On this day – Duleepsinhji scores a triple century in just over five hours
Duleepsinhji was regarded as one of the greats of the game of cricket from India. He represented England in 12 Tests, in which he scored 995 runs at an average of 58.5. He also scored 3 hundreds and 5 half-centuries in his eight-year-long career with the England national team.
One of his heroics in the county match between Sussex and Northants is still among the best performances in first-class cricket history. It was on 7th May 1930 when Duleepsinhji scored a triple century in just over five hours.
Today in 1930: KS Duleepsinhji made 333 runs in a single day (ie on the opening day) for Sussex against Northamptonshire at the New County Ground, Hove in Brighton. He thus became the first Indian to register a triple century in first-class cricket!
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) May 7, 2020
In their first innings, Sussex posted a total of 521 runs in 127 overs on the first day of the three-day Test. This largely happened because of Duleepsinhji, who smashed a triple hundred in the first innings. He scored 333 runs while batting for only 330 minutes on the field. He smacked 33 fours and 1 six during the incredible knock.
It was also Duleepsinhji’s highest score in first-class cricket. Apart from him, Maurice Tate slammed a ton in the first innings for Sussex. In response to this total, the Northants team was dismissed for only 187 runs in the first innings. Bert Wensley was the most successful bowler for Sussex picking up 4 wickets for 45 runs in his 28 overs.
Later in the second innings, they could manage only 125 runs thus losing the game by an innings and 209 runs. Maurice Tate bowled extremely well for the team in the second innings picking up 7 wickets for 45 runs in 20.2 overs.
Duleepsinhji’s score is the record for the fourth-most runs scored by a player in a day in first-class cricket. Only three batsmen have scored more runs in a day in first-class cricket with Brian Lara topping the list with the last 390 of his famous 501 not out for Warwickshire in 1994 coming on the fourth day of the match.
