1959
The only American president to spectate at a Test match dropped in on this day at Karachi. Quite what Dwight Eisenhower made of it as Pakistan ground out 104 runs for the loss of five wickets against Richie Benaud's Australians we never shall know – the occasion didn't make it into his memoirs. Hanif Mohammad made a long-winded hundred in a match also notable for Intikhab Alam taking a wicket (Colin McDonald) with his first ball in Test cricket.

1989
Probably the first Test century ever scored by a 6ft 8ins beanpole who broke the world record for hurling a haggis. Tom Moody, who threw one 230ft in 1989, scored a hundred for Australia on this day against Sri Lanka at Brisbane. A tour de force from Aravinda de Silva (167 in 491 minutes) ensured that Sri Lanka escaped with a draw.

1979
A matchwinning ODI innings from … Geoff Boycott. Included in the England side late on when Geoff Miller went down with lumbago, Boycott surprised even his admirers with a rapid 68, with seven fours, as England overhauled Australia's 207 with an over to spare. Boycott liked the idea so much that he smashed 105 in the next game, three days later.

1936
Peter Parfitt, the loquacious left-hander, was born today. He was a handy batsman at a time when England were well-stocked with such things, and made seven Test hundreds, the first four of them against a rather modest Pakistan side. He was a great slip fielder, and a key member and sometime captain of the fitful Middlesex side of the 1960s. "Parf" tells a good story, as befits a former pub landlord turned genial corporate-hospitality host.

1927
An amazing performance in Indian domestic cricket … by an Englishman. RJO "Jack" Meyer took 16 for 188 for Europeans in their Bombay Pentangular Tournament match against Muslims. It remained the best bowling return of a varied career that also included a double-century for Somerset. Meyer later found fame as the founder of Millfield School.

1917
An Australian captain is born. Ian Johnson was a tall offspinner with a jerky action who scraped to the Test double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in the last of his 45 Tests. A fringe member of Don Bradman's Invincibles in 1948, Johnson returned as Australia's captain in 1956, but couldn't match the offspinning feats of Jim Laker. Later a genial secretary of the Melbourne Cricket Club, he died in 1998.

1961
Jackie McGlew, South Africa's captain, carried his bat for 127 against New Zealand at Durban. SA's 292 proved just enough - even though they were all out for 149 in the second innings they squeaked home by 30 runs. Peter Pollock, on his debut, took 6 for 38 (and nine in the match) as NZ folded for 166.

1992
A low-scoring ODI at Sydney. In a match shortened to 30 overs by rain, Australia looked out for the count when they were shot out for 101. Curtly Ambrose took 3 for 18 and surprise packet Phil Simmons 3 for 11. But West Indies collapsed for 87 (Paul Reiffel 3 for 14). Mark Taylor, in his first match as captain in the absence of the injured Allan Border, took the match award for "leadership and exceptional catching" (he held four).

1964
England completed what turned out to be a series-winning victory in the first Test at Durban. Centuries from Ken Barrington and Jim Parks lifted England to 485 for 5, then the offspinners David Allen and Fred Titmus got to work. South Africa, Graeme Pollock and all, were shot out for 155 and 226, and England won by an innings. The remaining four Tests of a somewhat attritional series were drawn.

Other birthdays
1936 Buster Farrer (South Africa)
1922 George Fullerton (South Africa)
1942 Hemant Kanitkar (India)
1926 Frank King (West Indies)
1861 Charles Leslie (England)
1946 Warren Stott (New Zealand)

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