class cricket, with 95.14 whilst playing for New South Wales, South Australia and Australia between 1927-49. (28,067 runs in 338 innings, including 43 not outs). 23. Fastest century scored in a Cricket World Cup final match: Adam Gilchrist. (Photo Source : AFP ) Australian wicket keeper, Adam Gilchrist (b. 14 November 1971), scored the fastest World Cup final century in 72 balls against Sri Lanka at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados, on 28 April 2007. 24. Most triple hundreds in a Test match career (male): Virender Sehwag. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Four batsmen in the history of Test match cricket have scored two innings of more than 300 runs, Sir Don Bradman (Australia) in 52 matches, 1928-48; Brian Lara (Trinidad and Tobago) playing for the West Indies, 1990-2005, Virender Sehwag (India) in 2001-08, and Chris Gayle (Jamaica) playing for the West Indies, 2000-10. 25. Most consecutive Test match wins by a team (male): Australia. (© Getty Images) The most consecutive cricket test match victories is 16 and was achieved by Australia twice, firstly from 14 October 1999 to 27 February 2001 and most recently from 26 December 2005 to 2 January 2008. In both instances Australia’s run was halted by India. Between 26 December 2005 and 2 January 2008, the Australia cricket captain Ricky Ponting led his team on a record-equalling run of 16 consecutive test match victories, matching the winning streak achieved by his predecessor Steve Waugh in the period from 14 October 1999 to 27 February 2001. 26. First woman named among Wisden’s five “Cricketers of the Year”: Claire Taylor. (© Getty Images) England batsman Claire Taylor, who was awarded an MBE (for services to sport) in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours 2010, was the first woman to receive the Wisden accolade in the 120-year history of the award. In 2009, Taylor was an integral part of the England team that won the Women’s World Cup (she was named player of the tournament for her 324 runs at an average of 64.80) and the inaugural Women’s World T20 and retained the Ashes (against Australia). Taylor has also scored more One-Day International centuries (8) than any other female cricketer.