Here are some notes and details on my research into centuries scored before lunch, plus lots of information about hits over-the-boundary (6s etc) in the domestic seasons of some countries. A list showing the known career tally for some players is also available. Acknowledgement must be paid to the ground-breaking work by the late Gerald Brodribb, particularly relating to "sixers." He was interested, full of encouragement and generous with his time during our meetings in 1997 & 1999.

most hits (career) by an individual
hits (6s etc) in Australia
hits (6s etc) in Bangladesh
hits (6s etc) in New Zealand
hits (6s etc) in England
hits (6s etc) in South Africa
hits (6s etc) in India
hits (6s etc) in Pakistan
hits (6s etc) in Sri Lanka
hits (6s etc) in West Indies
hits (6s etc) in Zimbabwe

Pre-lunch 100s

In Frindall's Book of Cricket Records (4th ed.) there are 848 instances of a batsman scoring 100+ runs in a pre-lunch session. In 147 of those cases the players individual score at lunch is not shown or is only given approximately. I've been able to investigate 35 of these instances so far. I've found additional information for the 28 which are confirmed as pre-lunch 100s. However, there are seven which should never have been listed in the first place. I also found one instance that should have been listed but was not. The details are as follows:

DELETE FROM THE RECORDS:

WG Grace (170*) England v Notts & Yorkshire 1872
According to The Daily News (London) and Sporting Life Grace had only reached about 83 not out by the lunch interval. The magnificent tome on Grace's career which was compiled by J.R. Webber, and published by the A.C.S.H. in 1998, gives an approximate lunch score of 87. Either way it is clear Grace could not possibly have scored a century before lunch in this innings.

PR Johnson (105) Somerset v Sussex 1913
The reports printed in the Sussex Daily News and Brighton Evening Argus indicate that Johnson was only 90 not out at the interval.

CG Macartney (193) Australia v Northants 1921
Reports indicate that start of play was delayed until 12.15 because the Australian team's baggage had not arrived. Then it is stated that at the luncheon adjournment the score was 1/158 with Macartney on 98 and Andrews on 55. Source: reference to the tour scorebook, different agency reports in the Launceston Examiner and Hobart Mercury

FE Woolley (202) Rest v Yorkshire 1924
Woolley resumed the day on 46 and by lunch had reached 137. The Yorkshire Evening Post report comments on the resumption of play being delayed after the interval. The M.C.C. was "entertaining" those who had been selected for the tour to Australia which was due to start within a few weeks. After play resumed Oldroyd dropped Woolley at long-on when his score was 142.

CCR Dacre (108) Gloucestershire v Oxford University 1935
The report in The Times newspaper states that Gloucestershire had scored 139 for no wicket at the luncheon interval. Continuing on with the description of play in the post-lunch period the reporter wrote: "Ballance bowled very well after the interval, but without any luck. Dacre continued to bat forcefully, if rather luckily, and soon reached his 100."

H Gimblett (114) Somerset v Cambridge Uni 1946
The afternoon newspaper Bath & Wilts Chronicle & Herald clearly states that there was no play before lunch so this instance is impossible.

RA Woolmer (125) Kent v Oxford Uni 1975
Wisden's Almanack 1976 pp. 799-800 shows the wrong match order and in the text claims that Oxford followed on. Evening and morning newspapers like The Oxford Mail and The Times reveal that not only did Oxford bat first, but also show Woolmer was 82 not out at stumps on the first day and added a further 43 on the second day prior to his dismissal.

ADD TO YOUR RECORDS:

GL Jessop (139) Gloucestershire v Yorkshire 1900
Jessop followed his first innings of 104 with this splendid knock, and in the process appears to have completed a unique performance in first-class cricket - a century in each innings of the same match AND both scored prior to lunch. The sources confirming these events are the newspapers: Yorkshire Post, Yorkshire Evening Post and the Bradford Telegraph.

EXTRA INFORMATION FOR CONFIRMED INNINGS

The 28 instances shown below are confirmed as players scoring a hundred or more before lunch. However, the batsman's score at the interval is not shown in Frindall's book. I have included that score in these details, either as a precise figure, or the least they could have been (i.e. 100+ , a hundred but possibly more). Note: the effort by Gimblett was on the second morning of the match, the first day having been washed out.

BATSMAN	SCORE	LUNCH	MATCH	SEASON
R Abel	(152)	101*	Surrey v Leic.	1896
TE Cook	(176)	100*+	Sussex v Worc.	1934
AM Crawley	(175)	100*+	Kent v Essex	1930
CCR Dacre	(104)	104*	Glos. v Worc.	1934
AH Dyson	(104)	104	Glamorgan v Kent	1937
WHB Evans	(139*)	100*+	Oxford Uni. v MCC	1905
AE Fagg	(244)	100*+	Kent v Essex	1938
H Gimblett	(106)	103*	Somerset v Northants	1936
WR Hammond	(252)	117*	Glos. v Leic.	1935
JB Hobbs	(100)	100	Surrey v Yorkshire	1914
JB Hobbs	(104)	102*	Surrey v Glos.	1925
WW Keeton	(110)	110	Notts v Yorkshire	1933
BP King	(124)	105*	Worc. v Hampshire	1938
RH Moore	(316)	100*	Hampshire v Warw.	1937
JH Parks	(104)	101*	Sussex v Notts	1937
JH Parks	(140)	100*+	Sussex v Somerset	1937
E Paynter	(322)	100*+	Lanc. v Sussex	1937
G Pullar	(103)	103	Rest v Yorkshire	1959
JDB Robertson	(154)	102*+	Middlesex v Warw.	1939
RT Simpson	(101)	101	MCC v Yorkshire	1953
RT Simpson	(147)	100*	Notts v Somerset	1954
AP Singleton	(152)	111*	Worc. v Hampshire	1946
FE Woolley	(110)	110*	Kent v Surrey	1930

ADDING HUNDRED OR MORE TO OVERNIGHT SCORE

BATSMAN	SCORE	LUNCH	MATCH	SEASON
WH Ponsford	(162)	15*-134*	Victoria v Tasmania	1921-22
CCR Dacre	(117)	2*-102*	Glos. v Derby.	1934
AE Fagg	(131)	1*-101*?	Kent v Leic.	1939
FE Woolley	(198)	9*-130*	Kent v Somerset	1933
FE Woolley	(172)	58*-158*+	Kent v Sussex	1935

Note: Record books like those compiled by Frindall & Dawson/Wat give Ponsford's span of runs as 15 to 146. However, I cannot find any mention of the lunchtime score in any published report on the match. By studying the reports printed in the two daily newspapers of Launceston (match venue) at the time, I have tried to calculate how many extras occurred, and how many runs by other batsman were scored. From that I suggest that Ponsford had scored at least 113 but no more than 134.