All Today’s Yesterdays – September 29 down the years September 28 | September 30 1934 The birth of the first spinner to take 300 Test wickets
Wisden CricInfo staff29-Sep-2003All Today’s Yesterdays – September 29 down the years
September 28 | September 30
1934
The birth of the first spinner to take 300 Test wickets. With his lissomfigure and unusually long fingers, Lance Gibbs allied pronounced spinand bounce to a fierce accuracy. He took 309 wickets in 79 Tests -including 18 five-fors – all the while conceding his runs at astaggering 1.99 per over. Brave and indefatigable, his best spell camebetween 1960 and 1962. He was left out of the first two Tests inAustralia, but Gibbs took three wickets in four balls at Sydney and ahat-trick in the next Test at Adelaide. The following winter he returnedthe remarkable figures of 53.3-37-38-8 against India in Barbados, alleight wickets coming in a 15- over spell at a cost of just six runs. Itwas a performance he never bettered.
1941
The bank clerk who went to war was born on this day. That’s how David Steele was described when he was called up to make his Test debut at theage of 33 against Lillee and Thomson in 1975. Grey-haired andbespectacled, Steele stood up to all the Australians could throw at himand made 365 runs at 60.83. “Test cricket,” said the Wisden Almanack,”had not enjoyed such a romantic story for decades.” Steele became ahugely popular figure and was even voted BBC Sports Personality of theYear in 1975. It was also his benefit year, and Steele received a meatchop for every first-class run he scored from a local butcher. By theend of the summer, he had 1756 of them.
1957
Why did Chris Broad who was born today, play only 25 Tests? His averageof 39.55 is higher than those of Atherton, Gatting and Lamb but Broadnever got close to establishing himself as they did. An economical lefthander with an ungainly bottom-out stance, Broad came of age inAustralia when England last regained the Ashes in 1986-87. He madehundreds in three consecutive Tests and was made “International Playerof the Season” but disciplinary problems the following winter wouldultimately cost him dear. He refused to walk after being given out atLahore; two months later he smashed down his stumps in the BicentennialTest at Sydney. His poor fielding, abrasive character and persistentback problems did not help either. Despite six hundreds in his previous18 Tests, Broad was dropped during 1988 and played only twice morebefore joining Mike Gatting’s rebel tour to South Africa.
1983
Insomniacs the world over celebrated as Indian Aunshuman Gaekwadcompleted the slowest doublecentury in Tests, against Pakistan atJullundur. He took 652 minutes and 426 balls to reach his milestone – atthe time it was the slowest in firstclass cricket as well – as thesecond Test petered out into a draw.
1934
The chinaman bowler Lindsay Kline was born in Victoria. Herepresented Australia in just 13 Tests, nine of them overseas where hewas notably successful (31 wickets at 15.35). He took a hat-trick in hissecond Test, in Cape Town in 1957-58, but is best remembered for facingthe last ball of the first tied Test, against West Indies at Brisbane inthe classic 1960-61 series. He also denied West Indies for 100 minutesas Australia held on for a draw at Adelaide in the same series. It washis last act in Test cricket.
1995
A remarkable performance from Salim Elahi led Pakistan to a nine-wicketvictory over Sri Lanka in the first one-day international at Gujranwala.Only 19, Elahi stroked an unbeaten 102 on his ODI debut at a time whenhe had not even played a first-class match. And he reached three figuresin the grand manner with a straight six off Pramodya Wickramasinghe,thus becoming the fourth person, after Dennis Amiss, Des Haynes and AndyFlower, to score a hundred on his ODI debut.
1950
But for his namesake Deryck, the West Indian David Murray, whowas born today, would surely have played many more than 19 Tests. He wasa talented wicketkeeper and a capable batsman who made three Testfifties and a first-class double hundred, at Jamshedpur on the 1978-79tour of India. He took over from Deryck Murray – they were not related -in 1980-81 and was briefly No. 1. But he was banned from cricket in theWest Indies after playing in South Africa, and his last Test appearancecame at Sydney in 1981-82.
1997
At Bulawayo, the second Test between Zimbabwe and New Zealand ended in adraw, with the series ending 0-0. But this was no bore draw. Set 286 towin after a sporting declaration from Zimbabwean captain AlistairCampbell, New Zealand closed on 275 for 8, having looked set for victoryat 207 for 3. The match was notable for Guy Whittall’s unbeaten firstinnings 203 and legspinner Adam Huckle’s unlikely match figures of 11for 255.
Other birthdays
1930 Ramnath Kenny (India)