1949: A cricketing gentleman is born. India’s Gundappa Viswanath was as renowned for his sportsmanship – he cost India the Golden Jubilee Test when he recalled Bob Taylor – as he was for his lightning wrists and pure, impish strokeplay. From 91 Tests he made over 6,000 runs at an average of 41. And his runs were usually influential: he averaged 53 against West Indies, and 51 in Tests India didn’t lose, as against 26 in those they did.
1958: Celtic Bill Russell grabs 41 rebounds to beat Syracuse 119-101.
1964: End of Richie Benaud’s 63-Test Cricket career.
1986: 1st-class cricket debut of Sir Curtly Ambrose, Leeward Is v Guyana.
2003: A bad day for South Africa, the World Cup hosts, in Paarl, where Percy Sonn – at the time the UCBSA president – got so drunk while watching India thrash Netherlands that he infamously “fell out of his pants”. One reporter noted that Sonn, who went on to become president of the ICC, told onlookers: “Brother, I am so ****ing drunk I don’t know where the **** I am.”
2005: Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers scored 60 points in a 112-99 win over the Orlando Magic.