Also: the oldest to 350 wickets, the oldest surviving ODI players, and more

Steven Lynch15-Nov-2016How many people have been run out in their first Test innings, like Callum Ferguson was in Hobart? asked Michael Rabinowitz from Australia
Australia’s newcomer Callum Ferguson was actually the 91st Test debutant to be run out in his first innings, during the second match against South Africa in Hobart last week. He was the tenth from Australia, but the first since Julien Wiener against England in Perth in 1979-80. The first from anywhere was also an Aussie – their captain Dave Gregory, in the first-ever Test innings, against England in Melbourne in 1876-77. Abdul Kadir (Pakistan v Australia in Melbourne, 1964-65) and Gordon Greenidge (West Indies v India in Bangalore, 1974-75) both made it into the nineties in their maiden Test innings before falling this way. Jack Ryder, a future Australian captain, was uniquely run out in both innings of his Test debut, against England in Sydney in 1920-21.Australia were 8 for 4 in the second Test. Have they ever made a worse start to a Test innings? asked Allan Alexander from the United States
Australia’s 8 for 4 on the first morning of the second Test against South Africa in Hobart was their worst start to a Test innings since 1936-37, when they dipped to 7 for 4 on a wet pitch in the second innings of the Ashes Test in Brisbane. Australia had also been 7 for 4 at Old Trafford in 1896, and at The Oval in 1888. New Zealand were 7 for 4 in their second innings against South Africa in Centurion in August this year, as were Bangladesh against India in Dhaka in 2007. India were 6 for 4 (and then 6 for 5) against England at The Oval in 1952, while England crashed to 5 for 4 against Australia in Melbourne in 1903-04. And England were 2 for 4 in Michael Vaughan’s first Test, against South Africa in Johannesburg in 1999-2000. But the worst start of them all was suffered by India, earlier in their 1952 series against England: with Fred Trueman steaming in on his debut, the Indians uniquely declined to 0 for 4 in their second innings at Headingley.I believe that Brian Close was the oldest one-day international player when he died last year. Who’s the oldest surviving one now? asked George Warner from England
Brian Close, who captained England in three one-day internationals in 1972, was 84 years 202 days old when he passed away in September 2015. The oldest survivor now is one of Close’s old Yorkshire team-mates, Ray Illingworth: he is now also 84, having been born in June 1932. Left-arm spinner PG Nana, who played for East Africa in the first World Cup in 1975, is now 83, while the West Indian offspinner Lance Gibbs is 82. There are currently three other 80-year-old ODI players – a distinguished trio: Rohan Kanhai, Bob Simpson and Garry Sobers.Moeen Ali was stranded on 99 not out at the end of the first day of the first Test against India. How many people have suffered this fate? asked Karun Mughal from India
By ending the first day of the first Test in Rajkot one short of a century, Moeen Ali became the 13th batsman to end a day 99 not out in a Test. Two men did it twice: Glenn Turner of New Zealand (against Pakistan in Dacca in 1969-70, and Australia in Christchurch in 1973-74) and Pakistan’s Mudassar Nazar (against India in Bangalore in 1979-80 and Lahore in 1982-83). Moeen was the fifth Englishman to do it, after Jack Hobbs (v Australia in Adelaide, 1924-25), Wally Hammond (v South Africa in Durban, 1938-39), Allan Lamb (v West Indies at Lord’s, 1988) and Graeme Hick (v India at Bombay, 1992-93). Turner (in Dacca), Hick and Gerry Gomez (West Indies v India at Delhi, 1948-49) were stuck on 99 not out before they had scored a Test century. To complete the list, the others were Greg Chappell (Australia v England in Melbourne, 1979-80), Javed Miandad (Pakistan v England in Birmingham, 1992), Marvan Atapattu (Sri Lanka v Bangladesh in Colombo, 2001-02), Hashim Amla (South Africa v Australia in Perth, 2012-13), and Faf du Plessis (South Africa v West Indies in Port Elizabeth, 2014-15). The good news is that what was probably a bad night’s sleep didn’t seem to affect anyone: in all 15 cases the batsman reached three figures next morning. Atapattu even went on to score 201.Keith Boyce died on his 53rd birthday•Hulton ArchiveRangana Herath recently took his 350th Test wicket. Is he the oldest man to get there? asked Mahinda de Silva from Sri Lanka
Rangana Herath’s 350th Test wicket came during the course of his match-winning haul of 13 for 152 for Sri Lanka against Zimbabwe in Harare last week. Herath was 38 years 236 days old when he reached 350, making him the oldest of the 23 men to have reached that landmark so far. The previous oldest was Imran Khan, who was 15 days past his 37th birthday in December 1989. The youngest to reach 350 is Muttiah Muralitharan, aged 29 years 144 days in September 2001; the only other bowler to reach 350 before turning 30 is Harbhajan Singh, in February 2010.Has any Test cricketer had the misfortune to die on his birthday? asked Keith Jones from England
I think the only Test cricketer to suffer this unfortunate fate was the exciting Barbadian allrounder Keith Boyce, who featured in the first World Cup final in 1975 as well as in 21 Tests for West Indies between 1970-71 and 1975-76. Apart from being an attacking batsman and a nippy fast bowler, Boyce also possessed perhaps the fastest, flattest throw from the outfield yet seen. He was born on October 11, 1943, and sadly died on his 53rd birthday in 1996.Post your questions in the comments below