Calendar-year sixes, and ODI records in NZ

Kumar Sangakkara scored nearly 3000 international runs in 2014, was this a record? asked Hemachandra de Silva from Sri Lanka
In all, Kumar Sangakkara scored 2868 runs in international cricket in 2014 - 1493 in Tests, 1256 in ODIs, and 119 in T20 internationals (this excludes his 16 in the first innings of the Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, which started on December 31, 2013). This is indeed a new overall record: Ricky Ponting scored 2833 international runs in 2005. Sangakkara's Sri Lankan ream-mate Angelo Mathews is in third place, after a crowded year: he made 2687 runs in 2014. Ponting also scored 2657 international runs in 2003, Rahul Dravid 2626 in 1999, and Sangakkara 2609 in 2006. For the full list, click here.

Brendon McCullum hit 33 Test sixes in 2014. Was this another record? asked Tushar Mukherjee from the United States
That's a good spot, as Brendon McCullum's 33 sixes in 2014 improved the previous calendar-year record by 50%! Adam Gilchrist hit 22 sixes in 2005, and Virender Sehwag equalled that in 2008. Andrew Flintoff smote 21 sixes in 2004, and Matthew Hayden 20 in both 2001 and 2003. McCullum's 164 fours in 2014 was another New Zealand record, but well short of the overall one: Mohammad Yousuf hit 234 fours in 2006, breaking Viv Richards' old mark of 230 in 1976.

This year Brendon McCullum joined the group who have both a caught-and-bowled and a stumping in their Test career. How many players have managed that? asked Jeremy Hall from New Zealand
Brendon McCullum's first Test wicket - Sarfraz Ahmed caught and bowled in Dubai in November - made him the 16th man to have both a wicket and a stumping to their credit in Tests. Among the others on the list are AB de Villiers, Tatenda Taibu and Mark Boucher of recent vintage. Another New Zealander, John Reid, is also there: his 85 Test wickets (a record for anyone who also made a stumping) included two caught-and-bowleds, Denis Atkinson of West Indies and South Africa's Peter Pollock. But Reid wasn't really a wicketkeeper - he stumped England's Peter Richardson at Old Trafford in 1958 while briefly deputising for the injured Eric Petrie. Clyde Walcott, who kept wicket regularly in his early Tests, later managed two caught-and-bowleds (Vijay Hazare and Tom Graveney); he's the only man to manage double figures for stumpings and wickets, with 11 of each. Another occasional West Indian wicketkeeper, Robert Christiani, took 3 for 52 against India at Delhi in 1948-49, and one of those (Dattu Phadkar) was caught and bowled.

At what number did the Don bat in Tests ? asked Arinjaya Khare from India
Don Bradman scored most of his Test runs from No. 3: in all he made 5078 of his eventual 6996 runs from there, at an average of 103.63. He did occasionally go in further down: in ten innings at No. 4 he scored 485 runs at 53.88; from three knocks at No. 5 he made 427 runs at 142.33 (including a triple-century at Headingley in 1934); in six appearances at No. 6 there were 681 runs at 97.28; and in three outings at No. 7 he made 325 runs at 162.50, most notably a series-turning 270 against England in Melbourne in 1936-37, when he held himself back in the order while a wet pitch dried a bit.

What is the highest first-innings total in a Test that resulted in defeat? asked Pete Abrahams from South Africa
There have been 13 occasions in Tests when a first-innings total of more than 500 hasn't been enough to prevent defeat. The highest of all is 586, by Australia against England in Sydney in 1894-95, in the first of only three Tests which have ever been won by a side that followed on. Pakistan declared their first innings at 574 for 8 against Australia in Melbourne in 1972-73, but still ended up losing. There's only one instance of a team scoring more than 500 in their second innings but losing: India amassed 510 against England at Headingley in 1967, but they were up against a first-innings deficit of nearly 400.

With reference to the recent question about the imminent World Cup, it's also being played in New Zealand: who are the best performers in ODIs there? asked Tim Pate from New Zealand
Yes, I was dimly aware that I'd left New Zealand out last time. The leading visiting batsman in one-day internationals played there is Mark Waugh, with 891 runs; Sachin Tendulkar had 821, and Ricky Ponting 752. Leading the way for the bowlers is Javagal Srinath, with 43 wickets, ahead of Wasim Akram (37). The leading New Zealand batsmen in home ODIs are Nathan Astle (3348 runs) and Stephen Fleming (2975), with Brendon McCullum third on 2406 at the moment. Their leading bowler is Daniel Vettori, with 113 one-day wickets; Chris Cairns and Chris Harris both took 94. Taking Australia and New Zealand together, the leading overseas batsman is still Desmond Haynes, with 3276 runs, while the top bowler is Wasim Akram (124 wickets).