On This Day

[The Professor]

On this day in 2015 Lancashire played their final warm up game before the County season against Leeds/Bradford MCCU.

It was a rain affected day on Day One, but one dominated by one partnership; that of Paul Horton and Luis Reece.

In the 26.2 of the 30 overs managed in they day, they scored 120 runs between them. Horton was the more prolific scorer. By the time he got out for 82, caught by Chris Wakefield off an Alex Lilley delivery, his partner was only in his thirties.

The truncated first day ended on 128/1 with Reece joined by Alviro Petersen.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2015 Lancashire set up a decent total against Leeds/Bradford MCCU.

The innings of Luis Reece and Alviro Petersen began Day Two in very similar fashion to how Day One ended. Both players batted methodically, before both retiring out within 5 overs of each other in the early 80s. This meant that the first three batsmen fell or retired on 83, 81 and 82 respectively.

This pattern then gave way to a less comfortable trend for Lancashire whereby the next two batsmen fell to the bowling of Joe Ellis-Grewal in two overs for single figures.

Ashwell Prince then found a partner with the wherewithal to stick around in the form of Alex Davies. Their partnership of 58 drew Prince closer to the important figure 0f 80 but he fell just 6 runs short to the bowling of Harry Rouse.

The lower middle order did Lancashire proud with Davies, Joe Clark and Nathan Buck. The former two found themselves zoning in on fifties before Billy Root saw them off. Buck then ran out of partners and Lancashire wound up with 482 runs.

The Leeds/Bradford MCCU innings started brightly, Henry Thompson being the only wicket to fall. They ended the day on 37/1, 445 runs behind Lancashire.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2015 Lancashire won a moral victory in a dead rubber final day against Leeds/Bradford MCCU.

Steve Bullen, undefeated on 15 overnight, made good progress, ably assisted by his new partner Billy Root. They spent the morning session surging forward passing personal and team milestones: Bullen passed his fifty, the team followed in suit, Root approached his fifty and got out, the team passed their century, Bullen approached his century and got out. A frustrating feature for the two batsmen but still a partnership to be proud of for the students.

Before his dismissal Bullen built up quite a formidable partnership with Christian Davis, however when Bullen fell he too lost his impetus and then lost his wicket 6 overs later.

Leeds/Bradford MCCU then collapsed towards the end of their innings with a raft of Lancashire bowlers dismantling seven of the last eight batsmen for single digits. The only, unlikely, bastion at the end of the innings proved to be Joe Ellis-Grewal with a score of 31*.

The captains shook hands once Leeds/Bradford MCCU's innings were complete.

[The Professor]

On this day in 1912 the Titanic sunk, marking the death of John Thayer.

Thayer was that rare of things, an American cricketer, playing for the Pennsylvanian club Merion throughout his career.

Thayer played in only seven games deemed first class. 4 for the club on an tour of England, 3 for an All-American side.

Whilst he was quite a prolific batsmen, his performance in the 7 games deemed first class was poor with an average score off 11.80. His best bowling figures were 3/17.

After his cricket career he became the vice-president of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It was on the return leg from a visit to Berlin that Thayer and his family booked onto the maiden journey of the Titanic.

When the ship struck the iceberg, Thayer helped his wife and family board lifeboats but informed them he had no intention of boarding one himself.

He died aged 50, his body never recovered.

[The Professor]

On this day in 1978 Essex, Surrey and Hampshire player Jack Gentry died.

The bowler played only one game in his time at Hampshire in 1919.

Gentry then went three years without a club before joining Surrey where he spent two seasons dotting in and out of the team. He took 31 wickets in his time at Surrey at 21.54.

Clearly a man that admired symmetry, Gentry then went to Surrey and, again, played a single game. In his two games for other clubs Gentry took a further five wickets, taking his total to 36 at an average of 22.05.

[The Professor]

On this day in 1972 Muttiah Muralitharan was born to celebrate I share my top Muralitharan moment in the Sri Lankans career - his 8-70 against England in 2006.

His first wicket was Marcus Trescothick. Just as England were beginning to build a decent partnership; Muralitharan slides one through the gate and dismisses the Somerset man for 31.

Future England captain Alistair Cook was the next scalp. More dubious than Trescothick's dismissal but a rightfully adjudged lbw saw Cook walking back for 5.

Andrew Strauss was soon walking back too. This was more down to an acrobatic catch engineered between Kumar Sangakarra and Mahela Jayawardene but that triumvirate of Sri Lankans have been the destruction of many great teams.

Just six runs later, Muralitharan forced Kevin Pietersen to play against his natural style and endeavour to defend. He managed to work the angles and saw Pietersen caught by Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Andrew Flintoff fell to the same trap soon after. A player even less used to playing defensively, Flintoff fell to a four ball duck. England had lost 5 wickets to Muralitharan for the gain of just 36 runs.

Paul Collingwood tried to steady the ship before going for a 39 ball 9. It was a an unlucky way to get out for Collingwood as Muralitharan played it low. The ball seemed to hit boot but did it hit the ground first? The third umpire thought it did and Muralitharan's figures went to 6-33.

Unplayable is a way to describe the next Muralitharan dismissal as well as unreadable. The ball spinning all over the track to clean bowl Geraint Jones.

The last wicket was the most clear cut lbw of all. Jon Lewis had every right to look out of his depth before being sent back for 7.

A more dominant performance by a spinner in recent times I fail to remember.

[The Professor]

On this day in 1820 George Moore was born.

Born in England, Moore's moved to Australia and began to play for New South Wales at the age of 35. He played cricket whilst also running a bakers and sweet shop. His first two matches were against a touring England team, in the second of which he took a ten wicket haul getting figures of 6/39.

Moore was very much a late bloomer; making his domestic List A debut at the age of 50.

Throughout his fifties he turned out for a number of ragtag sides that played visiting England teams, and once against Australia. Counter-intuitively, despite retiring from his bakery at the age of 65, he still continued to play cricket. Moore played his last match at the age of 74. This left, what must have been a galling, 22 years between his last match and his death.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2015 Bangladesh completely outplayed Pakistan to win the ODI series.

Pakistan batted first and struggled in the initial overs. Azhar Ali looked the most competent of the openers but was let down by his compatriots. Sarfraz Ahmed and Mohammed Hafeez were both dismissed in single figures. Eventually Ali joined them after Shakib Al Hasan altered his bowling to allow Mushfiqur Rahim a caught behind chance.

Regular wickets continued to fall. Mohammad Hafeez and Fawad Alam both went for ducks leaving Haris Sohail isolated at the other end. Sohail found a sensible partner in Saad Nasim. Nasim, batting at 7, was Pakistan's most impressive batsman, dismissing Bangaldesh's bowlers for seven boundaries in his 115 balls.

When Sohail fell, caught and bowled to Mashrafe Mortaza, Wahab Riaz continued the rearguard action with a quick fire century. The Manhattan for Pakistan is startlingly two sided. The boundaries continued to flow until Pakistan registered their total of 239; something that seemed long distant at 59-4.

Tamim Iqbal then hammered his powerful century to lead Bangladesh to the first ever series win over Pakistan. From the off, Iqbal looked at his confident best, dismissing Pakistan's bowlers to the boundary. Within six overs Bangladesh were 51-0. Iqbal saw that he had already done the damage he needed to and slowed his run rate.

He ended the match on 116*. His most damaging partnership was with Mushfiqur Rahim - 118.

Bangladesh had too much with bat and ball for an under baked Pakistan team.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2014 Alex Lees and Gary Balance salvage an undercooked Yorkshire side's first innings performance against Northamptonshire.

All things considered this was a positive day for Northamptonshire as they saw regular fall of wickets, predominantly through Andrew Hall. Opener Adam Lyth fell within the third over having just crept into double figures, Kane Williamson had barely got a run on the board when he was Hall's first scalp and then in the 25th over Andrew Gale was sent back by Azhar Ullah. This made Yorkshire 57-3 and in a spot of bother.

Throughout all this Alex Lees had been plugging away valiantly at the other end, desperate to find a partner with any desire to stick around. He found such a partner in the form of Gary Balance. The pair put on 156 runs to drag Yorkshire away from the precipice. They batted together for the best part of two sessions which solidified and then bolstered for Yorkshire.

When Lees became Hall's second victim just short of his fifty, Yorkshire returned to a few careless shots that saw another mini collapse. Adil Rashid scored quickly, perhaps trying to keep up with Balance, but then lost hiss wicket to Steven Crook. 8 overs later Andy Hodd has accumulated 21 runs at an even quicker pace than Rashid and was Maurice Chambers only scalp of the day. Liam Plunkett was the last man to fall for 11.

A weirdly topsy turvy day with two half sessions of devastation for Yorkshire and the rest of the day being dominant. Balance claimed his century during the afternoon session and finishes Day One on 117 joined by Sidebottom.

[braveneutral]

Love a good Northants story.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2014 Yorkshire ran through Northamptonshire, enforcing the follow on.

Gary Ballance was the main man in the morning session, pushing his 117 overnight to a total of 174. Ballance and Ryan Sidebottom played well together, Sidebottom playing the stooge to Ballance's more powerful strokeplay. When Sidebottom was sent back by James Middlebrook and Ballance was dismissed, to become Andrew Hall's fourth clean-bowled wicket, Northamptonshire would have thought the innings break was nigh. Steven Patterson and Jack Brooks put together a last wicket partnership of 54 - and that did not look like breaking up any time soon if it were not for the declaration by Yorkshire on 459.

It took thirty overs to dismiss Northamptonshire with seam taking all the wickets. Middlebrook fell first to Jack Brooks for just 9 and his fellow opener followed in the over afterwards to Ryan Sidebottom. Kyle Coetzer and Matthew Spriegel proved a comparative success for Northamptonshire when they formed a partnership of 11 runs that lasted 6 overs, the second highest partnership of the day.

When Coetzer was dismissed the batsmen at 5, 6, 7 and 8 were all dismissed by Jack Brooks, were all dismissed in single figures and were all dismissed within 7 overs of each other. Northamptonshire went from a worrying 27-3 to a disastrous 65-7.

The tail were dismissed for 2 ducks and a 10 from Maurice Chambers. Spriegel was not out on 29 when Muhammad Ullah was the last man to fall, leaving Northamptonshire 94 all out - 365 behind Yorkshire.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2014 Northamptonshire made a better fist of their second innings than they did their first.

Despite this Ryan Sidebottom and Jack Brooks returned to haunt the Northants batsmen. In what was another rain affected day it seemed like history may repeat itself when Stephen Peters was dismissed within the first ten overs for 11, however a partnership between James Middlebrook and Kyle Coetzer managed to do what no partnership could yesterday and stabilise. The pair scored briskly and by the time Coetzer was Sidebottom's second victim in the 33rd over, Northamptonshire were 113-2, 23 more than they managed in their total first innings.

In what was a frustrating performance Matthew Spriegel spent an all too brief time at the crease before being sent back for single figures, lbw to Jack Brooks. James Middlebrook was playing well, choosing which balls to hit and playing slowly. Spriegel tried to do the same but couldn't replicate his partners prowess.

5 overs before the end of the day, Middlebrook fell to Jack Brooks - the third catch credited to Andy Hodd. This brought together Robert Newton and Maurice Chambers and saw Northamptonshire end the day in 149-4, still 216 behind Yorkshire.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2014 a stubborn Northamptonshire rearguard action could not deny Yorkshire an innings and 120 run victory.

The day started poorly when Maurice Chambers was dismissed for the addition of just a single run - Jack Brooks eighth wicket of the match.

Wickets would fall regularly from there on in. Andrew Hall fell in the 59th over and Stephen Crook in the 62nd. David Willey played brightly throughout all of these partnerships for a 48 ball 20 and fell in the 64th over. David Murphy and Azharullah defied the scoreboard and put together stolid performance for the last wicket. Their partnership of 50 was the second highest partnership for Northamptonshire over the two innings, however when Yorkshire resorted to spin for the first time in the contest, Adil Rashid got the final wicket to seal a dominant Yorkshire victory.

[braveneutral]

Boo! Hiss!

[The Professor]

Yesterday's

On this day in 2007 Arthur Milton died.



From a young age Milton showed an aptitude for many different sports and a restlessness that continued into adulthood.




Before even bothering with cricket Milton became a regular fixture playing for Arsenal, making his debut in 1951. Only a year later he had won the league title and played for England. Despite this impressive start he soon found himself being eased out of the team and was eventually transferred to Bristol City. After one season there he made the decision to transfer to cricket.




From a cricket perspective Milton worked up the ranks for Gloucestershire before breaking though into the first team.




He was selected to play for England for the first time (or second time) in 1958 and made his debut against New Zealand and scored a century on debut. He was also the first England player to remain on the playing field the whole of a Test match: he fielded throughout New Zealand's first innings, then opened the batting for England and ended undefeated, and fielded again through New Zealand's second innings, as England won by an innings and 71 runs. Wisden recognised him as one of the cricketers of the year, despite the fact that he was dropped for the last test.




Milton took part in two further tests but was never selected for England again.




On his return to Gloucestershire he played prolifically. He scored over 32,000 first-class runs at 33.66, passing 1,000 runs in 16 seasons. He played 1,017 innings for Gloucestershire, a record for the county. His best season was 1967 when, aged 39, he scored 2000 runs and scored 7 centuries.




After retirement he became a postman.




Milton was the last surviving person to have played cricket and football for England, a feat that will probably never happen again.