Three sets of brothers and one Test

For the first time in Test cricket, three pairs of brothers played in one Test team. Andy and Grant Flower, Paul and Bryan Strang, and John and Gavin Rennie played in that game.

September 19, 1997, was a good day for Grant Flower, who brought up his fourth Test hundred. It was a Test between Zimbabwe and New Zealand at Harare and Wisden describes it as “Happy Families Test.”

For the first time in Test cricket, three pairs of brothers played in one Test team. Andy and Grant Flower, Paul and Bryan Strang, and John and Gavin Rennie played in that game. The Alistair Campbell-led Zimbabwe side also had all-rounder Guy Whittall in the side, while his cousin — the off-spinner Andy was the 12th man.

The “Happy Families Test” ended in a draw with the younger Flower scoring a ton in both the innings (104 and 151). The elder brother Andy, who was keeping in the match and later went on to be the country’s greatest batsman, had an off-game managing 8 and 20. Gavin making his debut scored 23 and 57, while his elder brother John didn’t do much with the bat and also went wicket-less. Coming to the Strangs, the elder Paul picked three scalps, and scored 42 and 17. Bryan too had a good game, picking three wickets in the first innings and two in the second.