The Line & Length Christmas XL

Whether you are a Bah Humbug type or someone who trots around humming God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, it is hard to get away from the fact that Christmas is just around the corner and all good boys and girls will be hoping for a present from Santa.

Well, this year Santa has sent Line & Length five annual subscriptions to The Wisden Cricketer to be won by readers who get the most answers right in today's bumper quiz. Usual Times competition rules apply, whatever they are (think it means I can't give the prize to anyone in my family) and there will be a limit of two overseas winners to save TWC's postage. Right, get guessing and leave your answers by clicking "comments" below. Or email them to patrick.kidd@thetimes.co.uk, but no spam please.

Round 1 On Christmas Day

Q1 Which two England batsmen were born on December 25?

Q2 Two members of England's 2005 Ashes-winning side were born on December 25, who?

Q3 In 1972, the Delhi Test between India and England finished on Christmas Day. Which Welshman hit the winning runs as England chased 207 to go 1-0 up in the series?

Q4 Which two teams contested the first Test to be played on Christmas Day, in 1951?

Q5 What miracle occured at the Adelaide Oval on December 25, 1940, involving Don Bradman?

Round 2 Batsmen in 2008

Q6 Assuming Hashim Amla doesn't break Brian Lara's world record in the Boxing Day Test, who will end the year as the leading run-scorer in Test cricket?

Q7 Five Test double-hundreds and one triple-hundred were scored this year, by three South Africans and three Indians. Name them.

Q8 Who is the only batsman, as of today, to be averaging more than 100 in Test cricket in 2008?

Q9 Who was the leading run-scorer in the inaugural IPL?

Q10 Mark Ramprakash now has 103 first-class hundreds, having advanced from 97 at the start of the 2008 county season. How many batsmen have scored more over their careers?

Round 3 Bowlers in 2008

Q11 Assuming James Anderson doesn't take four Indian wickets tomorrow morning, six bowlers will have taken more than 50 Test wickets in 2008: two Australians, two South Africans, an Indian and a Kiwi. Name them.

Q12 Who had the best bowling figures for a Test innings and who had the best for a match?

Q13 Allowing a minimum of 40 overs, which New Zealander had the year's best economy rate in Tests?

Q14 Who was the leading wicket-taker in this year's IPL?

Q15 Who took nine wickets in the final match of the season to deliver Durham their first County Championship?

Round 4 Wicketkeepers in 2008

Q16 Which wicketkeeper has made the most Test dismissals, 55, this year?

Q17 Which is the only Test country to have had two wicketkeepers who each played three or more Tests this year?

Q18 Three Test centuries were scored by wicketkeepers this year. Who hit the highest?

Q19 Who was named as wicketkeeper in the ICC Test Team of the Year?

Q20 England have used ten wicketkeepers in international cricket since 2001. Name them

Round 5 History lessons

Q21 Sixty years ago, the Australian "Invincibles" toured England. What memento of that tour was sold at auction this month for £175,000?

Q22 What appeared for the first time in the 1968 English domestic season and would go on to be used for the next 40 years, although in varying degrees?

Q23 In 1978, against Pakistan, Ian Botham became the only man to do what in a Test match? It has not yet been matched.

Q24 Why was England's 1988 tour to India, captained by Graham Gooch and due to feature the likes of Kim Barnett, John Emburey and Allan Lamb, called off at the last minute?

Q25 When was the only time cricket was played in the Olympics, with Great Britain beating France to the gold medal?

Round 6 Away from the mainstream

Q26 The passing of which much-loved cricket icon in April was mourned in the pages of The Times by Dickie Bird and Bob Willis?

Q27 Which country won the inaugural Lawyers World Cup in January?

Q28 Which cricket tournament did England win this year, with Dimitri Mascarenhas being the star player?

Q29 Who succeeded Matthew Engel as editor of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack?

Q30 Who was named by the Cricket Writers Club as the Young Player of the Year for 2008?

Round 7 Quote unquote

Q31 Who said this to whom: "You are not God, you are a cricketer. And I am a better one."

Q32 Which England player was dismissed by Alec Stewart as "a poor man's Mark Ealham"?

Q33 Which American comedian said that cricket was "a fag game"?

Q34 "You were a good'un": which cricketer who retired this year said that he would like that to be his epitaph?

Q35 Who said "Look it's your nation, not mine" when asked about being sent naked pictures by fans?

Round 8 Picture round

Identify the following five people who had a peripheral role in cricket this year and say why they are famous:

Q36

Q37

Q38

Q39

Q40

Comments

[Ian]

Cheers for response. Sounds reasonable. Glad to hear that you had correct answers prior to my guesses. Thanks for an enjoyable quiz.

[Patrick Kidd]

Yes, in hindsight, I shouldn't have published Ian's answers. My apologies. Fortunately he didn't get them all right, and also I got a lot of more correct answers emailed to me earlier. Thanks to everyone who took part.

[Ian]

Agreed, I was rather suprised to see my answers published; I'd have sent them by email if I had known. I only hope that the winning answers were submitted before my answers and the additional comments were added.

[Vidhya]

Came this way very late. For a quiz with prizes, it was not a good idea to approve posts with answers.

[jimothy]

20 - I remember Antony McGrath taking over the gloves for a bit during the 2003 Lord's test v South Africa. Alec Stewart got hit on the head and had to leave the field in a daze. Would that count?

[DaGame]

Number 40 is preity zinta, she owns an Indian Premier league Team

Who is number 40, i cant work it out :(

[Martin Hearnden]

40. The English security guy - Patterson?

[Choptastic]

20 - it wasn't Banger, but Owais Shah in a ODI, can't remember where for the life of me!

[Ian]

1. Marcus Trescothick, Alistair Cook
2. Marcus Trescothick, Simon Jones
3. Tony Lewis
4. Australia, West Indies
5. Golden Duck
6. Graeme Smith
7. Graeme Smith, AB DeVilliers, Neil McKenzie, Virender Sehway, Gautam Gambir, VVS Laxman
8. Shivnarine Chanderpaul
9. Gautam Gambhir
10. 19
11. Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Harbhajan Singh, Daniel Vettori
12. b.b.i. Mitchell Johnson. b.b.m. Jason Krejza
13. Jacob Oram
14. Sohail Tanivr
15. Callum Thorp (I initially though Imran Tahir in Hants beating Notts as Durham were clearly going to beat Kent anyway, but he got eight).

16. Mark Boucher
17. Australia (nearly got fooled by Prior/Ambrose)
18. Brad Haddin
19. Kumar Sangakkara (although I supsect he would have been preferred to be selected as a batsman)
20. This was tricky and I'm not sure:
Matt Prior,
Tim Ambrose,
Chris Read,
Geraint Jones,
Alec Stewart,
James Foster,
Pau Nixon,
Phil Mustard,
Vikram Solanki (took the gloves in Twenty20 world cup. hope this counts)
Marcus Trescothick (hazarding a guess, I am sure he must have but whether it was in the time window)
21. Don Bradman's final cap (I think actually this didn't sell but can't think what else it would be; must be something of the Don's)
22. Overseas Players
23. Score a century and take 8 wickets
24. Players refused visas for playing in S. Africa
25. 1900
26. Cricket 'knitted' sweater
27. India
28. Hong Kong sixes (and will England take note, no. All the better for Hampshire, I guess)
29. Scyld Berry
30. Ravi Bopara
31. Kevin Pietersen to Yuvraj Singh
32. Paul Collingwood
33. Jerry Lewis
34. Darren Gough
35. Pietersen again
Photos: well I don't think they visit the Rosebowl that much and listening to TMS won't help much. This is where it goes to pot!
36. Allan Stanford at some angle which conceals his moustache. Arranged a $1M cricket match
37. Lalit Modi - heads up IPL - vice presidnet of Indian board
38. Giles Clarke - chairman of ECB
39. Dancer at IPL? - Shilpa Shetty?
40. I really should know his, I am going to kick myself. No point guessing as I am convinced I would know if I guessed right.