The numbers which prove Derek Underwood had plenty of players in a spin

He additionally ranks 14th all-time for first-class wickets and right here, the PA information company appears at his profession document.

First-class document

Underwood took 2,465 first-class wickets in a 25-year profession with Kent and England spanning 676 matches.

That ranks him comfortably inside the highest 20 within the recreation’s historical past, whereas his wickets got here at a median of 20.28.

Whereas that glorious mark is definitely bettered by most of these forward of him, on an inventory headed by fellow sluggish left-armer Wilfred Rhodes’ 4,204 wickets at 16.72, Underwood’s economic system fee of two.14 runs an over is the most effective of the various spinners in that group and trails solely Derek Shackleton and Maurice Tate.

He took 100 wickets in his debut first-class season in 1963 – turning into the youngest bowler to take action, solely turning 18 in June of that summer season.

Nicknamed “Lethal”, he had career-best figures of 9 for 28 and was famous for his match-winning spells – significantly on damp pitches, corresponding to his seven for 50 in a 1968 Take a look at in opposition to Australia on the Oval and eight for 9 in opposition to Sussex 5 years later.

Although not famous for his batting, he recorded a solitary first-class century in 1984, aged 39. Sussex had been once more the opponents as he nudged his strategy to 111 in a tied recreation. He added simply two half-centuries in 710 innings.

An additional 411 matches in Listing A cricket, with 572 wickets at 19.40, took him past 1,000 matches and three,000 wickets in his profession.

England document

No different England spinner has taken as many Take a look at wickets as Underwood’s 297, in 86 video games between 1966 and 1982.

His wickets got here at a median of 25.84, together with his finest innings and match figures each coming in opposition to Pakistan in August 1974 with eight for 51 within the second innings and 13 for 71 within the match.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad have damaged new frontiers for England lately, with 700 and 604 wickets respectively, however solely three different bowlers have exceeded Underwood’s tally.

Lord Ian Botham took 383 between 1977 and 1992, Bob Willis took 325 and Fred Trueman 307.

Graeme Swann is Underwood’s nearest challenger amongst England spinners, taking his 255 wickets in simply 60 matches however at a median over 4 runs greater than Underwood’s.

Underwood ranks thirty eighth on the all-time Take a look at wicket listing and is within the high 10 amongst spinners, an inventory headed by Sri Lanka nice Muttiah Muralitharan’s document 800 and Shane Warne’s 708 for Australia.

Anil Kumble took 619 for India, Australia’s Nathan Lyon and India’s Ravichandran Ashwin are over 500 and Rangana Herath and Harbhajan Singh broke the 400 barrier. Daniel Vettori (362) and Lance Gibbs (309) are the others forward of Underwood.

On the spinning pitches of India, Underwood edges out Australia’s Richie Benaud because the main visiting spinner with 54 wickets.

Underwood additionally performed 26 one-day internationals, taking 32 wickets at 22.93 with a finest of 4 for 44 in opposition to the West Indies.