Double-figure specialists, and England's best No. 3

Which batsman has been the most consistent in avoiding low scores - who has made the most successive double-figure scores in Tests? asked David Bowden from Liverpool
The record run in Tests is 29 consecutive innings of 10 or more, by Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene, from the second innings of the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town in January 2001 (he was out for 0 in the first innings) to another duck in the first Test against Bangladesh in Colombo in July 2002. That run included five hundreds and eight half-centuries. The previous record was 25 successive double-figure innings, shared by England's Len Hutton, between 1950-51 and 1953, and Rohan Kanhai of West Indies (1960-61 to 1964-65).

To settle a pub argument, could you tell me who has scored the most runs for England at No. 3, and who has the best average there? asked Mark Calder
England's most successful No. 3 in terms of runs scored in Tests remains Wally Hammond, who made 3440 runs from first drop at an average of 74.78. Second lies Ted Dexter, with 2798 at 51.81, just ahead of Mark Butcher (2796 at 38.30). The best average (given a qualification of 500 runs) comes from the man in fourth spot - Ken Barrington made 2626 runs from No. 3, at the splendid average of 77.23. David Gower lies fifth, with 2619 at 49.41. England's most prolific No. 3 in one-day internationals is Graeme Hick, with 2182 at 44.53: Gower is second, with 1653 at 33.06.

Who is the youngest person to captain a side in a Test, and in a one-day international? asked Bashir Ahmed from Rawalpindi
The youngest Test captain is Zimbabwe's Tatenda Taibu, who was still eight days short of his 21st birthday when he led them for the first time, against Sri Lanka in Harare in May 2004. Taibu was even younger when he first skippered Zimbabwe in a one-day international a few days before that Test, but there has been one even younger ODI captain: in 2004 Rajin Saleh was only 20 years and 297 days old when he led Bangladesh against South Africa during the Champions Trophy, at Edgbaston.

Which visiting batsman has scored the most Test runs in Australia? asked Jay from India
A total of 22 visiting batsmen have so far scored 1000 or more runs in Tests in Australia. Leading the way - and the only one with more than 2000 - is England's Jack Hobbs, with 2493 in 24 Tests at an average of 57.97, followed by Wally Hammond (1981) and David Gower (1824). The first non-Englishman on the list, in fourth place, is Viv Richards, who scored 1760 runs in 22 Tests for West Indies in Australia.

How many players have made triple-centuries in Tests away from home? And what is the highest Test score made by a player outside his own country? asked Keith D'Souza from Nigeria
There have been eight Test triple-centuries by batsmen playing away from home, two of them by Australia's Don Bradman (both of them at Headingley.) The highest score by any visiting batsman is 337, by Hanif Mohammad for Pakistan against West Indies in Bridgetown in 1957-58. For the record the other triples were scored by Wally Hammond and Andy Sandham of England, the Australian pair of Bob Simpson and Mark Taylor, and India's Virender Sehwag.

When England play Australia at Cardiff this summer, will Sophia Gardens become the 100th ground to host a Test match? asked Sophie Taylor
It will indeed: so far 99 different grounds have staged Test cricket (for a list, click here). The 99th was the new Vidarbha Cricket Association ground at Jamtha, Nagpur, the venue for the fourth Test between India and Australia last November. So Cardiff's Sophia Gardens - or, to give it its shiny new name, the SWALEC Stadium, is all set to become the 100th Test ground in July.