An Aussie destroyer

Adam Gilchrist: missed equalling the record for the fastest Test century by one ball © Getty Images Enlarge

1971
In its rich history, Test cricket has never seen a player quite like Adam Gilchrist, who was born today. When Ian Healy retired it looked as if a chink might be appearing in Australia's armour, but instead they brought in a wicketkeeper who averaged over 50, and scored those runs at an indecent rate. With his ability to nail a good position created by the top order, Gilchrist was central to Steve Waugh's great Test-cricket revolution of winning the toss and bowling first. His innings include a brutal 152 against England at Edgbaston in 2001, as well an the astonishing 122 that set up victory over India in Mumbai, when he smashed his century off 84 balls. In the heavyweight clash in South Africa in 2001-02, Gilchrist walloped 204 not out off only 213 balls in Johannesburg. He also has the second fastest Test century (by balls) after Viv Richards and is the only player to hit 100 Test sixes. He quit Test cricket in 2007-08 but his reflexes didn't desert him during the IPL, where he played for the Deccan Chargers and led to them to the title in 2009.

1904
Birth of a man best remembered for his part in the Bodyline controversy. Harold Larwood was Douglas Jardine's main man when he unleashed his leg theory on Australia in 1932-33. In five Tests Larwood took 33 wickets at 19.51, and made even Don Bradman seem human. After that Larwood was never picked for England again, partly because of his refusal to apologise for tactics others had devised. But his part in the controversy should not obscure Larwood's brilliance. Although he wasn't a tall man, he was hostile and fiercely quick, with an action \so vigorous that, legend has it, his knuckles would scrape the surface in his follow-through. He was a lusty hitter, too, and in his last Test, in Sydney, he creamed 98 as nightwatchman. Larwood, who was loudly barracked in Australia when he played, ironically later emigrated there, and died in Sydney in 1995.

1981
A Dennis Lillee-inspired rout at the WACA in Perth, as Pakistan were dismissed for just 62, their lowest-ever Test score until they twice plumbed new depths in the same match against Australia in Sharjah in 2002-03. Their innings lasted only 21.2 overs, and it could have been a lot worse - they were 26 for 8 before Sarfraz Nawaz, the only man to reach double figures, flashed a chancy 26. Lillee took 5 for 18 and Terry Alderman 4 for 36, and Australia eventually won by 286 runs on the final day. But there was controversy on the fourth afternoon, when a vexed Lillee deliberately impeded Javed Miandad and aimed a kick at him, sparking an infamous spat. Miandad threatened to crown Lillee with his bat, before umpire Tony Crafter ended their contretemps. Lillee was suspended from two one-day internationals as a result.

1983
Another Australia-Pakistan encounter at the WACA, and another routine Aussie victory, by an innings and nine runs. Carl Rackemann grabbed match figures of 11 for 118. The result was never in doubt once Wayne Phillips (159 on debut) and Graham Yallop (141) put on 259 for the second wicket.

1843
Birth of the man to take the first-ever Test wicket. If subtracting bowling average from batting average gives a true measure of the quality of an allrounder, then Yorkshireman Allen Hill (batting: 50.50, bowling 18.57) was right up there with the very best. But that record came from only two Tests, and in reality Hill was not much of a batsman - his first-class average was 8.94. He was, however, a very good seamer, who bowled Nat Thomson for 1 on the first morning of the first Test in Melbourne in 1876-77. And he took the first catch too. Hill died in Lancashire in 1910.

1991
A historic day in New Delhi, where South Africa grabbed their first victory since their return to the international stage. They overhauled India's 287 for 4 to win the third one-dayer in fine style, by eight wickets with 20 balls to spare. The old heads Kepler Wessels (90) and Peter Kirsten (86*) did most of the work, and Adrian Kuiper applied the gloss with a punishing unbeaten 63 off 41 balls. It was their captain Clive Rice's first taste of victory for his country - and his last, because he was then controversially dropped ahead of the 1992 World Cup.

1976
Birth of Hemang Badani, who came into the team in the throes of change post match-fixing, and instantly seemed prepared for the void left down the order by the absence of Ajay Jadeja. Upright, and given to scoring in the V, Badani proved adept at remaining not out, and his high point was a wonderfully paced hundred against Australia in Pune in 2001-02. Subsequently his form became patchy and he joined the ICL exodus in 2007 before accepting the amnesty offer two seasons later, to revive his career.

Other birthdays
1930 Alan Moss (England)
1942 Jackie du Preez (South Africa)
1967 Saba Karim (India)
1974 Hrishikesh Kanitkar (India)
1975 Rupanjali Shastri (India)
1977 Brijal Patel (Kenya)