The Test Match Special statistician will be busy answering your questions throughout the season's action.

Fill in the form on the right-hand side of the page to stump the Bearded Wonder.

Bas Arts, Holland

As Shane Warne is approaching his 600th Test wicket, I was wondering which batsmen he has dismissed most.

It is no surprise that Warne's favourite four victims are all major England batsmen who have probably faced him the most times. They are Alec Stewart (14 dismissals), Nasser Hussain (11). Michael Atherton (10) and Graham Thorpe (9). When the Ashes series eventually starts in the 16th week of this ridiculously structured season, Warne will need 17 wickets to extend his record Test aggregate to 600 and Thorpe will be trying not to head this list.

Krish, UK

I'm interested to know the maximum number of balls faced by Shahid Afridi in any limited-overs international. I think he has hardly played more than 50 balls in any innings.

Shahid Afridi has faced 50 or more balls in 19 of his 196 innings but on only three occasions has he faced more than 80: 109 off 94 balls v India (Toronto) 1998; 67 off 81 balls v Zimbabwe and 108* off 92 balls v New Zealand - both at Sharjah in 2001-02. His overall strike rate for 4567 runs is 107.64 runs per 100 balls, the highest by any batsman scoring more than 226 runs. The next highest rate by any batsman scoring 1000 runs is 99.06 by Ian Smith for New Zealand

Ahsan, Canada

Who was the first bowler to take 10 wickets in a Test match?

Frederick Robert ('The Demon') Spofforth became the first bowler to take ten or more wickets in a Test when he contributed six for 48 and seven for 62 towards Australia's ten-wicket victory against England at Melbourne in January 1879. It was only the third Test match played and Spofforth's figures included the first Test hat-trick.

Zainub Razvi, Karachi, Pakistan

I was just wondering if you are aware of the fact that former TMS guest commentator Omar Kureishi recently passed away in Karachi. Did he play any first-class cricket, and if so for whom, and how successful was he?

Omar Kureishi (sometimes spelt Qureishi) was a lively, witty and popular colleague who shared our TMS box on Pakistan's early tours of England. A club cricketer who appeared in some matches in England, he did not play at first-class level. This did not prevent him from being an outstanding and extremely knowledgeable cricket commentator. The doyen of Pakistani writers, he contributed regular features on politics and social issues, in addition to those on his beloved sport, for The Guardian and Dawn newspapers.

While studying for a degree in International Relations at the University of California, he began his broadcasting career and even appeared briefly in a Hollywood movie. Appointed head of Pakistan International Airline's new public relations department in 1959, he spent 25 years setting up and maintaining an infrastructure which provided a financial cushion for Pakistan's sportsmen. The Voice of Asian Cricket died in Karachi on 14 March 2005 at the age of 77 and is survived by his widow and a son.

Nick Thompson, England

Shane Warne has a career-best score Test match and first-class score of 99. Has there been any other player who has retired with a highest first-class score of 99 made in a Test match?

Shane Warne has recently denied his brother's assertion that he would retire after the next world cup so he is still some way short of hanging up his boots. If he does not improve his current career best, he will be unique in ending his first-class career with a highest score of 99, that innings being in a Test match.

Six players have retired with a highest Test score of 99 but all scored hundreds in first-class cricket: M.D.Moxon and N.W.D.Yardley (England), JEF Beck and D.N.Patel (New Zealand), R.F.Surti (India), and Maqsood Ahmed (Pakistan). Two others currently playing first-class cricket, A.J.Tudor (England - 99 not out) and Asim Kamal (Pakistan - 99) have also scored first-class centuries.

JT, UK

How many bowlers, if any, have taken five wicket hauls against all the other nine Test playing nations?

No bowler has achieved that feat, although Muthiah Muralitharan's 13 ten-wicket hauls involve eight of the Test match opponents. He needs to add only New Zealand to his list of victims and has just missed a series against them because of injury. They are not scheduled to meet again until August 2007. The only other bowler to register nine ten-wicket Test match returns is Sir Richard Hadlee but his involve only five opponents.

John Warren, England

I believe caught Marsh bowled Lillee (95 times) is the Test record for dismissals, for combination of wicket keeper/bowler. What is the record for England?

Yes, John. The Rodney Marsh/Dennis Lillee combination is the record in Test cricket with 95 dismissals. Their record is under threat by Adam Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath who have shared 75 dismissals to date and could have at least two more years of Test cricket ahead of them.

The England record is 60 by Bob Taylor and Ian Botham. Overall they are in fifth place, the others ahead of them being Jeff Dujon/Malcolm Marshall (71 for West Indies) and Mark Boucher/Shaun Pollock (71 for South Africa).

Solaiman Palash, Bangladesh

I know that Sir Jack Hobbs scored most runs in first class cricket, but I don't know the name of most wicket taker, most catch holders name. Do you mention me these?

Hobbs (61,237 runs and 197 hundreds) holds the first-class batting records for most runs and centuries. Frank Woolley (58,969 runs) and E.H. ('Patsy') Hendren (170 hundreds) are the runners-up. The leading bowlers are Wilfred Rhodes (4187 wickets) and A.P. ('Tich') Freeman (3776). Woolley (1018) is also the leading catcher without gloves with W.G.Grace (887) in second place. The leading wicket-keepers are R.W. ('Bob') Taylor (1649 dismissals) and John Murray (1527).

Wraye Wenigmann, Bonn, Germany

I heard a BBC Radio London commentator say that Ian Bell has scored the most runs in April in the history of cricket. Can this really be true? Would have put my money on The Don, Hutton or Sutcliffe for this record. What is the equivalent record for a bowler?

Your Internet commentary was absolutely correct, Wraye. With 480 runs, average 80.00, Ian Bell has easily surpassed the previous highest April aggregate of 410, set by Graeme Hick in 1988 on his way to becoming the last batsman to score 1000 runs before June. Bell's Warwickshire colleague, Ashley Giles, has claimed the bowling record with 24 wickets at 17.00, overtaking Neil Foster's 21 in 1987. Both have benefited by the global warming of the county season, Bell having seven innings and Giles six, opportunities denied the players you mention.

Jonathan Barrand, UK

Bill, I believe I am correct in saying that Michael Atherton never scored a Test match century at Lords. If this is the case, does he hold the record for the most appearances at HQ without scoring a ton?

He does indeed, Jonathan. His highest score in 15 Tests (27 innings at Lord's) was 99 v Australia in 1993. He averaged 31.55 there, compared with his overall Test average of 37.70. All the others who have played 15 or more Tests at Lord's have scored hundreds. They are: Graham Gooch (21 Tests/6 hundreds); Alec Stewart (20/3); David Gower (17/2); Geoffrey Boycott (16/3) and Ian Botham (15/1).

Lee, UK

Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden have been a formidable force at the top of the innings for Australia in recent years. Could you tell me which pairing has shared the most century opening partnerships?

That record still belongs to Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes who shared 16 three-figure stands for the first West Indies wicket. Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe had 15 century opening partnerships for England. The Hayden/Langer combination is currently in third place with 13.

Tom Taylor, Manchester, UK

Which Test bowler holds the record for the highest number of stumpings of his bowling and who holds this record for England?

Shane Warne holds the record with 30 of his 583 wickets for Australia being stumped. Joint second with 28 stumpings, are Warne's fellow leg-spinner, the New Zealand-born Clarrie Grimmett, and Sri Lanka's Muthiah Muralitharan. The most stumpings off an England bowler is ten from the off-spin of Jim Laker.