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Richards didn't play many Tests, but in first-class cricket he was an absolute terror © Getty Images
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1945
Birth of a player who made batting look almost too easy. South Africa's
isolation restricted Barry Richards to only four Tests, against Australia in 1969-70 - but he showed the full range of his talent in averaging 72.57 and scoring a whirlwind century at Durban. Although the drudge of county cricket rarely appealed to him, he scored a great many runs for Hampshire and formed a dynamic opening partnership with Gordon Greenidge. When he made 356 for South Australia against Western Australia at Perth in 1970-71, he scored 325 in a day. He's now a well-known TV commentator.
1981
The final day of an astounding turn-around at Headingley. Ian Botham had hauled England back into contention with 145 not out on the fourth day. Now it was Bob Willis's turn. Steaming down the hill from the Kirkstall Lane End, as if in a trance, Willis plundered three wickets in 11 balls before lunch, then five more in the afternoon session to deliver England victory by 18 runs - the first side since 1894-95 to win a Test match after following on. You wouldn't have known it from Willis's reaction though. In an infamous post-match interview, thoroughly drained by his efforts, he showed as much enthusiasm as a man who has just run over the family labrador.
2005
From final days to first days - and one of the most blood-and-thunder openings to any Test series in history. The 2005 Ashes had been hyped to the rafters all summer long, but amazingly, when the contest finally got underway in front of a packed and expectant Lord's crowd, the cut-and-thrust cricket more than matched the anticipation. Steve Harmison cracked Justin Langer on the elbow second-ball and drew blood on Ricky Ponting's cheek as he hounded his way to figures of 5 for 43. Australia were bundled out for 190, but that was just the start of the entertainment. With his matchless manipulation of the Lord's slope, Glenn McGrath responded with a spell of 5 for 2 in 31 balls, including his 500th wicket in Tests, to set his side up for a 239-run win. The series, however, still had one or two twists and turns in store.
1994
The first day of South Africa's first Test in England for 29 years. They had played 14 Tests since their return to the fold at Bridgetown in 1991-92, but to play at Lord's again was proof of their reacceptance. Andrew Hudson and Gary Kirsten received a standing ovation as they came down the pavilion steps to start the innings - an event that, shamefully, was missed by the BBC coverage - and the emotion of the moment was almost too much for Hudson, who padded up to his first ball from Phil DeFreitas. He fell soon afterwards, but Kirsten ground on, adding 106 for the third wicket with Kepler Wessels, who went on to become South Africa's first centurion at Lord's in 39 years, and ultimately their first winning captain for 59 years.
1979
The first hundred in a Benson & Hedges Cup final - and it just had to come
from Graham Gooch. In the competition's 30-year history, Gooch made the most runs, won the most Gold Awards, made the highest score ... here he slapped a robust 120 as Essex beat Sussex by 35 runs, and received one of his 22 Gold Awards.
1984
Another B&H final, and a less obvious Man of the Match. Lancashire captain
John Abrahams didn't bowl, took one catch, and was out for 0. But Peter May gave him the award for his captaincy - and for his performances in getting Lancashire to the final. They won this one comfortably enough, by six wickets and with 12 overs to spare, after Warwickshire were bundled out for 139.
1934
Birth of Indian allrounder Chandu Borde, a calm and collected batsman who played fast bowling with an easy assurance. In 55 Tests he scored 3,061 runs at 35.59, and took 52 wickets with his legspin, a skill that was underused as time went by. Successful with bat and ball against England in 1961-62, he top-scored with 68 and 61 and took 4 for 65 in the win at Calcutta. The biggest of his five Test centuries was an unbeaten 177 against Pakistan in Madras in 1960-61.
2001
An attack of butterfingers for England at Lord's. Adam Gilchrist took the second Test away from them with a searing 90 - but he was dropped four times, three of them sitters, all of them off Darren Gough, who looked a broken man. A day later, Australia were 2-0 up in the series, and England's ambition had gone from regaining to the Ashes to avoiding a whitewash.
1934
The last hurrah of leg-theory. Playing for Nottinghamshire against Lancashire at Old Trafford, Bill Voce was taken out of the attack after bowling four overs of Bodyline, during which Lancashire's opener Jack Iddon was struck twice. The second blow resulted in him being carried off. Voce's Bodyline colleague, Harold Larwood, making his return to the Nottinghamshire side after an ankle injury, bowled to a conventional field throughout.
1995
The first pair of Brian Lara's life. In a tour match at Canterbury, he fell each time to Kent's Dr Julian Thompson. Ignominy does wonderful things for sharpening the mind, though. In the three Tests before this Lara made 182 runs; in the three that followed it he larruped 583. The Doctor's medicine didn't do England much good.
2000
A masterclass from Muttiah Muralitharan at Galle. In their first match of the post-Cronje era, the South Africans never looked remotely comfortable on a dry and cracked pitch, and crumbled to 238 all out, in reply to Sri Lanka's 522. Muralitharan took 6 for 87, with only Daryll Cullinan standing firm, with 114 not out. Cullinan was under no illusions however, describing his 231-ball survival against Murali as 'a lottery.'
1988
The third incumbent in the summer of four captains. After Mike Gatting had been sacked for an alleged dalliance with a barmaid, and John Emburey had been tried and discarded after consecutive defeats, the chairman of selectors, Peter May, decided his godson would be the man for the job. Thus Chris Cowdrey completed only the second father-and-son pair to captain England in Test cricket. But even he couldn't stop West Indies from winning yet again, by 10 wickets at Headingley. With personal scores of 0 and 5, he didn't play Test cricket again.
1886
On the last day of a three-day Test, Johnny Briggs took 6 for 45 to complete England's last innings win over Australia at Lord's. After opening their account with two wins in two, England have only won three since, in 31 attempts.
1884
That other victory began here, the first day of Test cricket at Lord's. England were 90 for 3 in reply to Australia's 229 all out. Allan G Steel went on to make 148 and George Ulyett's 7 for 36 bowled England to an innings win.
1863
Aubrey Smith was born. Later Sir Aubrey and a well-known Hollywood character actor, "Round The Corner" Smith (so named because of his peculiar run-up) played for Sussex, and led England in South Africa's inaugural Test, at Port Elizabeth in 1888-89. He's still the only player to captain England in his only Test.
Other birthdays
1975 Ravindra Pushpakumara (Sri Lanka)
1947 Chetan Chauhan (India)
1945 Geoff Dymock (Australia)
1895 HG 'Nummy' Deane (South Africa)
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