1937
The start of the innings rated as the best of all time by the Wisden 100, Don Bradman's 270 against England in the third Test at Melbourne. Trailing 2-0 after defeats at Brisbane and Sydney, Australia were facing defeat when Bradman, struggling with 'flu, his reputation as a batsman and captain on the line, came in the second innings. He faced Bill Voce and Gubby Allen, frighteningly fast on a rain-affected pitch which also helped the master spinner Hedley Verity. Careful at first, increasing the tempo as he went on, Bradman hit his highest score against England at home, sharing a record stand of 346 with Jack Fingleton, and turning the match and with it the series. Australia remain the only side to come back to win from two-down in a five-match series.

1879
It was only fitting that Fred Spofforth should take the first hat-trick in Test cricket, against England at Melbourne: he was the greatest bowler of his age, a demon in the eyes of Englishmen everywhere. The second victim in his hat-trick was Francis Alexander MacKinnon, the 35th MacKinnon of MacKinnon, who was facing his first ball in international cricket. A lot of scorers were grateful that this was his only Test.

1992
An equally great Australian bowler made an inauspicious Test debut. Only one of Shane Warne's 450-plus Test wickets was taken here, against India at Sydney, and it cost him 150 runs. He didn't get any at all in the next Test, at Adelaide, but it was understandable: before this series, he'd only played in seven first-class matches. Still, he turned out to be quite useful.

1979
By scoring 182 in the second innings of the third Test against West Indies at Calcutta, Sunil Gavaskar added to his list of records by becoming the only batsman to hit a century in each innings of a Test match three times. He'd made a mere 107 in the first innings.

1984
When you make your maiden first-class hundred at the age of 16, as Daryll Cullinan did today, for Border against Natal B at East London, you're expected to go on and become a star. Instead, although he made an unbeaten 275 at Auckland in 1998-99, a new record for South Africa in Tests, frailty against Shane Warne and his chatty chums has held his reputation in check. He averages only 12.75 against Australia, compared to 48 against everybody else.

1960
Dying for the cause is the sort of execrable cliché that pops up time and time again, but Raman Lamba, who was born today, joined a sad, select club that includes England men Andy Ducat and Wilf Slack when he died at the crease in Dhaka in 1998 after taking a fatal blow to the head while fielding at short leg. A good enough opening batsman to play four Tests for India, Lamba was also the man chased all the way to third man by a maniacal, stump-wielding Rashid Patel in an infamous incident in 1990. Lamba was by no means blameless - he had been taunting Patel, and the ensuing fencing match got Lamba a 10-month ban and Patel 14 months. Lamba had an Irish wife, and played for Ireland against Sussex in the NatWest Trophy in 1990.

1970
Few people take a hat-trick in their last international appearance. But barring an unlikely recall, New South Wales seamer Anthony Stuart, who was born today, did. He took 5 for 26 in his third one-day appearance, for Australia against Pakistan at Melbourne in 1996-97, including Ijaz Ahmed, Mohammad Wasim and Moin Khan with successive deliveries. He'd already dismissed Aamir Sohail and Zahoor Elahi, but Australia never picked him again.

1964
One of the early pillars of Sri Lanka's bowling was born. Rumesh Ratnayake's brisk pace brought him 73 Test wickets from 1982-83 (when he was only 19) to 1991-92, including 5 for 69 at Lord's in 1991 and notably 20 wickets at 22.95 against India in 1985-86, the first series Sri Lanka ever won. Mind you, he needed to brush up on his image as a demon fast bowler: after breaking John Wright's nose with a bouncer in a Test at Wellington in 1982-83, he fainted at the sight of blood.

1973
A tall and forceful batsman, John Benaud couldn't hope to match his brother Richie's profile, but he averaged 44.60 in his three Tests for Australia, largely thanks to the 142 he made today (93 before lunch) against Pakistan at Melbourne - after being told that he wouldn't be playing in the next Test!

1886
Dependable South African opening batsman Jack "Billy" Zulch was born. Both of his Test hundreds were made in Australia in 1910-11 (his only series abroad), but he was probably better known for the way he was dismissed at Johannesburg in 1921-22.The ball, sent down by Australia's pantherine opening bowler Ted McDonald, was so fast it broke his bat, a sliver of the blade hitting the stumps.

Other birthdays
1959 Kirti Azad (India)
1971 Aamer Nazir (Pakistan)

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