Sir Donald Bradman was born, India won their first-ever Test series in England and more
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Fourth week of August
24 AUGUST
Born on this day were: Thomas Kendall (1851-1924), Australian slow left-arm bowler who played in the first Test at Melbourne in 1876-77 taking 8 for 109 and after Charles Bannerman had the greatest role in defeating England in that Test; Sir Max Beerbohm (1872-1956), English caricaturist, writer, dandy, wit and anti-sport agitator who when he was solicited on behalf of the testimonial fund for W.G. Grace subscribed a shilling, 'not in support of cricket but as an earnest protest against golf'; and Ronald Grieveson (1909-98), South African wicket-keeper batsman who played two Tests for his country (World War II robbed him of his best years of cricket).
In 1938 Somerset's Arthur Wellard thumped five sixes off an over from Kent's English all-rounder Frank Woolley. This equalled a world record that lasted until Gary Sobers hit six sixes off Malcolm Nash in 1968. Before Ian Botham struck 80 sixes in 1985, he was the only man to hit 50 in a season, which he did four times, including 66 sixes in 1935.
In 1959 the pace of Fred Trueman and Brian Statham was too much for India – for the last time that summer, but not the first. All out for 194 at The Oval, they lost by an innings to complete a 5-0 whitewash, the only one ever inflicted by England.
In 1971 India under Ajit Wadekar won its first ever cricket series (1-0) against England in England. The hero of the win was leg-spinner B.S. Chandrasekhar whose 6 for 38 in the third Test at The Oval, was declared the Best Bowling Performance of the Century by an Indian at the Wisden Awards in July 2002. It was Ganesh Chaturthi day and an elephant called Bella appeared on the field during the break.
In 1972 Dennis Amiss of England scored the first century in ODIs (in only the second ODI ever) against Australia at Old Trafford, Manchester. His innings was also the first century on debut. This was the first ODI played in England. Amiss also hit the second ODI century, against New Zealand at Swansea in 1973 – and the first century in a World Cup match, against India at Lord's in 1975.
In 1973 Gary Sobers scored his 26th and last century at Lord's – an unbeaten 150 to help West Indies declare at 652 for 8 and win by an innings.
In 1993 Professor D.B. Deodhar, the 'Grand Old man' of Indian cricket died, aged 101.
In 1994 Pakistan's Wasim Akram became the highest wicket-taker in one-day cricket (at the time) when he took his 253rd wicket, against Sri Lanka in Colombo beating the previous best of 252 by Kapil Dev. He went on to become the first (and so far only bowler) to take 500 ODI wickets.
In 2003 Pakistan's Yasir Hameed became only the second man in Test history to score centuries (170 and 105) in both innings of his debut Test – against Bangladesh in the first Test against Karachi. Before him only West Indian Lawrence Rowe (214 and 100) against New Zealand at Kingston in 1971-72 had achieved this feat. Pakistan won by seven wickets and it was Bangladesh's 22nd loss in 23 Tests.
25 AUGUST
Born on this day were: Duleep Mendis (1952-), Sri Lankan batsman who led Sri Lanka's Test debut at Lord's in 1984 and is the only batsman to make identical scores of over 100 in the same Test: 105 and 105 at Madras in 1982-83); Sikander Bakht (1957-), Pakistani pace bowler of the late 1970s; Sanjeev Sharma (1965-), Indian pace bowler (1988-89); and Vivek Razdan (1969-), Indian pace bowler (1989-90) who played in Tests for India before playing a single Ranji trophy match.
In 1890 the scheduled third Test between England and Australia at Old Trafford was the first Test match to be abandoned without a ball being bowled. A rain jinx which continues to this day, Old Trafford was also the venue on the occasion when the first complete day (10 July 1884) was abandoned due to rain – the first day of the Ashes Test.
In 1900 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of 'Sherlock Holmes' , a right-handed batsman and occasional slow bowler, dismissed W.G. Grace while playing for the MCC against London County at crystal Palace. It was his only wicket in first-class cricket which he celebrated by writing a poem. (It begins: 'Once in my heyday of cricket,/ Oh day I shall ever recall! I captured that glorious wicket,/ The greatest, the grandest of all') Two years later in the same fixture he obtained his highest first-class score, 43, and was stumped off the bowling of Grace.
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In 1968 Australian batman Stan McCabe, who played two of the most famous innings in Ashes Tests, died. He hit an explosive 187 not out at Sydney in 1932-33, the ultimate defiance in the face of 'Bodyline' – and his 232 at Trent bridge in 1938 was so good that Don Bradman insisted the rest of the team go out onto the balcony to watch it. (Not bad, for a player who was out to the first ball he faced in club and state cricket, and was dismissed in only his second ball in Tests!)
In 1973 a bomb scare held up play for an hour and a half at Lord's. The delay could not save England: the lost time was made up, and their defeat at the hands of West Indies by an innings and 226 runs cost them the series 2-0.
In 1986 Ian Botham hit 24 runs off an over by Derek Stirling in the third Test against New Zealand at The Oval. This equalled a Test record first set by Andy Roberts – off Botham himself in 1980-81. The current highest is 28 by Brian Lara.
In 1995 Andrew Symonds hit 16 sixes, a world record for a first-class innings in the course of his 254 not out for Gloucestershire against Glamorgan, at Abergavenny. He hit another four sixes in the second innings to set up another record of 20 in the match.
In 2001 Shane Warne became the first Australian (and the first ever spinner) to take 400 Test wickets in the fifth Ashes Test match against England at The Oval. (He became only the second player to reach the magic 500 mark in March 2004.)
26 AUGUST
Born on this day were: Joe Solomon (1930-), West Indian batsman whose superb long-range throw, with only one stump to aim at, ended the famous tied Test at Brisbane in 1960-61; Lisa Keightely (1971-), Australian women's opener famous for her century at Lord's in 1988; and Liam Botham (1977-), son of Ian who played for Hampshire in 1996 before turning to rugby.
In 1892 the first Bombay Presidency match started at the Gymkhana Ground, Bombay between the Parsees (led by Dr. M.E. Pavri) and the Europeans (led by E.E. Steel). The two-day match – known as the 'fire-engine match' because the fire brigade had to be called to drain the rainwater from the ground – ended in a draw. This is considered the first first-class match in India. Between 1886 and 1891 the Parsees used to have an annual fixture with the Bombay and the Poona gymkhanas. Since the matches were becoming too one-sided (in favour of the Parsees) Lord Harris suggested that the Parsees be asked to play a combined team of Englishmen selected from the Bombay Presidency. Presidency matches were a popular affair and in 1907 when the Hindus joined, it became a triangular contest.
A day for brisk centuries: In 1920 Percy Fender scored the fastest authentic first-class century in terms of time spent at the crease: 35 minutes for Surrey v Northamptonshire at Northampton in 1920. (In 1975 Robin Hobbs, better known as a specialist leg-spinner, came close to matching Fender's record when he scored a century in 44 minutes for Essex against the Australians at Chelmsford.)
In 1924 playing against Middlesex at Bristol, Gloucestershire's slow left-armer Charlie Parker took his second hat-trick of the match. The fourth of only seven players to have achieved this feat, he also took 10 for 79 against Somerset on the same ground in 1921. His 3,278 first-class wickets put him third on the all-time list.
In 1963 Frank Worrell, the first black player to captain West Indies on a regular basis, led them to an eight-wicket victory at The Oval, which gave them the series 3-1. It was Worrell's final Test: within four years leukemia claimed him. West Indies and Australia now play for the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy.
In 1987 West Indian captain John Goddard who led the famous side of 1950 (Stollmeyer, Ramadhin, Valentine and the 'Three Ws') to a 3-1 victory after losing the first Test, died, aged 68. Goddard had less success in England when he was recalled as captain in 1957: West Indies lost 3-0 and he did not play Test cricket again.
In 2001 Australian Adam Gilchrist stumped Darren Gough off the bowling of Shane Warne to become the fastest to reach 100 Test dismissals on the fourth day of the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval. He did it in 22, one less than South African Mark Boucher who got there in 23.
In 2006, Sir Clyde Walcott died at the age of 80.
In 2007 Roy McLean, mercurial South African batsman of the 1950s, died aged 77.
27 AUGUST
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Birth of The Don. In 1908 Sir Donald George Bradman (1908-2001), was born at Cootamundra, New south Wales. His records are legend: 117 first-class centuries, 12 Test double centuries, two Test triple hundreds, 6,996 Test runs at an astounding average of 99.94. Easily, the greatest batsman the game has seen or probably will ever see. In 1996 the Bradman Museum located on Glebe Park adjacent to the Bradman Oval, Bowral was opened by John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia, on Sir Donald's 88th birthday. A commemorative gateway was built to honour Sir Donald Bradman on his 90th birthday just near the gateway that the original clubhouse for the Bowral Cricket Club stood.
Also born on this day were: Wayne James (1965-), Zimbabwe Test wicket-keeper who made a world record 13 dismissals for Matabeleland against Mashonaland CD at Bulawayo in 1995-96, also scoring 99 and 99 not out in the same match; Mark Ealham (1969-), English all-rounder who took 5 for 15 against Zimbabwe at Kimberley in 1999-2000, which remained the best figures for England in one-day internationals for more than five years (all five of his victims were lbw, a ODI record for any country); Andy Bichel (1970-), Australian pace bowler; and Mohammad Yousuf (earlier Yousuf Youhana) (1974-), Pakistani Test batsman who was one of the few Christians to play for Pakistan.
In 1973 in his last Test at Lord's, Gary Sobers held his sixth catch in the match, equalling what was a Test record for a non-wicket-keeper. A great close fielder close to the stumps, he held 109 catches in his 93 Tests, to go with his 8,032 runs and 235 wickets. In that 1973 Lord's Test, he also made the last of his Test centuries. West Indies won by the huge margin of an innings and 226 runs to take the series 2-0.
In 1979 South African all-rounder Mike Procter (Gloucestershire) equalled a world record that still stands by hitting six consecutive sixes, spread over two overs. Batting against Somerset at Taunton he hit two off the last two balls of a Dennis Breakwell over, then after a maiden at the other end, hit four more in Breakwell's next over.
In 2005 England's women beat Australia in a Test series for the first time since 1963.
28 AUGUST
Born on this day were: (Arthur) Lindsay Hassett (1913-93), attacking Australian batsman and captain who was one of the smallest men ever to play for Australia (He succeeded Bradman as captain and was hugely popular in England. A practical joker, he once tethered a goat to Bradman's bed); and Ravindu Shah (1972-), Kenyan batsman.
In 1914 Alonzo Drake (Yorkshire) bowled unchanged throughout both innings against Somerset at Weston-super-Mare. In the second innings he dismissed all ten batsmen in 8.5 overs, finishing with figures of 10 for 35.
In 1929 Frank Woolley (Kent) scored his 100th first-class century (176) against Middlesex at Lord's, becoming the sixth man to reach that milestone. He finished his career with 145 centuries and scored a total of 58,969 first-class runs, second on the all-time list. He was also one of the greatest fielders of all time, and the only non-wicket-keeper to take 1,000 catches.
In 1956 Australia finished the fifth Test at The Oval on 27 for 5, relieved to cling on for a draw but leaving the Ashes in England. Jim Laker took the last wicket, his 46th in the five matches, a record for a series in England. Nineteen of them were taken in the previous match, the famous fourth Test at Old Trafford and he was second only to Sydney Barnes' world record of 49. No. play was possible on the fourth day and England won the series 2-1.
In 1967 Pakistan were sliding to an innings defeat when Intikhab Alam joined Asif Iqbal in the third Test at The Oval. Together they put on 190 for the ninth wicket, a Test record that lasted until 1997-98. Intikhab's 51 was an ideal foil for Asif's 146 off 244 balls. Pakistan lost the Test by eight wickets.
In 1992 Muttiah Muralitharan made his Test debut against Australia at Colombo. The extravagant turn he get from his loose-jointed arm brought him the astounding figures of 7 for 155 and 9 for 65 in Sri Lanka's big win at The Oval in 1998. He is also the only bowler in Test history to take a nine-wicket haul in two different Test matches. His double-jointed wrist and a bowling arm, which he cannot extend fully, have raised accusations of throwing over the years. He is now the second highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.
In 1995 this was the last day of one of the most amazing County Championship matches of all time. Nottinghamshire made 527 in their first innings at Northampton (Tim Robinson 209, Greame Archer 158) – only for Northamptonshire to reply with a colossal 781 for 7 declared, the highest total in their history and the highest ever against Nottinghamshire. Anil Kumble then took 5 for 43 as Notts made only 157 in their second innings. Their 527 is the highest score by a team losing a first-class match by an innings.
29 AUGUST
in 1882 Australia beat England for the first time at The Oval. Set only 85 to win at The Oval, England were 51 for 2 before W.G. Grace was out. After that Fred Spofforth bowled Australia to an amazing win by seven runs taking 7 for 46 and 7 for 44, and a mock obituary of English cricket appeared in the Sporting Times. This match is called an 'In Memoriam' announcement lamenting the death of English cricket (N.B. – The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia). Accounts vary, but the 'body' was in fact a bail (or two, or a stumps) which had been burned by 'certain ladies.' The ashes were placed in a tiny, goblet-shaped urn only four inches high and the urn was presented to the Hon. Ivo Bligh (later Lord Darnley). In his will, Lord Darnley bequeathed the urn to the MCC. Nowadays, the urn itself is side that last won a Test series between the two countries is said to hold The Ashes. In the event of a tied series, the holding country retains The Ashes.
Birth of the man who bowled the first ball in a Test and death of the man who took the first wicket: In 1842 Alfred Shaw (1842-1907), English medium-pacer who bowled the first ball in a Test match, at Melbourne in 1876-77 was born (His second ball was hit by Charles Bannerman for the first run in Test cricket); and in 1910 Allen Hill, who was the first English bowler to take a wicket in a Test match, bowling Nat Thomson for a single in the inaugural Test, died, aged 66.
In 1906 Yorkshire's George Hirst hit 111 and 117 not out and took 6 for 70 and 5 for 45 against Somerset at bath – arguably the best display of all-round cricket ever seen. At the end of the season, he scored 2,000 runs and took 200 wickets – an as yet ummatched feat.
In 1977 Malcolm Nash (Glamorgan), the bowler when Gary Sobers hit 36 runs in an over, was savaged by Frank Hayes (Lancashire_ who hit 34 runs (6,4,6,6,6,6) and raced to his second fifty of his 119 in 20 minutes. Poor Nash is the only bowler to concede 36 and 34 runs off separate overs.
In 1985 Graham Gooch (196) and his captain David Gower (157) completed a stand of 351 against Australia. England's innings win put the seal on a 3-1 win by England to regain the Ashes. Those two centuries were the last for England in an Ashes Test at The Oval until Mark Ramprakash in 2001.
In 2003 Alok Kapali of Bangladesh took the first Test hat-trick for his country (and the 32nd overall) against Pakistan in the second Test at Peshawar. Kapali had Shabbir Ahmad caught and then trapped Danish Kaneria lbw with his last ball. He then had last man Umar Gul lbw with the first ball of his next over.
30 AUGUST
In 1926 Jack Hobbs completed his highest individual score – 316 not out for Surrey against Middlesex at Lord's, the highest in a first-class match at Lord's until Graham Gooch hit 333 against India in 1990. Surrey declared at 579 for 5 and won by an innings. Hobbs is the only batsman to score 60,000 first-class runs. 'It is said that whenever he reached 100, he felt his job as an opener was done. Really big hundreds did not interest him.
In 1949 Worcester's England leg-spinner Roley Jenkins performed his second hat-trick of the match – against Surrey at Worcester, one of only seven bowlers to do the hat-trick twice in the same first-class match.
In 1979 on the first day of the Oval Test against India, Ian Botham scored his 1,000th run in Tests to go with his 100 wickets. It was his 21st Test, making him the fastest to do the double, breaking the record of India's Vinoo Mankad, who got there in his 23rd Test. Botham went on to become the second of only two players (Gary Sobers was the other) to do the Test treble of 1,000 runs, 100 wickets and 100 catches.
In 2001 Pakistan made 546 for 3 declared against Bangladesh in the first Test of the Asian Test Championship at Multan. Five batsmen made centuries: Saeed Anwar (101), Taufeeq Umar (104), Inzamam-ul-Haq (105 retired hurt), Yousuf Youhana (102 not out) and Abdul Razzaq 110 not out. Pakistan won the next day by an innings and 264 runs.
31 AUGUST
Born on this day were: Clive Lloyd (1944-), West Indian batsman and captain who was the first West Indian to play 100 Tests and led the West Indies to two consecutive World Cup victories; Javagal Srinath (1969-), Indian fast bowler who was the spearhead of the Indian pace attack after Kapil Dev and who took 236 Test wickets and claimed 315 ODI victims in a career lasting 13 years; and Willie Watson (1965-), New Zealand pace bowler.
In 1769 the first stroke-by-stroke account of a cricket match was recorded when the Duke of Dorset's XI played Wrotham. The scorecard included the first known century, 107 by John Minshull.
In 1888 England beat Australia by an innings and 21 runs at Old Trafford at 1.55 p.m. on this the second day of the third Test. This remains the shortest Test match in which there was a result.
In 1968 Gary Sobers while playing for Nottinghamshire hit Malcolm Nash of Glamorgan for six sixes in one over, becoming the first man to score 36 runs in a first class over. Ravi Shastri repeated the feat for Bombay against Baroda in a Ranji Trophy match. ('I suppose I can gain some consolation from the fact that my name will be permanently in the record books' – Malcolm Nash.)
In 1981 Ian Botham took his 200th Test wicket – against Australia at The Oval. He was the youngest man to do so, and in the shortest time and in the fewest number of balls (9,672).
Two debuts tons (for the same score) today: In 1981 Dirk Wellham scored 103 in the second innings against England at The Oval. (Wellham was the only man to captain three Australian states – New South Wales, Tasmania and Queensland.) In 2001 Thilan Samaraweera of Sri Lanka made an unbeaten 103 in the third Test against India at Colombo.
In 1998 Muttiah Muralitharan took 16 for 220 in the one-off Test against England at The Oval. Sri Lanka thrashed England by ten wickets to register their Test win in England. This is the fifth best Test analysis ever.
