Cricket - The Best of 2003 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting from Australia scored 1503 runs at an average of 100.20 in 11 matches. He scored 6 hundreds (3 of them 200s) and 4 half centuries. Lara, Hayden and Gibbs all scored more than 1000 runs in 2003.

Answer: Brian Lara

Lara from the West Indies scored 1344 runs to Australia's Hayden's 1312. They both scored 5 centuries but Lara scored 2 more half centuries.

Answer: Rahul Dravid

India's Rahul Dravid with 100.37 just beat Ponting's average of 100.2. Dravid only played 5 matches, batted in 10 innings was not out twice and scored 803 runs. Hayden and Lara both averaged in the 70s.

Answer: Adam Gilchrist

Australia's Adam Gilchrist scored at an incredible 93.21 runs per 100 balls faced, nearly 30 runs per 100 balls quicker than the rest of the top batsmen. He scored 714 runs, including 3 centuries. Gilchrist is a wicketkeeper with an average in the mid 50s. Most keepers average in the 20s and are not top quality batsmen.

Answer: Matthew Hayden

Matthew Hayden's 380 against Zimbabwe was a batting world record, beating Brian Lara's record of 375 scored against England in the 1990s. Smith from South Africa scored 277, New Zealand's Fleming 274 not out and Ponting's highest of his three double centuries of the year was 257.

Answer: 9

These are the 9 batsmen who scored the big centuries in 2003, a big year for batsmen. Hayden (a 357 triple century), Smith (2 double centuries) Fleming, Ponting (3 double centuries), Dravid (2 double centuries), Gibbs and Jacques Rudolph from South Africa, Marcus Trescothick from England and Lara (2 double centuries).

Answer: Makaya Ntini

The relatively unknown Ntini from South Africa finished with 59 wickets, just ahead of Australia's fill-in leg spinner MacGill with 57 wickets. Sri Lanka's Muralitharan played just 7 matches for his 48 wickets, and South Africa's Pollock finished with 45.

Answer: True

Despite not winning a single match in 2003, Bangladesh's Mohammad Rafique with 33 wickets finished eighth on the list.

Answer: Australia

Australia is the best side in the world so it makes sense they would take the most wickets. The four bowlers are MacGill, Jason Gillespie (41 wickets), Brett Lee (38) and Andy Bichel (32). Their best two bowlers, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, who between them have taken over 900 career wickets, missed most of the year through injury and suspension.

Answer: Shabbir Ahmed

Ahmed finished with 33 wickets in 6 matches to just beat Akhtar's 30 from 4 matches. A special mention on Akhtar's year. His 30 wickets came at an amazing strike rate of 28.9 balls per wicket, and an average of 12.36 runs per wicket.