Tiger, tiger, bowling spin

Tiger O'Reilly: spin bowler with a fast-bowler's attitude © Wisden Cricket Monthly Enlarge

1905
Into the genteel world of cricket, a Tiger is born. Balding and belligerent (when he grew up, too), Bill O'Reilly was one of the all-time greats, a legspinner with the action and aggression of a pace bowler. He was 6ft 2in tall, gripped the ball in his enormous right hand and released it at a pace that could be almost fast-medium. He played 27 Test matches and took 144 wickets - 102 of them English ones, including that of Walter Hammond 10 times - averaging 22.59 His partnership with the contrasting Clarrie Grimmett terrorised England in the 1930s. When England made 903 at The Oval in 1938, O'Reilly bowled 85 overs and finished with figures of 3 for 178. Before that, he had secured the Ashes by taking 5 for 66 and 5 for 56 at Headingley.

1948
A riveting finish in the only Test to be won off the last ball. England began the final eight-ball over of the first Test against South Africa in Durban needing eight runs to win with two wickets remaining. Alec Bedser and Cliff Gladwin got that down to one off one ball. Wisden describes the final moments as follows: "In a mid-wicket conference about the last ball Gladwin and Bedser decided to run in any event... as Tuckett began his run-up the fieldsmen started to run in like sprinters towards the wicket to prevent the single which would win the match. Gladwin went into his stumps, swung his bat, but again missed his stroke. The ball struck his thigh and bounced a yard or two in front of him. From short-leg Mann pounced on the ball, but both batsmen galloped to safety."

1959
Indian spinners enjoyed Kanpur in the late 50s. On this day Jasu Patel took 9 for 69 there against Australia. His offspin exploited a recently laid turf pitch to help win a match in which India had been all out for 152 in their first innings. Patel, whose figures were a Test best for India until Anil Kumble took all 10 against Pakistan in Delhi in 1998-99, was the second bowler to take nine wickets in a Test innings for India, after Subhash "Fergie" Gupte against West Indies on the same ground the previous winter.

1970
Birth of Grant Flower, who was overshadowed for much of his career by his brother Andy, one of the great wicketkeeper-batsmen of his times, but who didn't exactly wilt when playing for Zimbabwe, scoring six Test centuries, three of them against Pakistan, including an unbeaten 201 in Harare in 1994-95. During the dispute between the Zimbabwe board and the rebel players he emerged as spokesman for the latter, which effectively led to his retirement from the international game in 2004.

1894
The end of one of the most dramatic Tests of all time. In the first to involve six days of play, England became the first team to win one after following on. Australia started the last day needing only 64 with eight wickets in hand, but they lost by 10 runs after Bobby Peel, who liked a glass as much as a turning wicket, had been held under a cold shower and went out to take 6 for 67.

1983
Birth of the first Test cricketer to come from St Lucia. Fast bowler Darren Sammy took a seven-for (including three in an over) on Test debut at Old Trafford in 2007 but then went on to cement his spot as an allrounder in the one-day side. In 2010, he became the first West Indian to take five wickets in a Twenty20 - in a match West Indies lost to Zimbabwe - and also the fastest West Indian to a one-day half-century (off 20 balls) - in a match they lost to South Africa. Later that year, he was the surprise choice for captain after Chris Gayle was axed, and in May 2011 led West Indies to their first Test win in two years, taking seven wickets against Pakistan in Providence.

1935
Birth of Khalid "Billy" Ibadulla, who was better known in England for his long service to Warwickshire and played in only four Tests for Pakistan, but who scored 166 on his debut, against Australia in Karachi in 1964-65.

Other birthdays
1981 Alfred Luseno (Kenya)