Batting survivors, and bowling centurions

	New Zealand ran out a record five batsmen in their ODI against South Africa in Kimberley © Associated Press Enlarge
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Who has seen the most wickets fall while he has been batting in Tests? Is this another Tendulkar record? asked Bharat Majendie from Mumbai
It's another Indian record - but not a Tendulkar one. Rahul Dravid saw 453 batsmen get out while he was batting, nine more than Shivnarine Chanderpaul has so far. Then come two long-serving Australians: Allan Border saw 365 wickets fall at the other end, while Steve Waugh survived 349 partners. Sachin Tendulkar comes next with 345, with Jacques Kallis (334) in hot pursuit.

In the second Test against Sri Lanka in 2004, six Zimbabwe bowlers conceded 100 or more runs. Was this a record? asked Jayanath Fernando from Sri Lanka
That one-sided match in Bulawayo - which Sri Lanka won by an innings and 254 runs after declaring with the little matter of 713 for 3 - was indeed the first occasion in which six bowlers conceded a century of runs in the same Test innings, and there hasn't been another one since. There had been a very near miss, though, when Australia ran up 758 for 8 in Kingston in 1954-55: West Indies used six bowlers, five of whom conceded 100 or more - and the sixth, Garry Sobers, finished with 1 for 99.

The ground at Dharamsala, where the last one-day international between India and England was played, is about 1450 metres above sea level. Was this the highest altitude at which an official international match was played? asked Shahzad from Pakistan
I have to admit that I had thought it probably was - until Charles Davis wrote on my Facebook page that the Wanderers ground at Johannesburg is more than 1600m above sea level. Nairobi and Harare appear to be higher than Dharamsala as well. There's less doubt about the lowest international ground: the Bourda Oval in Georgetown, Guyana, is about six feet below sea level, one reason why it was always prone to flooding.

There were six run-outs in a recent match between South Africa and New Zealand. Was that a record for a one-day international? asked Danish Syed from Pakistan
The match you're talking about was the second one of the recent series, in Kimberley, and it actually provided the 21st instance of six run-outs in a one-day international. There have also been six cases of seven - and one of eight, by New Zealand (five men run out) and India (three) in Napier in 1998-99. For a full list, click here. Five South Africans were run out in the match in Kimberley - which did equal the ODI record, first set by Australia against West Indies in the first World Cup final at Lord's in 1975. There have now been ten instances of five run-outs in an ODI innings.

Which player has reached the double - 1000 runs and 100 wickets - quickest in Tests, and also in ODIs? asked Martin Bradley from England
The fastest to 1000 runs and 100 wickets in terms of Tests was by Ian Botham, who needed only 21 matches to complete the double, reaching both milestones during the home series against India in 1979. He beat Vinoo Mankad's previous record of 23, while Kapil Dev took 25 and Shaun Pollock 26. Kapil wins in terms of time - 473 days to Botham's 761 (Tony Greig is third by that measure, at 990 days). In one-day internationals Pollock completed the double in 68 matches, Abdul Razzaq 69, and Lance Klusener 70. Irfan Pathan is the quickest in terms of time - 1059 days, compared to Pollock's 1173.

I was told that James Anderson played the most Test innings without getting out for a duck - is that true? asked Abbas Khambati from India
It's not quite true, although rather surprisingly Jimmy Anderson does hold the England record for most innings before collecting a duck - he batted 54 times before he was finally out for 0 in the final Ashes Test at The Oval in 2009. Since then he's managed to bag six more ducks. The overall record for most innings before falling for 0 is held by AB de Villiers, who had 78 before finally failing to score against Bangladesh in Centurion in November 2008. Aravinda de Silva (75), Clive Lloyd and Ross Taylor (58) also had more duckless innings than Anderson from the start of their careers. For a full list, click here. The longest streak in mid-career is 119 innings without a duck, by David Gower between 1982 and 1990-91. The most innings in a complete career without one is 44, by the 1950s Australian opener Jim Burke: among current players, Darren Bravo of West Indies has so far had 38 innings without being out for 0.