Serbian Leslie Dunbar and Bulgaria create many T20I records in one match

The hosts Bulgaria created history in T20 international during the last game of the four-match T20I series against Serbia as they managed to successfully chase the second-highest T20I target. While Bulgaria recorded the highest T20I total in the second innings, there are unsurprisingly some fastest records from the batters. Also, Serbian wicketkeeper-batter Leslie Dunbar created multiple T20I histories, including the most runs in a bilateral T20I series.  

All the four matches of this series were high-scoring encounters, where the hosts Bulgaria won all those four games by chasing successfully. They played the fourth or last game of this bilateral T20I series at Sofia on Sunday (26th June).

While the hosts sent the visitors to bat first, Serbia managed to score a whopping 242/4 in 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-batter Leslie Dunbar scored 117 runs in 50 balls (9 fours and 11 sixes) while openers Wintley Burton and Alexander Dizija managed 40 of 21 balls (3 fours and 4 sixes) and 58 off 44 balls (6 fours and 3 sixes) respectively.

In reply, Bulgaria chased down the mammoth 243-run target in 19.4 overs as they scored the record second innings total of 246/4. Opener Hristo Lakov remained not out on 48 off 40 balls (5 fours), while the wicketkeeper-batter Saim Hussain scored 71 off 24 balls (4 fours and 7 sixes), and Kevin D’Souza scored 66 runs off 27 balls (4 fours and 7 sixes). With that six-wicket victory, Bulgaria won the series by 4-0.

List of key records and stats in this article

1. Leslie Dunbar’s key records

·           Fastest T20I century by a wicketkeeper-batter

·           First wicketkeeper-batter to score two T20I centuries

·           Fastest to complete two T20I centuries

·           Third highest individual T20I score by a wicketkeeper-batter

·           Most runs in a bilateral T20I series

2. Joint 2nd fastest T20I fifty by a wicketkeeper

3. Joint fifth-fastest T20I fifty

4. Second highest T20I successful chasing

5. Highest T20I total in the second innings

6. Second highest T20I total at home

Key records and stats review of this Bulgaria vs Serbia match

1. Leslie Dunbar’s key records

Serbian wicketkeeper-batter Leslie Dunbar scored 117 runs off 50 balls with the help of 9 fours and 11 sixes.

• Fastest T20I century by a wicketkeeper-batter

Leslie Dunbar completed his second T20I century in just 44 balls. It was the fastest T20I century by a wicketkeeper-batter. The previous record was a 51-ball century by New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Brendon McCullum against Bangladesh at Pallekele on 21st September 2012.

On the other hand, Dunbar now became the 11th fastest batter to complete a T20I century.

• First wicketkeeper-batter to score two T20I centuries

Leslie Dunbar now became the first wicketkeeper-batter to record more than one T20I century. Before this latest century, Dunbar became the first wicketkeeper-batter and third overall batter to record a century on the T20I debut by scoring 104 not out against Serbia at Corfu on 14th October 2019.

Dunbar became the 12th overall batter to hit at least two T20I centuries.

• Fastest to complete two T20I centuries

Leslie Dunbar is now the fastest batter to complete two T20I centuries as the right-handed batter took only 10 innings to achieve this feat. UAE cricketer Muhammad Waseem previously held the record for the fastest to complete two T20I centuries, which he completed in his first 12 T20I innings.

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• 3rd highest individual T20I score by a wicketkeeper-batter

Leslie Dunbar’s 117-run was the third-highest individual T20I score by a wicketkeeper-batter. The top two T20I scores by the wicketkeeper-batters are 123 by New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum (vs Bangladesh at Pallekele on 21st September 2012) and 118* by Afghanistan cricketer Mohammad Shahzad (vs Zimbabwe at Sharjah on 10th January 2016).

• Most runs in a bilateral T20I series

In this four-match home T20I series, Leslie Dunbar scored 284 runs in four innings (average 94.66 and strike rate 202.85) with the help of one century and two half-centuries. The right-handed batter scored 70*, 89, 8 and 117 runs respectively in this series. It is the most runs in a bilateral T20I series for any batter.

South African cricketer Quinton de Kock was holding the previous record for most runs in a bilateral T20I series with 255 runs in five innings in a five-match T20I series against the hosts West Indies in 2021.   

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2. Joint 2nd fastest T20I fifty by a wicketkeeper

Bulgarian wicketkeeper-batter Saim Hussain completed his fifty in 17 balls. It was the joint second-fastest T20I fifty by a wicketkeeper-batter. South African wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock also once scored a 17-ball half-century against England at Durban on 14th February 2020. 

Caribbean wicketkeeper-batter Shai Hope is still holding the record for the fastest T20I fifty as a wicketkeeper with 16-ball fifty against Bangladesh at Sylhet on 17th December 2018.

3. Joint fifth-fastest T20I fifty

Bulgarian cricketer Kevin D'Souza recorded the joint fifth fastest T20I fifty by completing the half-century in 15 balls.

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Fastest T20I fifties

4. 2nd highest T20I successful chasing

Bulgaria managed to successfully chase the second-highest T20I target (also the second-highest T20 target), which was the 243-run. The record (both highest T20I and T20 target) is successfully chasing the 244-run target by Australia (245/5 in 18.5 overs) against New Zealand at Auckland on 16th February 2018.

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5. Highest T20I total in the second innings, but second-highest T20 total batting second

Bulgaria’s 246/4 in 19.4 overs is the new record for the highest T20I total batting second. The previous record for the highest T20I total in the second innings was 245/5 in 18.5 overs by Australia against New Zealand at Auckland on 16th February 2018.

Meanwhile, the 246/4 was the second-highest total in T20 cricket batting second. The record T20 total in the second innings is 248/4 in 20 overs by Central Districts (target 250 runs) against Otago at New Plymouth on 21st December 2016.

6. 2nd highest T20I total at home

Bulgaria’s 246/4 in 19.4 overs was the second-highest T20I total for the hosts. The highest T20 total for a home team is 260/5 (20 overs) by India against Sri Lanka at Indore on 22nd December 2017.  

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