Sunil Ambris registers unique record at Basin Reserve against New Zealand
Jan 6, 2019 at 3:51 AM
The 24-year-old batsman Sunil Ambris has set up a unique record of being dismissed hit wicket by Neil Wagner on the very first ball he faced in the Test format, before opening his account with a six that came off the top-edge of the bat.
The right-hander Ambris achieved the feat when he hooked the ball sent down by Trent Boult.
It was the fifth ball of the 86th over for the Windies second innings and third ball of an innings.
(Read Also: Windies Debutant Sunil Ambris Secures Unwanted Piece of History)
The promising batsman Ambris become the second Windies after Carlisle Best who scored first runs with a six at Kingston Jamaica against England in 1986.
Ambris achieved the feat against New Zealand on day four of the first Test in Wellington.
Earlier on Monday (December 4), Ambris looked bit hesitant while facing the very first ball of second innings when he went deep into the crease – to defend the ball before leaving the second delivery which was outside off delivery.
However, Ambris did not last long when Ross Taylor caught him at the wide slip on the bowling of Colin de Grandhomme.
In his 46-minute batting, Ambris faced 32 balls to score 18 at the strike-rate of 56.25. He also registered two boundaries and a six.
In his debut Test, Ambris scored 18 runs after facing 33 balls in both the innings.
While opening the account with a six after the golden duck in the first innings at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, Ambris became the first-ever batsman in the history – to return to the pavilion when he faced the first-ever ball in the traditional format to be dismissed as a hit wicket.
Interestingly, Ambris is the third Windies and sixth overall player, who was dismissed on a golden duck in the five-day format after Vanburn Holder and Deryck Murray.
In 1975, Holder was the first to score nought, in his debut Test first innings against hosts India in Chennai, while the former gloveman Murray is listed second from the Caribbean to achieve the same unwanted club record in 1980 at the Oval against England.
It’s pertinent to state that, Ambris made his international debut against England at Southampton in September early this year.
(Read Further: New Zealand Clinch Wellington Test despite Windies Resistance)
In his only One-day international, Ambris scored unbeaten 38 after featuring in 39 first-class matches, as he averages 49.87 in 23 List A fixtures.
List of Players who opened their respective account with a six with latest first:
- In 2017, Sunil Ambris; West Indies against New Zealand at Basin Reserve in Wellington.
- In 2016, Dhananjaya de Silva; Sri Lanka against Australia in Kandy.
- In 2014, Mark Craig; New Zealand against Windies at Kingston in Jamaica.
- In 2005, Keith Dabengwa; Zimbabwe against New Zealand in Bulawayo.
- In 1986, Carlisle Best; Windies against England at Kingston in Jamaica.
- In 1968 Eric Freeman; Australia Vs India at Gabba in Brisbane.
List of hit wickets owing to the golden duck in Test fold with ascending order:
- Windies’ Sunil Ambris in 2017 against New Zealand at Basin Reserve.
- Windies’ Deryck Murray in 1980 against England at The Oval.
- Windies’ Vanburn in 1975 against India in Chennai.
- South Africa’s Mike Proctor in 1967 against Australia in Port Elizabeth.
- India’s Vijay Manjrekar in 1962 against Windies at the Port of Spain
- Pakistan’s Imtiaz Ahmed in 1962 against England at Dhaka.
VIDEO OF THE DAY: