Second-innings triples, and debut hat-tricks

There were 396 runs in boundaries in New Zealand's total in Sharjah. Is that a record for a Test innings? asked Steve Rafferty from Hong Kong
New Zealand's 690 against Pakistan in Sharjah recently included 66 fours and a record 22 sixes, a total of 396 in boundaries. It turns out that there have been four higher boundary-counts in all Tests: India hit 101 fours and a six (410 runs) in their 705 for 7 dec against Australia in Sydney in 2003-04; Pakistan's 643 against New Zealand in Lahore in 2002 included 422 in boundaries; and Australia's 735 for 6 dec against Zimbabwe in Perth in 2003-04 featured 434 runs in fours and sixes. But the record was set by Sri Lanka, in the course of making the Test-record total of 952 for 6 dec against India in Colombo in 1997: their batsmen struck 109 fours and two sixes, or 448 in boundaries. For the full list, click here.

Thisara Perera is approaching 1000 runs, after 87 one-day internationals, and has already reached 100 wickets. What is the record for the fastest double? asked Ali from the United States
After 87 matches (I'm writing after the third game of the current series against England), Thisara Perera was 51 runs short of completing this double - he's already got 108 wickets. He's not going to beat the overall record: Shaun Pollock completed the double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in his 68th one-day international, Abdul Razzaq of Pakistan did it in 69 matches, and Pollock's South African team-mate Lance Klusener in 70. Six other players got there in fewer than 87 matches. However, Perera should comfortably set a new record for Sri Lanka: currently their fastest double was achieved by Farveez Maharoof, in his 99th match. Of the 56 players who have done this double so far, the slowest was Sourav Ganguly, who completed it in his 311th and last match, in November 2007.

Brendon McCullum's triple-century against India earlier this year came in his side's second innings. Has anyone ever done this before in a Test? asked Michael Phillips from New Zealand
Brendon McCullum's 302 against India in Wellington earlier this year was only the second Test triple-century in a side's second innings. The first was scored by Hanif Mohammad, who made 337 to stave off defeat after Pakistan followed on 473 runs behind against West Indies in Bridgetown in 1957-58. Someone who came very close was Martin Crowe, with 299 - New Zealand's previous-highest Test score - in the second innings against Sri Lanka in Wellington in 1990-91. There have been only 32 scores of 200 and above in Test second innings. Only five of those have come in the fourth innings, in which George Headley's 223 for West Indies against England in Kingston in 1929-30 remains the highest.

Taijul Islam took a hat trick on his one-day international debut recently. Has anyone ever done this before? asked Cherise Asha Clarke from Trinidad
Slow left-armer Taijul Islam, playing against Zimbabwe in Mirpur last week, took the 36th hat-trick in one-day internationals - the fourth for Bangladesh - but the first by anyone on debut. The Pakistan paceman Jalal-ud-Din's hat-trick - the first in one-day internationals - against Australia in Hyderabad in 1982-83 came in only his second match. Australia's Anthony Stuart took one in his third ODI - against Pakistan in Melbourne in 1996-97 - and rather surprisingly never played another one. Three bowlers - Maurice Allom (England), Peter Petherick (New Zealand) and Damien Fleming (Australia) - took hat-tricks on their Test debuts.

Is Mohammad Hafeez the first player to be dismissed in the 190s twice in Tests? asked Ibrahim Kamara from Sierra Leone
There have been 72 scores between 190 and 199 in Tests now, eight of them not-outs. Mohammad Hafeez - who followed 196 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2012 with 197 against New Zealand in Sharjah recently - is the 13th to register two, after Mohammad Azharuddin, Ian Chappell, Rahul Dravid, Herschelle Gibbs, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar (one not out), Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan, Everton Weekes, Frank Worrell (both not out) and Younis Khan. But there are three batsmen who have three to their names: Mohammad Yousuf was out for 192 against England, then 192 and 191 against West Indies, in the space of four Tests in 2006; and Kumar Sangakkara was out for 192 against Australia in Hobart in 2007-08, then made 199 not out and 192 in successive Tests against Pakistan at Galle and Colombo in 2012.

Are there any players who have made their ODI debut in the World Cup? I can't think of any from India, asked Anurag Manke from India
There have actually been 194 players whose first official one-day international has come during a World Cup. Most of those are either from early on, when there weren't many ODIs going on elsewhere - there were 39 debutants in the first World Cup in 1975, and 27 in the second in 1979 - or come from Associate teams, which didn't have a programme of matches outside the World Cup until quite recently. Things have settled down now: in 2007, the only debutant from anywhere was the West Indian Kieron Pollard, while in 2011 there were seven - Devendra Bishoo, Kirk Edwards and Andre Russell of West Indies, the Canadian pair of Tyson Gordon and Karl Whatham, Imran Tahir of South Africa, and Holland's Berend Westdijk. Overall, six players from India have made their ODI debuts in the World Cup, but none since 1992: Mohinder Amarnath, Anshuman Gaekwad and Karsan Ghavri in 1975, Surinder Khanna in 1979, Navjot Singh Sidhu in 1987, and Ajay Jadeja in 1992.