A CENTURY OF TEST APPEARANCES

By S. Pervez Qaiser

Makhaya Ntini became the fifth South African and 49 player overall to play 100 or more Test matches.
The first Test match between South Africa- England, at SuperSport Park, Centurion was 100th Test match for the right arm fast bowler
Makhaya Ntini who made his Test debut against Sri Lanka at Cape Town in 1997-98, took 11 years and 272 days to reach this milestone.
Englishman Colin Cowdrey was the first player to enter the club of 100 Test  matches. Cowdrey who made  his Test debut against Australia at Brisbane in 1954-55 series, played his 100th Test match against the same country at Edgbaston in 1968 series.
The first South African player to play 100 Test matches was Gary Kirsten. He played his 100th Test match against New Zealand at Auckland on March 18,2004. The left-hand batsman and right arm off break bowler who played 101 Tests between 1993 and 2004, scored 7289 runs at 45.27 and took two wickets at 71.00.
Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis both achieved this feat by appearing against New Zealand at Centurion on April 15,2006. It was second time in the history of Test cricket when two players have reached the milestone of playing in their hundredth Test in the same match. At Old Trafford, Manchester against West Indies in 2000 series, two former captains of England, Mike Atherton and Alec Stewart reached the milestone of 100 Test appearances.
Mark Boucher was the fourth South African player to appear in 100 or more Tests. Mark Boucher played his 100th Test match against Pakistan at Centurion on January 11,2007. The right hand batsman and wicket-keeper who played 129 Test matches between 1997 and 2010, scored 4934 runs at 30.45 and claimed 686 victims, 464 catches and 22 stumpings.
Australian Mark Waugh is the fastest to complete a century of Test appearance while West Indian Clive Lloyd is the slowest.
West Indian Clive Lloyd took 17 years  and 137 days to complete his century of Test appearance. In  the Mumbai Test against India in 1966-67 series, Lloyd made his Test debut. He played his 100th Test match against Australia at Kingston in 1983-84 series.
Mark Edward Waugh who made his Test debut against England at Adelaide in 1990-91 series, took eight years and 342 days to reach this milestone. The third and final Test between Australia and India at Sydney in 1999-2000 series was Mark Waugh’s 100th Test match.
Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar holds the record of youngest player to play 100 Tests. The fourth and final Test match between India and England at The Oval  was the 100th Test match for this master batsman who made his Test debut against Pakistan at Karachi in 1989-90 series at the age of 16 years and 205 and became the youngest ever Indian player to play in Tests. He took 12 years and 294 days to complete his century of Test appearances. At  29 years and 134 days, he is the youngest player to attain this distinction