1905
Bill O’Reilly, a leg-spinner with the speed of a medium pacer, was born on this day. Also known as ‘Tiger’, Bill was 6feet 2inches tall who played 27 Test matches and took 144 wickets.
1948
A Test match, that remains the only match to be won off the last ball. The match was held between England and South Africa in Durban.
1970
Grant Flower, one of the greats of Zimbabwean cricket, was born on this day. Grant was an experienced top-order batsman who began his career as an opener. He was also a brilliant fielder anywhere close to the wicket, and a handy left-arm spinner at one-day level. Grant has a highest score of 201* in Test and 142* in ODI. The dispute between the Zimbabwe board and the rebel players effectively led to his retirement from the international game in 2004. In 2010, Flower returned to Zimbabwe and took up the post of batting coach of the national side. He made an international comeback too, playing two ODIs against South Africa, but with limited success.
1983
Darren Sammy, the dashing all-rounder for West Indies and the first Test cricketer to come from St Lucia, was born on this day. Sammy took seven wickets on his Test debut against England at Old Trafford in 2007. He became the first West Indian to take five wickets in a T20 against Zimbabwe and also became the fastest West Indian to a one-day half-century (off 20 balls) against South Africa. After being elected as the West Indian captain he lead the to their first Test win in two years in May 2011, to the World T20 title in 2012, their first world title since 1979, and again in 2016.
