On this day in cricket, several important events took place, including the birth of legendary South African all-rounder Eddie Barlow, end of an era with three giants of West Indian cricket -- Jeff Dujon, Malcolm Marshall and Viv Richards retiring and more...
This day in cricket: West Indian giants hang up their boots, birth of legends and more...
On this day in cricket, several important events took place, including the birth of legendary South African all-rounder Eddie Barlow, end of an era with three giants of West Indian cricket -- Jeff Dujon, Malcolm Marshall and Viv Richards retiring and more...
Three West Indian giants retire
#OnThisDay in 1991, the legendary Test careers of @vivrichards56, Jeffrey Dujon and Malcolm Marshall came to an end pic.twitter.com/M85gFz2CZZ
— ICC (@ICC) August 12, 2016
On this day in 1991 saw three giants of West Indies cricket hang up their boots. But it wasn't the dream swansong that these legends deserved. West Indies greats Jeff Dujon, Malcolm Marshall and Sir Viv Richards ended their career with a defeat at The Oval. Dujon finished with 272 dismissals, a record for a West Indies wicketkeeper, Marshall with 376 wickets at only 20.94 each and Richards with a Test batting average of over 50.
The last Test these three played saw the Windies side being made to follow-on for the first time in 22 years and 48 matches.
Richards, captaining the islands for the 50th time, scored two in the first innings. Dujon a first ball duck and Marshall, who took one for 62, had a blob against his name as well. In the second innings, Richards -- 'The King' was dismissed for 60, with 8,540 runs under his belt.
Chappell brothers score centuries
Greg and Ian Chappell
In 1972, Ian and Greg Chappell became the first pair of brothers to ever hit centuries in the same innings of Test. Ian, Australia's captain, and his brother achieved this feat against arch-rivals England at the Oval. The centuries helped Australia win the Test, though they had lost the series and with the Ashes urn.
Greg reached the three-figure mark first. His 113, in just over four hours, came with the help of 17 boundaries. His partnership with his brother yielded 201 runs. Ian was dismissed for 118, which included 20 boundaries.
Birth of Eddie Barlow
2,516 Test runs and 40 Test wickets - #OnThisDay in 1940, South Africa's great all-rounder Eddie Barlow was born pic.twitter.com/Wk44mIBGrr
— ICC (@ICC) August 12, 2016
In 1940, one of South Africa's most competitive and successful all-rounders, Eddie Barlow was born. Barlow averaged 45.74 in Tests, hitting seven centuries - and took 40 wickets with his medium pace, all while playing in glasses. Playing for the Rest of the World against England at Headingley in 1970, he took four wickets in five balls, including a hat-trick. A promising opening partnership with Barry Richards was halted at the embryonic stage by South Africa's exclusion from Test cricket after 1969-70.
Michael Atherton takes a wicket!
Mike Atherton
The occasional leg-breaks of Michael Atherton finally paid dividend in this 1996 at Leeds. The former England skipper has claimed only two Test wickets in his career and one of them was at Headingley when he took his Lancashire buddy Wasim Akram's wicket. Atherton brought himself on for his first Test bowl in six years as the match was heading for a draw and claimed Akram's wicket with lbw with the Pakistani all-rounder on 7.
Birth of Pedro Collins
1976 saw the birth of West Indian pacer Pedro Collins. The Windies fast bowler though is best remembered for a testicle injury courtesy a Jason Gillespie delivery. A keen footballer, the fast-medium left-armer had a knack for big scalps, dismissing Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Steve Waugh three times in five Tests each.
Birth of Sri Lanka's first opener
On this day in 1956, Sidath Wettimuny, who opened the batting in Sri Lanka's debut Test vs England in Colombo in 1981-82, was born. He played in 23 Tests. His greatest moment came when he batted all day in a Test match at Lord's, his 190 helping Sri Lanka draw the match. He and Mithra Wettimuny opened the innings together against New Zealand in 1982-83, a rare achievement for a pair of brothers.
First double century of Test cricket
On this day in 1884, Australia's Billy Murdoch completed 211, the first double-century in Test cricket. His effort was in a drawn match at The Oval vs England. He was dropped three times, but Wisden described it as "a magnificent innings". Murdoch went on to play one Test for England, in Cape Town in 1891-92.
Jayasuriya dismissed for 199
Sanath Jayasuriya
On this day in 1997, in a drawn match against India at Colombo's Sinhalese Sports Club, Sanath Jayasuriya became one of only eight batsmen to be dismissed for 199 in a Test innings. The others have been Mudassar Nazar, Mohammad Azharuddin, Matthew Elliott, Steve Waugh, Younis Khan, Ian Bell and Steven Smith.
Birth of first West Indian captain to win a Test
On this day in 1897, the first man to captain West Indies to victory in a Test match was born. Marius "Maurice" Fernandes played only two Tests and he averaged only 12.25 with the bat in them -- but in the second, in Georgetown in 1929-30, he made some useful runs and masterminded a win by 289 runs that squared the series.
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