Has anyone done better in successive Tests than South Shakeel’s 20-plus runs since his debut? – Ask Steven

I heard South Shakeel holds the record for scoring 20 runs in consecutive Test innings. What are the details? asked Jaikam Irfan from Pakistan
During the Test in Perth over the weekend, Pakistan left-armer South Shakeel scored his 14th and 15th Test innings since his debut in December 2022. 20+ scores in 15 innings so far, which is the best run. From the introduction: Everton Weeks, the great West Indian, was dismissed with 14 for 1 (one of which was exactly 20) in the second innings against England at Old Trafford in 1950.

Shakeel has seen the record for most consecutive double-digit scores since debut. 1950s Australian opener Colin MacDonald hit 10 in his first 16 Test innings before hitting 7 not out in the 17th (he then hit 10 in his next six attempts, the last of which was in single figures, with 1 and 6 against England at Trent Bridge in 1956) Previous Australian opener Sid Barnes reached double figures in his first 15 Test innings, as did England’s Jeff Buller.

All four teams had totals between 100 and 199 in the Mirpur Test. How rare is this? asked Afzal Ahmadi from Bangladesh
The recent second Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand at Mirpur was a good reminder that low-scoring matches can be gripping. It also provided only the 14th instance of a Test with four total hundreds (between 100 and 199). Earlier last year at The Oval, England (158 and 130) beat South Africa (118 and 169) by nine wickets.

That was my first thought Most of these Long ago the pitches would have been less prepared and the games generally less scientifically batted – but in fact there was only one case before 1950, when England (173 and 137 for 3) beat Australia (132) at Lord’s in 1890. and 176) by seven wickets.

Deepti Sharma took 5 wickets after scoring a fifty in the Test against England. How rare is that in the women’s game? asked Samira Ghosh from India
Deepti Sharma took 5 for 7 in the Test against England in Mumbai last week, scoring 67 runs. It was 21st event in Women’s TestBut after Subangi Kulkarni (6 for 79 and 99) against New Zealand in Ahmedabad in 1984-85, Deepti became only the second Indian to do so.

There have been eight instances of a woman’s Test century taking 5-for-5 in a single match, including three by Australia’s Betty Wilson and three by England’s Enid Bakewell.

Who has played more Tests without bettering his debut score? asked Andrew Banks from England
England’s Darren Gough holds the record here when he scored 65 in his first Test against New Zealand at Old Trafford in 1994 and remained unbeaten in 57 matches.

Sri Lanka’s Romesh Kaluvidharana scored an unbeaten 132 on his debut against Australia in Colombo in August 1992, and never did better in 48 Tests. South African opener Andrew Hudson scored 163 on his debut against the West Indies at Bridgetown in 1991-92 and went on to remain unbeaten in 47 games.

Abdul Qader equaled the feat in ODIs when he scored an unbeaten 41 on his debut for Pakistan against New Zealand at Edgbaston during the 1983 World Cup and never bettered it in 103 matches (67 innings).

What unique feat did South African wicketkeeper Tommy Ward perform on his Test debut? asked Kelly Robinson from Zimbabwe
Indian-origin keeper Tommy Ward had an eventful time in his first Test against Australia at Old Trafford against South Africa during the 1912 Trilateral. In his first innings, he entered at number 11 with offspinner Jimmy Mathews. The trick – and the lbw on the first ball.

South Africa had to follow-on and later that same day Ward – surprisingly, perhaps, promoted to No.9 – again joined Mathews for a hat-trick. This time Ward chipped his first ball to the bowler, who took a fine diving catch. According to EHD Sewell in his book Triangular cricket„The best wicket in the sixes was the sixth… He bowled a slightly lower ball – to get the required 'rise’ from the pitch – and he pitched it on the leg stump or higher. Having been lbw in the first innings, the batsman was trying to meet bat and ball, whatever else he was doing. If it’s straight, sure. Even then a catch had to be made!”

Mathews can celebrate becoming the first (and still only) bowler to take two hat-tricks in a single Test. Oddly enough, as Sewell colorfully put it, “His hats [were] His only wickets of the match.

Ward played a further 22 Tests and scored 64 against England in Johannesburg in 1922–23. He died in 1936 at the age of 48 after being electrocuted in a diamond mine accident in the Transvaal.

Siva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s statistics team helped answer some of the above.