What was the name of the umpire that Mike Gatting argued with in 1987? asks Jane Herford Gatting's famous argument, which halted a Test match, was with Pakistan's Shakoor Rana during the second Test at Faisalabad in 1987-88. It started when Shakoor thought Gatting, England's captain, had moved David Capel closer in at square leg without telling the batsman, Salim Malik (actually he had told him), and escalated when both started wagging their fingers and shouting at each other. There was no play next day, while both parties sulked in their tents and considered their positions, but play resumed on the fourth scheduled day after Gatting was ordered to apologise by the English board. Shakoor died earlier this year, aged 65.

In which Lord's Test were two players out for 99? asks D Cosham

This was in 1993, when Mark Waugh and Mike Atherton both fell for 99 – in Atherton's case literally, because he slipped while running and could only watch as Merv Hughes returned the ball to Ian Healy to run him out. That 99 remains Atherton's highest score in 15 Test appearances at Lord's. Mark Waugh was luckier, although he was mortified at the time when Phil Tufnell's leg-side delivery found its way through his legs and bowled him: Australia won that 1993 match by an innings (the first three in the order all made centuries, then Waugh made his 99 from No. 4), and Mark did reach three figures in the 2001 Lord's Test – another game that Australia won easily.

Who was the first person to score 1000 first-class runs and take 200 wickets in the same season? asks Anita

This was Albert Trott, of Middlesex, who scored 1175 runs and took 239 wickets in 1899. For good measure, he did it again the following year – 1337 runs and 211 wickets. Only three players have managed the feat since: George Hirst (Yorkshire) in 1906, when he actually scored 2385 runs and took 208 wickets, Alec Kennedy of Hampshire (1922) and Sussex's Maurice Tate, in 1923, 1924 and 1925. "Alberto" Trott was an interesting character, who made a sensational Test debut for Australia against England in 1894-95, taking 8 for 43 (still the best bowling figures by anyone in their first Test) and scoring 38 and 72, both not out, from No. 10. He was a shock omission from the 1896 team which toured England, captained by his brother Harry. He came to England anyway, settled down near Lord's, and joined Middlesex. He played two more Tests, this time for England, in South Africa in 1897-98. Trott was an explosive allrounder who remains the only man to hit a ball over the pavilion at Lord's. But he had a long battle with alcoholism, and shot himself in 1914, when he was only 41.

I've been asked the name of the man who played cricket for Warwickshire and football for Blackpool. Can you help? asks Rod Stother

I think the man you're after is Henry Albert (Harry) White, who was born in Watford on August 8, 1895. He was a right-hand batsman and offbreak bowler who played eight matches for Warwickshire in 1923, scoring 107 runs at an average of 8.91 and taking 0 for 33. As a footballer, he played for Arsenal and Walsall – and Blackpool, for whom he scored 17 goals in 68 Football League appearances. He died on November 27, 1972, aged 77.

What is the highest total in Test cricket that didn't include an individual half-century? A friend of mine asked this question elsewhere and was given a reply which neither of us believes! says Andy Richardson

The highest innings total in Test history that didn't contain an individual half-century was England's 315 against West Indies at Port-of-Spain in 1985-86. The highest score was David Gower's 47, although there were 59 extras! The only other time a team has exceeded 300 without an individual fifty was in 1963-64, when South Africa made 302 against New Zealand at Wellington. The highest score was Peter van der Merwe's 44 (and only 21 extras this time).

I am researching into my family history, and have come across an ancestor who apparently played county cricket. His name was William Pershke. Do you have any more information on him? asks Melanie Pershke

William Jack Pershke, who was born at Richmond in Surrey on August 8, 1918, was a fast-medium bowler who played for Oxford University in 1938, winning his Blue. That team included well-known players such as Mickey Walford, who scored a lot of runs for Somerset, and Desmond Eagar (the father of cricket photographer Patrick) who later captained Hampshire. WJ Perschke took 28 wickets in eight matches at an average of 28.65, including 6 for 46 against Glamorgan in The Parks, a performance which the Wisden Almanack report says "went a long way towards the old Uppingham boy securing the eleventh place against Cambridge". He took 3 for 54 in the Varsity Match, which was drawn. Sadly, Pershke was killed in action in the Second World War, on January 21, 1944. Why is Mike Harris, the umpire, nicknamed "Pasty"? asks Roy Costan (September 5, 2001)

Well, it's not because he ate all the pies ... actually it's because he comes from Cornwall, and he's named after the Cornish delicacy. For non-chefs, a Cornish pasty is a pastry-covered main course, usually containing meat and potatoes and the odd small vegetable. Michael John Harris was born in St-Just-in-Roseland, in Cornwall, on May 25, 1944. He was a right-hand batsman, usually an opener, for Middlesex (where he once shared an opening stand of 312 with Eric Russell) from 1964 to 1968, and then Nottinghamshire. He retired in 1982 with 19,196 runs at an average of 36.70, and 41 hundreds. He was quite close to England selection in 1971, when he hit 2238 runs - and nine centuries - for Notts. He joined the first-class umpires' list in 1998.

Who was the last Surrey batsman before Mark Ramprakash to score a Test century at The Oval? asks Richard Volke (September 3, 2001) It was quite a while ago: John Edrich's 164 against Australia in 1968. That was the match which England won with three minutes to spare after a massive clean-up operation following a rainstorm. Derek Underwood took 7 for 50 as England squeaked home. Earlier Edrich's big innings and Basil D'Oliveira's famous 158 were the cornerstones of England's big first-innings total of 494. It was the first Test I ever attended, sitting on the grass with some schoolfriends. The highlight came when D'Oliveira apologised to me after he overran the boundary while fielding and spiked one of my tomato sandwiches.

I believe that Bert Sutcliffe of New Zealand played most Tests in his career without actually winning one. Are any of today's players near his record? asks Anigam (September 1, 2001) You're right about poor Bert Sutcliffe, who played in 42 Tests for New Zealand without ever winning one. He managed to be absent with an injury when they won their first Test, after 26 years of trying, against West Indies at Auckland in 1955-56. A current player is second on this sad list - Bryan Strang of Zimbabwe, who has never yet been on the winning side in 26 attempts. The only other person to have played more than 20 Tests without winning one is another New Zealander, Brian Sinclair.

Somebody told me that Don Bradman scored most of his Test runs with ones and twos. Is that right? asks Stefan Strydom (August 30, 2001) I think your friend is wrong about Bradman scoring most of his runs in ones and twos. He was always keen to get off the mark with a single - like most of today's players he usually achieved this with a nudge towards square leg - but after that he was pretty keen on boundaries too. We don't have complete figures for all his innings, but detailed research (in the book Bradman the Great, which analyses all his performances) shows that in his 42 Test innings of 50 or over (he also had 38 of under 50) he hit 618 fours, two fives and six sixes. That's 2518 runs out of 6297 scored in those innings - about 39%. In all first-class cricket Bradman's percentage rises to 42% - 10643 runs in boundaries out of 25247 in 186 innings of 50 or over. He hit 2586 fours, seven fives, and 44 sixes.

I think that Brian Close was captain the last time Yorkshire won the County Championship - but who were the rest of the squad? asks Phil Dorling (August 28, 2001)

Brian Close was indeed the captain the last time Yorkshire won the County Championship, when they clinched a hat-trick of titles in 1968. They finished 14 points clear of Kent, while Glamorgan (who were to win the Championship the following year) were a further 19 points adrift in third place. Three of Yorkshire's players - batsmen John Hampshire and Doug Padgett, and wicketkeeper Jimmy Binks - appeared in all 28 of Yorkshire's Championship matches. Eight further players played in 20 or more: Close himself (22), batsmen Phil Sharpe (26) and Ken Taylor (24), allrounders Ray Illingworth (22) and Richard Hutton (20), fast bowlers Fred Trueman (23) and Tony Nicholson (23), and left-arm spinner Don Wilson (27). The man who finished top of the batting averages was, as ever, Geoff Boycott: he averaged 77.40 but only played ten matches because of England calls and a back injury. Six other players, including three future England players, made occasional appearances: Chris Balderstone and Chris Old (seven), Geoff Cope and Peter Stringer (four), Barrie Leadbeater (three) and John Woodford (two). All the players were born in Yorkshire: since the home-grown policy has now been rescinded that 1968 team will almost certainly be the last champion county made up entirely of players born within the winning county's boundaries.

Australia are being captained by Adam Gilchrist in the current Test at Headingley. How many other wicketkeepers have captained Australia? asks Andy Sanders (August 20, 2001)<

Adam Gilchrist is only the fourth wicketkeeper to captain Australia - and two of his predecessors had only one game in charge. Billy Murdoch captained from behind the stumps in one Test in 1881-82 (he skippered in some other Tests in which he didn't keep wicket). And Barry Jarman led them at Edgbaston in 1968 when Bill Lawry, the tour captain, was injured (Jarman's opposite number in that Test was another stand-in, Tom Graveney, who was making his only appearance as a Test captain too). Jack Blackham, Australia's wicketkeeper in the inaugural Test in 1876-77, skippered on eight occasions between 1884-85 and 1894-95. This is Gilchrist's second Test in charge: he stepped in against West Indies at Adelaide last winter when Steve Waugh was injured. The bad news for England is that Australia won that one, so Gilchrist is protecting a 100% record as captain.

England have had even fewer wicketkeeper-captains at Test level. Apart from Alec Stewart, who did both jobs in 11 Tests between 1992-93 and 2000, the only other one is Lt-Col. RT Stanyforth, who captained England in all four Tests of their 1927-28 tour of South Africa.

My favourite player is Brijesh Patel. I think he is the only man who played over 20 Test matches without ever being out for a duck. Is that right? asks Anigam from India (August 18, 2001)

Well, you're right in saying that Brijesh Patel, a plucky little middle-order batsman from Karnataka, played 21 Tests - and 38 innings - between 1974 and 1977-78 without ever getting out for 0. But although he's the Indian record-holder there are two Australians who played more innings without ever falling for a duck: Jim Burke, who played 44 innings between 1950-51 and 1958-59, and pre-Great War batsman Reggie Duff (40 innings between 1901-02 and 1905).

That's the record for an entire career, but quite a few batsmen have played more innings from the start of their careers before eventually getting out for 0. The most is 75 innings, by Sri Lanka's Aravinda de Silva from his debut in 1984 until 1994-95, when he was finally nailed for zero by Zimbabwe's Heath Streak at Bulawayo. And one man has played over 100 innings in mid-career without bagging one: David Gower managed 119 innings for England between 1982 and 1990-91 without getting out for 0.

If you have a question on any aspect of cricket e-mail it to our database director at steven.lynch@wisden.com. A selection of the questions and answers will be published in the Ask Steven column. We cannot answer every question, and individual correspondence cannot be entered into

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