Cricket history is filled with remarkable moments and legendary players. On this day, October 3rd, several significant events in the cricketing world took place. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of these memorable occurrences.
1921 – Birth of Ray Lindwall:
One of cricket’s greatest fast bowlers, Ray Lindwall, was born on this day. Renowned for his brilliant swing bowling, Lindwall was a stalwart in any all-time-great Australian XI. As a child, he would play cricket in the streets, hoping to catch the eye of cricket legend Bill O’Reilly, a dream he undoubtedly achieved. Lindwall’s impact on the game went beyond his bowling prowess. Wisden Almanack described him as the man who established fast bowling’s role in modern cricket. In 1948, he led the Invincibles attack and played a pivotal role in England’s lowest-ever Ashes total of 52 runs at The Oval. Remarkably, 43% of his 228 Test victims were bowled out. Lindwall’s cricketing journey left an indelible mark on the sport, and he passed away in Queensland in 1996.
1862 – Birth of Johnny Briggs:
Johnny Briggs, a brilliant slow left-arm bowler, was born on this day. His 118 Test wickets came at a remarkable strike rate, and he was exceptionally penetrative. In a match against South Africa in 1888-89, Briggs returned astounding figures of 33.3-16-28-15, with 14 of the 15 wickets being bowled. However, his cricketing journey took a tragic turn when he suffered an epileptic fit after being struck over the heart in 1899. Briggs ended up in an asylum, where he would imagine himself bowling down the ward and share his bowling figures with the nurses. He passed away in Cheshire in 1902.
1996 – South Africa’s ODI Triumph:
In a dominant display, South Africa achieved their biggest ODI victory at the time, defeating Kenya by 202 runs in the KCA Centenary Tournament in Nairobi. South Africa posted an impressive total of 305 for 8 and then proceeded to bowl out Kenya inside 25.1 overs. Allan Donald played a pivotal role, claiming career-best figures of 6 for 23.
2021 – India and Australia Women’s Test Draw:
The India and Australia women’s cricket teams played their first Test match against each other in 15 years, a day-night encounter in Carrara, near Gold Coast. Notably, three of the four innings were declared, with rain interruptions forcing a scramble to make the game competitive. Ellyse Perry had a memorable match, taking her 300th international wicket and scoring her fourth consecutive fifty in Test cricket.
1952 – Birth of Gary Troup:
Gary Troup, who played a crucial role in New Zealand’s historic first-ever home series victory, was born on this day. Troup featured in only 15 Tests, but three of them were during New Zealand’s remarkable 1-0 series win over West Indies in 1979-80. His performance during that series, with 18 wickets at an average of 20.61, was historic for both New Zealand and West Indies.
1995 – Sri Lanka’s One-Day Victory Over Pakistan:
In Rawalpindi, Sri Lanka clinched a four-wicket victory over Pakistan in a one-day match. Having previously come from behind to win the Test series 2-1, Sri Lanka continued their dominance in the one-dayers. Rain reduced the match to 38 overs, and Sri Lanka secured the win with just two balls to spare.
1999 – Herschelle Gibbs Shines:
A forceful 84 from Herschelle Gibbs set South Africa up for yet another one-day tournament victory. They defeated India by 26 runs in the LG Cup final in Nairobi, with Gibbs leading the way.
2007 – Mark Boucher’s Record-Breaking Stumping:
In the Karachi Test, Mark Boucher broke Ian Healy’s record to become the wicketkeeper with the most dismissals in Test cricket. Boucher achieved this milestone in his 103rd Test, 16 matches fewer than it took Healy to reach the figure of 395. Although Boucher briefly lost the record to Adam Gilchrist, he soon reclaimed it after the first Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2008.
Other Birthdays:
- 1891: William Ling (South Africa)
- 1905: Errol Hunte (West Indies)
- 1911: Shute Banerjee (India)
- 1948: Robbie Langer (Australia)
- 1980: Sarah Collyer (England)
- 1982: Ben Laughlin (Australia)
These events and birthdays in cricket history on October 3rd remind us of the rich tapestry of the sport and the unforgettable moments and personalities that have graced the cricketing world.
