Gilchrist's blitz, and Pettini's too

We've just been watching Adam Gilchrist's onslaught - is that the most sixes in a World Cup final innings? asked Belinda from Melbourne

Adam Gilchrist's eight sixes in the final equalled the record for any World Cup innings © AFP

Gilchrist's innings in the final at Bridgetown on Saturday contained eight sixes, which actually equalled Ricky Ponting's haul in the previous World Cup final, against India at Johannesburg in 2002-03. The only other man to hit eight sixes in any World Cup innings is Pakistan's Imran Nazir, in his 160 against Zimbabwe at Kingston in March. Gilchrist's 149 did surpass Ponting's unbeaten 140 as the highest score in any World Cup final, and his 72-ball hundred was the fastest in a final, beating Clive Lloyd's in 1975 at Lord's, which came up from 82 balls.

I recently came across something strange. I don't know if it is a mistake but apparently in September 2006 Essex scored 186 runs in nine overs against Leicestershire. What happened? asked Karn Sohal

The match you're talking about was in the last round of Championship games last summer, at Leicester. In a bid to set up a declaration and a possible target for themselves to chase later on, Leicestershire gave away 186 runs in 9.4 overs of "joke" bowling - the wicketkeeper Paul Nixon bowled five overs for 69, which looks almost respectable alongside Darren Robinson's figures of 0 for 117 off 4.4 overs (an "economy" rate of 25.07 an over). Essex's Mark Pettini took the chance to make 114 in 29 balls, with 12 fours and 11 sixes - this is the highest score in first-class history to be entirely composed of boundaries, although the artificial nature of the bowling will relegate it to a footnote in the record books. The machinations paid off for Leicestershire in the end: they chased down their eventual target and won by five wickets.

Who is the youngest player to score a century on his Test debut? asked Calvert Thomas from Jamaica

The record-holder is also the youngest man to score a Test century at all - Mohammad Ashraful of Bangladesh, who was only 17 years and 61 days old when he made 114 on debut against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2001-02. For a full list of the youngest Test century-makers, click here.

What is the highest score by any player on their Test debut? asked Mahir Mahbub from Australia

Five people have scored a double-century on their Test debut. The most recent is Jacques Rudolph, with 222 not out for South Africa against Bangladesh at Chittagong in 2003-04. Before that New Zealand's Mathew Sinclair made 214 against West Indies at Wellington in 1999-2000, Brendon Kuruppu hit 201 not out for Sri Lanka against New Zealand in Colombo in 1986-87, and the West Indian Lawrence Rowe made 214 (and 100 not out in the second innings) against New Zealand at Kingston in 1971-72. But the first person to do it remains the one with the highest score: RE "Tip" Foster of England made 287 against Australia at Sydney in 1903-04. For a full list of players who have scored a century on Test debut, click here.

I once had a quiz question about a Hollywood actor who captained England in his only Test match. Who was he? asked Mayank Badola from India

The man in question was Aubrey Smith, who played for Sussex and captained England in the first official Test played by South Africa, at Port Elizabeth in 1888-89. Smith later tried his luck in Hollywood, and appeared in more than 100 movies, including The Four Feathers and The Prisoner of Zenda, usually playing aristocratic Englishmen or military types. In the 1930s he founded the Hollywood Cricket Club.

The recent death of Arthur Milton has raised the issue among Old Cothamians of whether he ever played in the same Test side as two other of the school's old boys, in John Mortimore and David Allen. Did they? asked Steve Whiteley

These three Gloucestershire stalwarts played together in countless county games, but they never actually made it onto the same field in a Test match, although Arthur Milton and John Mortimore did both play in different Tests in Australia in 1958-59, and in two different Tests apiece against India at home in 1959. The second Test of that series was Milton's last, and David Allen made his debut in the West Indies the following winter, so they never had a chance to play together. Mortimore and Allen never played in the same Test side either, probably because, as offspinners, they were such similar bowlers. Still, it is a remarkable achievement for the school to have produced three Test players so close together.

And there's an afterthought to last week's question about the two batsmen who have scored centuries on both their first-class and Test debuts, from Rob Linney from Australia

"With reference to Dirk Wellham's centuries on debut in both first-class and Test cricket, it is interesting to note that he was dropped for the next match in both cases. The first time for Doug Walters returning from Test duty, and the second for Greg Chappell who resumed his position as Test captain."