No player has ever failed to hit ton after being 99 overnight

By Bipin Dani

MUMBAI, India (TheSportsNEXT) December 2, 2012: On Sunday morning, South Africa's top order batsman Hashim Amla, who was on overnight score of 99 (n.o.) runs in the ongoing Test match against Australia (at Perth), removed his helmet and showed a beaming face when he survived and not became the first Test player to fail the ton.

"In the history of Test matches, not a single batsman has failed to score a century when he was not out exactly on 99 runs overnight", the game's statisticians, Mohandas Menon, Rajneesh Gupta (India) and Dave Wilson (USA) confirmed to this scribe exclusviely.

"There have been other ten players- Glenn Turner and Mudassar Nazar (twice)- having completing the century on the next day", the statisticians said.

Later, Mudassar Nazar, the former Pakistani opener, speaking exclusviely from Dubai, where he is attached with the ICC's Global Cricket Academy, said, "Amla is in prime form and I was confident about him scoring a century to-day".

"It will be on his mind that if he scores 150 or more (he fell short of 4 runs to his double century) he will certainly put SA in strong position to win the series. Personal goals are important but a series win over Australia will be part of their glorious history forever", he said minutes after Amla reached his hundred.

"I remember being anxious on both occasions and it took a little time for me to go to sleep. My last thoughts before drifting to sleep were of scoring a century the next day and when I opened my eyes next morning, the first thing I thought was being on 99".

"One remains anxious when you are off field but as soon as you cross the boundary rope in the morning the team needs become of paramount importance. While you are eager to score the one run it is more important to stay out there and add as many runs as possible to put your team in a relatively strong position", Nazar added.

There have been few players stranded on 99 in the game of cricket.

"Going to Oxford University, Gerald Crutchley set up a curious record against Cambridge University at Lord's on 8th July 1912. Having scored 99 n.o., he was found at the end of the day to be suffering from measles and had to withdraw from the match", Wisden has reported in 1913.

"He was very unwell before the game began and had no idea what was the matter with him. But for his illness he would have reached three figures easily. Despite incubating measles, he had played in brilliant style, hitting 10 fours", Australia-based India's cricket historian, Kersi Meher-Homji has desribed in his book titled-"Cricket Quirky".