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 alltime greats, a legspinner with the action and aggression of a pace bowler. His partnership with the contrasting Clarrie Grimmett terrorised England in the 1930s, and he finished with 144 Test wickets at 22.59 apiece. His matchwinning 7 for 54 against England at Trent Bridge in 1934 is in the Top Ten of the Wisden 100, and he absolutely destroyed New Zealand in his final Test, at Wellington in 1945-46.

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 at 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 Fifties. Today 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 ten against Pakistan at 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's been rather overshadowed by his brother Andy, one of the great wicketkeeper-batsmen of recent years - but hasn't exactly wilted when playing for Zimbabwe, scoring Test centuries against New Zealand and India and three against Pakistan, including an unbeaten 201 at Harare in 1994-95.

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 lost by 10 runs after Bobby Peel, who liked a glass as much as a turning wicket, had been held under a cold shower before going out to take 6 for 67.

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 at Karachi in 1964-65.

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