Laker's missing wicket, most 90s, and most 150s

When Jim Laker took his 19 wickets, who did he fail to dismiss? asked Robert Laycock

The man who escaped Jim Laker's clutches at Old Trafford in 1956 was the Australian opener Jim Burke, who was caught at slip by Colin Cowdrey off Tony Lock in the first innings. Lock, Laker's Surrey spin partner, toiled through 69 overs in the match for that solitary wicket, taking 1 for 106 to set alongside Laker's immortal 19 for 90. Laker did get Burke out in the second innings (caught by Lock!), and in fact became the first man to dismiss all 11 opponents during the course of a Test match, a feat since emulated by Srinivas Venkataraghavan, Geoff Dymock, Abdul Qadir, Waqar Younis and Muttiah Muralitharan (click here for a list showing the matches concerned).

Who has made the most scores of over 150 in Test cricket? Is it Brian Lara asked Claude Job from Trinidad

Well, the good news for Trinidad & Tobago is that Brian Lara's 226 at Adelaide at the end of last year was his 18th score of 150 or more in Tests, which did indeed equal the record, which had been held for many years by Don Bradman. It took Lara a bit longer, though - that 226 came in his 121st Test, while Bradman's 18th 150 was scored in the 51st of his eventual 52 matches. Meanwhile Sachin Tendulkar is coming up on the rails with 15 150s.

Who holds the record for the most nineties in one-day internationals? asked Chirag Doshi

The man who leads the way for ODI centuries also heads the list for near-misses. In addition to his 39 hundreds, Sachin Tendulkar has been dismissed in the nineties ten times as well, the most recent his 95 against Pakistan at Lahore in 2005-06. New Zealand's Nathan Astle has had nine scores in the nineties - two of them earlier this year - as did Aravinda de Silva and Grant Flower.

Who was the first man to score a century in a one-day international? asked Terry Rawlings

The first ODI hundred was scored by England's Dennis Amiss - 103 against Australia at Old Trafford in 1972. Actually Amiss scored the second one too - 100 against New Zealand at Swansea in 1973. The first man other than Amiss to score one was Roy Fredericks, of West Indies, with 105 against England at The Oval later in 1973.

I was told that there are two South African Test cricketers who played rugby for England, is this true? asked Rudi du Plessis

Actually I think there are five: William Milton, who was born in Buckinghamshire, played three Tests for South Africa at the end of the 19th century, after winning two rugby union caps for England in the days of 20-a-side in 1874-75. Yorkshire-born Frank Mitchell won six England rugby caps in 1895-96, captaining them in his last match, then won two Test caps for England in South Africa in 1898-99: he stayed in the Republic and captained them in their Tests in cricket's one and only Triangular Tournament, in England in 1912. Reginald Hands played two rugby internationals for England in 1910, won a solitary Test cap for South Africa in 1913-14, and was killed in France in 1918. "Tuppy" Owen-Smith played all five Tests for South Africa in England in 1929, scoring a memorable century at Headingley: he played rugby for England in the 1930s, captaining them to the Triple Crown in 1937. And finally Clive van Ryneveld played four rugby internationals for England in 1949 while at Oxford, scoring two tries in the defeat of Scotland, then returned to South Africa and won 19 Test caps, captaining his side in eight of those matches.

How often have Pakistan beaten England at Lord's? asked Asif Qureishi from London

Before the current Test the score at Lord's between England and Pakistan was three-all. England won in 1962, when Tom Graveney scored 153; in 1978, when Ian Botham scored 108 and took 8 for 34; and 2001, when Darren Gough and Andy Caddick took eight wickets apiece. Pakistan, meanwhile, won in 1982, when Mohsin Khan hit 200; in 1992, by the close margin of two wickets; and 1996, led by Inzamam-ul-Haq's 148. The other matches - in 1954, 1967, 1971, 1974 and 1987 - were drawn.