HD source

Benedict Bermange's stats suggest that HD Ackerman will again be Leicestershire's main supplier of runs.

Sky Sports' cricket stats man Benedict Bermange has teamed up with skysports.com to bring you statistical highlights from our cricket coverage of the past week. The glorious game will be brought to you in numbers every week as Benedict unearths relevant historical facts that have arisen from the past seven days in the world of cricket. He will also be on hand to answer your statistical cricketing questions, be it about an existing record, player, team, ground, umpire, laws of the game or whatever your query may be. If something has been puzzling you, or you have come across a fact or stat during Sky Sports' cricket coverage that you must have verified to cure your insanity, then ask Benedict. Or maybe if you have been stumped by a quiz question down the local, just email Benedict here or fill out the comment form at the bottom of the page and he will answer your questions.

Runs on the board

A great deal of the current media focus is on Mark Ramprakash's quest for his hundredth first-class hundred, but slipping under the radar was HD Ackerman of Leicestershire. His innings of 104 against Warwickshire at Birmingham was his hundredth first-class score of fifty or more. Ackerman's partnership of 182 for the second wicket with Matthew Boyce set a new record for Leicestershire's second wicket against Warwickshire, surpassing the 156 added by John Maunders and Darren Maddy at Leicester in 2003. In the same match, the partnership of 157 between Tim Ambrose and Neil Carter is a new record for Warwickshire's eighth wicket against Leicestershire, surpassing the 148 added by Willie Quaife and Albert Whittle at Edgbaston in 1902.

Head Boje

Northamptonshire captain Nicky Boje made a career-best undefeated 226 to help stave off the prospect of defeat against Worcestershire. In the process of which he shared a record fifth wicket partnership against Worcestershire of 181 with Lance Klusener, surpassing the undefeated 127 added by Wayne Larkins and Jim Yardley at Northampton in 1978. Four different Hampshire batsmen passed 50 in their Friends Provident match with Somerset at the Rose Bowl. This equalled the record for English domestic one-day cricket, and the only previous time four Hampshire batsmen had accomplished the feat was against Durham at Southampton in 1998. However, all was to no avail as Somerset chased down their target of 287, which set a new record for the highest successful run chase by an away side at the Rose Bowl, surpassing Kent's 259 for six in 2006. It narrowly missed becoming the highest successful run-chase of all time at the venue by just one run!

SCORE	OVERS	TEAM	AGAINST	SEASON
289-4	44.3	Hampshire	Northamptonshire	2002
288-5	48.3	Somerset	Hampshire	2008
259-6	50	Kent	Hampshire	2006
242-5	29.3	Hampshire	Gloucestershire	2008
241-9	40	Hampshire	Derbyshire	2006

Cow corner

There was more high-scoring at the same venue a couple of days later. Alex Gidman scored his maiden one-day century for Gloucestershire, coincidentally the first time he had ever opened the batting for them in one-day cricket. However, due to a Duckworth/Lewis recalculation of the required target, the Gladiators became just the second team in domestic one-day history to lose a game having scored at least 350 batting first. Here is a list of the top five totals batting first in lost matches:

SCORE	OVERS	TEAM	AGAINST	VENUE	SEASON
358-6	50	Surrey	Hampshire	The Oval	2005
350-5	50	Gloucestershire	Hampshire	Southampton	2008
333-4	45	Middlesex	Gloucestershire	Southgate	2005
327-8	60	Derbyshire	Sussex	Derby	1997
321-6	60	Sussex	Warwickshire	Lord's	1993

Benedict's bumpers

Meanwhile, over in the Indian Premier League, Sohail Tanvir's astonishing figures of six for 14 for the Rajasthan Royals against the Chennai Super Kings at Jaipur set a new world record for best bowling figures in a Twenty20 match. The previous best of six for 15 were set by Sanjeewa Roshan for Panadura against the Sri Lankan Air Force in October 2005.

Deja vu

Glamorgan's victory over Gloucestershire at Bristol was their first away victory in the County Championship since beating the same opponents at Cheltenham in July 2006. Glamorgan wicket-keeper Mark Wallace scored his 5,000th first-class run when he reached 19 in his innings of 43.

Benedict answers your questions...

In the late 1970s and early 1980s I remember Alan Ramage playing cricket for Yorkshire and First Division football for Middlesbrough. I know that in the past there have been many examples of County cricketers also playing football in the highest division, but I can't remember one since Ramage. Is he the last to do this? Antony Coulthard, Brotton, Saltburn by the Sea BENEDICT REPLIES: Alan Ramage did indeed forge a successful dual career and several cricketers have flirted with football careers since Ramage retired in 1980. Sky Sports' own Sir Ian Botham played 11 league matches for Scunthorpe (four as a substitute) from 1979 to 1984. In addition, Tony Cottey - who won the County Championship with both Glamorgan and Sussex - played for Swansea City for a couple of seasons. But perhaps the most noteworthy member of this exclusive group is current England Team Operations Manager Phil Neale. Aside from captaining Worcestershire from 1982 to 1991 and leading them to the County Championship in 1988 and 1989, he found time to make 327 appearances for Lincoln City from 1975 to 1985. Email Benedict here or fill out the comment form at the bottom of the page and he will answer your questions.