Wonderbat or Warne's bunny?

Daryll Cullinan: loved batting, hated legspin © ESPNcricinfo Ltd Enlarge

1967
With a Test average of 44 and all the shots in the book, Daryll Cullinan, who was born today, was ostensibly a batsman of genuine world class. He left records in his wake throughout his career, including becoming the youngest South African to make a first-class hundred (aged 16). But Cullinan's average in Tests in Australia was pathetic, and his allergy to tubby, blond Australian legspinners was legendary.

1977
A terrifying display from Colin Croft, whose 8 for 29 against Pakistan in Trinidad are the best figures by a West Indian quick bowler, and were the best by any genuinely fast bowler until Devon Malcolm demolished South Africa with 9 for 57 at The Oval in 1994. Croft's performance is even more impressive given that this was only his second Test. For good measure, he forced Sadiq Mohammad to retire hurt after cracking him on the arm with a short one.

1992
The day Javed Miandad and Kiran More cemented a burgeoning friendship. In the World Cup match at the SCG, which India won by 43 runs, an exasperated Miandad mimicked More's hyperactive form of appealing by repeatedly jumping up and down.

1986
Allan Border became the fifth batsman to score two hundreds in a match in Christchurch. His 140 in the first innings prevented a collapse after Australia had fallen to 74 for 5. Then on the last day Australia, with six wickets gone, led by only 155 (only 48 minutes' play was possible on the fourth day) and Border scored an unbeaten 114. His efforts overshadowed Richard Hadlee's nine wickets, including seven in the first innings.

1937
Graham Dowling was a regular in the New Zealand side throughout the 1960s and a capable captain, who led his country 19 times. He made three Test hundreds, all against India, with the highlights his 143 in Dunedin, followed by 239 in 556 minutes in Christchurch to lead his side to their first win over the Indians (it was also his first game as captain). In 1969 he had to have half a finger amputated after an accident while keeping wicket, and his career ended when he was forced out of New Zealand's 1971-72 Caribbean tour with serious back trouble. He later became the CEO of New Zealand Cricket and was also an ICC match referee.

1968
Birth of one of the fastest bowlers in women's cricket. Cathryn Fitzpatrick was the quickest woman to reach 150 ODI wickets and was the star of Australia's World Cup wins in 1997 and 2005, taking 10 wickets at 17.10 in the latter, at the age of 37. In Tests she conceded an incredible 1.91 runs an over for her 60 wickets. After retiring in 2007, Fitzpatrick took up coaching roles in Australia.

1963
In his penultimate Test, Alan "AC" Smith added an unbroken 163 for the ninth wicket, in just 161 minutes, with Colin Cowdrey in Wellington. It was a Test record at the time, and remains an English record. Smith made 69, Cowdrey 128, and England went 2-0 up in the series with their second innings victory.

1931
A day to remember for West Indian quickie Herman Griffith, who inflicted the first duck of Don Bradman's Test career at the SCG. Griffith bowled The Don to help West Indies - who had lost three matches by an innings and another by 10 wickets in their inaugural series against Australia - to a surprise 30-run victory, their first against Australia.

Other birthdays
1968 Shafiek Abrahams (South Africa)
1968 Cathryn Fitzpatrick (Australia)