1973
Lord's provided a suitable stage for Garry Sobers's to complete his 26th and final Test hundred, his unbeaten 150 helping West Indies declare at 652 for 8 and win by an innings. Sobers later admitted that on the first evening (when he was 31* at the close) he had spent all night drinking port and brandy and was not in the best state when he resumed his innings. Wisden reported that he retired hurt with a stomach disorder but Sobers admitted that he was worried about vomiting. The 2-0 defeat ended the Test career of England captain Ray Illingworth. He was replaced as England captain by Mike Denness.

1938
At Wells, Somerset's Arthur Wellard thumped five sixes off an over from Kent's England allrounder for Frank Woolley. This equalled a world record that lasted until Garry Sobers hit six sixes off Malcolm Nash in 1968. Wellard was well named: before Ian Botham struck 80 sixes in 1985, our Arthur was the only man to hit 50 in a season, which he did four times, including the round number of 66 sixes in 1935.

1995
Andrew Symonds smashed 16 sixes on his way to 254 not out for Gloucestershire against Glamorgan at Abergavenny, the most in a single first-class innings. He added four more in the second innings, his aggregate of 20 being a match record.

1959
The pace of Fred Trueman and Brian Statham was too much for India – for the last time that summer, but not the first. All out for 194 at The Oval, they lost by an innings to complete a 5-0 whitewash, the only one ever inflicted by England.

1971
Revenge for India as they inched their way to a four-wicket win at The Oval. Ray Illingworth's captaincy skilfully defended a meagre target of 173, but there was no repairing the damage done the previous day, when the whirling legspin of Bhagwat Chandrasekhar had taken 6 for 38. It was India's first Test win in England and gave them the series 1-0.

1972
Old Trafford witnessed the first century in any one-day international when Dennis Amiss hit 103 off 134 balls against Australia. England reached 226 for 4 to win by six wickets with nearly six overs to spare. Amiss also hit the second ODI century, against New Zealand at Swansea in 1973 – and the first century in a World Cup match, against India at Lord's in 1975.

Other birthdays
1851 Tom Kendall (Australia)
1909 Ronnie Grieveson (South Africa)
1959 Adrian Kuiper (South Africa)

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