Ashes Stats: Alastair Cook becomes the fastest and slowest player to 12,000 Test runs

Aussie attack just the third in Test history to each take 20 wickets in a series

By Benedict Bermange, Cricket Statistician

Image: Alastair Cook - the fastest and slowest player to 12,000 Test runs

Alastair Cook reached 12,000 Test runs on day four at the SCG, Benedict Bermange explains how he was both the quickest and slowest player to reach the milestone...

Australia have provided just the third case of four bowlers taking at least 20 wickets for a side in a series:

20+ wickets for the same team in a series

Team Season Bowlers
WI v Eng 1995 Bishop, Walsh, K Benjamin, Ambrose
Aus v Eng 2006/07 Clark, Warne, McGrath, Lee
Aus v Eng 2017/18 Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, Lyon

Both Marsh brothers reached their centuries with the other brother batting at the same time - just the fourth time that has happened in Test history:

Sibling centuries in the same Test

Brothers Match Venue Year
Ian & Greg Chappell Aus v WI Bridgetown 1973
Ian & Greg Chappell Aus v NZ Wellington 1974
Mark & Steve Waugh Aus v WI Kingston 1995
Shaun & Mitchell Marsh Aus v Eng Sydney 2018
Image: Cook beat Sachin Tendulkar's record to become the youngest player to 12,000 Test runs

When Alastair Cook reached five in his second innings he reached 12,000 Test runs. He is the youngest to get there:

Youngest players to 12,000 Test runs

Years Days Name
33 13 Alastair Cook
35 176 Sachin Tendulkar
35 214 Ricky Ponting
36 32 Jacques Kallis
37 68 Kumar Sangakkara
37 339 Rahul Dravid

He also took the least time:

Least time to reach 12,000 Test runs

Years Days Name
11 312 Alastair Cook
14 167 Kumar Sangakkara
14 179 Rahul Dravid
14 225 Ricky Ponting
15 338 Jacques Kallis
18 337 Sachin Tendulkar

But took the most innings:

Innings to 12,000 Test runs

Innings Name
224 Kumar Sangakkara
247 Ricky Ponting
247 Sachin Tendulkar
249 Jacques Kallis
255 Rahul Dravid
275 Alastair Cook

Only two England bowlers have ever conceded more runs in a Test innings than Mason Crane did here:

Also See:

Most runs conceded by an England bowler in a Test innings

Runs Wickets Name Opposition Venue Season
217 3 Ian Botham Pakistan The Oval 1987
204 6 Ian Peebles Australia The Oval 1930
193 1 Mason Crane Australia Sydney 2017/18
192 4 Adil Rashid India Mumbai 2016/17
190 1 Moeen Ali India Chennai 2016/17
190 2 Ashley Giles Sri Lanka Colombo-SSC 2003/04

In England's last seven away Tests, they have conceded four of their 10 highest totals outside England.

All five Tests of this series have progressed to the fifth day - first Ashes series since 1994/95. The last Ashes series in England in 2015 lasted just 18 days, none of the five Tests going past the fourth day.

Image: The England bowlers were made to toil in scorching conditions in New South Wales

Sydney reached a top temperature of 47.3C today, the highest temperature recorded by a weather station in the Sydney metropolitan area in 79 years.