June 13 down the years
'How does it feel to drop the World Cup?'
South Africa's costliest dropped catch
Herschelle Gibbs' century was overshadowed by the costly drop of Steve Waugh • Getty Images
1999
"How does it feel to drop the World Cup, Herschelle?" That's what Steve Waugh supposedly said to Herschelle Gibbs on this day, when Gibbs, in prematurely celebrating catching Waugh at midwicket, threw away a chance to put Australia out of the tournament, at Headingley. Waugh had 56 at the time - he'd come to the crease with Australia on the brink at 48 for 3, chasing 272 - and went on to an awesome 120 not out. Not only did it keep Australia in the Cup, it put them above South Africa in the Super Six stage, an incidental detail at the time but one that would be of monstrous significance when the two sides tied in the semi-final four days later.
"How does it feel to drop the World Cup, Herschelle?" That's what Steve Waugh supposedly said to Herschelle Gibbs on this day, when Gibbs, in prematurely celebrating catching Waugh at midwicket, threw away a chance to put Australia out of the tournament, at Headingley. Waugh had 56 at the time - he'd come to the crease with Australia on the brink at 48 for 3, chasing 272 - and went on to an awesome 120 not out. Not only did it keep Australia in the Cup, it put them above South Africa in the Super Six stage, an incidental detail at the time but one that would be of monstrous significance when the two sides tied in the semi-final four days later.
1905
In Sarodar, India, one of England's most stylish batters is born. Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji - Duleep to most people - was the nephew of the great Ranjitsinhji, and had all of his wristy class and grace. His finest innings was a sensational 173 against Australia at Lord's in 1930. It was Duleep's first innings in an Ashes Test, but he ended up on the losing side after Don Bradman piled up 254. He only played 12 Tests because of poor health, but ended with an outstanding average of 58. Duleep also cracked 333 in a day for Sussex, against Northamptonshire at Hove in 1930. He later became High Commissioner for India in Australia. He died of a heart attack in Bombay in 1959.
In Sarodar, India, one of England's most stylish batters is born. Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji - Duleep to most people - was the nephew of the great Ranjitsinhji, and had all of his wristy class and grace. His finest innings was a sensational 173 against Australia at Lord's in 1930. It was Duleep's first innings in an Ashes Test, but he ended up on the losing side after Don Bradman piled up 254. He only played 12 Tests because of poor health, but ended with an outstanding average of 58. Duleep also cracked 333 in a day for Sussex, against Northamptonshire at Hove in 1930. He later became High Commissioner for India in Australia. He died of a heart attack in Bombay in 1959.
2018
Amelia Kerr, just 17, broke the record for the highest individual score in women's ODIs when she made 232 not out against Ireland in Dublin. Her innings, which went past Belinda Clark's 229 -- set way back in 1997 -- came in 145 balls, and it resulted in a 305-run thrashing for hapless Ireland, who were also at the receiving end when New Zealand racked up the highest total in all ODI cricket, 490, against them earlier in the series.
Amelia Kerr, just 17, broke the record for the highest individual score in women's ODIs when she made 232 not out against Ireland in Dublin. Her innings, which went past Belinda Clark's 229 -- set way back in 1997 -- came in 145 balls, and it resulted in a 305-run thrashing for hapless Ireland, who were also at the receiving end when New Zealand racked up the highest total in all ODI cricket, 490, against them earlier in the series.
1985
Birth of hard-hitting keeper-batter Rachel Priest, who for several years formed a dynamic partnership with Suzie Bates at the top of the order for New Zealand. In 2015, Priest smashed a 146-ball 157 - then the second-highest score by a New Zealand women batter - against Sri Lanka. But she was dropped from the national side in 2017 over fitness issues, shortly after she had top-scored in the inaugural Women's Super League and guided Western Storm to the title. Priest became a familiar run-making presence on the women's T20 circuit, and although she made a brief comeback for New Zealand in 2020, she retired from international cricket after losing her central contract and signed on to play for Tasmania instead.
Birth of hard-hitting keeper-batter Rachel Priest, who for several years formed a dynamic partnership with Suzie Bates at the top of the order for New Zealand. In 2015, Priest smashed a 146-ball 157 - then the second-highest score by a New Zealand women batter - against Sri Lanka. But she was dropped from the national side in 2017 over fitness issues, shortly after she had top-scored in the inaugural Women's Super League and guided Western Storm to the title. Priest became a familiar run-making presence on the women's T20 circuit, and although she made a brief comeback for New Zealand in 2020, she retired from international cricket after losing her central contract and signed on to play for Tasmania instead.
1991
An exciting fast-bowling talent is born. Lockie Ferguson, who regularly hits 150kph, headlined New Zealand's 2019 World Cup campaign with 21 wickets at 19.47, including three in the final. He made his ODI debut in Sydney in 2016, taking the wicket of David Warner in his first over, but his breakout year came in 2018, when he took 19 wickets in nine ODIs at an economy of 5.13 and troubled batters in the T20 Blast in England with his yorkers and bouncers. Ferguson made his Test debut in 2019 on the challenging tour of Australia where New Zealand lost all three Tests. In 2020, he took a career-best 5 for 21 in a T20I in Auckland, blasting out West Indian batters with his extreme pace.
An exciting fast-bowling talent is born. Lockie Ferguson, who regularly hits 150kph, headlined New Zealand's 2019 World Cup campaign with 21 wickets at 19.47, including three in the final. He made his ODI debut in Sydney in 2016, taking the wicket of David Warner in his first over, but his breakout year came in 2018, when he took 19 wickets in nine ODIs at an economy of 5.13 and troubled batters in the T20 Blast in England with his yorkers and bouncers. Ferguson made his Test debut in 2019 on the challenging tour of Australia where New Zealand lost all three Tests. In 2020, he took a career-best 5 for 21 in a T20I in Auckland, blasting out West Indian batters with his extreme pace.
1961
Raman Subba Row saved England with a three-day vigil after they had conceded a first-innings lead of 321 at Edgbaston. After a 171-minute half-century in the first innings - England were bowled out for 195, following which a hundred from Neil Harvey and a half-century from debutant Bill Lawry put Australia in a seemingly match-winning situation - Row batted between days three and five for a four-hour 112. But there was no danger of a collapse after his dismissal, even though England were still trailing, because Ted Dexter took up the task. His 180 took nearly six hours and saved the first Ashes Test in Edgbaston in 52 years.
Raman Subba Row saved England with a three-day vigil after they had conceded a first-innings lead of 321 at Edgbaston. After a 171-minute half-century in the first innings - England were bowled out for 195, following which a hundred from Neil Harvey and a half-century from debutant Bill Lawry put Australia in a seemingly match-winning situation - Row batted between days three and five for a four-hour 112. But there was no danger of a collapse after his dismissal, even though England were still trailing, because Ted Dexter took up the task. His 180 took nearly six hours and saved the first Ashes Test in Edgbaston in 52 years.
2021
England slumped to their first home series defeat since 2014, at Edgbaston, where a lacklustre batting line-up had no answers to devastating spells by New Zealand's bowlers. New Zealand, coming into this Test with six personnel changes, and missing Kane Williamson, breezed past England's first-innings 303, before Matt Henry, Neil Wagner and Ajaz Patel ran through the hosts, skittling them for 122. It took just a couple of hours on the fourth day for New Zealand to an eight-wicket victory - and their first series win in England since 1999.
England slumped to their first home series defeat since 2014, at Edgbaston, where a lacklustre batting line-up had no answers to devastating spells by New Zealand's bowlers. New Zealand, coming into this Test with six personnel changes, and missing Kane Williamson, breezed past England's first-innings 303, before Matt Henry, Neil Wagner and Ajaz Patel ran through the hosts, skittling them for 122. It took just a couple of hours on the fourth day for New Zealand to an eight-wicket victory - and their first series win in England since 1999.
1975
In the days when cricket was not able to gorge on money from TV, a long-running dispute that threatened a blackout of English cricket on TV was resolved. The BBC upped their offer for rights to the 1975 Ashes and the 1976 West Indies series, as well as the 1975 World Cup and all English domestic one-day competitions for two summers, to £270,000.
In the days when cricket was not able to gorge on money from TV, a long-running dispute that threatened a blackout of English cricket on TV was resolved. The BBC upped their offer for rights to the 1975 Ashes and the 1976 West Indies series, as well as the 1975 World Cup and all English domestic one-day competitions for two summers, to £270,000.
1970
Birth of Chris Cairns, the star of a largely faceless New Zealand team. With his clean, muscular hitting, athletic fielding and urgent new-ball bowling, Cairns was for a time arguably the only true allrounder in world cricket, until a string of injuries curtailed his bowling effectiveness. He became only the sixth man to achieve an allrounder's double of 200 wickets and 3000 runs in March 2004, and later that year broke the record for most sixes in Test cricket. He retired from international cricket in 2006, and played in the Indian Cricket League in 2008. In March 2012 he won a libel suit against the former IPL chairman Lalit Modi over match-fixing allegations that related to his stint in the ICL. Two years later he was charged with perjury but was acquitted after a nine-week trial in London in 2015.
Birth of Chris Cairns, the star of a largely faceless New Zealand team. With his clean, muscular hitting, athletic fielding and urgent new-ball bowling, Cairns was for a time arguably the only true allrounder in world cricket, until a string of injuries curtailed his bowling effectiveness. He became only the sixth man to achieve an allrounder's double of 200 wickets and 3000 runs in March 2004, and later that year broke the record for most sixes in Test cricket. He retired from international cricket in 2006, and played in the Indian Cricket League in 2008. In March 2012 he won a libel suit against the former IPL chairman Lalit Modi over match-fixing allegations that related to his stint in the ICL. Two years later he was charged with perjury but was acquitted after a nine-week trial in London in 2015.
1953
An amazing performance from Alec Bedser for England against Australia in the first Test, at Trent Bridge - and an ultimately fruitless one. No bowler has returned better match figures than Bedser's 14 for 99 in a Test that his side has not won. Here he took 7 for 55 in the first innings, and England still trailed by 105. Bedser then blew the Aussies away a second time with 7 for 44, but with England seemingly on course for victory, rain washed out all of the fourth day and most of the fifth.
An amazing performance from Alec Bedser for England against Australia in the first Test, at Trent Bridge - and an ultimately fruitless one. No bowler has returned better match figures than Bedser's 14 for 99 in a Test that his side has not won. Here he took 7 for 55 in the first innings, and England still trailed by 105. Bedser then blew the Aussies away a second time with 7 for 44, but with England seemingly on course for victory, rain washed out all of the fourth day and most of the fifth.
1972
A historic victory for England at Old Trafford - their first in the opening Test of a home Ashes series for 42 years. It was a game they bossed from the moment John Snow and Geoff Arnold ripped out the Aussies for 142 in their first innings. England's debutant, one Tony Greig, had a match to remember. He top-scored in each innings, with 57 and 62, and took 4 for 53 in the second innings. Greig had already had some experience of the big time, though - he played in the unofficial series against Rest of the World in 1970.
A historic victory for England at Old Trafford - their first in the opening Test of a home Ashes series for 42 years. It was a game they bossed from the moment John Snow and Geoff Arnold ripped out the Aussies for 142 in their first innings. England's debutant, one Tony Greig, had a match to remember. He top-scored in each innings, with 57 and 62, and took 4 for 53 in the second innings. Greig had already had some experience of the big time, though - he played in the unofficial series against Rest of the World in 1970.
1989
A less auspicious start to an Ashes series for England. They only had to bat out 83 overs to save the first Test on a good Headingley pitch, but they were cleaned up inside two sessions as Terry Alderman, aided and abetted by a rapacious slip cordon, took his second five-for of the match. Amazingly, England started this series as favourites (they went on to lose 0-4; were it not for rain it would have been 0-6), but they blundered from the start. David Gower left out his spinner, John Emburey, and put Australia in on a belter. Two days later they were 601 for 7 - Steve Waugh made 177 of them without looking like getting out - and England never recovered.
A less auspicious start to an Ashes series for England. They only had to bat out 83 overs to save the first Test on a good Headingley pitch, but they were cleaned up inside two sessions as Terry Alderman, aided and abetted by a rapacious slip cordon, took his second five-for of the match. Amazingly, England started this series as favourites (they went on to lose 0-4; were it not for rain it would have been 0-6), but they blundered from the start. David Gower left out his spinner, John Emburey, and put Australia in on a belter. Two days later they were 601 for 7 - Steve Waugh made 177 of them without looking like getting out - and England never recovered.
1965
A prodigy is born. It's amazing to think that Maninder Singh's last Test appearance came when he was 27. He was only 17 years 193 days old when he made his Test debut, against Pakistan in Karachi in 1982-83, and was India's youngest cricketer at the time. Maninder was a subtle slow left-armer who seemed a natural heir to Bishan Bedi, even down to the fact that he bowled in a patka. But at the top level he was a bit of a fair-weather performer. Against the heavyweights (Australia, West Indies and Pakistan), he took 45 wickets in 26 Tests at an average of 55. Against the rest (England, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe) he took 43 wickets in only nine Tests at an average of 19. He was also the last man out in the tied Test against Australia in Madras earlier that winter.
A prodigy is born. It's amazing to think that Maninder Singh's last Test appearance came when he was 27. He was only 17 years 193 days old when he made his Test debut, against Pakistan in Karachi in 1982-83, and was India's youngest cricketer at the time. Maninder was a subtle slow left-armer who seemed a natural heir to Bishan Bedi, even down to the fact that he bowled in a patka. But at the top level he was a bit of a fair-weather performer. Against the heavyweights (Australia, West Indies and Pakistan), he took 45 wickets in 26 Tests at an average of 55. Against the rest (England, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe) he took 43 wickets in only nine Tests at an average of 19. He was also the last man out in the tied Test against Australia in Madras earlier that winter.
1879
A Jekyll-and-Hyde cricketer is born. Nottinghamshire's George Gunn mixed dashing strokeplay and dour defence with bewildering frequency, and as he walked to the crease, nobody quite knew which mood would take him. His zenith was his debut, when he made 119 and 74 against Australia in Sydney in 1907-08. But England lost that, as they did when Gunn made his other Test century, on the same ground that same winter. He hadn't played cricket for 17 years when he returned in the West Indies in 1929-30. Only John Tracios of South Africa and Zimbabwe has had a longer interval between Test appearances. Gunn's brother John and uncle William also played Test cricket. Gunn, who ended with a Test career of exactly 40, died in Sussex in 1958.
A Jekyll-and-Hyde cricketer is born. Nottinghamshire's George Gunn mixed dashing strokeplay and dour defence with bewildering frequency, and as he walked to the crease, nobody quite knew which mood would take him. His zenith was his debut, when he made 119 and 74 against Australia in Sydney in 1907-08. But England lost that, as they did when Gunn made his other Test century, on the same ground that same winter. He hadn't played cricket for 17 years when he returned in the West Indies in 1929-30. Only John Tracios of South Africa and Zimbabwe has had a longer interval between Test appearances. Gunn's brother John and uncle William also played Test cricket. Gunn, who ended with a Test career of exactly 40, died in Sussex in 1958.
Other birthdays
1887 Neville Tufnell (England)
1888 Roy Minnett (Australia)
1931 Esme Irwin (England)
1967 Angus Mackay (Zimbabwe)
1970 Shaun Young (Australia)
1972 Alex Tait (New Zealand)
1976 Ian Redpath (Australia)
1887 Neville Tufnell (England)
1888 Roy Minnett (Australia)
1931 Esme Irwin (England)
1967 Angus Mackay (Zimbabwe)
1970 Shaun Young (Australia)
1972 Alex Tait (New Zealand)
1976 Ian Redpath (Australia)