Long Tom

Tom Graveney: thrilled one and all with his gleaming strokeplay © Playfair Cricket Monthly Enlarge

1927
Birth of one of England's most elegant batsmen. Tom Graveney's gleaming strokeplay made him a favourite with fans - but a Goweresque propensity to throw his wicket away brought about a measure of mistrust in the England selectors. He was put out to pasture in 1963, but weight of runs for Worcestershire got him back in three years later, and he played 24 of his 79 Tests after his 39th birthday. He captained England for the only time in that period too, at Headingley in 1968. Graveney excelled against West Indies, averaging almost 59, including a mighty 258 at Trent Bridge in 1957. He also made 175 in only his second Test innings, against India in Bombay in 1951-52. Graveney played for and coached Queensland and later became a popular and cheery summariser for the BBC.

1922
One of the most amazing turnarounds the game has seen occurred on this day at Edgbaston, where Hampshire were bowled out for 15 and, 208 behind, followed on. Second time round they appeared down and out at 177 for 6, but with George Brown scoring 175 and the No. 10, Walter Livsey, 110, they rallied to make 521 and then bowled Warwickshire out for 158, winning by 155 runs. It was rumoured that Freddie Calthorpe, Warwickshire's captain, was asked by his committee to delay taking the new ball to extend the game into the second afternoon and so improve takings.

1977
The beginning of the Jubilee Test at Lord's - and of Mike Brearley's reign as England captain. Brearley replaced Tony Greig, who was sacked for his involvement in the setting up of World Series Cricket (but kept his place in the side). Greig showed why with a thumping 91 in the second innings, but a rain-affected match ended in a draw, with Australia struggling on 114 for 6. The gate receipts - over £220,000 - were a record for any cricket match in Britain at the time.

1999
A World Cup semi-final at Old Trafford, and a fireworks 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."

1932
A world-record opening stand. Herbert Sutcliffe (313) and Percy Holmes (224 not out) put on no fewer than 555 for Yorkshire against Essex, although their record has since been broken. Sutcliffe threw his wicket away the moment they had passed the previous best, 554, only for the scoreboard then to clunk back down to 554. After a few minutes it was realised that a no-ball had been missed, and all was well. Except for Essex, who collapsed in each innings for 78 and 164 and were thrashed by an innings.

1896
Birth of Cotar Ramaswami, the Indian batsman who went missing from his home in Madras in 1985, never to return. No body has ever been found, and in the Wisden Almanack he is listed as "presumed dead". In his playing days, Ramaswami was the second-oldest Indian to make his Test debut, at 40 years 37 days, against England in 1936. He is also one of only two Test cricketers to have played tennis in the Davis Cup, for India in 1922.

1906
Birth of Alan Fairfax, the New South Wales allrounder who in 10 Test appearances for Australia averaged 51 with the bat and 30 with the ball. He would have played more Tests had he not signed up for Accrington in the Lancashire League in 1932. With the bat he was alarmingly consistent and was only out once in single figures. Fairfax died of a heart attack in London in 1955.

1914
A debut centurion is born. Billy Griffith played only three Tests for England, despite hitting 140 in his first innings, against West Indies in Trinidad in 1947-48. It was also his first first-class hundred - Griffith had gone on the tour as assistant manager, and it was a surprise that he played at all. His other Test scores were 4, 8, 5 and 0, though he kept well enough to keep Godfrey Evans out of the team in two Tests in South Africa in 1948-49.

1899
At the age of 21, the great Victor Trumper made his first Test century in only his second Test match, a majestic 135 not out against England on a difficult Old Trafford pitch. With Clem Hill also making 135, Australia eased home by 10 wickets.

1924
An Edgbaston demolition job. Faced with an imposing England total of 438 in the first Test, South Africa collapsed for a dismal 30 all out, equalling their lowest Test total, with only extras (11) reaching double figures. England's captain, Arthur Gilligan, had the ridiculous figures of 6.3-4-7-6, and followed up with 5 for 83 in the second innings. South Africa at least salvaged some dignity in defeat, with Bob Catterall making 120 in their second-innings 390. Maurice Tate and Herbert Sutcliffe made their England debuts in this Test.

Other birthdays
1961 Robbie Kerr (Australia)
1963 Mohsin Kamal (Pakistan)
1969 Nehemiah Perry (West Indies)
1982 Laura Spragg (England)