Panesar's record, and Sangakkara's near-miss

There was a lot of fuss made about Monty Panesar's five-for at the WACA. How many Englishmen have taken five wickets in an innings there? asked Dave Jerome from Brisbane

Monty Panesar's 5 for 92 in the third Ashes Test was only the fourth time an England bowler had taken five or more wickets in an innings in 11 Tests at Perth, and the first by a spinner. Bob Willis was the first, with 5 for 44 as England won in 1978-79, followed by Ian Botham, who took 6 for 78 and 5 for 98 in vain in 1979-80, as Australia won by 138 runs. And on England's last tour, in 2002-03, Craig White took 5 for 127 in another defeat. The Australian record against England at the WACA is Craig McDermott's 8 for 97 in a nine-wicket win in 1990-91.

Was Sri Lanka's 170 the other day the lowest Test innings to include an individual century? asked Gilgit Fernando from Colombo

Sri Lanka's 170 at Christchurch last week, which included 100 not out from Kumar Sangakkara, was actually the fifth-lowest total in Test history to include an individual ton, but the second-lowest completed innings. The lowest is 135 for 1, by Pakistan against India at Lahore in 1982-83, when Mohsin Khan made 101 not out. The record for a completed innings is 159, by New Zealand against England at Christchurch in 1962-63, which included 100 from John Reid. There are two other lower totals than Sri Lanka's 170 - Pakistan made 165 for 1 against Bangladesh at Peshawar in 2003 (Mohammad Hafeez 102 not out), and South Africa scored 166 for 1 against England at Trent Bridge in 1947 (Alan Melville 104 not out).

Nicky Boje, who has just retired, completed the Test double in his final Test. Has anyone else managed this? asked Rahul Davar from Mumbai

Nicky Boje did indeed complete the Test "double" - 1000 runs and 100 wickets - in what he says will be his final Test, against Sri Lanka at the Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo in August 2006. He was the fourth South African to achieve this particular feat, following Trevor Goddard, Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis. Foremost among those who have completed this double in their final match is John Bracewell, who recorded both his 1000th run and his 100th wicket in his 41st and last Test for New Zealand, at Edgbaston in 1990. Three others, primarily bowlers, reached 1000 runs in what turned out to be their final Test: the Australian Ian Johnson in his 45th match, in 1956-57; Javagal Srinath, in his 67th Test for India in 2002-03, and Pakistan's Sarfraz Nawaz, in his 55th match in 1983-84. For a full list of those who have achieved the Test double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets, click here.

I was recently asked to identify the South African cricketer who had to be carried off on a stretcher after being struck in the face by a Javagal Srinath delivery in a Test. One clue was that unrelated cricketers with the same surname had represented New Zealand and England in Tests. Who was he? asked Prasanth Badri from the United States

I think your mystery man has to be the South African fast bowler Meyrick Pringle, who was hit in the face by Srinath and had to retire hurt during the second Test at Johannesburg in 1992-93. The unrelated Pringles are Derek of England and Chris of New Zealand.

Brian Lara scored 216 at Multan, his ninth score of 200-plus in Tests. Is that a record? If not, who holds it? asked Obaid Mangal from Germany

Brian Lara's 216 in the recent second Test against Pakistan at Multan was indeed his ninth double-century in Tests, putting him two clear of Walter Hammond (seven), and three in front of Marvan Atapattu and Javed Miandad (six apiece). But he's still behind one man - the great Don Bradman, who made 12 double-centuries in only 52 Tests (Lara has nine in 131 matches). For a full list of the batsmen making the most double-centuries in Tests, click here.

Further to the recent question about people who have played Tests for two countries, how many people have played ODIs for two different ones? I can think of Kepler Wessels and Gavin Hamilton, but are there any more? asked Andy Passmore from Brighton

Actually Gavin Hamilton doesn't come into this category - he has played ODIs for Scotland, but never for England: his one representative performance for them was in a Test (in South Africa in 1999-2000, just after his successful World Cup for Scotland). Kepler Wessels does qualify, though - he played 54 ODIs for Australia between 1982-83 and 1985, and 55 for South Africa from 1991-92 to 1994-95. There are two other men who have appeared for two different countries in official ODIs: another Anglo-Scot, in the Warwickshire allrounder Dougie Brown, who won nine caps for England in 1997-98, and made his Scotland ODI debut in 2006; and Clayton Lambert, the Guyanese left-hander who played 11 ODIs for West Indies (1989-90 to 1998-99) and one for the United States, in the Champions Trophy in England in 2004, when he was 42.