Ask Steven

What's the record for most run-outs in a Test?

And which Test player was struck by lightning during a match in Kingston?

Steven Lynch
Steven Lynch
23-Jan-2018
Cheteshwar Pujara is only the second batsman to be run out in both innings of a Test in the new millennium  •  AFP/Getty Images

Cheteshwar Pujara is only the second batsman to be run out in both innings of a Test in the new millennium  •  AFP/Getty Images

There were five run-outs in the second Test between South Africa and India. Was this a record? asked Simon Garner from South Africa
The recent Test in Centurion provided the 13th instance of five run-outs in a match - the first since the one-off Test between New Zealand and Bangladesh in Hamilton in February 2010. But there have been eight cases of six run-outs in the same Test, while the overall record is seven - out of only 33 wickets to fall - suffered by Australia and Pakistan in Melbourne in 1972-73.
In Centurion, Cheteshwar Pujara provided the 25th instance of a batsman being run out in both innings of a Test, but the first since New Zealand's Stephen Fleming, against Zimbabwe in Wellington in December 2000. The West Indian fast bowler John Trim was run out twice against Australia in Melbourne in 1951-52, and failed to score in either innings - and so bagged a unique pair.
Jos Buttler scored 100 not out from 83 balls at Sydney. Is this the fastest hundred in one-day internationals by a wicketkeeper? asked Richard Daniels from Ireland
That fine innings in Sydney at the weekend was Jos Buttler's fifth hundred in ODIs - and actually the other four were all quicker than this one. His zippiest so far came from just 46 balls, against Pakistan in Dubai in November 2015. Even that isn't quite the quickest by a wicketkeeper: when AB de Villiers scorched to the fastest ODI century of all, in only 31 deliveries, against West Indies in Johannesburg in January 2015, he also kept wicket. He was captaining too, so had quite a busy day. Another South African keeper, Mark Boucher, reached three figures in 44 balls against Zimbabwe in Potchefstroom in September 2006.
Some time ago you answered a question about the batsman who had seen the most wickets fall at the other end during his Test career. The answer then was Rahul Dravid - is it still him? asked Martin Fernandes from England
Rahul Dravid was at the other end when 453 Test wickets fell - but he was overtaken a few years ago by Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who witnessed 519 wickets from the safety of the non-striker's end. Allan Border is third with 365, while Alastair Cook (354) recently surpassed Sachin Tendulkar (351). Chanderpaul shared a record 771 different partnerships in Tests, again ahead of Dravid with 738.
The record in ODIs is held by Tendulkar, who watched 482 wickets go down while he was batting. Kumar Sangakkara comes next with 427, ahead of Inzamam-ul-Haq (370), Jacques Kallis (366) and Dravid (350).
Which West Indian Test player was struck by lightning during a match in Jamaica in 2003? asked Benoit Briens from France
The man in question was the Trinidadian fast bowler Merv Dillon, who took 131 wickets in 38 Tests for West Indies between 1996-97 and 2003-04. He and another player, Fernix Thomas, were struck by lightning - out of an apparently cloudless sky - during Trinidad & Tobago's one-day Red Stripe Bowl match against the Windward Islands in Kingston in October 2003. The match was abandoned shortly afterwards. For the report which appeared on Cricinfo at the time, click here
Was Bangladesh's 163-run victory over Sri Lanka their biggest in a one-day international? asked Jamie Stewart from Canada
Bangladesh's thumping victory in their tri-nations match in Mirpur last week was indeed their biggest win in an ODI, eclipsing their victory by 160 runs over West Indies in Khulna in December 2012. Bangladesh have won nine other ODIs by a margin of more than 100 runs, four against Zimbabwe and the other five against non-Test nations.
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Steven Lynch is the editor of the updated edition of Wisden on the Ashes