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Harold Larwood, with his brand of attack, almost halved the Don's average © The Cricketer International
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1995
Death of Harold Larwood - in Australia, the country whose batsmen he'd once traumatised. One of the fastest bowlers of all time, he took 33 wickets in the controversial 1932-33 Bodyline series, including Don Bradman's four times, as England regained the Ashes, but nearly lost an empire. In his last innings of this, his last series, he hit 98, the highest Test score by a nightwatchman for England until surpassed by Alex Tudor at Edgbaston 66 years later. A century seemed Larwood's for the taking until he was caught in the deep by that dreadful fielder Bert Ironmonger, who was nicknamed "Dainty" because he wasn't.
1950
A towering innings comes to an end. Frank Worrell's 261, his highest score and, at the time, the highest score in a Test at Trent Bridge, set West Indies on their way to a first-innings lead of 335 and a victory by ten wickets that put them 2-1 up in the series. It wasn't all plain sailing though. Cyril Washbrook and Reg Simpson opened England's second innings with 212 for the first wicket, and at 326 for 2 the match was back in the balance. But then, not for the first time in the series, the spin twins took over. Sonny Ramadhin (5 for 135) and Alf Valentine (3 for 140) decimated the lower and middle order, with the last five wickets falling for 28 runs. Only Godfrey Evans, with an assured 63, provided any resistance.
1890
On his Test debut, Jack Barrett becomes the first opener to carry his bat through a completed Test innings in an Ashes Test. At Lord's, his unbeaten 67 out of 176 gave Australia hope of an unlikely victory after they had collapsed to 132 all out in the first innings, but WG Grace was in no mood to capitulate. His 75 not out carried England to a seven-wicket victory - "an innings," wrote the Almanack, "entirely worthy of his reputation."
1935
That well-known medium-pacer Tom Cartwright was born. On his Test debut, against Australia at Old Trafford in 1964, he bowled 77 overs in taking 2 for 118. In the following Test, at The Oval, he bowled 62 overs for figures of 3 for 110. Cartwright should have played many more than his five Tests, but was mistrusted by the selectors, who preferred their change bowlers to have an extra yard of pace. He is, however, assured of a place in the pantheon, as the man who taught Ian Botham how to bowl.
1859 (and 1865)
VE Walker had a thing about July 22. On this day in 1859 he took 10 for 74 for England v Surrey. Six years later to the day, he took 10 for 104 for Middlesex v Lancashire.
Other birthdays
1863 Alec Hearne (England)
1892 Jack MacBryan (England)
1936 Dusty Rhodes (England)
1937 John Price (England)
1937 Vasant Ranjane (India)
1978 Runako Morton (West Indies)
1982 Nuwan Kulasekara (Sri Lanka)
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