Sports review of 2022: The year in numbers

6 – Test centuries for Jonny Bairstow in 10 matches this year, as many as he had made in his 79 appearances up to the end of 2021.

52 – The age of superstar jockey Frankie Dettori, who has announced he will retire at the end of 2023.

1 – Ireland ended the year as the top-ranked side in men’s international rugby union, winning nine of their 11 Tests, including two against New Zealand.

30 – Successive Test wins for England’s women, a world record, before losing their World Cup final to New Zealand.

4 – Successive Super League titles for St Helens, with a record 10 in total, after their grand final win over Leeds.

157 – Winners ridden by William Buick, who was the Champion Flat Jockey of the year.

2 – Rory McIlroy became only the second player to win the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup and the DP World Tour’s Harry Vardon Trophy in the same year, following Henrik Stenson in 2013.

7 – Ronnie O’Sullivan won a record-equalling seventh snooker World Championship.

19 – The age of Carlos Alcaraz, who became the ATP Tour’s youngest year-end world number one and the first teenager to achieve the accolade.

15 -Race wins for Formula One world champion Max Verstappen, a record for a single season.

18 – Ireland won the Prestbury Cup for a sixth successive year with 18 winners at the Cheltenham Festival compared to 10 for their British counterparts.