• In the 1936 season Alf Gover took 200 first-class wickets at 17.73, becoming the first Englishman to do so since Tom Richardson in 1897. As a result he was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1937 - when he surpassed himself with 201 wickets at 18.98. • He also took four wickets in four balls for Surrey at Worcester in 1935 in the course of a spell of eight wickets for 12 runs.

• Gover, who was born in 1908, is one of only two Test cricketers to have been born on February 29. The other is Gavin Stevens, who was born in 1932 and played four Tests for Australia in 1959-60.

• Gover too played only four Tests, taking eight wickets at 44.87. He made his debut against India in 1936 and played his last Test against them ten years later.

• In first-class cricket he collected 1555 wickets at 23.63, with a formidable strike rate of a wicket every 49.6 balls. He took 95 five-fors and 17 hauls of 10 wickets in a match. His best figures were 8 for 34 in that match at Worcester in 1935.

Rob Smyth is a staff writer at Wisden.com.

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