12th August....
1884:
Australian captain Billy Murdoch scores Test cricket's first double-century - 211 - at the Oval against England.
1886:
England opener William Scotton made 34 in 225 minutes against Australia at The Oval. At one stage of his innings he spent 67 minutes without adding to his score of 24.
1890:
England's left arm medium pace bowlers Fred Martin took 12 Australian wickets for 102 runs on his Test debut at The Oval. He became the first debutant to take a 10-plus-wicket haul in Test cricket.
1897:
West Indies captain and batsman Maurice Fernandes (2 Tests from 1928 to 1930) was born.
1899:
West Indian all-rounder Ben Sealy (1 Test in 1933) was born.
1923:
West Indian batsman John Holt Jr. (17 Tests from 1954 to 1959; 1066 runs) was born.
1924:
English pace bowler Derek Shackleton (7 Tests from 1950 to 1963) was born.
1933:
England, against the West Indies, was without a Surrey player in a Test match at the Oval for the first time.
1940:
South African all-rounder and opener Eddie Barlow (30 Tests from 1961 to 1970; 2516 runs and 40 wickets) was born.
1941:
England's left arm spinner Bobby Peel (20 Tests from 1884 to 1896; 101 wickets) died aged 84. Coincidentally he also ended his Test career with figures of 6-23 that included his 100th wicket; on this very day 45 years ago in 1896.
1954:
England keeper Godfrey Evans beat Australian Bert Oldfield's world record of 130 dismissals when he caught Pakistan captain AH Kardar at The Oval. (see 1976).
1956:
Sri Lankan opener Sidath Wettimuny (23 Tests from 1981 to 1987; 1221 runs) was born.
1960:
England pace bowler Greg Thomas (5 Tests in 1986) was born.
1961:
New Zealand left-arm spinner Mark Priest (3 Tests from 1990 to 1998) was born.
1969:
West Indian opener Stuart Williams (28 Tests from 1993 to 1999; 1092 runs) was born.
1972:
The Chappells - Ian (118) and Greg (113) - provided the first instance in Test cricket of brothers scoring hundreds in the same innings - for Australia against England at the Oval.
1973:
England all-rounder and off-spinner Johnnie Clay (1 Test in 1935) died aged 75.
1976:
West Indian left arm pace bowler Pedro Collins since 1999 was born.
1976:
Playing in his 78th match, English keeper Alan Knott beat Godfrey Evans' world Test record of 219 dismissals in 91 Tests when he stumped West Indian Lawrence Rowe at the Oval. (see 1954).
1978:
Bevan Congdon passed John Reid's record New Zealand aggregate of 3428 at Nottingham.
1983:
New Zealand's left-handed all-rounder Giff Vivian (7 Tests from 1931 to 1937; 421 runs and 17 wickets) died aged 70.
1997:
Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya was dismissed for 199 against India at the Sinhalese Sports Ground at Colombo.
13th August....
1872:
Batsman Frank Mitchell (2 Tests in 1898-99 for England and 3 Tests in 1912 for South Africa as captain) was born in England.
1884:
English left arm fast medium bowler Harry Dean (3 Tests in 1912) was born.
1888:
The England team for the second Test against Australia at the Oval was chosen by the Surrey club's committee and obviously included five of their own players.
1902:
England beat Australia by one wicket at The Oval as Gilbert Jessop coming in at 48-5 scored a brilliant 104, while reaching his hundred in just 75 minutes, then the fastest in Tests. It was Test cricket's first single wicket result.
1912:
The combination of wet pitch and poor light produced a pre-lunch finish to the Oval Test on the second day between England and South Africa. England paceman SF Barnes claimed 8-29 in 16.4 overs during the pre-lunch session.
1921:
With the debut of Andrew Sandham in the fifth Ashes Test at the Oval, England selectors employed a record number of 30-players during this five-match Test series.
1945:
England medium pacer and now a TV commentator Robin Jackman (4 Tests from 1981 to 1982) was born in Simla, India.
1956:
Australian batsman Harry Donnan (5 Tests from 1891 to 1896) died aged 91.
1959:
England keeper-batsman Bruce French (16 Tests from 1986 to 1988; 308 runs and 39 dismissals) was born.
1961:
English paceman Neil Mallender (2 Tests in 1992) was born.
1975:
Pakistani fast bowler Pakistani Shoaib Akhtar since 1997 was born.
1976:
West Indian Viv Richards scores 291 against England at the Oval to bring his record total of runs in a calendar year to 1710.
1977:
England's Alan Knott against Australia at Leeds took his 250th dismissal of his career to become the first to reach this milestone.
1981:
Geoff Boycott against Australia at Manchester passed Colin Cowdrey's record England aggregate of 7624 runs to become his country's highest run-getter.
1982:
Pakistani opener Mohsin Khan (200) against England recorded the first double hundred in a Lord's Test since 1949.
14th August....
1893:
West Indian leg-spinner OC "Tommy" Scott (8 Tests from 1928 to 1931) was born.
1893:
The Oval Test between England and Australia was awarded as benefit to JM Read and produced takings of £ 1,200.
1895:
Australian all-rounder Jack Gregory (24 Tests from 1920 to 1929; 1146 runs & 85 wickets) was born.
1899:
England on the first day of the Oval Test match scored 435 runs for the loss of 4 wickets against Australia.
1905:
England's captain FS Jackson became the first to win every toss in a five-match Test series when he did so against Australia at The Oval.
1909:
Australian left-handed batsman Len Darling (12 Tests from 1932 to 1937; 474 runs) was born.
1926:
England all-rounder Frank Woolley was appearing in a record 52 consecutive Test matches. He had played in all England's Tests since his debut in 1909.
1926:
England's Wilfred Rhodes in the above match, at the age of 48, was making a comeback after a gap of five years.
1928:
West Indies lost its third successive Test (all by an innings) as England won the series 3-0.
1938:
Australian off-spinning all-rounder Hugh Trumble (32 Tests from 1890 to 1904; 851 runs and 141 wickets) died aged 71.
1938:
Australian keeper James Kelly (36 Tests from 1896 to 1905; 664 runs and 63 dismissals) died aged 71.
1941:
New Zealand batsman Peter Truscott (1 Test in 1964) was born.
1948:
England was dismissed for 52 by Ray Lindwall (6-20 in 16.1 overs) as Don Bradman playing in his last Test innings was bowled by Eric Hollies for a duck - second ball!
1962:
Pakistani opening batsman and captain Rameez Raja (57 Tests from 1984 to 1997; 2833 runs) was born.
1968:
Indian middle-order batsman Pravin Amre (11 Tests from 1992 to 1993; 425 runs) was born.
1971:
Sri Lankan paceman Pramodaya Wickremasinghe, (40 Tests from 1991 to 2001; 83 wickets) was born.
1966:
South African all-rounder SJ 'Tip' Snooke (26 Tests from 1905 to 1923; 1008 runs and 35 wickets) died aged 85.
1981:
South African batsman and captain Dudley Nourse (34 Tests from 1935 to 1951; 2960 runs at 53.82) died aged 70.
1981:
Englishman Alan Knott became the first keeper to take 100 dismissals against Australia at Manchester.
1984:
West Indies at The Oval became the first team to win a Test series in England five-nil. The Windies also equalled the world record of eight consecutive wins by Australia from 1920 to 1921.
1990:
At 17 years 112 days India's Sachin Tendulkar became the second youngest to score a Test hundred (after Pakistani Mushtaq Mohammad) when he made an unbeaten 119 against England at Manchester.
1998:
The first ever triangular one-day tournament began in England for the Emirates Cup.
2000:
South African pace bowler Cuan McCarthy (15 Tests from 1948 to 1951; 36 wickets) died age 71.
15th August....
1886:
Australian left-arm medium pacer Bill Whitty (14 Tests 1909 to 1912; 65 wickets) was born.
1893:
Alick Bannerman during his innings of 55 in the second innings against England at The Oval became the first Australian to reach 1000 runs in Tests.
1905:
England's AO 'Arthur' Jones at the Oval, became the first substitute to keep wickets in a Test and also became the first to make a dismissal (of Australian Warwick Armstrong).
1921:
England's left-hander CP 'Phil' Mead scored 109 runs in 147 minutes before lunch on the second day moving from 19* to 128* against Australia at the Oval. Mead later in the day took his score to an unbeaten 182.
1927:
England leg-spinner Eddie Leadbeater (2 Tests in 1951-52) was born.
1933:
England's right arm leg-break bowler CS 'Father' Marriott, playing in his only Test match of his career claims 11 for 96 (5-37 and 6-59) against West Indies.
1934:
West Indian off-spinner Reg Scarlett (3 Tests in 1959-60) was born.
1936:
England's Walter Hammond (217) records the first double hundred against India at the Oval.
1951:
English left-arm spinner John Childs (2 Tests in 1988) was born.
1952:
India on the second day of the Oval Test match, had lost half its side for just six runs against England.
1963:
England left-handed batsman and keeper Jack Russell (54 Tests from 1988 to 1998; 1901 runs and 165 dismissals).
1964:
England's pace bowler Freddie Trueman became the first bowler to take 300 wickets in Test matches when he had Neil Hawke caught by Colin Cowdrey at first slip at The Oval.
1967:
Alan Bull, a young recruit to the Nottinghamshire playing staff who was not destined to play first-class cricket, fielded as a substitute for England's Basil D'Oliveira and caught Pakistani Asif Iqbal at Nottingham.
1975:
Indian all-rounder Vijay Bharadwaj (3 Tests in 1999-00) was born.
1981:
England's Ian Botham scores a century in 86 balls against Australia at Manchester during his second innings score of 118 that included six sixes.
1983:
England's Bob Willis at Lord's against New Zealand became the first batsman in Test history to be "not-out" 50 times.
1985:
David Gower at Birmingham, became the first English captain to put Australia in to bat in successive Tests.
16th August....
1860:
England batsman and later administrator Lord Hawke (5 Tests from 1895 to 1999) was born.
1872:
England's batting all-rounder and captain AO (Arthur) Jones (12 Tests from 1899 to 1909) was born.
1921:
On the last day of the Ashes Test match at the Oval, Australian captain Warwick Armstrong left his team to organise itself, fielded in the deep and picked up a stray newspaper "to see who we're playing". The match quickly declined from being a serious contest to a farce.
1944:
Pakistani left-arm pace bowler Mufasir-ul-Haq (1 Test in 1964) was born.
1949:
New Zealand drew its four-match Test series against England. Not a single New Zealand batsman was dismissed for a duck throughout the series!
1950:
Australian pace bowler Jeff Thomson (51 Tests from 1972 to 1985; 200 wickets) was born.
1952:
Sri Lanka's first keeper Mahes Goonatillake (5 Tests in 1982) was born.
1955:
South African off-spinner Hugh Tayfield on the third day of the Oval Test match against England bowled unchanged for five hours during which he bowled 52 overs for 54 runs and four wickets. He also became the first South African bowler to take 100 wickets.
1939:
Australian all-rounder Ron Oxenham (7 Tests from 1928 to 1932) died aged 48.
1960:
England all-rounder Errol Holmes (5 Tests in 1935) died aged 54.
2000: The first indoor cricket international match was played at the Colonial Stadium at Melbourne between Australia and South Africa.
17th August....
1878:
Australian batsman Reggie Duff (22 Tests from 1901 to 1905; 1317 runs) was born.
1880:
South African keeper-batsman and captain Percy Sherwell (13 Tests from 1905 to 1911; 427 runs and 36 dismissals) was born.
1922:
English offie Roy Tattersall (16 Tests from 1950 to 1954; 58 wickets) was born.
1924:
Aussie left-arm spinner Tom Kendall (2 Tests in 1877; 14 wickets) died aged 72.
1926:
The English pair of Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe put on 172 runs for the first wicket on a rain-affected pitch against Australia at the Oval.
1944:
Australian all-rounder John Trumble (7 Tests from 1884 to 1886; 243 runs and 10 wickets) died aged 80.
1954:
Pakistan's win at the Oval by 24 runs was its first against England. In doing they also became the first country to win a Test in their very first series in England. Pakistan's pace bowler Fazal Mahmood took 12 wickets in the match.
1955:
England's win by 92 runs against South Africa at the Oval produced five definite results for the first time in a Test series in England.
1966:
South African batsman Archibald Palm (1 Test in 1927) died aged 65.
1972:
Bangladeshi Test batman Habibul Bashar since 2000 was born.
1976:
Pace bowler Michael Holding took 14 wickets against England at The Oval, to become the first West Indian to take more than 12 wickets in a Test match.
1981:
Allan Border (handicapped by a fractured finger) during his unbeaten innings of 123 against England at Manchester recorded then the slowest hundred by an Australian in Tests. He reached his hundred in 377 minutes.
1997:
India makes 300-7 chasing Sri Lanka's 302-4 as Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja put on a record 223 for the fifth wicket.
2000:
West Indies Curtly Ambrose claims his 400th Test wicket in his 97th Test match - at Leeds against England.
18th August....
1870:
English all-rounder Hugh Bromley-Davenport (4 Tests from 1895 to 1899) was born.
1908:
New Zealand leg-spinner Bill Merritt (6 Tests from 1929 to 1931) was born.
1920:
England's keeper-batsman Godfrey Evans (91 Tests from 1946 to 1959; 2439 runs 219 dismissals) was born.
1923:
Indian keeper JK Irani (2 Tests in 1947-48) was born.
1923:
Indian leg-spinner Sadu Shinde (7 Tests from 1946 to 1952) was born.
1934:
Englishman Frank Woolley, at 47 years was making a comeback to the side against Australia at the Oval. He was the last pre-1914 Test player to appear in a Test match.
1934:
Australians Bill Ponsford and Don Bradman put on 451 runs in 316 minutes for the second wicket against England at the Oval. It remained a Test record for any wicket until February 1991.
1936:
Indian batsman CK Nayudu at the Oval refused to retire after sustaining a crippling blow from a ball from England fast bowler GO Allen. He defended stoically for two and half hours to score 81 and avert an innings defeat.
1948:
Don Bradman's last day in Test cricket, against England at the Oval.
1951:
England's opening batsman Len Hutton became the first and only Test player to be dismissed "obstructing the field", against South Africa at the Oval.
1956:
Indian middle-order batsman Sandeep Patil (29 Tests from 1979 to 1984; 1588 runs) was born.
1960:
In the Oval Test match against South Africa, England for the second consecutive series had won all five tosses.
1974:
West Indian left-handed middle-order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul since 1994 was born.
1994:
The scheduled second Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the Sinhalese SC Ground, Colombo, was abandoned and cancelled because of civil unrest following a general election.
2000:
England's Andrew Caddick claims four West Indian batsmen in one over at Leeds.
2000:
England beat West Indies by an innings and 39 runs at Leeds to record Test cricket's first two-day Test match since 1946.
Compiled by:
Mohandas Menon
Complete archive
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