da luck： All Today’s Yesterdays – September 27 down the years September 26 | September 28 1948 The birth of England’s talisman
Wisden CricInfo staff27-Sep-2003
All Today’s Yesterdays – September 27 down the years
September 26 | September 28
1948
The birth of England’s talisman. On becoming England’s first overseascoach in 1999 Duncan Fletcher took possession of a team rated the worstin the world, but he turned things round quicker than anyone couldpossibly have expected. With sensible man-management, the ability tolook beyond county statistics – best evidenced by the success of CraigWhite and Marcus Trescothick – and no little skill, he helped England tofour consecutive Test-series victories, including an unprecedenteddouble on the subcontinent. Fletcher was also a doughty allrounder whomade 69 not out and took 4 for 42 as Zimbabwe pulled off a stunningvictory over Australia – Border, Lillee, Marsh, Thomson and all – intheir first ever official one-day international, at Trent Bridge in the1983 World Cup.
1957
Having been hyped as the natural successor to Hutton, Sutcliffe andBoycott, the career of Bill Athey who was born today, was always indanger of being one of underachievement. A stately performer who madehis debut in the Centenary Test in 1980, Athey averaged a disappointing22.98 from 23 Tests. His opening partnership with Chris Broad wascentral to England’s Ashes triumph of 1986-87, but after a sparkling 123at Lord’s against Pakistan the following summer Athey failed to pass 50in eight Tests. He was dropped for the final time after the defeat byWest Indies at Headingley in 1988, but continued to be prolific atcounty level, having moved from Yorkshire to Gloucestershire in 1984 andto Sussex in 1993. He had made over 25,000 first-class runs when heretired in 1997.
1982
In Kingston, Eddie Hemmings became the first person to take tenwickets in a first-class innings for 13 years, returning figures of49.3-14-175-10 while playing for an International XI. It broke a numberof records: it is the only time one bowler has taken ten wickets in afirst-class innings in the West Indies; it is the most-expensive “allten” in any innings, and the West Indies XI’s 419 is the highest totalto include one.
1962
It would be no surprise if the birth of Gavin Larsen in Wellington todaywent largely unnoticed; he is that sort of character. Despite playing121 ODIs for New Zealand between 1990 and 1999 Larsen’s gentle mediumpace was consistently underrated, and though he took only 113 wicketshis outstanding economy rate of 3.76 runs per over underlined his valueto the team. He is best remembered for the 1991-92 World Cup when he waspart of the thriftiest of triumvirates (Larsen, Chris Harris and RodLatham were called “Dibbly, Dobbly and Wobbly”) that tortured even thebest batsmen on the anaesthetised home surfaces. Firmly typecast as apyjama performer, Larsen played just eight Tests despite a perfectlyacceptable record in the longer game (24 wickets at 28.71).
1982
Pakistan eased to a nine-wicket victory in the first Test againstAustralia at Karachi. The tourists began the final day on 138 for 7 intheir second innings, a deficit of 10, and were quickly finished offwith Abdul Qadir (5 for 76) the pick of the bowlers.
1998
In the second one-day international at Bulawayo, Sourav Ganguly’s fifthone-day hundred helped India to an eight-wicket victory over Zimbabweand an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Ganguly added153 for the second wicket with Mohammed Azharuddin, his captain, asIndia, chasing 236 from 45 overs, eased home with 19 balls to spare.
Other birthdays
1974 Pankaj Dharmani (India)