Third week of October

13 OCTOBER

Born on this day were: 

B.J.T. Bosanquet (1877-1936), English bowler credited with inventing the googly sometimes also called ‘Bosie’ in his memory (Legend has it that the first googly he bowled in Australia, in 1903-04, took out Victor Trumper’s middle stumps, and that opposing captains would sometimes complain that it was an unfair tactic); 

John Snow (1941-), English fast bowler who played 49 Tests and published two books on poetry; 

Fanie De Villlers (1964-), South African pace bowler (1993-98); 

Hitesh Modi (1971-), Kenyan left-handed batsman.

In 1976 Pakistan beat New Zealand by six wickets in the first Test at Lahore. Javed Miandad added 25 not out to his first-innings 163 in the first match of a remarkable career. Miandad was only the second batsman (Herbert Sutcliffe was the first) whose Test average never dropped below 50. He finished with 8,832 runs at an average of 52.57.

In 1982 Rohan Kanhai established a West Indian record of playing first-class cricket for 26 years and 50 days when he took the field for an International XI in Pakistan.

In 1987 Vivian Richards scored 181 from only 125 balls in a World Cup match against Sri Lanka in Karachi. His last 81 runs came off 27 deliveries and the West Indies made 360 for 4, the highest ODI total at the time. Sri Lanka lost by 191 runs with only four wickets down. Asantha de Mel’s for 97 is the most expensive ten-over spell in ODI history.

In 1999 Curtly Ambrose recorded figures of 10-5-5-1 against Sri Lanka in the Coca-Cola Champions Trophy at Sharjah: the second most economical spell in ODI history. However West Indies almost made a mess of things chasing a small target of 179.

14 OCTOBER

Born n this day were: 

C.W.L. ‘Charlie’ Parker (1882-1959), English slow left-armer whose 3,278 wickets for Gloucestershire make him the third greatest wicket-taker of all-time with only Wilfred Rhodes and Tich Freeman having taken more in first-class cricket (He played in only one Test and later became an umpire); 

Roland Butcher (1953-), the first black man to play for England who made his Test debut in his native Barbados but could make only 71 runs in his three Tests; 

Rashid Latif (1968-), Pakistani wicket-keeper and captain, who was also one of match-fixing’s chief whistle-blowers
 
Gautam Gambhir (1981-) Indian opener.

In 1989 the fourth ODI hat-trick. West Indies looked to be cruising to victory over Pakistan at Sharjah when wasim Akram clean bowled Jeff Dujon, Malcolm Marshall and Curtly Ambrose with consecutive deliveries. Pakistan eventually squeezed home by 11 runs.

In 1999 New Zealand held on for an exciting draw in the first Test against India at Mohali. They survived 135 overs to compile 251 for 7 on a turning pitch. A Kiwi victory seemed a foregone conclusion when they bundled out India for 83 (Dion nash 6 for 27) on the first morning. But India struck back in the second innings with Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar both making hundreds in a score of 505 for 3 declared. New Zealand needing 374 for a win were happy to draw.

15 OCTOBER

Born on this day were: 

Sir P(elham) G(renville) Wodehouse (1881-1975), English-born comic novelist, short-story writer, lyricist, and playwright, best known as the creator of ‘Jeeves’ (‘Jeeves’ it is believed was named after Percy Jeeves, a fast bowler who played for Warwickshire in 1913-14. Wodehouse was a member of the Dulwich College XI, a godfather to Mike Griffth who captained Sussex between 1968 and 1972, and also a vice-president of the Hollywood Cricket Club); 

Xenophon Balaskas (1910-94), South African leg-spinner who is the only player of Greek extraction to play Test cricket (one Test for South Africa); 

Gul Mohammad (1921-92), left-handed batsman who played eight Tests for India and one for Pakistan and who is more famous for his 577 run stand for Baroda against Holkar in 1946-47 (in which he scored his career best 319) with Vijay Hazare; 

George Stephen ‘Steve’ Camacho (1945-), West Indian Test opener and a pioneer in West Indies cricket administration.

In 1964 India registered only their second Test victory over Australia at the Barbourne Stadium, Bombay. It was a result that looked unlikely when they were 122 for 6 in their second innings, with 132 still needed, but the nawab of Pataudi Jr. Vijay Manjrekar and chandu Borde, saw them to a two-wicket win.

In 1989 Alec Stewart and Angus Fraser made their ODI debuts in the opening match of the Nehru Cup at Delhi. In the same match Wayne Larkins set a ODI record by reappearing 9 years 267 days and 110 matches after his last appearance, against West Indies at Sydney in 1970-80.

In 1999 a tie in the day-night ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at Sharjah took place after a remarkable collapse from the Lankans. When Romesh Kaluwitharana and Russel Arnold took them to 157 for 1 they needed only 40 off 15 overs, but Abdul Razzaq’s spell at the death 4 for 0 in 8 balls sealed Sri Lanka’s fate. Sri Lanka lost their last eight wickets for 23 runs in nine overs.

In 2000 New Zealand beat India by four wickets at Nairobi in the final of the ICC Knock-Out Trophy, their first ever victory in a ODI competition. The hero was Chris Cairns who hit a brilliant unbeaten 102 as the Kiwis reached their target of 265 with two balls to spare. In the same match Sachin Tendulkar became the highest run-getter in ODI cricket (9,379 runs) during his innings of 69.

16 OCTOBER

Born on this day were: 

Jimmy Sinclair (1876-1913), South African all-rounder who scored South Africa’s first three Test hundreds; 

Major General J(oginder) S(ingh) Rao (1938-96), Indian army officer who played for Services (right-arm medium pace bowler) whose record of three hat-tricks in his first two first-class matches, including two hat-tricks in one innings (against Northren Punjab at Amritsar), in the same afternoon may never be broken (He was injured in a parachuting accident and became a paraplegic. A proficient golfer he redesigned the Army Golf Course in New Delhi); 

Robert Michael Henry ‘Bob’ Cottam (1944-), English seamer who played four Tests but was better known as England’s specialist bowling coach until he was replaced by Graham Dilley after the 2001 Ashes defeat; 

Jacques Kallis (1975-), outstanding South African all-rounder 

Sadagoppan Ramesh (1975-), Indian opening batsman.

In 1952 Pakistan became the seventh Test-playing nation when they played India at Delhi. Like most before them, they were thrashed in their inaugural match by an innings and 70 runs, with Hemu Adhikari and Ghulam Ahmed adding an Indian-record 109 for the last wicket. Then Vinoo Mankad got to work. His innings (8 for 52) and match (13 for 131) figures remain the best in Tests at Delhi, and a record in matches between these sides.

In 1978 Kapil Dev made his Test debut at Faisalabad. He did not make the most auspicious start – 1 for 96 and eight runs in the match. It was also the first Test at this venue providing Test cricket with its 49th ground. Kapil finished with 5,248 runs and took 434 wickets, a world record until Courtney Walsh usurped him. The game ended in a draw with big hundreds for Zahher Abbas, Javed Miandad and Gundappa Viswanath, It was the 13th consecutive draw between the sides. Abbas became the first Pakistani to score a century in his first innings against India, and Viswanath became the second Indian after R.H. ‘Deepak’ Shodhan to achieve the same feat.

In 1987 Courtney Walsh’s sporting gesture cost West Indies the World Cup match against Pakistan at Lahore, when he did not run out Salim Jaffer off the first ball of the last over. West Indies lost by one wicket but Walsh was awarded a special medal for his sportsmanship. Stuart Law of Australia benefited in like fashion when he too was spared by Walsh in a World Cup match at Jaipur in 1996.

In 1995 Brian Lara made his highest ODI score, 169 off 129 balls with 15 fours and four sixes against Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy match at Sharjah. But Sri Lanka almost won, despite a seemingly impossible target of 334. Hashan Tillekeratne hit an even 100 to lead a recovery from 109 for 5, but when he was last out, in the final over, Sri Lanka were an agonizing five runs short of victory. This was the highest losing run-chase before Pakistan – who also lost by five runs – made 344 in a losing cause against India in March 2004.

In 1995 Allan Donald took 8 for 71 in the second innings as South Africa beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the one-off Test at Harare. This was the first Test between the two countries and it was South Africa’s fifth consecutive Test win, a winning streak which they equaled when they whitewashed West Indies in 1998-99.

In 1998 Mark Taylor made 334 not out on this the second day of the second Test against Pakistan at Peshawar. He batted for exactly 12 hours and 564 balls, hitting 32 fours and a six. His triple century was the seventh highest score at the time and the fifth by an Australian and the 15th overall. His declaration at the end of the day sacrificing a chance at Lara’s record was grist for the rumour mill and it was said that he had refused to pass Bradman’s record out of respect for the legend player. The truth was more prosaic: he thought that 599 was enough and he tried for a win by giving his bowlers a chance from the start of the third day. His hopes were belied with Pakistan holding out for a draw.

In 2003 Yuvraj Singh of India became the ninth Indian to follow in his father’s footsteps when he made his debut in the second Test against New Zealand at Mohali. His father Yograj Singh had played only one Test against New Zealand at Wellington in 1981.

17 OCTOBER

Born on this day were: 

Martin Donnelly (1917-99), New Zealand batsman best remembered for his 206 in the second Test against England at Lord’s in 1949 in which he completed the treble (which only he and Percy Chapman, another left-hander, have completed) of also making Lord’s hundreds for Gentlemen against Players and Oxford against Cambridge; 

Aravinda de Silva (1965-), Sri Lankan batsman who was one of the most charming batsmen in world cricket; 

Anil Kumble, (1970-) who will forever be remembered for his 10 for 74 against Pakistan at Delhi in 1998-99, in which he became only the second person after Jim Laker, to take all ten wickets in a Test innings.

In 1955 Pakistan beat New Zealand at Karachi by an innings and one run in the first ever Test between the two countries. Off-spinner Zulfiqar Ahmed’s figures of 83.5-40-79-11 set up the victory but the performance of Pakistan’s lower order, who turned 144 for 6 (a deficit of 20) into 289 (a lead of 125), proved crucial.

In 1984 Sunil Gavaskar became the first Indian and the fourth player (after Colin Cowdrey, Geoff Boycott and Clive Lloyd) to play in 100 Tests matches when he took the field against Pakistan in the first Test at Lahore. It was Chetan Sharma’s debut Test and he claimed Majid khan with the fifth ball of his first over to become the third Indian to take a wicket in his first over. Two years later in 1986 Sunil Gavaskar scored his 33rd century on this day in the third Test against Australia at Bombay during which he also completed 1,500 runs against the Aussies. In the same match Dilip Vengsarkar during his 164 completed 1,000 runs against them and shared an Indian sixth-wicket record partnership of 298 with Ravi Shastri. Shastri in his knock of 121 became the first Indian to hit six sixes in a Test innings.

In 1991 West Indian Jeffery Dujon playing his 166th match became the first wicket-keeper to glove his 200th dismissal in ODI – in the Wills Trophy match against Pakistan at Sharjah.

This day in 1994 was Kapil Dev’s last day in international cricket. He played in the first ODI against the West Indies in Faridabad, a match which the West Indies won and which saw the debut of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Cameron Cuffy and Stuart Williams.

In 1999 Australia’s record-breaking run of 16 consecutive Tests started with a ten-wicket win over Zimbabwe in a one-off Test at Harare. Steve Waugh made an unbeaten 151, which was his 20th Test hundred. The match was also the last of Ian Healy’s career. He ended with a record number of Test dismissals (395) which included 366 catches.

18 OCTOBER

Born on this day were: 

‘Billy’ Murdoch (1854-1911), Australian batsman and captain who was Test cricket’s first double-centurion; 

Leonard Charles ‘Len’ Braund (1875-1955), English all-rounder who represented Surrey and Somerset and played in 23 Tests for England (1902-08), and who was also an umpire for 16 years; 

Ramesh ‘Buck’ Divecha (1927-2003), Indian medium pacer who played only five Tests for India but played with distinction for Mumbai for many years (He was an Oxford blue and also played for Northamptonshire, Madhya Pradesh and Saurashtra); 

Roshan Harshadlal ‘Deepak’ Shodhan (1928-), Indian left-handed batsman whose 110 on Test debut against Pakistan at Calcutta in 1952-53 made him the first Indian player to score a hundred in the first innings of his first Test; 

Roy Dias (1952-), Sri Lankan batsman who averaged 36.71 from his 20 Tests; 

Gladstone Small (1961-), English pace bowler who took 55 wickets in 17 Tests and has in no way been hampered by the lack of any neck between head and shoulders (He was once fined $ 50 for wearing an advertisement on his bottom)' 

Narendra Hirwani (1968-), Indian leg-spinner famous for his 16 for 136 on Test match debut – the most successful debut of all time; 

Stuart Law (1968-), Australian batsman whose only Test was against Sri Lanka at Perth in 1995-96; 

Reetinder Singh Sodhi (1980-), Indian all-rounder who led India to victory in the under-15 World Cup in 1996.

In 1978 Frank Edward Woolley one of the most elegant left-handed all-rounders of all time died, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 91. In a first-class career extending from 1906 to 1938 he hit 58,969 runs – a total exceeded only Sir Jack Hobbs – including 145 centuries, to average 40.75. He took 2,068 wickets at 19.85 runs each, and his 1,015 catches, mainly at slip, are still a record.

In 1983 Vijay Manjrekar died in Madras, aged 52. He played 55 Tests for India , scoring 3,208 runs at an average of 39.12. He is considered one of the best middle-order batsmen to ever play for India. As a 20-year-old, he scored a century in England in 1952, in a series in which debutante Fred Trueman overwhelmed India. He scored a century in his last Test innings against New Zealand but was dropped after his Test, apparently for poor fielding never playing for India again. His son Sanjay also played successfully for India and is now a popular TV commentator and columnist.

In 1992 Zimbabwe played its first ever Test – against India at Harare. They made 456 in 214.2 overs with Dave Houghton (121) stroking Zimbabwe’s first century. The Indians replied with 307 in 169.4 overs. Sanjay Manjrekar’s century, which took 500 minutes and 397 balls, was the fourth slowest in Test history. For Zimbawe, John Traicos returned to Test cricket a record 22 years and 222 days after the last of his three appearances for South Africa. He had Sachin Tendulkar caught and bowled third ball for 0. The Test was also unique insofar that three umpires officiated in the match. Neutral umpire Dickie Bird was assisted at the other end by two local umpires, K. Kanjee and I.D. Robinson, who stood on alternate days.

19 OCTOBER

Born on this day were: 

Harold William ‘Bill’ Ponsford (1900-91), pre-eminent Australian opener who was till April 2004 the only man to make two Quadruple centuries in first-class cricket and ranks as one of the most varacious in first-class cricket history; 

Harold Gimblett (1914-78), English batsman who scored more than 21,000 runs for Somerset but played for England only thrice;
 
Brian Booth (1933-), Australian middle-order batsman and captain who averaged 42 in 29 Tests (He also played hockey for Australia at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics); 

Robert ‘Bob’ Holland (1946-), Australian leg-spinner best remembered for his 10 for 144 at Sydney in 1984-85 handing West Indies their first defeat in 28 Tests (and a sad final bow for Clive Lloyd).

In 1982 Pakistan wrapped up a clean sweep with a nine-wicket victory in the third Test against Australia at Lahore – only the second whitewash Australia has suffered in the 20th century (the first was in South Africa in 1969-70). The Aussies did not manage to bowl Pakistan out even once. Like the first two, this victory too, was set up by the usual suspects: Javed Miandad (138) and Mohsin Khan (135) both made hundreds and Imran Khan had match figures of 8 for 80.

In 1986 Allan Border had the distinction of hitting Test cricket’s one millionth run on the last day of the third Test against India at Bombay. He achieved this in his score of 66 not out, during his partnership with Dean Jones.

In 1998 Australia drew the second Test at Peshawar. The match was notable for Mark Taylor’s unbeaten 334 – he declared on himself at the end of the second day – which equaled the highest Test score by an Australian, made by Don Bradman at Headingley in 1930. Taylor made 92 on this the final day to become only the second man to score 400 runs in a Test, after Graham Gooch, who made 333 and 123 for an aggregate of 456 against India at Lord’s in 1990. Taylor also became the fourth Australian to pass 7,000 runs in Test cricket.