Overworked runners, and forlorn chasers

I believe the old England batsman Graeme Fowler once made two hundreds in the same match using a runner throughout. When was that, and who were the poor runners?! asked David Jackson from Altrincham
The match you're talking about was a County Championship game between Lancashire and Warwickshire at Southport in 1982. Graeme Fowler scored 126 in Lancashire's first innings, and 128 not out in the second, using a runner for most of his first innings and all of his second: making two hundreds with a runner is unique in first-class history. I couldn't work out who the put-upon runners were (they're not mentioned in Wisden), so tracked down the man himself: Fowler now runs the cricket at Durham University. Not surprisingly, he remembered the match well: "For the first 26 runs in the first innings - no one. From 26 to 126 - it was a hundred before lunch - David Lloyd. Second innings - Ian Folley." Lloyd, who like Fowler was born in Accrington, still had to a lot of running in that second innings - he and Fowler knocked off Lancashire's target of 221 without being separated. It was a peculiar game all round: Warwickshire scored 523 for 4 declared in their first innings - Alvin Kallicharran and Geoff Humpage shared a stand of 470 - but lost in the end by ten wickets.

I heard it mentioned that Brendan Taylor's 145 last week was the fourth-highest score in an unsuccessful run-chase. What's the highest? asked Lawrence Mitchell from Norwich
You heard correctly: there have only ever been three higher individual scores in unsuccessful one-day international run-chases than Brendan Taylor's 145 not out for Zimbabwe against South Africa in Bloemfontein last week. Shivnarine Chanderpaul held this record for a while after making 149 not out for West Indies (who ended up 14 short) against India in Nagpur in January 2007. Tillakaratne Dilshan scored 160 for Sri Lanka v India in Rajkot in December 2009, but the highest score in this category came about six weeks before that: Sachin Tendulkar made 175 for India against Australia in Hyderabad in November 2009, but India still ended up losing by three runs.

South Africa's 399 for 6 against Zimbabwe in Benoni last week contained 15 sixes - is this a record? asked Jude Franco from India
It comes in quite high on the list, but it isn't a record: there have been four separate innings in one-day internationals which have included 18 sixes. The first instance was in Basseterre during the 2007 World Cup, when South Africa's 353 for 3 against the Netherlands included that many shots over the rope, six of them in one over by Herschelle Gibbs off Daan van Bunge. Three days later India hit 18 sixes in their 413 for 5 against Bermuda in Port-of-Spain, also in the World Cup. In July 2008 New Zealand's batsmen clobbered 18 sixes off Ireland's perspiring bowlers on their way to 402 for 2 in Aberdeen; Brendon McCullum hit ten sixes in that innings, two short of the individual record which is held by Xavier Marshall of West Indies, with 12 against Canada in King City in August 2008. Finally, in March 2009, India collected 18 sixes in their 392 for 4 against New Zealand in Christchurch. For the full list, click here.

Which strike bowler took the most matches - Tests and one-day internationals - to record a five-wicket haul? asked Rohit Ahmed via Facebook
I suppose it depends on your definition of "strike" bowler, but Andrew Flintoff didn't take a five-for until his 32nd Test, and Garry Sobers didn't manage one until his 37th. There are eight bowlers who took longer than Sobers to register a five-wicket haul, the longest wait going to Allan Border, whose maiden five-for came in his 101st Test. In one-day internationals I was surprised to discover that Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka did not claim five wickets in an innings until his 144th match. The only bowler to wait longer than that is Sachin Tendulkar, who took his maiden five-for in his 179th ODI.

How many players have scored a century in the fourth innings of their debut Test? asked Keith D'Souza from Nigeria
Rather surprisingly, perhaps, only six players have managed to score a century in the fourth innings of their maiden Test, and none of them is exactly a household name. The first was Abbas Ali Baig, who made 112 for India against England at Old Trafford in 1959. Since then it's been done by Frank Hayes (106 not out for England v West Indies at The Oval in 1973), Leonard Baichan (105 not out for West Indies v Pakistan in Lahore in 1974-75), Mohammad Wasim (109 not out for Pakistan v New Zealand in Lahore in 1996-97), Yasir Hameed (105 for Pakistan v Bangladesh in Karachi in 2003; he'd already scored 170 in his first innings, the second of the match), and Dwayne Smith (105 not out for West Indies v South Africa in Cape Town in 2003-04). Smith's hundred came up in 103 minutes and 93 balls, and is thought to be the fastest of all Test-debut centuries.

I believe there was a player who umpired in a Test match before playing in one. Presumably it was in the 1800s or early 1900s, but I can't find it. Can you help? asked R Narayan from India
Actually there are two people who managed this peculiar feat, which would be just about impossible today. George Coulthard from Victoria umpired in the third Test of all, between Australia and England in Melbourne in 1878-79. Three years later he played in the second Test of the 1881-82 series in Sydney - he scored 6 not out from No. 11 and didn't bowl - then, after being dropped, he umpired the fourth Test of that series, back in Melbourne, to complete an extraordinary international career. Three years later another Victorian, the left-handed allrounder Paddy McShane, umpired the fourth Test of the 1884-85 Ashes series at Sydney before making his playing debut in the following week's final Test in Melbourne, the first of his three Test caps.