What's the highest fourth-innings target ever?
Also, what's the record for most left-arm fast bowlers picked in an ODI XI?
The target set by West Indies for England in Barbados was about 200 runs less than the highest in Tests - 836 by England for West Indies in 1930 • AFP/Getty Images
That remarkable return of 8 for 60 by Roston Chase in Bridgetown at the weekend were indeed the best Test bowling figures by someone who didn't bowl in the opposition's first innings. The previous best was 7 for 28 by the Australian offspinner Hugh Trumble, against England in Melbourne in 1903-04. That was Trumble's final Test appearance: England had been shot out for 61 in their first innings. The England slow left-armer Johnny Wardle took 7 for 56 against Pakistan at The Oval in 1954, after not being called on in their first innings of 133. In all there have now been 20 instances of a bowler taking five or more wickets in the second innings of a Test, having not bowled in the first.
The partnership of 295 between Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder for West Indies in Bridgetown last week was actually the third-highest for the seventh wicket in Tests - although it was the highest unbroken stand, so they might have been able to beat the record if they had needed a few more runs. Since West Indies were already 627 ahead, they didn't really require any more!
England's target of 628 in Bridgetown was preceded the previous month by New Zealand setting Sri Lanka 660 to win in the Boxing Day Test in Christchurch. They were all out for 236, so lost by 423 runs.
Yuzvendra Chahal's 6 for 42 in the ODI in Melbourne last week were the joint-seventh-best figures against Australia in one-day internationals. The list is headed by the West Indian fast bowler Winston Davis, who claimed 7 for 51 at Headingley during the 1983 World Cup. Chahal's feat was actually the 50th five-for against Australia in ODIs.
Pakistan's pace attack in yesterday's one-day international against South Africa in Johannesburg was made up of three left-armers: Usman Shinwari, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Amir. This is not terribly rare: a quick search throws up no fewer than 51 instances of a side fielding three left-arm quicks in an ODI, 22 by Pakistan, 15 by India, nine by Australia and five by New Zealand. But I can find only one instance of a team choosing four left-arm seamers in the same game: Pakistan did it against New Zealand in Auckland in 2015-16, when they unleashed Amir, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali and Wahab Riaz. Pakistan lost by three wickets, which perhaps is why they haven't done it again.
Steven Lynch is the editor of the updated edition of Wisden on the Ashes