October 19 down the years
An Aussie run machine
A prodigiously prolific opener is born
Two of Bill Ponsford's (left) seven hundreds came in his first two Tests • Getty Images
1900
Birth of one of the most voracious run-getters in cricket history. Australian Bill Ponsford was a rock-solid opener with immense powers of concentration - he is one of only two men to make two quadruple-centuries (the first of which came in only his fourth first-class innings, for Victoria against Tasmania in 1922-23) and averaged 83 in the Sheffield Shield. "Ponny" also made centuries in his first two Tests, and though for a time he played Atherton to Harold Larwood's McGrath, he recovered to score 181 and 266 (when he put on 451 for the second wicket with Don Bradman) in consecutive innings at Headingley and The Oval in 1934. Having proved himself to an English audience that had until then been underwhelmed by the hype surrounding him, he retired from first-class cricket at 34. He went on to become Australia's oldest living Test player at 90, before dying in Victoria in 1991.
Birth of one of the most voracious run-getters in cricket history. Australian Bill Ponsford was a rock-solid opener with immense powers of concentration - he is one of only two men to make two quadruple-centuries (the first of which came in only his fourth first-class innings, for Victoria against Tasmania in 1922-23) and averaged 83 in the Sheffield Shield. "Ponny" also made centuries in his first two Tests, and though for a time he played Atherton to Harold Larwood's McGrath, he recovered to score 181 and 266 (when he put on 451 for the second wicket with Don Bradman) in consecutive innings at Headingley and The Oval in 1934. Having proved himself to an English audience that had until then been underwhelmed by the hype surrounding him, he retired from first-class cricket at 34. He went on to become Australia's oldest living Test player at 90, before dying in Victoria in 1991.
1998
Australia stayed on course for their first series win in Pakistan since 1959-60, when a draw in the second Test in Peshawar left them 1-0 up with one to play. The match was notable for Mark Taylor's unbeaten 334 - he declared on himself at the end of the second day - which equalled the highest Test score by an Australian at the time, made by Don Bradman at Headingley in 1930. As the match petered out on the final day, Taylor made 92 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.
Australia stayed on course for their first series win in Pakistan since 1959-60, when a draw in the second Test in Peshawar left them 1-0 up with one to play. The match was notable for Mark Taylor's unbeaten 334 - he declared on himself at the end of the second day - which equalled the highest Test score by an Australian at the time, made by Don Bradman at Headingley in 1930. As the match petered out on the final day, Taylor made 92 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.
2018
Twenty years later, a series defeat. Mohammad Abbas became the first fast bowler to take a ten-wicket haul in UAE, and the joint fastest overall to 50 wickets, when he finished the Abu Dhabi Test with 10 for 95. In the first Test, Pakistan had failed to push for victory despite having 140 overs in which to dismiss Australia. In Abu Dhabi, however, Abbas and Co needed only 50 overs to seal the series 1-0. Australia sorely missed Usman Khawaja, who had saved the match for them in Dubai, in the second innings here due to a knee injury, but Pakistan also had to do without their wicketkeeper-captain, Sarfraz Ahmed, who was being examined for a possible concussion. Sarfraz had contributed in two century stands in the match - with Fakhar Zaman in the first innings and with Babar Azam in the second - before he was forced out of the action. The 373-run defeat, coming soon after lunch on day four, was Australia's fourth-worst (by runs).
Twenty years later, a series defeat. Mohammad Abbas became the first fast bowler to take a ten-wicket haul in UAE, and the joint fastest overall to 50 wickets, when he finished the Abu Dhabi Test with 10 for 95. In the first Test, Pakistan had failed to push for victory despite having 140 overs in which to dismiss Australia. In Abu Dhabi, however, Abbas and Co needed only 50 overs to seal the series 1-0. Australia sorely missed Usman Khawaja, who had saved the match for them in Dubai, in the second innings here due to a knee injury, but Pakistan also had to do without their wicketkeeper-captain, Sarfraz Ahmed, who was being examined for a possible concussion. Sarfraz had contributed in two century stands in the match - with Fakhar Zaman in the first innings and with Babar Azam in the second - before he was forced out of the action. The 373-run defeat, coming soon after lunch on day four, was Australia's fourth-worst (by runs).
1933
Brian Booth, the popular Australian who was born today, was a fine middle-order bat who averaged 42 in Tests and was an unusually decent, dignified character. After what proved to be his last Test - he was captain when England stuffed Australia by an innings in Sydney in 1965-66 - he stood outside the dressing room and shook hands with every England player as he passed. He made five Test hundreds but none in a winning cause (Australia won only five of his 29 Tests). Booth was a good all-round sportsman, who played hockey for Australia at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. He went on to become a teacher, and then the first chairman of Australia's Youth Advisory Committee.
Brian Booth, the popular Australian who was born today, was a fine middle-order bat who averaged 42 in Tests and was an unusually decent, dignified character. After what proved to be his last Test - he was captain when England stuffed Australia by an innings in Sydney in 1965-66 - he stood outside the dressing room and shook hands with every England player as he passed. He made five Test hundreds but none in a winning cause (Australia won only five of his 29 Tests). Booth was a good all-round sportsman, who played hockey for Australia at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. He went on to become a teacher, and then the first chairman of Australia's Youth Advisory Committee.
1989
England had an unlikely hero as they gained a modicum of revenge for the previous summer's 0-4 Ashes thrashing with a seven-wicket win over Australia in the Nehru Cup match in Hyderabad. Wayne Larkins gave a rare top-level glimpse of his considerable talent with a thumping 124. It gave England a victory that had looked unlikely after Allan Border smote 84 off 44 balls, including three successive sixes off Gladstone Small and 42 in two overs from Small and Angus Fraser.
England had an unlikely hero as they gained a modicum of revenge for the previous summer's 0-4 Ashes thrashing with a seven-wicket win over Australia in the Nehru Cup match in Hyderabad. Wayne Larkins gave a rare top-level glimpse of his considerable talent with a thumping 124. It gave England a victory that had looked unlikely after Allan Border smote 84 off 44 balls, including three successive sixes off Gladstone Small and 42 in two overs from Small and Angus Fraser.
1982
Pakistan wrapped up a clean sweep with a nine-wicket victory in the third Test against Australia in Lahore - only the second whitewash Australia suffered in the 20th century (the first was in South Africa in 1969-70, and the next would come only in 2010, in India). Worse still, they did not manage to bowl Pakistan out once. This victory, like the first two, was pretty routine: Javed Miandad and Mohsin Khan both made hundreds and Imran Khan bowled imperiously for match figures of 8 for 80.
Pakistan wrapped up a clean sweep with a nine-wicket victory in the third Test against Australia in Lahore - only the second whitewash Australia suffered in the 20th century (the first was in South Africa in 1969-70, and the next would come only in 2010, in India). Worse still, they did not manage to bowl Pakistan out once. This victory, like the first two, was pretty routine: Javed Miandad and Mohsin Khan both made hundreds and Imran Khan bowled imperiously for match figures of 8 for 80.
1999
A hammering for a ragged West Indies against Pakistan in Sharjah. They were chasing 256 but collapsed pitifully and were dismissed for 117 inside 32 overs. Their chief destroyers were Yousuf Youhana (later Mohammad Yousuf), who slashed a 46-ball 71, and Azhar Mahmood, who scythed through the lower order to take 6 for 18. West Indies had needed to win to reach the final, which instead was contested by Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
A hammering for a ragged West Indies against Pakistan in Sharjah. They were chasing 256 but collapsed pitifully and were dismissed for 117 inside 32 overs. Their chief destroyers were Yousuf Youhana (later Mohammad Yousuf), who slashed a 46-ball 71, and Azhar Mahmood, who scythed through the lower order to take 6 for 18. West Indies had needed to win to reach the final, which instead was contested by Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
1946
Birth of a late developer. Legspinner Bob Holland did not make his first-class debut for New South Wales until he was 32, and didn't play for Australia until he was 38. That was against the mighty West Indies in 1984-85, and in his third match, on a raging Sydney turner, he hurried them to defeat with match figures of 10 for 144. It was West Indies' first defeat in 28 Tests (and a sad final bow for Clive Lloyd), but by far the highlight of Holland's career. If it turned, he was a real threat (in three matches in Sydney he took 21 wickets) but he was largely ineffective elsewhere - his other eight Tests brought him only 13 wickets.
Birth of a late developer. Legspinner Bob Holland did not make his first-class debut for New South Wales until he was 32, and didn't play for Australia until he was 38. That was against the mighty West Indies in 1984-85, and in his third match, on a raging Sydney turner, he hurried them to defeat with match figures of 10 for 144. It was West Indies' first defeat in 28 Tests (and a sad final bow for Clive Lloyd), but by far the highlight of Holland's career. If it turned, he was a real threat (in three matches in Sydney he took 21 wickets) but he was largely ineffective elsewhere - his other eight Tests brought him only 13 wickets.
1987
A nerveless performance from Steve Waugh as Australia snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the World Cup match in Indore. New Zealand needed seven runs from Waugh's last over, with four wickets in hand, but the iceman had Martin Crowe caught at deep cover off the first ball and yorked Ian Smith with the second. Panic set in, and New Zealand managed only three runs off the over for the loss of three wickets - so Australia squeaked home by three runs. It was one of three last-over wins for Australia in the tournament.
A nerveless performance from Steve Waugh as Australia snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the World Cup match in Indore. New Zealand needed seven runs from Waugh's last over, with four wickets in hand, but the iceman had Martin Crowe caught at deep cover off the first ball and yorked Ian Smith with the second. Panic set in, and New Zealand managed only three runs off the over for the loss of three wickets - so Australia squeaked home by three runs. It was one of three last-over wins for Australia in the tournament.
1986
Starting out a slinger like Malinga but then forced to bowl taller and straighter due to injuries, Nuwan Pradeep, born today, hadn't played with a cricket ball till the age of 20. Nevertheless he found himself in Sri Lanka's Test squad three years later. In his first eight Tests he averaged 72.78. In his next, in Wellington, Pradeep took seven wickets, regularly hitting speeds over 140kph. Sri Lanka lost the match, but from there on Pradeep found himself being picked more regularly in the side. His six-for against India in Galle in 2017 was one of the few bright spots in an abysmal series for Sri Lanka.
Starting out a slinger like Malinga but then forced to bowl taller and straighter due to injuries, Nuwan Pradeep, born today, hadn't played with a cricket ball till the age of 20. Nevertheless he found himself in Sri Lanka's Test squad three years later. In his first eight Tests he averaged 72.78. In his next, in Wellington, Pradeep took seven wickets, regularly hitting speeds over 140kph. Sri Lanka lost the match, but from there on Pradeep found himself being picked more regularly in the side. His six-for against India in Galle in 2017 was one of the few bright spots in an abysmal series for Sri Lanka.
2020
MS Dhoni became the first player to feature in 200 IPL matches, though the milestone came in the Chennai Super Kings' seventh loss of the season, from ten matches. Dhoni also surpassed his team-mate Suresh Raina as the tournament's most-capped player. The Chennai Super Kings captain marked the milestone by giving away his jersey to player of the match Jos Buttler, whose 48-ball 70 won the Rajasthan Royals the game.
MS Dhoni became the first player to feature in 200 IPL matches, though the milestone came in the Chennai Super Kings' seventh loss of the season, from ten matches. Dhoni also surpassed his team-mate Suresh Raina as the tournament's most-capped player. The Chennai Super Kings captain marked the milestone by giving away his jersey to player of the match Jos Buttler, whose 48-ball 70 won the Rajasthan Royals the game.
1982
Birth of the bowler who was hit for six sixes in an over by Herschelle Gibbs. Netherlands legspinner Daan van Bunge, born today, will probably be best remembered for that over in the 2007 World Cup, though he made his one-day debut in 2002 and had a reasonably good World Cup in 2003, getting a half-century against India and picking up three wickets against England.
Birth of the bowler who was hit for six sixes in an over by Herschelle Gibbs. Netherlands legspinner Daan van Bunge, born today, will probably be best remembered for that over in the 2007 World Cup, though he made his one-day debut in 2002 and had a reasonably good World Cup in 2003, getting a half-century against India and picking up three wickets against England.
Other birthdays
1860 Affie Jarvis (Australia)
1865 Godfrey Cripps (South Africa)
1869 Audley Miller (England)
1873 Bart King (USA)
1914 Harold Gimblett (England)
1934 Des Hoare (Australia)
1943 Mike Findlay (West Indies)
1969 Daleen Terblanche (South Africa)
1969 Gavin Murgatroyd (Namibia)
1970 Chamara Dunusinghe (Sri Lanka)
1860 Affie Jarvis (Australia)
1865 Godfrey Cripps (South Africa)
1869 Audley Miller (England)
1873 Bart King (USA)
1914 Harold Gimblett (England)
1934 Des Hoare (Australia)
1943 Mike Findlay (West Indies)
1969 Daleen Terblanche (South Africa)
1969 Gavin Murgatroyd (Namibia)
1970 Chamara Dunusinghe (Sri Lanka)