1948
The first signs of greatness from a side that would later be known as The Invincibles. Don Bradman's Australians hammered a very good England side by eight wickets in the first Test at Trent Bridge, at the beginning of a series they eventually won 4-0. Bradman (138) and Lindsay Hassett (137) gave the Aussies a monstrous first-innings lead of 344. Denis Compton, with a brilliant 184, saved some face for England, but the result was never really in doubt. All this, and Ray Lindwall – the Aussies main strike bowler - did not bowl any of the 183 overs in England's second innings because of injury.

1955
Another great day for Australia, in Jamaica, as they posted their highest Test score. With Colin McDonald, Neil Harvey, Keith Miller, Ron Archer and Richie Benaud all hammering centuries - the first time five batsmen had reached three figures in a Test innings - they piled up 758 for 8 declared. It was enough for an innings win, despite a heroic performance from Clyde Walcott: he made 155 and 110, thus becoming the only man to make a century in each innings of a Test twice in the same series. There were also five centurions on West Indies' side - in the bowling department. That was another Test first; Garry Sobers, with 1 for 99, just missed out on making it six.

1999
A World Cup semi-final at Old Trafford, and a firework display from Shoaib Akhtar, who inspired Pakistan to a comfortable nine-wicket victory over New Zealand. His figures of 3 for 55 weren't that spectacular, but the manner of his three wickets certainly were – they all came from searing yorkers. This was cricket at its sexiest. Wisden Cricket Monthly said that "Shoaib was [the tournament's] pin-up: exciting, effective, expensive, exhilarating."

1946
Birth of Roger Tolchard, the Leicestershire wicketkeeper who ended up playing for England as a specialist batsman in India in 1976-77. He was usually a dasher but ground out a vital, five-hour 67 in his debut innings, at Calcutta. All four of his Tests came on that tour, all minus the wicketkeeping gloves, and he went on to make over 15,000 first-class runs. Another Roger, Roger Twose, is his nephew.

1997
Sri Lanka's first Test in the Caribbean ended in a six-wicket defeat in Antigua. The usual first-innings five-for from Muttiah Muralitharan had given Sri Lanka a slender lead, but they fell away for 152 in the second innings. That left West Indies to chase 187, and their opening pair of Stuart Williams and Sherwin Campbell polished off 160 of them to leave victory a formality.

1969
Birth of Maurice Odumbe, the Kenyan captain when they pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in sporting history, a 73-run victory over West Indies at Poona in the 1995-96 World Cup. For good measure, Odumbe was Man of the Match: he returned the startling figures of 10-3-15-3, and chipped in with a run-out as well.

1995
The start of an amazing County Championship match at Luton. Having made only 127 themselves, Essex demolished Northants for just 46, with Mark Ilott taking an all-lbw hat-trick. Northants had been 45 for 4 before losing six wickets for one run. Essex were then cleaned up for 107, with another England left-armer, Paul Taylor, taking 7 for 50, and Northants squeaked home by two wickets.

Other birthdays

1924 Ebbu Ghazali (Pakistan)
1937 Prince Indrajitsinhji (India)

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