Was the match aggregate in the India-England semi-final the biggest in a T20 international? asked Atul Krishna Srivastava from India
There was a total of 499 runs in the semi-final between India (253 for 7) and England (246 for 7) in Mumbai last week. That was easily a record for the T20 World Cup, beating the 459 of South Africa (229 for 4) and England (230 for 8) during a group game, also at the Wankhede Stadium, in 2016.
Outside the World Cup, there’s just a single T20 international that featured more runs: in Centurion in 2023, South Africa (259 for 4) beat West Indies (258 for 5) by six wickets in a match of 517 runs.
Jacob Bethell has now scored his maiden first-class, List A and Twenty20 hundreds in international cricket. Is he the first to do this? asked Jon Maginness from England
The short answer is yes, England’s precocious left-hander Jacob Bethell is unique in having scored his first List A century in an ODI (110 against South Africa in Southampton in September 2025), his maiden first-class hundred in a Test (154 against Australia in Sydney in January), and his first T20 century in an international as well (105 against India in Mumbai last week).
I should perhaps say “unique at the moment”, because there are three people who could yet join Bethell, having scored their maiden first-class hundred in a Test and first List A ton in an ODI – and none of them has yet scored a T20 century. They are Curtis Campher of Ireland and Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan, plus the England women’s player Maia Bouchier.
Was Finn Allen’s semi-final century the fastest in a T20 international? asked Michael McGuirk from New Zealand
Rather like the first answer, this was a record for the World Cup, but not all T20Is. New Zealand’s Finn Allen hurtled to his century against South Africa in Kolkata last week in just 33 deliveries. Jacob Bethell’s 45-ball hundred for England in Mumbai the following day also beat the previous World Cup record of 47, by Chris Gayle for West Indies against England in Mumbai in 2016.
In all T20Is, there have been only two faster hundreds (plus two others of 33 balls). The record is held by Estonia’s Salil Chauhan, who reached three figures in 27 balls against Cyprus in Episkopi in 2024, while Turkey’s wicketkeeper Muhammad Fahad needed 29 for his hundred against Bulgaria in Sofia in 2025.
The fastest hundred in women’s T20Is took just 38 balls, by Deandra Dottin for West Indies against South Africa in St Kitts during the 2010 World Cup in the Caribbean.
Which bowler has conceded the most runs in a single Test series? asked Nigel Harrison from England
It’s been quite a while, but the Australian legspinner Clarrie Grimmett conceded 1024 runs in the 1928-29 Ashes series, taking 23 wickets. He’s the only man to leak 1000 runs in a single series, although his predecessor as Australia’s googly merchant, Arthur Mailey, went for 999 in the previous Ashes series down under, in 1924-25. Mailey – who finished his career with 99 Test wickets – also conceded 946 in 1920-21.
Outside the Ashes, the most runs conceded in a Test series is 927, by another legspinner, India’s Subhash “Fergie” Gupte, at home to West Indies in 1958-59. The record for a four-Test rubber is 801, by the Australian offspinner Nathan Lyon, at home to India in 2014-15.
Who’s the only man who played for England in both Centenary Tests? asked Tom Hunter from England
Although there was only about three and a half years between the Centenary Test n Melbourne in 1977, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first Test, and the 1980 match at Lord’s that marked 100 years since the first Test in England, you’re right that only one man appeared for England in both – the Yorkshire fast bowler Chris Old. At a time of seemingly rapid turnover of players, Old was also the only man to feature in the England squads for both the first two one-day World Cups, in 1975 and 1979.
Three Australians played in both Centenary Tests – Greg Chappell (who captained in both), Rod Marsh and Dennis Lillee. Another man almost qualifies: slow left-armer Ray Bright played in 1980, having been 12th man in 1977, when he fielded throughout both England’s innings after the early injury to Rick McCosker, whose jaw was broken by a ball from Bob Willis.
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