Is Shubman Gill the quickest and youngest player to score hundreds in all three formats?

England had more sixes than fours in their innings against South Africa the other day. How often has this happened? asked Oli Hanson from the UK
England hit 19 sixes and "only" 16 fours in in the third ODI against South Africa in Kimberley last week. This was the 21st time an ODI innings had contained more sixes than fours, but 346 for 7 was the third-highest total involved. England still lead the way, as their 397 for 6 against Afghanistan at Old Trafford during the 2019 World Cup included 25 sixes (a record 17 by Eoin Morgan) and 21 fours. West Indies' 360 for 8 against England in Bridgetown in 2018-19 included 23 sixes (12 by Chris Gayle) and 21 fours. Pakistan's 239 for 8 against Sri Lanka in Sharjah in 1999-2000 contained ten sixes - but only eight fours.

There were 15 bowlers used in one of the recent T20Is between India and New Zealand - was this a record? asked Sumesh Gopalakrishnan from India
The match you're talking about was the second T20I in Lucknow last month, when New Zealand used eight bowlers and India seven. This was actually the 30th instance of 15 bowlers in a T20I. There have been five cases of 16, and one of 17 - in the match between Botswana (who used eight bowlers) and St Helena (nine) in Kigali (Rwanda) in November 2022.

There are two cases of 16, and several more of 15, in women's T20Is.

Mumbai beat Uttarakhand by 725 runs in a recent Ranji Trophy match. Was this the largest margin of victory in any first-class match? asked Niranjit Singh from India
The match you're talking about was a Ranji Trophy quarter-final in Alur last June: Mumbai declared twice at 647 for 8 and 261 for 3, and skittled Uttarakhand for 114 and 69. It was a record for the biggest victory by runs in a first-class game, beating 685 runs by New South Wales against Queensland in Sydney in 1929-30, in the match in which Don Bradman scored 452 not out. England beat Australia by 675 runs in a Test in Brisbane the previous season (Bradman's Test debut, as it happens).

However, there have been higher defeats by an innings margin, the highest an innings and 851 by Pakistan Railways (910 for 6 declared) against Dera Ismail Khan (32 and 27) in Lahore in 1964-65. It's not an exact science, but if you consider "an innings" as being the usual follow-on target of 200 runs, there have been six other margins greater than Mumbai's 725-run triumph, including England's by an innings and 579 over Australia at The Oval in 1938.

Shubman Gill recently became the 22nd player to hit a century in all three international formats. It only took him 40 matches. Has anyone done it quicker, or when younger? asked Alexander Thomas from England
Shubman Gill completed his complete set of centuries in the three formats with a 63-ball 126 not out against New Zealand in Ahmedabad last week. It was his 52nd innings, in his 40th full international - but another Indian batter competed his set in just 20 innings: KL Rahul, who scored centuries in his second Test (in Sydney in January 2015), first ODI (in Harare in June 2016) and fourth T20I (in Lauderhill in August 2016).

Mohammad Rizwan took 70 innings to score a century in all three formats, Ahmed Shehzad 76, and Dawid Malan 81. Shehzad, who was 22 when he completed his set in March 2014, was the only one younger than 23-year-old Gill.

Has anyone scored a double-century in an ODI but ended up on the losing side? asked Deon Chetty from South Africa
There have now been ten double-centuries in ODIs and, not surprisingly perhaps, all of them led to victories. The highest score that wasn't enough to prevent defeat is 194 not out, by Zimbabwe's Charles Coventry, against Bangladesh in Bulawayo in August 2009. Fakhar Zaman hit 193 for Pakistan against South Africa in Johannesburg in April 2021, but still ended up losing. For the list of the highest individual scores in ODI defeats, click here.

The highest in a tie is Andrew Strauss' 158 for England against India in Bengaluru during the 2011 World Cup. Virat Kohli made 157 not out when India tied with West Indies in Visakhapatnam in 2018-19.