Which wicket keeper did not concede a bye over a span of 2323 Test runs? (23 July 2001)

New Zealand wicket keeper Adam Parore holds a record that has eluded many of his more illustrious counterparts behind the sticks. At 30, Parore is already New Zealand's most successful wicket keeper in both Tests and ODIs but he may possibly be more proud of another lesser known feat. Over a stretch of five Test matches in the 1994/95 season, he did not let in a bye whilst his opponents piled up 2323 runs. Parore's streak began after he conceded 4 byes to lift South Africa's score to 263/5 at Cape Town in the third and final Test of the series. The home team's innings closed at 440 and they followed up with 89/3 in the second knock. West Indies then toured New Zealand for a two Test series, making 312 in the first, which was curtailed by rain. In the second Test, West Indies made a massive 660/5 (and won by a colossal innings and 322) but Parore incredibly went byeless. Indeed only one other stumper in Test history has conceded no bye in a bigger innings: Sri Lanka's Hashan Tillekeratne when New Zealand made 671/4 at Wellington in 1990/91.

South Africa followed for New Zealand's Centenary Test, a one-off affair at Auckland where they made 294 and 308/6. The next visitors were Sri Lanka who produced 183 in the first innings at Napier and had reached 300/7 in the second when Parore blundered by letting through another bye. There was an extraordinary sequel. After the series against Sri Lanka, Parore was replaced as keeper by debutant skipper Lee Germon for the tour of India in 1995/96. Mercifully, he did continue in the team as a specialist batsman.

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