Was England's 342-run over South Africa their biggest ever in ODIs?

England beat South Africa by 342 runs at the Rose Bowl. Was this their biggest win in ODIs? asked Bill Green from England
England ran up 414 for 5 in Southampton last weekend, then bowled South Africa out for 72 to win by 342 runs. It was - by exactly 100 - their biggest win in a one-day international, beating 242 runs against Australia at Trent Bridge in June 2018.

More than that, though, it was the largest victory margin in any men's one-day international, beating 317 runs by India (390 for 5) against Sri Lanka (73) in Thiruvananthapuram in January 2023. There have been three others by more than 300 runs.

There have also been exactly 50 ODIs that were won by ten wickets: the quickest of those came when New Zealand overhauled Bangladesh's 93 in Queenstown in December 2007 in just six overs.

There have been bigger victories in women's ODIs: New Zealand (455 for 5) beat Pakistan (47) by 408 runs in Christchurch in January 1997, and there have been seven further wins by more than 300 runs.

In the Duleep Trophy semi-final the other day Central Zone scored 600 without anyone reaching a century. Was this a record? asked Akram Fazal Mirza from India, and others
The highest individual score in Central Zone's total of 600 against West Zone in the Duleep Trophy semi-final in Bengaluru last week was Shubham Sharma's 96. This was only the fifth time any team had reached 600 in a first-class innings without anyone making a hundred: the highest of all remains Surrey's 671 for 9 declared against Kent in Beckenham in May 2022, when the highest individual contribution was also 96, by Ollie Pope.

Namibia made 609 against Uganda in Windhoek in September 2010, with a highest score of 87 by Ewald Steenkamp, while the Indian record remains 605, by Madhya Pradesh against Haryana in Rajnandgaon in March 1999 (highest score Jai Yadav's 90). Surrey's 603 against Gloucestershire in Bristol in July 2005 included a highest individual score of 89, by Azhar Mahmood.

Cameron Green came in in the 35th over against South Africa and hit a century. Has anyone entered later in an ODI and reached 100? asked Michael Z from Australia
Australia's Cameron Green entered after 34.1 overs against South Africa in Mackay last month: he reached his century off 47 balls, and ended up with 118 not out.

There have been five known centuries scored in one-day internationals by batters entering even later in the innings (we don't have ball-by-ball details for all ODIs, but it looks unlikely there are any additions). Top of the list is Green's frequent team-mate, Glenn Maxwell, who came to the crease after 39 overs against Netherlands in Delhi during the 2023 World Cup, and hit eight sixes in a 40-ball hundred.

AB de Villiers came in after 38.3 overs for South Africa against West Indies in Johannesburg in January 2015, but still had time to smash 149, with 16 sixes: he reached 100 from just 31 balls, still the ODI record. United Arab Emirates' Asif Khan hit 101 not out against Nepal in Kirtipur in March 2023, having entered after 37.3 overs. And England's Jos Buttler has two such innings, both against Pakistan: in Dubai in November 2015 he entered after 35.3 overs and scored 116 not out, while in Southampton in May 2019 he came in after 35.1 and hit an unbeaten 110.

Andrew Hudson scored 163 on his Test debut against West Indies, but was out for a duck in the second innings. How many other players have done this? asked Greg Nilsen from South Africa
Opener Andrew Hudson did indeed start his Test career with 163, against West Indies in Bridgetown in South Africa's "comeback" Test in April 1992. He followed that with a duck in the second innings: at the time the only other man to start his Test career with a century and a duck was India's Gundappa Viswanath, with 0 and 137 against Australia in Kanpur in November 1969.

Since Hudson, three others have achieved the feat on debut: Mohammad Wasim made 0 and 109 not out for Pakistan against New Zealand in Lahore in November 1996, Keaton Jennings collected 112 and 0 for England vs India in Mumbai in December 2016, and earlier this year Ismat Alam made 0 and 101 for Afghanistan against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.

There's also been one instance in a women's Test: in Bloemfontein last December, England's Maia Bouchier made 126 and 0 against South Africa.

Rahul Dravid, by never making 89 in Tests, missed out on scoring the first 14 numbers in the Fibonacci sequence in Tests. Has anyone else managed 13? asked Chris Goddard from England
The first 14 numbers in the Fibonacci sequence - in which the next number is obtained by adding the previous two together - are 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144 and 233. You're right that while Rahul Dravid did score 233 - against Australia in Adelaide in December 2003 - he was never out (or not out) for 89.

It appears that no one can beat him, although there are six other batters who have 13 of the 14 numbers (unlike Dravid, they are all lacking 233): Mike Atherton, MS Dhoni, Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara, Shakib Al Hasan and Steven Smith (who might yet add the next number in the sequence!)