Born on this day were:
Thomas James Matthews (1884-1943), Australian leg-spinner best remembered for taking two hat-tricks in the same Test match;
Ajay Sharma (1964-), Indian middle order batsman who boasted a very healthy first-class average but unfortunately will always be remembered for being banned for life for match-fixing along with Mohammad Azharuddin; and
Nilesh Kulkarni (1973-), Indian left-arm spinner who became the first Indian and the 12th player to take a wicket with his first ball in Tests when he dismissed Sri Lanka’s Marvan Atapattu in 1997.
In 1889 South African all-rounder Jimmy Sinclair having scored South Africa’s first Test at Johannesburg, hit his country’s first Test hundred (106) in the second Test against England at Cape Town. This was also his first century in first-class cricket. This century added to his 6 for 26 the day before made him the first player to score a century and take six wickets in the same Test. It was all in vain though. South Africa were skittled in the second innings for only 35 (in 114 balls) and lost by 210 runs.
In 1915 Andrew Stoddart, English captain and batsman who played 16 Tests from 1888 to 1898, shot himself through the head. He was 52 and had captained England in both Rugby football and cricket.
In 1930 in Sabina Park at Kingston, Jamaica hosted its first ever Test match-against England. This was the start of the second longest Test of all- and even it did not produce a result. Nine days play- the last two admittedly washed out – ended in stalemate in the fourth Test between West Indies and England at Kingston, but not before records (all subsequently broken) for the longest match (nine days), highest total (849), highest individual score (325), and match aggregate (1,815) had been set. This was the same match in which English captain Freddy Calthorpe did not enforce the follow-on despite an innings lead of 563 runs.
In 1964 Pakistani Hanif Mohammad (203 not out) recorded his highest score in a home Test – against New Zealand at Lahore.
In 1996 Saqlain Mushtaq took the first of his two hat-trick in ODIs at Peshawar against Zimbabwe. He had Grant Flower, J.A. Rennie and A.R. Whittal all caught behind.
In 2004 at Bridgetown Matthew Hoggard took England’s tenth Test hat-trick and England won series.
