Stats: Hardus Viljoen takes wicket with first ball of Test career, joins elite list
26-year-old Hardus Viljoen has been given his Test debut in the ongoing match between South Africa and England at Johannesburg, and he struck gold with the very first delivery he bowled. He was introduced into the attack in the 11th over, and he got the wicket of Alastair Cook with his very first ball, caught by wicket keeper Dane Vilas.
Viljoen is not the first cricketer to take a wicket with his first ball in international cricket, but this is a very exclusive list, and Viljoen is the 20th bowler with this feat in Test cricket. 17 bowlers have done this feat in ODI cricket.
Viljoen was picked in the team ahead of Kyle Abbott for the 3rd Test, and what made the occasion even more special for the debutant was that he was bowling at his home stadium, The Wanderers.
However, bowlers who have taken a wicket with their first ball have often not enjoyed a very long international career, and Viljoen has to ensure he does not fall victim to this ‘curse’ as well. Of the 20 bowlers, only Maurice Tate, Intikhab Alam, Nathan Lyon and Shaminda Eranga have played in more than ten Tests.
Fidel Edwards and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are the only bowlers to have taken a wicket with their first delivery in ODIs to have enjoyed relatively long careers.
Players of this exclusive list –
| Player | Batsman | Team | Opposition | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Horan | Walter Read | Australia | England | SCG | 1882-83 |
| Arthur Coningham | Archie MacLaren | Australia | England | MCG | 1894-95 |
| Bill Bradley | Frank Laver | England | Australia | Old Trafford | 1899 |
| Ted Arnold | Victor Trumper | England | Australia | SCG | 1903-04 |
| Bert Vogler | Ernie Hayes | South Africa | England | Old Wanderers | 1905-06 |
| Jack Crawford | Bert Vogler | England | South Africa | Old Wanderers | 1905-06 |
| George Macaulay | George Hearne | England | South Africa | Newlands | 1922-23 |
| Maurice Tate | Fred Susskind | England | South Africa | Edgbaston | 1924 |
| Matt Henderson | Eddie Dawson | New Zealand | England | Lancaster Park | 1929-30 |
| Dennis Smith | Eddie Paynter | New Zealand | England | Lancaster Park | 1932-33 |
| Tyrell Johnson | Walter Keeton | West Indies | England | The Oval | 1939 |
| Dick Howorth | Dennis Dyer | England | South Africa | The Oval | 1947 |
| Intikhab Alam | Colin McDonald | Pakistan | Australia | Karachi | 1959-60 |
| Richard Illingworth | Phil Simmons | England | West Indies | Trent Bridge | 1991 |
| Nilesh Kulkarni | Marvan Atapattu | India | Sri Lanka | Premadasa | 1997 |
| Chamila Gamage | Mohammad Ashraful | Sri Lanka | Bangladesh | Premadasa | 2002 |
| Nathan Lyon | Kumar Sangakkara | Australia | Sri Lanka | Galle | 2011 |
| Shaminda Eranga | Shane Watson | Sri Lanka | Australia | SSC | 2011 |
| Dane Piedt | Mark Vermeulen | South Africa | Zimbabwe | Harare | 2014 |
| Hardus Viljoen | Alastair Cook | South Africa | England | New Wanderers | 2015-16 |
| Player | Match | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| GG Arnold | Eng v Aus | Manchester | 1972 |
| CH Lloyd | WI v Eng | Oval | 1973 |
| S Mahboob | Pak v Ind | Lahore | 1982/83 |
| SA Thomson | NZ v Ind | Dunedin | 1989/90 |
| Inzamam-ul-Haq | Pak v WI | Faisalabad | 1991/92 |
| E Matambanadzo | Zim v Pak | Peshawar | 1996/97 |
| S Ramesh | Ind vs WI | Singapore | 1999/00 |
| WW Hinds | WI v Ind | Singapore | 1999/00 |
| JS Ababu | Ken v Zim | Nairobi | 1999/00 |
| M van Jaarsveld | SA v Ban | Kimberley | 2002/03 |
| M Zondeki | SA v SL | Bloemfontein | 2002/03 |
| K Lokuharachchi | SL v Ken | Sharjah | 2002/03 |
| R Clarke | Eng v Pak | Manchester | 2003 |
| F Edwards | WI v Zim | Harare | 2003/04 |
| M Mirando | SL v WI | St Lucia | 2007/08 |
| PA Desai | Can v WI | Jamaica | 2009/10 |
| B Kumar | Ind v Pak | Chennai | 2012/13 |