Four tons in an innings, and starting big but losing
Four-thirty-five and losing, Pakistan's lowest Test totals, and the most prolific Australian
Adelaide 2006 is one of 14 occasions in Ashes Tests when a side lost after making 435 in the first innings © Getty Images
How often have four Australians made centuries in the same innings of an Ashes Test? asked Rob Broughton from Leicester
Australia's four centuries in the first Test in Cardiff was actually the first time they had ever made as many in one innings in an Ashes Test - although there was a very near miss at Lord's in 1993, when Mark Taylor, Michael Slater and David Boon all made hundreds, then Mark Waugh was out for 99. England have also done it once in an Ashes Test - at Trent Bridge in 1938, when Charles Barnett, Len Hutton, Eddie Paynter and Denis Compton were the centurions. There have been two instances of five centuries in a Test innings - by Australia (the only other time they have had more than three) against West Indies in Kingston in 1954-55, and by Pakistan against Bangladesh in Multan in 2001. For a full list of the most hundreds in a Test innings, click here.
How many times have England lost to Australia (or vice versa) after scoring as many as 435 in the first innings of the match? asked Anura de Kretser from Melbourne
I suspect you asked this when England looked like losing in Cardiff, which somehow they avoided! On only 14 occasions in all Test cricket has a score of more than 435 in the first innings of a match (not necessarily either side's first innings) not been sufficient to avoid defeat. Five of those came in Ashes Tests, including the highest of all - Australia's 586 in Sydney in 1894-95, when England won by 10 runs after following on. On the last tour Down Under, in 2006-07, England declared at 551 for 6 in the first innings in Adelaide but went on to lose; in the final Test in Melbourne in 1928-29 England made 519 but lost by five wickets; at Headingley in 1948, England lost despite scoring 496 in the first innings (that was the match in which Australia made 404 for 3 on the last day to win); and also at Headingley, in 2001, Australia lost after scoring 447 in the first innings of the match. Australia also lost the final Test of the 1932-33 Bodyline series in Sydney despite a first-innings score of 435 - the same as England in Cardiff.
Pakistan were bowled out for 90 by Sri Lanka - is that their lowest against them? And is it their lowest against anyone? asked Hafeez Ahmed from Islamabad
Pakistan's first innings of 90 in the second Test in Colombo was indeed their lowest total against Sri Lanka, beating their 117 in the previous match in Galle. It was the 10th time Pakistan had been bowled out for less than 100 in a Test. Their lowest two totals - 53 and 59 - both came in the same match, against Australia in Sharjah in 2002-03. For a list of Pakistan's lowest Test totals, click here.
When was the last time England won a live Ashes Test match when Glenn McGrath played (he was injured for the two England won in 2005)? asked Duncan Davies from Australia
The last one was in 1998-99, when England won the fourth Test in Melbourne, to make the series score 2-1 to Australia, despite the presence of the formidable Glenn McGrath. If you take the view that that was also a dead rubber, as the Ashes had already been decided even if the series hadn't, the answer is the first Test of 1997, at Edgbaston. England also won at Headingley in 2001, but they had already lost that series.
What is the highest score by someone in their first match as a Test captain? asked S Srinivasan from Chennai
Two players have made double-centuries in their first Test as captain: Shivnarine Chanderpaulhit 203 not out for West Indies against South Africa in Georgetown in 2004-05, but the highest score is 239, by New Zealand's Graham Dowling, against India in Christchurch in 1967-68.
Who has the most first-class runs by an Australian? (No Australians make it onto Cricinfo's records list.) My guess is Stuart Law, Darren Lehmann or Justin Langer? asked Alex Thalis from Australia
All good guesses - but actually the top Australian at the moment is none other than Don Bradman, who made 28,067 runs in first-class cricket, at the handy average of 95.14. But he's probably about to lose top spot to Justin Langer, who has 27,943 runs (at 50.25) as I write. Stuart Law has 27,080, while Darren Lehmann made 25,795.
[Via Steven Lynch Cricinfo.com]
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