1991
The day England scratched a 22-year itch. They had not beaten West Indies in a home Test since 1969, but did so by 115 runs as the Windies were blown away for 162 on the final day at Headingley. Graham Gooch was Man of the Match by a country mile for his 154 not out, but there were also honourable mentions for Phil DeFreitas (8 for 93 in the match), and for a couple of debutants. Not Graeme Hick, who went twice for 6, but Steve Watkin (5 for 93 on debut, including the key wicket of Viv Richards in the second innings), and for Mark Ramprakash, who as well as showing great composure in a couple of patient 27s, changed the mood of the match on the second afternoon with two memorable pieces of fielding: a blinding catch to his right to get rid of Phil Simmons, and a direct hit to see off Carl Hooper.

1986
India put the seal on their first Test winin 11 attempts at Lord's, after a nervous run-chase on the final day. They needed 134 to win, but were stuttering at 78 for 4 and then 110 for 5. Enter their captain Kapil Dev, who left nobody in any doubt as he smacked 23 off only 10 balls, finishing things off in the grand manner with a six off Phil Edmonds. Kapil took the match award, but the real architect was Dilip Vengsarkar, whose unbeaten 126 in the first innings made him the first person to score hundreds in three successive Lord's Tests. But for England's own middle-order charmer, David Gower, it was the end of the line as captain. Less than a year after he had been the darling of the nation after England regained the Ashes, he was replaced by Mike Gatting.

1938
No Englishman has ever made a century before lunch on the first day of a Test, but Charlie Barnett came closer than anyone against Australia at Trent Bridge. He slammed 98 in the morning session, and went to his second and last Test century from the first ball after the interval. Barnett added 219 for the first wicket with Len Hutton, but though England piled up 658 for 8 declared, Stan McCabe (232 in the first innings) and Don Bradman (144 not out in the second) comfortably secured a draw for the Aussies.

1968
It's common knowledge that Doug Walters struggled badly in Tests in England, where he averaged 25 - just over half his career average. But on this day he continued a superb display in his first overseas Ashes Test with 86 in the second innings at Old Trafford. Walters had made 81 in the first innings, and his performance was central to Australia's 159-run victory, in what was a low-scoring match. For England, Pat Pocock took 6 for 79 in the second innings - and was dropped for the next Test. So was Basil D'Oliviera, the only Englishman to make a fifty in the match. It was the only Ashes Test Pocock ever played.

Other birthdays

1962 Floris Jansen (Netherlands)
1969 Pieter Strydom (South Africa)
1972 Eric Upashantha (Sri Lanka)

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd