India v Pakistan in England, and XI doubles

In a Championship match last week Essex made 569 without anyone scoring a century. Was this a record? asked Les Hall from England
Essex 569 against Kent in Chelmsford last week, in which the highest score was Ravi Bopara's 94, was the eighth-highest total in all first-class cricket not to include a century. Highest of all remains Namibia's 609 in an ICC Intercontinental Shield match in Windhoek in September 2010, when everyone reached double figures; there were six half-centuries, but the highest was Ewald Steenkamp's 87. There have been two higher century-less totals in the County Championship. Surrey scored 603 against Gloucestershire in Bristol in 2005 (highest score Azhar Mahmood's 89), while in Derby in 1899 Nottinghamshire made 581 against Derbyshire (William Gunn 90). The Test record is India's 524 for 9 declared against New Zealand in Kanpur in 1976-77, when the highest individual score was just 70, by Mohinder Amarnath, one of six half-centuries in the innings. That record almost went in Perth in December 2009, when the highest score in Australia's 520 for 7 declared against West Indies was 99, by Simon Katich.

How many times have all 11 batsmen reached double figures in a Test innings? asked David Dookie from Trinidad and Tobago
There have now been 13 Test innings in which all 11 batsmen reached double figures, the most recent by South Africa against England in Johannesburg in January, when last man Morne Morkel "bottom-scored" with 12. But the highest was just 46, by Dean Elgar, and South Africa's total of 313 was easily the lowest to include 11 men in double figures, undercutting their own 358 against Australia in Melbourne in 1931-32. The first instance was also in Melbourne, in 1894-95, when all England's batsmen reached double figures as they racked up 475 in their second innings, 400 more than they had managed in the first.

Many years ago I recall seeing Russell Endean given out for handling the ball. How often has this happened in Tests? asked Gerrit Verschuur from the United States
That's a pretty long-ago memory, as it happened in the first week of January 1957. The South African batsman Russell Endean was the first man to be given out handled the ball in a Test, against England in Cape Town in 1956-57. "Endean pushed out his leg outside the off stump to Laker in the second innings," reported Wisden. "The ball rose high and might well have fallen on to the stumps had not Endean thrown up a hand and diverted it." There have been six more such dismissals since, involving Andrew Hilditch of Australia (1978-79), Pakistan's Mohsin Khan (1982-83), Desmond Haynes of West Indies (1983-84), England's Graham Gooch (1993), Steve Waugh of Australia (2000-01) and another England captain in Michael Vaughan (2001-02). For the full list of unusual dismissals in Tests, click here. It's worth noting that Endean was also the wicketkeeper impeded by Len Hutton in the only instance so far of a batsman given out obstructing the field in a Test, at The Oval in 1951. There have also been three instances of handled the ball in one-day internationals, by Mohinder Amarnath of India (1985-86), South Africa's Daryll Cullinan (1998-99), and Chamu Chibhabha of Zimbabwe (2015-16).

Who was the quickest to complete the double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in ODIs? asked Ralph Hartley from England
No fewer than 60 players have now completed this particular double in one-day internationals, the first to complete it being Ian Botham in 1985. It took him 75 matches - but four players have got there faster since then. India's Irfan Pathan did it in 74 games, Lance Klusener of South Africa in 70, and Pakistan's Abdul Razzaq in 69 - but the winner, by a nose, is another South African, Shaun Pollock, who completed the double in his 68th match. The slowest are Sourav Ganguly - who got there in his last match - and Tillakaratne Dilshan, who both needed 311 games. Only 13 players have managed the double of 2000 runs and 200 wickets: Kapil Dev was the first to do it, in 1991-92, but the quickest is Shakib Al Hasan, in 156 matches, six fewer than Heath Streak. The only four players to complete the 3000-run/300-wicket double are Shaun Pollock (who needed 280 matches), Wasim Akram (289), Shahid Afridi (314) and Sanath Jayasuriya (397).

What's the lowest ODI total to include a century? asked Jagdish Verma from India
There are only seven all-out totals of less than 200 in one-day internationals which included an individual century. The lowest of all was Zimbabwe's 172 against Afghanistan in Bulawayo last October, which featured 102 from Sean Williams. The others were South Africa's 180 against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in 2014 (Hashim Amla 101), Australia's 191 v New Zealand in Auckland in 1999-2000 (Damien Martyn 116 not out), England's 192 against West Indies at Trent Bridge in 2000 (Alec Stewart 100 not out), Sri Lanka's 193 v Australia in Colombo in 2003-04 (Kumar Sangakkara 101), Australia's 194 against New Zealand in Auckland in 1981-82 (Greg Chappell 108), and Zimbabwe's 199 v Bangladesh in Bulawayo in 2011 (Brendan Taylor 106). There have been seven lower totals in ODIs which featured a century, but the team was not all out: the lowest of all is England's 159 for 3 - Dennis Amiss 100 - against New Zealand in Swansea in 1973.

Who has won more Test series in England - India or Pakistan? asked Mohsin Munaf Patel from Canada
India have played 17 Test series in England, including the one-off inaugural match in 1932. They have won three of them - in 1971, 1986 and 2007. England have won 13, and the 2002 series was drawn. Overall, England have won 30 of the 57 matches and India six, with 21 draws. Pakistan have played 13 series in England since their first one in 1954. They have also won three series - successive ones in 1987, 1992 and 1996. They drew in 1954, 1974 and 2001, and lost the other seven. Overall, England have won 20 of the 47 matches and Pakistan nine, with 18 draws.

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