This Week, That Age

For the week December 14 to 20

1913: England defeat South Africa by an innings and 157 runs in the first Test at Durban to go one up in the five-match series. The match provides the first instance of both captains (HW Taylor and JWHT Douglas) scoring hundreds. SF Barnes becomes the first bowler to take 150 Test wickets.

1928: England defeat Australia by eight wickets in the second Test at Sydney to go two up in the five-match series. England’s first innings total of 636 establishes a new Test record. A record Sydney crowd of 58,446 acclaims Jack Hobbs on the second day - the eve of his 46thbirthday.

1933: England defeat India by nine wickets in the first Test at Bombay to go one up in three-match series. This is India’s first Test at home and the first to include Sunday play. Lala Amarnath becomes the first Indian to hit a Test century and achieves the feat on his debut.

1946: Australia defeat England by an innings and 33 runs in the second Test at Sydney to go two up in the five-match series. Syd Barnes and Don Bradman both of whom score 234 are associated in a fifth wicket partnership of 405 runs still the record for all Test cricket. Barnes takes 570 minutes to reach his 200 then the slowest double century in first class cricket. His innings lasts 642 minutes and is the longest for Australia. Godfrey Evans playing in his first Test against Australia concedes no byes in Australia’s total of 659 the highest Test total not to include a bye.

1948: England defeat South Africa by two wickets in the first Test at Durban to go one up in the five-match series. England needs eight runs to win from the last (8-ball) over and win with a leg bye off the very last ball when Cliff Gladwin misses a vast heave and is hit on the thigh.

1952: The fifth and final Test between India and Pakistan at Calcutta is drawn giving the home team her first series triumph. Deepak Shodhan becomes the second player to score a hundred in his first Test for India.

1958: West Indies defeat India by 203 runs in the second Test at Kanpur to go one up in the five-match series. The match produces the second instance of a tie on first innings at Test level, each side being dismissed for 222.

1974: Australia defeat England by nine wickets in the second Test at Perth to go two up in the six-match series. Injuries sustained by a couple of players results in 42-year-old Colin Cowdrey making his first Test appearances since June 1971 just four days after arriving in Australia. Greg Chappell sets a record for most catches (seven) by a non wicket-keeper in a Test. Fred Titmus makes his first appearance for England since losing four toes in a boating accident off Barbados in February 1968.

1978: England defeat Australia by 166 runs in the second Test at Perth to go two up in the six-match series. England win the first two Tests of a rubber in Australia for the first time since 1936-37.

1985: The rain-affected first Test between Australia and India at Adelaide is drawn. Sunil Gavaskar becomes the first batsman to score 9000 runs in Test cricket and extends his world record number of Test hundreds to 31.