On This Day

[The Professor]

On this day in 2004 Ray Tolchard died.

Tolchard began his cricketing career for the Leicestershire Second XI in 1970 - a team he would turn out for up until 1978.

Tolchard made his debut for Devon in 1975 and played for them for nine years. The highlight of his career was a hard worked century against Durham to claim Devon's first ever Championship.

A majority of the games he played were not List A but, at that time, Minor Counties participated in the Gillette Cup which contributed as a First Class game. This meant that Tolchard retired with a handful of List A games to his credit. In total, he played 10 List A matches, scoring just 92 runs at an average of 13.14, with a high score of 42.

After retirement he became a First Class Umpire and between 1988 and 1992 umpired 35 matches.

He died in 2005 of Motor Neurone Disease. He leaves a grand cricketing family: one of his brothers, Roger, was an England international whilst the other, Jeffrey, played for Leicestershire. His nephew, Roger Twose, played internationally for New Zealand.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I read about five years ago that WP had changed his name to an Arabic one on becoming a Moslem. Not sure if he changed his mind or it was a wind up.

No it's very much true.

So he just uses the old name for cricket? He's still listed as WP.

[The Professor]

I'm not sure if it's changed by deed poll or just an informal thing

[The Professor]

On this day in 2014 Lancashire and Glamorgan bowlers excel in tight T20 Blast game.

Usman Khawaja was the brightest star for a depleted Lancashire line-up with 67 off 54 however the Glamorgan bowlers seemed the most in control. Graham Wagg and Michael Hogan got three wickets each, whilst Andrew Salter got two. Hogan's death over bowling was very impressive and claimed the scalp of Khawaja. Lancashire got 137 in their twenty overs.

Glamorgan would have felt very comfortable chasing that total down and began strongly. It was the bowling of Jordan Clark that secured Lancashire's place in Finals Day with a salvo of four wickets in eight balls. When Clark was introduced Glamorgan were 88-2 and, seemingly, cruising. Two overs later it was 100-6. The 17th over was a triple wicket maiden. Fittingly Clark was thrown the ball for the last over, which was slightly delayed by rain. He needed to defend fifteen and did so with one run to spare.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2012 Alviro Petersen give South Africa a combative lead on Day One of the Second Test.

South Africa have been feasting on the English bowling and Petersen is the fourth centurion for the tourists in this series. Throughout the day the English bowlers look overwhelmed - Jimmy Anderson looked to be going through the the motions, Stuart Broad looked slow and Tim Bresnan looked like a passenger.

They could have staunched the flow of Petersen's runs early on if it were not for Alistair Cook grassing a catch when the South African was on 29. This is not the only life that South Africa were given. Graeme Smith could have been dispatched for 6 if it were not for the fact that Steven Finn had knocked off the bails at the non-striker's end with his front leg. It was the fourth time he had done it in less than three overs.

It was not all South Africa's way - a cluster of wickets saw Smith, Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis all depart within 12 overs. Bresnan got the captain caught by Ian Bell - perhaps a hangover from just returning from South Africa for the birth of his child. Bresnan was the man again - this time with a run out off a midfield to claim Amla for 9. Kallis looked the most dangerous of the top four and England would have been pleased to get him for just 19 - caught by Alistair Cook off the bowling of Anderson. This rendered South Africa 120-0 to 157-3.

As the day went on England managed to break Petersen's rhythm a bit and stifle his run scoring, however South Africa had the edge on Day One. This is despite the fact that very late on a very late day another flurry of wickets saw England claim the scalps of AB de Villiers and nightwatchman Dale Steyn. Steven Finn also thought he had the wicket of Petersen, only to be thwarted by DRS.

South Africa were 262/5 on close with Petersen 124 and Jacques Rudolph on 1.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2012 South Africa bat for most of the day and put England on back foot.

The morning session was an exasperating one for England's bowlers - with only the wicket of Jacques Rudolph to show for it. It could have been so different when the first ball of the day was adjudged lbw - Alviro Petersen reviewed it and the decision was over turned. England's bowlers nerves were torn to shreds from there. England then bowled six successive maiden overs - but this became a source of frustration as the ball became older and older.

They even turned to Keven Pietersen's bowling at one point, such was their frustration. That it was Pietersen that induced Rudolph to come down the track and force a narrow stumping from Matt Prior was even more surprising.

The South African innings will be best remembered for Petersen's 182. It was an almighty innings - in which Petersen injured himself. He needed treatment shortly before lunch for a hamstring strain, which was serious enough for him not to field during England's innings and go to a Leeds hospital for a precautionary scan. He was eventually dismissed off a Stuart Broad delivery, caught behind by Prior. The umpire called it as not out but Andrew Strauss took it to the DRS and his decision was overturned.

After Petersen left, wickets began to tumble away. Steven Finn and Tim Bresnan combined to dismiss Vernon Philander for 13. Broad and Alistair Cook combined to dismiss Morne Morkel for 19. Jimmy Anderson sent Imran Tahir back for a duck.

England batted for seventeen overs at the end of the day and Strauss and Cook stand on 48/0 largely due to some underwhelming South African bowling.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2012 Kevin Pietersen took over from Alviro with an inspired century of his own.

The day started listlessly for England.

Alistair Cook was first out for 24 - lbw off the bowling of Vernon Philander. Andrew Strauss lasted until just after lunch. He had played slowly and painstakingly for his 37. Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell both went cheaply. Bell fell to an awful shot just before tea. Just before things got interesting

To begin with Pietersen's batting looked as ordinary as that which had gone before - he got 43 from 83 balls. Shortly after tea, he became the fastest batsman, in terms of time, to 7000 Test run and from there things exploded. Pietersen then got 106 runs in 42 overs. It could have been different if, early on after tea, Hashim Amla had held on to a good chance with Pietersen on 52. He lived to fight another day and, if anything, became more combative.

Almost a footnote in all this was the debut of James Taylor who helped see Pietersen over the line to his century. He got 34 and was a moment of calm, compared to Pietersen's frantic batting.

Graeme Smith had to leave the field towards the end of the day with a knee injury sustained chasing a ball to the boundary. The day ended with Pietersen on 149, joined by Matt Prior on 20. England were 351/5 - 68 behind South Africa.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2012 rain effects the Test more than South Africa or England can.

The day began with the news that the injury sustained by Alviro Petersen was severe enough to keep him out for a week. Suitably fitting news for the cloudy bleak drizzly day. This adds to a growing list of injury concerns for South Africa. Graeme Smith played with his knee heavily strapped and Jacques Kallis has been removed from bowling or fielding duties due to back spasms.

On the field it was Matt Prior who pushed England into a marginal lead after the Kevin Pietersen show was wrapped up in the second over of the morning for the addition of no runs. Prior's 68 managed to hold the tail together and lift his team to a six run lead over South Africa. He had some tenacious support from Tim Bresnan with whom he formed a 45 run partnership.

Imran Tahir had to intervene to see off the tail. He claimed the wickets of Prior, Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson - capping the English to 425.

Seventeen overs of the South African second innings were bowled but England could not separate Smith and Jacques Rudolph. Jimmy Anderson had an optimistic review of Smith overturned but that was the only sniff of a chance that England had. Having already been off once before lunch for a shower, England could see that they needed early wickets. After lunch they tempted Rudolph in to some shots but couldn't get the prize wicket they needed before the rain came tumbling down.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2012 an unexpected declaration gives England a a frenetic end to the Test.

Kevin Pietersen began the day trying to prove to the world that he is an all rounder as he got three wickets either side of the lunch break. The wickets of Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla and Jacques Rudolph no less. Smith was the key wicket - he looked the man to be able to drag South Africa to a respectable score. He also looked a charmed man as he had already had two chances spurned.

Stuart Broad, seeing he had to up his game, upped his game. He then got 4 wickets within 20 balls. The highlight of his showing was removing AB de Villiers and JP Duminy in successive balls. Vernon Philander and Jacques Kallis made up the rest of his wickets.

Then came the shock declaration with South Africa 252 runs ahead and one session left in it.

England were overjoyed to be able to be in with a chance of winning the Test but were soon 106-4 with twenty overs left in the game and hearts started pounding a little more rapidly. England hugely reordered their batting line up for extra impetus. Pietersen opened with Alistair Cook so as to get things going dominantly - this backfired when he was out for just 12. Soon England righted the ship through Andrew Strauss and Cook and the inevitable draw was back to being inevitable.

The final Test now has all to play for.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2015 a huge amount of wickets fall in Day One between Yorkshire and Durham.

The day started as it meant to go on. Andrew Hodd was lbw for Yorkshire on 9, shortly afterwards Chris Rushworth induced Andrew Lees into a sloppy shot that cannoned into his own stumps. The next three batsmen, Jack Leaning, Gary Ballance and Andrew Gale, were all out caught. By lunch Yorkshire were 94-7 with Glenn Maxwell being the highest scorer on 36.

After lunch the procession kept coming and Durham were only held up by a stolid final partnership between Tim Bresnan and Ryan Sidebottom. The pair accrued 67 runs between them. When Bresnan fell to Jamie Harrison, Yorkshire were all out for 162 in 43 overs.

The Durham openers of Mark Stoneman and Graham Clark looked to be making a fist of it in early dispatches but after Clark was dismissed, two further batsmen were sent back in quick succession for no added runs. Scott Borthwick and Michael Richardson tried to do a salvage job but couldn't push on to a decent score. When they were sent back Durham were at 91-6.

Where Bresnan was the stand out player for Yorkshire, Ryan Pringle was the most impressive player for Durham. Seeing the lay of the land, Pringle scorched a 54-ball 40. All around him the tail was offering nothing but he persevered. Pringle was eventually out by Ryan Sidebottom and was his third victim. His fourth was Rushworth who ended the Durham innings. Durham were all out for 156 in 42.2 overs. Yorkshire had a 6 run lead.

There was enough time in the day for Yorkshire to begin their second innings. Hodd and Lees stand unbeaten on 2 and 6 respectively.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2015 Maxwell and Rashid defy the pitch and give Yorkshire the impetus.

Day Two began in a similar vein to Day One with a procession of batsmen being sent back to the pavilion in rapid succession. Yorkshire started the day on 10-0 and in the blink of an eye were languishing at 79-5 before the stabilising partnership of Glenn Maxwell and Adil Rashid started to reset the balance. The pair added 248, which set a new record for Yorkshire's sixth wicket against Durham and is the county's fourth highest for that wicket in a first-class game. When Maxwell was caught by Graham Clark off Ryan Pringle for 140, he and Rashid had swelled Yorkshire's lead to 333. Both of them seemed to be playing on a different pitch or by different rules to the 25 batsmen that had gone before them. Maxwell went from 50 to 100 in 39 balls.

Rashid was next man out also caught by Clark at deep cover. He had made 127. Buoyed by this performance the tail also wagged decently. Tim Bresnan and Liam Plunkett got 28 and 27 respectively. The day ended with Steven Patterson and Ryan Sidebottom together and the score on 420/9 - a lead of 426.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2015 Yorkshire take truncated victory against Durham.

The day began with the Yorkshire tail. Steven Patterson got another 18 and frustrated the Durham bowlers before being dismissed by Graham Onions on 36. Durham's target was 446.

Yorkshire showed great agility in the field throughout the day. Tim Bresnan was first up with a spectacular caught and bowled off Mark Stoneman. Then, a little later, yesterday's hero Glenn Maxwell diving low to send Scott Borthwick back. Sandwiched in between them was the wicket of Graham Clarke, lbw to Liam Plunkett. Durham were 108-3. Soon after they were 143-4 after the dismissal of Gordon Muchall, again to Plunkett. Durham were scoring fast but would they have enough wickets?

Adil Rashid, another of yesterday's heroes, offered something else with the ball, claiming three of the Durham tail's wickets. The only batsmen to offer any type of resistance for Durham was debutant Jack Burnham who scored a half century before becoming Plunkett's fourth victim and last man out. Durham had reached 263. Yorkshire had won, leaving them fifty points clear in the Division One table.

[The Professor]

On this day in 1967 England bowl Pakistan out in a day.

On a day that started on time, despite catastrophic rain storms the previous day, Hanif Mohammad won the toss and elected to bat. The Pakistani batsmen found it very tough going - the exception to this being Saeed Ahmed and Mushtaq Mohammad. Both opening batsmen were out for a combined total of three runs. Ahmed buoyed Javed Burki up for ten minutes but he was soon gone to Geoff Arnold, one of the six changes England made to their team. Once Ahmed and Mushtaq left it was 82-4.

The difficulty to score runs is characterised by Hanif. In an hour and fifty minutes he made a mere 16 runs. The bowlers had the initiative. The wickets from there were spread across all the bowlers with the best figures coming from Ken Higgs who bagged 4-12.

Pakistan were all out for 140. Geoff Boycott and Colin Cowdrey came out and batted for two overs. They were 4/0 when the thunderstorm returned and the rest of the day's play was suspended.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Hanif was supposed to be usually pretty slow.

[The Professor]

In the days before strike rates you have to look at minutes batted which is a bit flawed. I tend to look at how many runs per minute they got.

In the only Pakistan innings of the first Test he got a run every 2.54. In this innings he got a run every 6.36. In second innings he got run every 7.18. To compare in the third Test he got a run every 5 minutes in first innings and 5.12 in second. Slow even by his slow standards.