How many players have scored a century and taken a five-for on the same day of a Test?

Mehidy Hasan Miraz reached a century and later that day took five wickets against Zimbabwe. Has anyone else done this? asked Sameed Quasem from Bangladesh
On the third (and last) day of the second Test against Zimbabwe in Chattogram last week, Bangladesh's Mehidy Hasan took his overnight score of 16 to 104, then claimed 5 for 32 as his side levelled the series with a comfortable victory.

This combination of 88 runs and five wickets is arguably the best all-round performance on a single day of a Test, although there's a contender from the mists of time: back in April 1899, South Africa's Jimmy Sinclair took 6 for 26 on the first day against England in Cape Town, then scored the first 59 runs of an eventual 106, his country's first Test century. For the list of those who have scored a hundred and taken a five-for in the same Test (not on the same day), click here.

Who was the youngest IPL centurion before Vaibhav Suryavanshi? asked Rajesh Rao from India
The precocious Vaibhav Suryavanshi was just 32 days past his 14th birthday when he zoomed to a 35-ball century for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans in Jaipur a little over a week ago. Assuming his published date of birth is correct, he shattered the previous IPL record by more than five years: Manish Pandey was 19 years 253 days old when he hit 114 not out for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Deccan Chargers in Centurion in May 2009.

Liam Livingstone has hit more sixes than fours in T20 internationals. Is this unique? asked Deepak Krishnan from India
So far, the England batter Liam Livingstone has scored 995 runs in T20Is, with 54 fours and 59 sixes. But there are some others with more runs and a similar preference for sixes: the West Indian Rovman Powell (1747 runs in T20Is) has hit 99 fours but 117 sixes so far, while Kieron Pollard (1569 runs) hit 94 fours and 99 sixes and another West Indian, Andre Russell, 63 fours and 89 sixes in 1063 runs.

Babar Hayat of Hong Kong (2068 runs) has so far hit 126 fours and 126 sixes in T20Is, while others who might flip the balance one day are the West Indians Nicholas Pooran (2275 runs, 152 fours, 149 sixes) and Evin Lewis (1643 runs, 125 fours, 124 sixes).

In all T20 cricket, three of the top four six-hitters have collected more sixes than fours: Pollard 908 and 842, Russell 738 and 601, and Pooran 633 and 607. Another West Indian, Chris Gayle, who is well clear at the top of the overall run-scorers' list, almost managed it: his 14,562 runs in all T20 matches included 1132 fours and 1056 sixes.

I noticed that Ravi Jadeja has scored three triple-centuries in the Ranji Trophy. Has anyone else done this? asked Mukul Pandit from India
There have so far been 55 triple-centuries in India's Ranji Trophy (that includes the 443 not out of Bhausaheb Nimbalkar in Poona in December 1948). And you're right that Ravi Jadeja has scored three of them, all for Saurashtra: 331 against Railways in Rajkot in December 2012, 314 vs Orissa in Cuttack in November 2011, and 303 not out against Gujarat in Surat in November 2012.

Jadeja is the only man to score three triple-centuries in the Ranji Trophy. There are four others with two: Cheteshwar Pujara (also for Saurashtra), VVS Laxman for Hyderabad, Wasim Jaffer for Mumbai, and Taruwar Kohli, who made 300 not out for Punjab against Jharkhand in Jamshedpur in January 2013, and 307 not out for Mizoram vs Arunachal Pradesh in Puducherry in December 2019.

Has anyone ever been caught and bowled twice by the same bowler in a Test? asked Peter Maxwell from England
This has happened three times in all, but not very recently - the last such instance was in January 1961, when Australia's captain Richie Benaud was caught and bowled in both innings in Sydney by the West Indian slow left-armer Alf Valentine. Before that, Everton Weekes of West Indies was caught and bowled twice by India's Ghulam Ahmed in Calcutta in 1948-49 - Weekes had the consolation of having scored 162 and 101 - while in Melbourne in 1951 Australia's Keith Miller gave return catches in both innings to England's captain Freddie Brown.

There are a further 19 instances of batters being caught and bowled in both innings, but by different bowlers: the most recent was Bangladesh's Shoriful Islam (dismissed by Vishwa Fernando and Kasun Rajitha of Sri Lanka) in Sylhet in March 2024.