How many bowlers have taken hundred or more wickets in each format?

In one of South Africa's recent ODIs, four Pakistan batters were caught and bowled, three of them by Nqaba Peter. Were either of these records? asked Mendel Bacher from South Africa
You're talking about the second ODI in Faisalabad last week, when four men were caught and bowled during Pakistan's innings. That equalled the ODI record: there were also four in England's innings against Australia in Adelaide in January 1999, two each by Brendon Julian and Shane Warne.

Three of last week's quartet were held by the South African legspinner Nqaba Peter, which is a first for one-day internationals. There are 11 other instances of three caught-and-bowleds in an ODI innings, but none of them was taken by the same bowler.

Jasprit Bumrah has taken 99 wickets in T20Is. How many bowlers have 100 or more in each of the three formats? asked Paritosh Gupta from Canada
You're right that Jasprit Bumrah currently has 99 wickets in T20ls, to go with 226 in Tests and 149 in ODIs. He needs one more T20I scalp to become only the fifth man to reach three figures in all three formats, following Tim Southee (391 in Tests, 221 in ODIs and 164 in T20Is), Shakib Al Hasan (246, 317, 149), Shaheen Shah Afridi (121, 132, 122) and Lasith Malinga (101, 338, 107).

Another current player, Jason Holder, is close to completing the set: going in to the final match of West Indies' T20 series in New Zealand later this week, he has 97 wickets to go with 162 in Tests and 159 in OIDIs. Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe also has 99 wickets in T20 internationals, but he's taken only 40 in Tests and 94 in ODIs.

Who are the batters and bowlers with the best averages in their last 25 Tests? asked Rammohan Roy from India
The leading batter in his last 25 Tests will come as little surprise: Don Bradman averaged 105.09 in his last 25 matches, with 3468 runs, including 15 centuries. Next as I write is New Zealand's Kane Williamson, who averages 66.67 in his last 25 Tests: if that should fall, second place would revert to Kumar Sangakkara (64.05). Among those who played 50 or more Tests, Andy Flower averaged 63.83 over his last 25, Shivnarine Chanderpaul 60.91, and Clive Lloyd 60.14.

The leading bowler is another current player: Jasprit Bumrah has taken 120 wickets in his last 25 Tests at an average of just 17.63. Among regular bowlers, Alec Bedser (18.68) and Curtly Ambrose (18.78) also averaged under 20, while Josh Hazlewood - who is about to play in the Ashes - has taken exactly 100 wickets in his last 25 Tests at an average of 20.35.

In the climax of the 1968 Oval Test, John Inverarity was the last Australian to get out, having opened the innings. How often has an opener been the tenth wicket to fall? asked Robert Watts from England
When John Inverarity was the last man out in that famous match at The Oval in August 1968, it was only the fifth time an opener had been the last wicket to fall in any Test innings. The first was a more famous Aussie, Victor Trumper, against England in Melbourne in January 1904, and then it didn't happen for more than 44 years, until Len Hutton was the last to go against Australia at The Oval in August 1948 as England were all out for 52.

It's become slightly more common in recent years, but there have still been only 29 instances all told. Three of them involved West Indies' Desmond Haynes, who uniquely was last out in both innings against New Zealand in Dunedin in February 1980. Haynes also managed it against India in Delhi in November 1987; no one else has done it more than once.

In the Lord's Test in June 2021, the debutant Devon Conway did this for New Zealand, and Rory Burns followed suit for England.

Are there any teams who have appeared at just one World Cup? asked Harrison Miller from England
Three teams have appeared at a single men's 50-over World Cup. A side representing East Africa appeared in the first one, in 1975 (when the matches were of 60 overs each); Namibia made their sole appearance in 2003, and Bermuda in 2007.

Three different countries have played at just one T20 World Cup: Kenya played for the only time in the inaugural edition, in 2007, while the most recent tournament in 2024 featured Canada and Uganda for the first time. Bermuda and Uganda (and East Africa) have featured in just the one World Cup over the two formats.

In the women's game, Scotland and Thailand have appeared in one T20 World Cup (and never in the 50-over version), while Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and Young England all participated for the only time in the inaugural ODI World Cup in 1973.