November 2 down the years
Beloved Vic
Birth of Victor Trumper
Victor Trumper: graceful and reliable • Getty Images
1877
Birth of the best Australian batter before Bradman. With his natural hand-eye co-ordination Victor Trumper was elegance personified. He was no fair-weather performer - his best innings came when the chips were down: 104 on an Old Trafford sticky in 1902, 74 (out of 122) against England in Melbourne in 1903-04, and 159 on the same ground to set up a famous victory over South Africa seven years later. It was this as much as mere statistics (he averaged 39 from 48 Tests) that signified Trumper's genius. He was very popular too, and when he died of Bright's Disease at the age of 37, 250,000 attended his funeral.
Birth of the best Australian batter before Bradman. With his natural hand-eye co-ordination Victor Trumper was elegance personified. He was no fair-weather performer - his best innings came when the chips were down: 104 on an Old Trafford sticky in 1902, 74 (out of 122) against England in Melbourne in 1903-04, and 159 on the same ground to set up a famous victory over South Africa seven years later. It was this as much as mere statistics (he averaged 39 from 48 Tests) that signified Trumper's genius. He was very popular too, and when he died of Bright's Disease at the age of 37, 250,000 attended his funeral.
1981
Left-arm quick bowler Mitchell Johnson, born today, was picked out by Dennis Lilllee for greatness when he was just 17. Known for his fearsome pace, he became only the fourth Australian left-arm quick bowler to go past 100 Test wickets. It was in the 2013-14 Ashes in Australia that Johnson booked a place for himself in the pantheon of frighteningly fast bowlers. Australia whitewashed England, but the series was really won and lost in the second Test, in Adelaide, when Johnson took 5 for 16 in five overs after lunch to leave England in a state of bewilderment. He finished the series with 37 wickets at 13.97. He carried that form to South Africa that season, taking 12 wickets in Centurion and finishing the three-Test series with 22 wickets. Johnson retired in 2015.
Left-arm quick bowler Mitchell Johnson, born today, was picked out by Dennis Lilllee for greatness when he was just 17. Known for his fearsome pace, he became only the fourth Australian left-arm quick bowler to go past 100 Test wickets. It was in the 2013-14 Ashes in Australia that Johnson booked a place for himself in the pantheon of frighteningly fast bowlers. Australia whitewashed England, but the series was really won and lost in the second Test, in Adelaide, when Johnson took 5 for 16 in five overs after lunch to leave England in a state of bewilderment. He finished the series with 37 wickets at 13.97. He carried that form to South Africa that season, taking 12 wickets in Centurion and finishing the three-Test series with 22 wickets. Johnson retired in 2015.
2013
Rohit Sharma's violent 209 in Bangalore led India to a home series win over Australia in a seven-match ODI series that saw a staggering 3596 runs scored in 11 innings. Rohit's was the third double-century by an Indian in ODIs, after Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. Australia were set an improbable 384 but they gave the hosts a scare when James Faulkner, at No. 7, smashed a 73-ball 116. It was at the time the fastest hundred by an Australian. They finished with 326. One stat in the final match told the story of the whole series: both teams combined to smash 38 sixes, a new record.
Rohit Sharma's violent 209 in Bangalore led India to a home series win over Australia in a seven-match ODI series that saw a staggering 3596 runs scored in 11 innings. Rohit's was the third double-century by an Indian in ODIs, after Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. Australia were set an improbable 384 but they gave the hosts a scare when James Faulkner, at No. 7, smashed a 73-ball 116. It was at the time the fastest hundred by an Australian. They finished with 326. One stat in the final match told the story of the whole series: both teams combined to smash 38 sixes, a new record.
1908
Fred Bakewell, born today, had an astonishing crouched stance, with his hands at either end of the bat handle, as if he was about to chop a tree down. The Wisden Almanack obituary described it as "one of the most two-eyed ever seen, with the right shoulder so far round that it seemed almost to be facing mid-on". But for all that, Bakewell could play every shot in the book, and in only his third Test he took a fine hundred off West Indies at The Oval. He played only three more Tests, however. Fresh from a chanceless unbeaten 241 that almost led Northants to a shock victory over the eventual champions Derbyshire in 1936, he was involved in a serious car crash and never played first-class cricket again. Bakewell was only 27 at the time. He died in Dorset in 1983.
Fred Bakewell, born today, had an astonishing crouched stance, with his hands at either end of the bat handle, as if he was about to chop a tree down. The Wisden Almanack obituary described it as "one of the most two-eyed ever seen, with the right shoulder so far round that it seemed almost to be facing mid-on". But for all that, Bakewell could play every shot in the book, and in only his third Test he took a fine hundred off West Indies at The Oval. He played only three more Tests, however. Fresh from a chanceless unbeaten 241 that almost led Northants to a shock victory over the eventual champions Derbyshire in 1936, he was involved in a serious car crash and never played first-class cricket again. Bakewell was only 27 at the time. He died in Dorset in 1983.
1928
Birth of Gerry Alexander, an aggressive batter and very fine keeper who played 25 Tests for West Indies, 18 as captain, between 1957 and 1961. Alexander got off to a slow start at the top level, saving his best for last - the classic 1960-61 series in Australia, when he was free of the constraints of captaincy. In 20 Tests before the series Alexander had only made two half-centuries, but here he made one in each of the five Tests. And in the third Test, in Sydney, he went all the way, posting his only Test century to set up a crushing victory. He topped West Indies' averages in that series with 484 runs at 60.50. Alexander was a Cambridge Blue in 1952 and '53; he was also a handy footballer who played for the England amateur team and won an Amateur Cup winners' medal.
Birth of Gerry Alexander, an aggressive batter and very fine keeper who played 25 Tests for West Indies, 18 as captain, between 1957 and 1961. Alexander got off to a slow start at the top level, saving his best for last - the classic 1960-61 series in Australia, when he was free of the constraints of captaincy. In 20 Tests before the series Alexander had only made two half-centuries, but here he made one in each of the five Tests. And in the third Test, in Sydney, he went all the way, posting his only Test century to set up a crushing victory. He topped West Indies' averages in that series with 484 runs at 60.50. Alexander was a Cambridge Blue in 1952 and '53; he was also a handy footballer who played for the England amateur team and won an Amateur Cup winners' medal.
1997
An extraordinary match in the Wills Golden Jubilee tournament in Lahore ended with South Africa beating Pakistan by nine runs. Given that South Africa lost their third wicket at 192 and Pakistan theirs at 0, it was a remarkably tight affair. Wasim Akram took three wickets in an over to keep South Africa to 271, but when Shaun Pollock repeated the trick in his first over, six wickets had gone down for two runs in 12 balls. Pollock soon reduced Pakistan to 9 for 4 and the game looked over, but Inzamam-ul-Haq cracked 85 in a fifth-wicket partnership of 133 with Moin Khan. Azhar Mahmood then hammered an unbeaten 59 off 43 balls, but it was not quite enough to pull off a glorious victory.
An extraordinary match in the Wills Golden Jubilee tournament in Lahore ended with South Africa beating Pakistan by nine runs. Given that South Africa lost their third wicket at 192 and Pakistan theirs at 0, it was a remarkably tight affair. Wasim Akram took three wickets in an over to keep South Africa to 271, but when Shaun Pollock repeated the trick in his first over, six wickets had gone down for two runs in 12 balls. Pollock soon reduced Pakistan to 9 for 4 and the game looked over, but Inzamam-ul-Haq cracked 85 in a fifth-wicket partnership of 133 with Moin Khan. Azhar Mahmood then hammered an unbeaten 59 off 43 balls, but it was not quite enough to pull off a glorious victory.
1978
Birth of one of a rare South African species. Left-arm spinner Paul Harris got to make his Test debut only at 28, after the retirement of Nicky Boje, against India in Cape Town in 2007, and promptly took four wickets in the first innings and pushed the Indians on to the back foot. He was named one of South Africa's Players of the Year in 2007 after he took 12 wickets in Pakistan. But his average crept upwards over the next two years as he struggled to keep up with the early performances. With legspinner Imran Tahir turning eligible to play for South Africa in January 2011, Harris' place in the side was no longer assured. He announced his retirement in January 2013.
Birth of one of a rare South African species. Left-arm spinner Paul Harris got to make his Test debut only at 28, after the retirement of Nicky Boje, against India in Cape Town in 2007, and promptly took four wickets in the first innings and pushed the Indians on to the back foot. He was named one of South Africa's Players of the Year in 2007 after he took 12 wickets in Pakistan. But his average crept upwards over the next two years as he struggled to keep up with the early performances. With legspinner Imran Tahir turning eligible to play for South Africa in January 2011, Harris' place in the side was no longer assured. He announced his retirement in January 2013.
1993
Pakistan registered a two-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Sharjah in a match in which one great talent announced himself and another bid farewell to the international scene. The brilliant legspinner Abdul Qadir bowed out with 368 wickets for his country. He didn't take a wicket here, but he did influence proceedings with a big six to help Pakistan to victory. On the other side Sanath Jayasuriya gave the first hint of the fireworks he would produce in one-day cricket. Two days earlier he had made his first one-day fifty (in his 40th match) and here he flashed another off only 27 balls, a Sri Lankan record until he himself shattered it in 1995-96.
Pakistan registered a two-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Sharjah in a match in which one great talent announced himself and another bid farewell to the international scene. The brilliant legspinner Abdul Qadir bowed out with 368 wickets for his country. He didn't take a wicket here, but he did influence proceedings with a big six to help Pakistan to victory. On the other side Sanath Jayasuriya gave the first hint of the fireworks he would produce in one-day cricket. Two days earlier he had made his first one-day fifty (in his 40th match) and here he flashed another off only 27 balls, a Sri Lankan record until he himself shattered it in 1995-96.
1990
He only made 17 with the bat, but Saleem Malik swung the first one-day international against New Zealand in Lahore Pakistan's way with a spell of 5 for 35, ripping out the lower middle order as, time after time, batters came down the track and missed - three of the five were stumped by Salim Yousuf, the first time this happened in a one-dayer. But it was a middle order only in name: with Dipak Patel at No. 5, Chris Pringle at 8 and Danny Morrison getting a real nosebleed at 9, New Zealand's was the longest of tails.
He only made 17 with the bat, but Saleem Malik swung the first one-day international against New Zealand in Lahore Pakistan's way with a spell of 5 for 35, ripping out the lower middle order as, time after time, batters came down the track and missed - three of the five were stumped by Salim Yousuf, the first time this happened in a one-dayer. But it was a middle order only in name: with Dipak Patel at No. 5, Chris Pringle at 8 and Danny Morrison getting a real nosebleed at 9, New Zealand's was the longest of tails.
2014
A thrilling Duleep Trophy final in Delhi. Despite conceding a first-innings lead of 103, Central Zone beat South Zone by nine runs. On the final day South needed only 117 with nine wickets in hand, and though fast bowler Pankaj Singh took two wickets in an over early, South remained favourites. Until the Central spinners - Ali Murtuza, Jalaj Saxena and Piyush Chawla - took over, aided in their efforts by some panicky batting. The last seven wickets fell for 39 runs. It was the first Duleep title for Central Zone in ten seasons.
A thrilling Duleep Trophy final in Delhi. Despite conceding a first-innings lead of 103, Central Zone beat South Zone by nine runs. On the final day South needed only 117 with nine wickets in hand, and though fast bowler Pankaj Singh took two wickets in an over early, South remained favourites. Until the Central spinners - Ali Murtuza, Jalaj Saxena and Piyush Chawla - took over, aided in their efforts by some panicky batting. The last seven wickets fell for 39 runs. It was the first Duleep title for Central Zone in ten seasons.
Other birthdays
1865 Frederick Burton (Australia)
1891 Harry Elliott (England)
1935 Mohammad Munaf (Pakistan)
1950 Robert Callender (Canada)
1964 Robert Haynes (West Indies)
1967 Nikki Squire (Ireland)
1981 Irfan Fazil (Pakistan)
1865 Frederick Burton (Australia)
1891 Harry Elliott (England)
1935 Mohammad Munaf (Pakistan)
1950 Robert Callender (Canada)
1964 Robert Haynes (West Indies)
1967 Nikki Squire (Ireland)
1981 Irfan Fazil (Pakistan)