1940
One of the most recognisable figures in Test cricket was born. David Shepherd never played it (although he was once prominent with Gloucestershire) - but he's taken charge of it more than 50 times. As well as all these Tests, he's the only umpire to have officiated in five World Cups (1983-99), including the last two finals. Some of his superstitions have become part of the fabric of cricket, especially the gull-like one-legged stance and assorted hops and skips when a team scores the dread Nelsons of 111, 222, 333 ...

1981
Against West Indies at Melbourne, Dennis Lillee took the wicket of Larry Gomes, his 310th in Test cricket, to break the world record set by Lance Gibbs in 1975-76. Lillee took the record to 355, which lasted until Ian Botham bettered it at The Oval in 1986.

1968
Another high-class Australian pace bowler achieved his best innings figures in Test cricket. Graham "Garth" McKenzie's 8 for 71 against West Indies at Melbourne, all typical heart and lungs, is in the Top Ten of the Wisden 100.

1972
Another Aussie who achieved his best Test figures, and again they contributed to an innings victory. Laconic offspinner Ashley Mallett's 8 for 59 at Adelaide make him the only Australian bowler to take eight wickets in an innings against Pakistan. They are also the best figures by a spinner in a Test in Australia.

1982
Another eight-wicket haul, this time by Imran Khan (very much not an Australian), whose 8 for 60 wrecked India's second innings to give Pakistan an innings win at Karachi.

1995
Back Down Under for this one. Not many of the people who watched David Boon scratching around for runs early in his Test career would have believed he was capable of racking up 7422 of them by the end of his career, including 21 centuries, the last of which was scored today, against Sri Lanka at Melbourne.

1936
One of the greatest of all close fielders was born. Although he won seven County Championships and averaged 46.23 in 12 Tests for England, including a century v New Zealand at Trent Bridge in 1969, Phil Sharpe's name is still more of a byword for brilliance in the slips. A single example will do: standing very close in against West Indies at Old Trafford in 1969, he held an amazing catch off a ferocious slash by Joey Carew. The Wisden Almanack, in a classic piece of British understatement, described it as "memorable". Actually, it took the breath away. Mind you, he probably did it every week for Yorkshire.

Other birthdays
1861 William Chatterton (England)
1865 Harry Butt (England)
1925 Glendon Gibbs (West Indies)
1953 Kevin Wright (Australia)
1957 Bruce Blair (New Zealand)
1962 Lalithamana Fernando (Sri Lanka)
1962 Mansoor Rana (Pakistan)
1964 David Tikolo (Kenya)
1965 Gamini Wickremasinghe (Sri Lanka)

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