February 9 down the years
Ooh, aah, Glenn McGrath
One of the all-time great seamers is born
Glenn McGrath: always probing the corridor of uncertainty • Getty Images
1970
A metronome/nemesis is born. Describing Glenn McGrath in such terms has become a bit of a cliché, but there's a reason for that: no bowler has probed the corridor of uncertainty so inexorably, and no bowler has had such a remorseless capacity to nail the opponent he desires. He had a slowish start to his Test career (he was dropped with an average of 43 after eight Tests), but came of age on the seismic Caribbean tour of 1994-95. In all, McGrath dismissed Mike Atherton 19 times - a Test record - and Brian Lara 13 (almost twice as often as anyone else). A famously incompetent batter, he received a massive ovation when he scored a fifty against New Zealand in 2004-05. He retired on a high in 2007, with 563 Test wickets, having helped Australia to a 5-0 whitewash of England in the home Ashes, and a World Cup win where he was Man of the Tournament.
A metronome/nemesis is born. Describing Glenn McGrath in such terms has become a bit of a cliché, but there's a reason for that: no bowler has probed the corridor of uncertainty so inexorably, and no bowler has had such a remorseless capacity to nail the opponent he desires. He had a slowish start to his Test career (he was dropped with an average of 43 after eight Tests), but came of age on the seismic Caribbean tour of 1994-95. In all, McGrath dismissed Mike Atherton 19 times - a Test record - and Brian Lara 13 (almost twice as often as anyone else). A famously incompetent batter, he received a massive ovation when he scored a fifty against New Zealand in 2004-05. He retired on a high in 2007, with 563 Test wickets, having helped Australia to a 5-0 whitewash of England in the home Ashes, and a World Cup win where he was Man of the Tournament.
2020
Bangladesh won their first ICC title when their Under-19 side beat India by three wickets in a drama-filled U-19 World Cup final in Potechfstroom. India had looked set for a competitive total but then lost seven wickets for 21 runs and only got to 177 in the end. Bangladesh made the game even more exciting with a collapse of their own - six wickets for 52 runs - but their captain Akbar Ali hung on to get the better of a tense finish, which was followed by some rough-housing between players of the two sides. But nothing could dampen the spirits of the fans back home, who turned up in huge numbers to welcome their young heroes home.
Bangladesh won their first ICC title when their Under-19 side beat India by three wickets in a drama-filled U-19 World Cup final in Potechfstroom. India had looked set for a competitive total but then lost seven wickets for 21 runs and only got to 177 in the end. Bangladesh made the game even more exciting with a collapse of their own - six wickets for 52 runs - but their captain Akbar Ali hung on to get the better of a tense finish, which was followed by some rough-housing between players of the two sides. But nothing could dampen the spirits of the fans back home, who turned up in huge numbers to welcome their young heroes home.
1922
Birth of one of England's greatest spinners. Jim Laker's signature moment was those 19 wickets against Australia at Old Trafford in 1956 - the greatest innings and match figures in Test history (the latter is a first-class record too). Australia can't say they weren't warned: Laker had taken all ten against them for Surrey in a tour match earlier that summer. A modest and revered character, he took 46 wickets at 9.60 each in the five Ashes Tests of 1956. In a Test trial at Bradford in 1950, he returned the staggering figures of 14-12-2-8 - and one of those runs was a gentle one off the mark for his Surrey team-mate Eric Bedser. The Rest of England were bowled out for 27. Laker later became a BBC commentator. He died in Putney in 1986.
Birth of one of England's greatest spinners. Jim Laker's signature moment was those 19 wickets against Australia at Old Trafford in 1956 - the greatest innings and match figures in Test history (the latter is a first-class record too). Australia can't say they weren't warned: Laker had taken all ten against them for Surrey in a tour match earlier that summer. A modest and revered character, he took 46 wickets at 9.60 each in the five Ashes Tests of 1956. In a Test trial at Bradford in 1950, he returned the staggering figures of 14-12-2-8 - and one of those runs was a gentle one off the mark for his Surrey team-mate Eric Bedser. The Rest of England were bowled out for 27. Laker later became a BBC commentator. He died in Putney in 1986.
2014
New Zealand prevailed over India by 40 runs in a nervy finish in Auckland. Brendon McCullum's double-hundred gave New Zealand a hefty advantage, but they collapsed to 105 all out in the second innings, setting India a target of 407 to get in a little over two days. By the time Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan had added 126 at more than four an over on day four, it began to increasingly look like India would chase it down. But New Zealand's seamers struck back - Neil Wagner picking up career-best match figures of 8 for 126 - and took their side to a memorable victory, but not before MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja briefly threatened to swing the game back in India's favour with a short blaze of big hitting.
New Zealand prevailed over India by 40 runs in a nervy finish in Auckland. Brendon McCullum's double-hundred gave New Zealand a hefty advantage, but they collapsed to 105 all out in the second innings, setting India a target of 407 to get in a little over two days. By the time Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan had added 126 at more than four an over on day four, it began to increasingly look like India would chase it down. But New Zealand's seamers struck back - Neil Wagner picking up career-best match figures of 8 for 126 - and took their side to a memorable victory, but not before MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja briefly threatened to swing the game back in India's favour with a short blaze of big hitting.
2021
A memorable 100th Test for Joe Root, in which he made his third 150-plus Test score in three weeks and led England to a 227-run win - their sixth consecutive victory in Asia. Root's 218, and significant contributions from Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes, took England to 578 in Chennai - the first time India had conceded more than 550 in an innings at home in ten years. In reply, India could only manage 337, and even though they dismissed England cheaply in the second innings, with offspinner R Ashwin taking 6 for 61 on his home ground, a target of 420 on a deteriorating day-five pitch always looked out of bounds, and James Anderson put paid to potential hopes for a draw when he took out Shubman Gill, Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant in quick succession. It was India's first defeat in 15 home Tests.
A memorable 100th Test for Joe Root, in which he made his third 150-plus Test score in three weeks and led England to a 227-run win - their sixth consecutive victory in Asia. Root's 218, and significant contributions from Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes, took England to 578 in Chennai - the first time India had conceded more than 550 in an innings at home in ten years. In reply, India could only manage 337, and even though they dismissed England cheaply in the second innings, with offspinner R Ashwin taking 6 for 61 on his home ground, a target of 420 on a deteriorating day-five pitch always looked out of bounds, and James Anderson put paid to potential hopes for a draw when he took out Shubman Gill, Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant in quick succession. It was India's first defeat in 15 home Tests.
2001
It was cold ones all round for Australia, who made it 15 out of 15 with victory over West Indies in the second one-day final, in Melbourne. With a 5-0 whitewash of the same opponent in the Tests and ten wins out of ten in the one-day series, this was a perfect summer for Steve Waugh's boys. Though West Indies for once put up a decent fight, the result was never in serious doubt after Mark Waugh caned a majestic 173, the highest one-day score by an Australian.
It was cold ones all round for Australia, who made it 15 out of 15 with victory over West Indies in the second one-day final, in Melbourne. With a 5-0 whitewash of the same opponent in the Tests and ten wins out of ten in the one-day series, this was a perfect summer for Steve Waugh's boys. Though West Indies for once put up a decent fight, the result was never in serious doubt after Mark Waugh caned a majestic 173, the highest one-day score by an Australian.
2020
Sixteen-year-old Naseem Shah became the youngest bowler to take a Test hat-trick when he dismissed Najmul Hussain Shanto, Taijul Islam and Mahmudullah off successive balls in Bangladesh's second innings in Rawalpindi. The previous record-holder was, in fact, Bangladeshi - Alok Kapali, who had performed the feat against Pakistan in 2003 at the age of 19. Pakistan went on to win this Test by an innings, dismissing Bangladesh for 233 and 168 and piling on 445 themselves. Babar Azam scored his fourth hundred in seven innings and opener Shan Masood his second consecutive century.
Sixteen-year-old Naseem Shah became the youngest bowler to take a Test hat-trick when he dismissed Najmul Hussain Shanto, Taijul Islam and Mahmudullah off successive balls in Bangladesh's second innings in Rawalpindi. The previous record-holder was, in fact, Bangladeshi - Alok Kapali, who had performed the feat against Pakistan in 2003 at the age of 19. Pakistan went on to win this Test by an innings, dismissing Bangladesh for 233 and 168 and piling on 445 themselves. Babar Azam scored his fourth hundred in seven innings and opener Shan Masood his second consecutive century.
2003
The eighth World Cup kicked off in Cape Town... with a kick in the teeth for the hosts, South Africa. In a wildly fluctuating match, Brian Lara lined up the boot with a thumping century on his return from serious illness, and South Africa fell three runs short when Lance Klusener failed for the second World Cup match in succession.
The eighth World Cup kicked off in Cape Town... with a kick in the teeth for the hosts, South Africa. In a wildly fluctuating match, Brian Lara lined up the boot with a thumping century on his return from serious illness, and South Africa fell three runs short when Lance Klusener failed for the second World Cup match in succession.
1957
Kenya may be struggling to achieve Test status, but an irrefutably Test-class player was born in the country on this day. Qasim Umar played 26 Tests for Pakistan in the 1980s, mostly as opener or at No. 3. He managed two double-hundreds too: 210 against India in Faisalabad in 1984-85, and 206 against Sri Lanka on the same ground a year later. Umar was put out to pasture quite early, though, and played his last Test at 29, after accusing his team-mates of discrimination and drug-trafficking.
Kenya may be struggling to achieve Test status, but an irrefutably Test-class player was born in the country on this day. Qasim Umar played 26 Tests for Pakistan in the 1980s, mostly as opener or at No. 3. He managed two double-hundreds too: 210 against India in Faisalabad in 1984-85, and 206 against Sri Lanka on the same ground a year later. Umar was put out to pasture quite early, though, and played his last Test at 29, after accusing his team-mates of discrimination and drug-trafficking.
1964
Hanumant Singh went on to become a slightly taciturn match referee, but as a Test batter he was more inclined to stamp his authority on proceedings. On this day he punished England with a century on his debut, 105 in the fourth Test, in Delhi. Colin Cowdrey trumped that with 151, and the match petered out into a draw when the Nawab of Pataudi Jr made India's first double-hundred against England. Hanumant served Indian cricket as a national selector and a manager of the national side. He died in November 2006.
Hanumant Singh went on to become a slightly taciturn match referee, but as a Test batter he was more inclined to stamp his authority on proceedings. On this day he punished England with a century on his debut, 105 in the fourth Test, in Delhi. Colin Cowdrey trumped that with 151, and the match petered out into a draw when the Nawab of Pataudi Jr made India's first double-hundred against England. Hanumant served Indian cricket as a national selector and a manager of the national side. He died in November 2006.
1859
Birth of Maurice Read, who was more from the Stewart school than the Athertonian. He was a naturally attacking batter, and the high point of his 17-Test career was a crucial 35 in a Test against Australia at The Oval in 1890, where no one made a fifty. It enabled England to scramble to their target of 95 with two wickets to spare. Read died in Hampshire in 1929.
Birth of Maurice Read, who was more from the Stewart school than the Athertonian. He was a naturally attacking batter, and the high point of his 17-Test career was a crucial 35 in a Test against Australia at The Oval in 1890, where no one made a fifty. It enabled England to scramble to their target of 95 with two wickets to spare. Read died in Hampshire in 1929.
1904
When Plum Warner's MCC conceded a first-innings deficit of 51 to Victoria in a tour match at the MCG, it was important for them to get early second-innings wickets. They did: all ten of them. Victoria were all out for 15, the lowest score in Australian first-class cricket history. Without Harry Trott's 9, it really would have been messy. The Aussies were keen to point out that only ten men batted. With a first-class average of 4, the injured Jack Saunders could really have made a difference.
When Plum Warner's MCC conceded a first-innings deficit of 51 to Victoria in a tour match at the MCG, it was important for them to get early second-innings wickets. They did: all ten of them. Victoria were all out for 15, the lowest score in Australian first-class cricket history. Without Harry Trott's 9, it really would have been messy. The Aussies were keen to point out that only ten men batted. With a first-class average of 4, the injured Jack Saunders could really have made a difference.
1983
Birth of South African allrounder Ryan McLaren, who was roughed up by Mitchell Johnson twice in the same year. First, in his second Test - coming four years after his debut - in 2014 in Centurion, where a short ball from Johnson crashed into his helmet and left him with a concussion. Second, in the tri-series in Zimbabwe, where he sustained a hairline fracture to his right forearm. Even without the injuries, McLaren's one-day career had a stop-start pattern. In the four years since his debut he had only played 13 ODIs, getting a regular run only in 2013. In 2014 he was South Africa's second-highest wicket-taker in ODIs but was still left out of the squad for the World Cup the following year.
Birth of South African allrounder Ryan McLaren, who was roughed up by Mitchell Johnson twice in the same year. First, in his second Test - coming four years after his debut - in 2014 in Centurion, where a short ball from Johnson crashed into his helmet and left him with a concussion. Second, in the tri-series in Zimbabwe, where he sustained a hairline fracture to his right forearm. Even without the injuries, McLaren's one-day career had a stop-start pattern. In the four years since his debut he had only played 13 ODIs, getting a regular run only in 2013. In 2014 he was South Africa's second-highest wicket-taker in ODIs but was still left out of the squad for the World Cup the following year.
Other birthdays
1855 John Shuter (England)
1860 Frank Walters (Australia)
1878 Leonard Moon (England)
1882 Tom Campbell (South Africa)
1929 Lennox "Bunny" Butler (West Indies)
1963 Mike Rindel (South Africa)
1855 John Shuter (England)
1860 Frank Walters (Australia)
1878 Leonard Moon (England)
1882 Tom Campbell (South Africa)
1929 Lennox "Bunny" Butler (West Indies)
1963 Mike Rindel (South Africa)