Yikes!!

I understand the idea behind a 'Nelson' in cricket, but I never understood why it was a bogey number for English batsmen. You've already made the ton. It's 87 for Aussies, reason being it's only 13 from 100.

It is an interesting number as it is what's known as a triangular number ie 1+2+3+4.....+34+35+36=666. Add it up if you don't believe me. It is the number of the beast mentioned in Revelations but I thought the beast was actually the devil? Can't think why our own fallen angel likes it so much....unless!!!

The number of the Beast when it was written was DCLXVI. I could be wrong, but I don't think M was a number then - meaning that is a combination of all the existing roman numerals.

The sum of 1 to 36 is (i*(i+1))/2 = (36*37)/2 = 18*37 = 666, but don't think that means as much as "every number you've ever seen put together" would.

Little known fact - the formula (i*(i+1))/2 was discovered by a young German student who (along with the rest of the class) was given some busy work while his teacher graded some tests. The teacher glanced up and saw the boy just sitting there and demanded to know why he wasn't adding like the rest of the class and the boy (who went on to be famous mathematician) said that he was done and what the correct answer was. Then he showed the teacher the trick he developed and explained to his teacher why it worked. No record has been made concerning whether that teacher thrashed the boy within inches of his life, but no records says it didn't happen either. Which is one of the reasons I remember the story and rule - a teacher who joked about what he would have done if a student showed him up that badly.

Goodgulf

I believe it's seen as unlucky for the side rather than the individual.