The Line & Length Monday XI: Strauss answers

In honour of the new England captain, this week's quiz is loosely connected with Wing-Commander A.J. Strauss. Answers via the link below.

Question 1 Much has been made of Strauss being yet another South African England captain, but how old was he when he moved back to England?

Question 2 In 2004, Strauss became the fourth man to score a hundred at Lord's on his Test debut. Who were the previous three? And who has joined the group since Strauss?

Question 3 Against which opponents did Strauss score a hundred in his first ODI appearance at Lord's?

Question 4 What did The Independent newspaper do in 2002 that boosted Strauss's career?

Question 5 What connects Strauss, Arthur Streeb-Greebling, James Bond's quartermaster and the Poet Laureate?

Question 6 How many hundreds did Strauss score in his first 12 months of Test cricket?

Question 7 He made two centuries in the 2005 Ashes. At which grounds?

Question 8 During that series, Strauss pulled off one of the finest slip catches (pictured by Patrick Eagar). Who was the batsman and who was the bowler?

Question 9 To which New Zealand state side did Strauss go last winter to rediscover his form after being dropped by England?

Question 10 We'll finish with a couple of stinkers: According to the Times cuttings database, how many times, give or take, have the words "Strauss" and "Waltz" appeared in the headline of a British newspaper over a cricket story? It's actually much lower than I imagined, to the credit of our subs.

Question 11 And here's one to get you guessing: what do Strauss and this blogger have in common?

Answer 1 Six

Answer 2 Harry Graham, John Hampshire, Sourav Ganguly and, since Strauss, Matt Prior

Answer 3 West Indies

Answer 4 Make Gus Fraser their cricket correspondent, freeing up a place for Strauss as Middlesex captain

Answer 5 Radley College. As well as Strauss, the other three are Peter Cook, Desmond Llewellyn and Andrew Motion, all Old Radleians

Answer 6 Five hundreds

Answer 7 Old Trafford and the Oval

Answer 8 Gilchrist, Flintoff

Answer 9 Northern Districts

Answer 10 Everyone underestimated this one, probably led astray by me saying it was low. The words Strauss and Waltz have appeared 44 times in British headlines, which I still think is on the low side given that there are 14 national papers and they have been writing about him for a decade

Answer 11 Only Johnmc guessed correctly: we both have wives called Ruth

Comments

[Dudeface Dude]

Question 1 - 45

Question 2 - Muttiah Muralidaran, Inzamam Ul-Haq and Rajiv Gandhi

Question 3 - Harlem Globetrotters

Question 4 - Published a scandolous sex tape story

Question 5 - They are all schoolboy Chess champions

Question 6 - 25

Question 7 - Kandy, Islamabad

Question 8 - Batsman = Inzamam Ul Haq - Bowler = Saeed Anwar

Question 9 = Otago Highlanders

Question 10 = 0

Question 11 = They're both muppets

[jacob]

1)6
2)sourav ganguly henry graham john
hampshire and matt prior
3)west indies
4)hired angus fraser making strauss middlesex captain
5)radley collage
6)5
7)the oval and old trafford
8)batsman gilchrist bowler flintoff
9)nothern districts
10)4
11)they both like cricket

[Peter McGuinness]

Excuse me.

Someone forgot about Andrew 'John Bull' Strauss's sojourn in Australia in the forward and back between the Republic and The Old Dart.

I don't know what all the fuss is about anyway. What's wrong with a journeyman captaining a Barbarians XI? Par for the course, is it not?

[MP]

1. 6
2. John Hampshire, Harry Graham & Ganguly prior to Strauss and Prior after him ;-)
3. West Indies
4. Hired Fraser away, to allow Strauss captain Middlesex
5.
6. 5
7. Old Trafford & the Oval
8.
9. Northern Districts
10. 1
11. Share the same brand of underwear

[Jason Harcourt]

I think others have already got the ones I know (or can guess), but here goes anyway:

1. No idea - 5?
2. Dravid, Ganguly, Thorpe (?). Prior.
3. West Indies.
4. Poached Gus Fraser, Strauss became Middx captain.
5. Radley College
6. 6.
7. Old Trafford, The Oval.
8. Gilchrist and Freddie.
9. Northern Districts.
10. Without checking - 8.
11. Kids born on the same day?

[Johnmc]

1) 6
2) Prior is the latest
3) West Indies
4) Made Angus Fraser their cricket correspondent meaning Strauss became Middlesex captain
5) Radley College (well Peter Cook and Strauss certainly went there)
6) Six
7) Old Trafford and the Oval
8) Gilchrist off Flintoff
9) Northern something or other
10) 12
11) Name of your respective wives

[Jmd]

1) 2
2) Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly; Matt Prior
3) West Indies
4) Made Angus Fraser cricket correspondant, clearing the way for Strauss to become Middlesex captain.
5)
6) 5
7) Old Trafford, The Oval
8) Gilchrist; Flintoff
9) N.Districts
10) 1
11) school/university