Top 5 instances of players reaching the venue after the start of the game
When it comes to International Cricket and other domestic competitions, the teams are forced to be 10-man side if there are any players not present at the venue.
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3. Sir Everton Weekes – West Indies vs England, 1948 Kingston Test
Sir Everton Weekes made his Test debut during the 1948 home Test series against England. Weekes scored no less than 20 and no more than 36 runs during the five innings he batted across the first three Tests. Hence, he was dropped for the 4th Test as the skipper George Headley who missed the previous two games due to injury. But Headley was revealed to now be fit ahead of the match and hence, West Indies had to choose between Weekes and local boy John Holt.
The team decided to give another chance to Everton who already returned to his home in Barbados. After receiving a late call-up, the young batsman rushed to the airport but the plane he was set to travel was overbooked but somehow managed to get seating.
Moreover, the aircraft had engine trouble and arrived quite late in Jamaica. According to the autobiography of Weekes, the match already began by the time he reached the match which he saw while flying over Kingston.
Weekes thought he would be 12th man but got to known from an official at the hotel that he was indeed in the playing XI. Soon, he rushed to the venue and replaced local guy John Holt on the field who was substituting for Weekes.
England won the toss and elected to bat first and hence West Indies didn’t have any major issue with the Barbados batsman reaching late. Everton walked on the field amidst loud boos from the local crowd who wanted Holt to play instead.
Everton Weekes answered them with a 141-run knock batting at No.3 which helped West Indies to win the game by 10 wickets and win the Test series 2-0. He later recorded scores of 128, 194, 162 and 101 respectively in the first three matches of the 1948-49 India tour.
Thus, Sir Everton Weekes became the first player in International history with five successive tons. His record streak came to an end when he was run out on 90 in the following Test and also scored 56 and 48 in the tour finale.
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