Highlights from The Oval Trivia Quiz

Answer: Won a major 440 yards hurdles race at Crystal Palace

Yes, he had the energy to win a big hurdles race even while playing such a huge role in a cricket match. He was not as far as I know a gambler, but he did play golf later in life, though never terribly well. I cannot speak for his croquet but while he may have played the game, this isn't something he was recorded as doing during that match.

Answer: Murdoch scored 153 not out to win the bet

Murdoch won his bet by that single run. Although he was very poor at the time (and a sovereign was worth about £40-50 in today's money) he was not going to spend this coin, and he had it put on a chain that he wore round his neck for the rest of his life. The sovereign is a gold coin, with a face vale of £1, and a genuine Victorian era sovereign will be worth a lot more to collectors.

Answer: Australia won by seven runs

Grace and Ulyett, the two batters who had taken England past 50, were both out in quick succession, and then a combination of panic afflicting the England middle and lower order and a ferocious spell of bowling by Fred 'The Demon' Spofforth finished England.

It would be another 78 years before test cricket saw a tied match, between Australia and West Indies at Brisbane, while neither of the other results are especially unusual.

Answer: 187-7, 76 still needed for the win

Yes, that is right, England were still some way from the target when Jessop was dismissed. George Hirst assumed control at that point. By the time Dick Lilley was ninth out, 15 were still needed and Wilfred Rhodes, who a decade later would be playing as an opening batter, came in at number 11 and helped England get home. I invented the incorrect option scores, though none are unbelievable.

Answer: A century in each innings (136 and 130)

Warren Bardsley became the first cricketer to score a century in both innings of a test match at the final match of the 1909 Ashes series, held from the 9th to the 11th of August 1909. Despite this feat the match ended in a draw, although Australia still took a 2-1 series victory to retain the Ashes.

The wrong answers had all happened before 1909 - Bobby Abel in the 19th century carried his bat through an innings for 132 not out, Will Murdoch scored 211 at The Oval in 1884, and Reginald 'Tip' Foster scored 287 on debut at Sydney in 1903.

Answer: An innings of 161 by Herbert Sutcliffe

Herbert Sutcliffe, the ultimate big occasion player (first class average 52.02, test average 60.73, Ashes average 66.85) did indeed produce scores of exactly 161 in both matches - in the third innings in 1926 to set up the win and in the first innings of the match in which England lost by an innings in 1930. Larwood played in both games but didn't take a five-for in either.

In neither match were the sides level on first innings, and Rhodes took 4-44 in the final innings in 1926, and although those figures were not duplicated four years on, an Australian left armer, Percy Hornibrook, took 7-92 to wreck the England second innings.

Answer: 903-7 declared

McCabe's prediction might well have come true had Hammond not declared, but Bradman, greatest of all test match batters, had injured himself while bowling, and when it was confirmed that he would play no further part in the game the England captain decided 900 was enough - and it was, the margin being a record innings and 579 runs.

The 658-8 declared had happened at Trent Bridge in the first match of the 1938 series, the 644 happened at Sydney in 2011, and the 494 at The Oval in 1968.

Answer: 14-149 (8-92 and 6-57)

Everyone else in the match managed 14 wickets between them (England took only eight West Indian wickets while conceding 869 runs - 687-8 declared and 182-0 declared) while Holding took that many on his own. All of my other sets of match figures have actually happened - Jason Kreijza had the 12-358, the 19-90 was achieved by Jim Laker at Old Trafford in 1956, and the 14-99 were Alec Bedser's figures in the opening match of the 1953 Ashes.

Answer: Ashley Giles

Giles scored 59 that day, and provided Pietersen with support for two and a half hours. Hoggard was sometimes a stubborn tailender but he played no significant role that day. Harmison rarely scored many, and that day was not an exception to the rule. Simon Jones played a crucial role in that series, but not in that specific match, having suffered a serious injury in the previous match.

Answer: A direct hit throw to run out Aussie number three Ricky Ponting

It was the direct hit run out of the Aussie captain, and at that stage still their best batter as well. Australia were already looking at an uphill task even before the run out, but once the skipper had gone there was never any further doubt.
The slower ball that did for Michael Clarke was from Edgbaston 2005 and was bowled by Harmison. Flintoff played quite a few important innings for England but not in that match. The ferocious over in which he took out the opener and the number three (Langer and Ponting) was at Edgbaston in 2005.