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| Sir Don Bradman |
Birth of The Don. In 1908 Sir Donald George Bradman (1908-2001), was born at Cootamundra, New South Wales. His records are legend: 117 first-class centuries, 12 Test double centuries, two Test triple hundreds, 6,996 Test runs at an astounding average of 99.94. Easily, the greatest batsman the game has seen or probably will ever see. In 1996 the Bradman Museum located on Glebe Park adjacent to the Bradman Oval, Bowral was opened by John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia, on Sir Donald's 88th birthday. A commemorative gateway was built to honour Sir Donald Bradman on his 90th birthday just near the gateway that the original clubhouse for the Bowral Cricket Club stood.
Also born on this day were:
Wayne James (1965-), Zimbabwe Test wicket-keeper who made a world record 13 dismissals for Matabeleland against Mashonaland CD at Bulawayo in 1995-96, also scoring 99 and 99 not out in the same match;
Mark Ealham (1969-), English all-rounder who took 5 for 15 against Zimbabwe at Kimberley in 1999-2000, which remained the best figures for England in one-day internationals for more than five years (all five of his victims were lbw, a ODI record for any country);
Andy Bichel (1970-), Australian pace bowler; and
Mohammad Yousuf (earlier Yousuf Youhana) (1974-), Pakistani Test batsman who was one of the few Christians to play for Pakistan.
In 1973 in his last Test at Lord's, Gary Sobers held his sixth catch in the match, equalling what was a Test record for a non-wicket-keeper. A great close fielder close to the stumps, he held 109 catches in his 93 Tests, to go with his 8,032 runs and 235 wickets. In that 1973 Lord's Test, he also made the last of his Test centuries. West Indies won by the huge margin of an innings and 226 runs to take the series 2-0.
In 1979 South African all-rounder Mike Procter (Gloucestershire) equalled a world record that still stands by hitting six consecutive sixes, spread over two overs. Batting against Somerset at Taunton he hit two off the last two balls of a Dennis Breakwell over, then after a maiden at the other end, hit four more in Breakwell's next over.
In 2005 England's women beat Australia in a Test series for the first time since 1963.
