Superstition and cricket - some queer facts

One of the most respected umpires in the history of cricket was David Shepard. He was famous for standing on one leg every time the number 111, named after Admiral Lord Nelson, was scored by a team. Reportedly, this was because Nelson was “unlucky enough to have had only one eye, one hand and one leg, hence the 111.” The number is considered bad luck.

In Australian cricket, the infamous number 87 is also a cause for worry and concern for individual batsman. It is referred to as the “devil’s number” because it is 13 runs short of the all-important 100 runs every batsman wants to achieve.