Derek Underwood, who is considered by many as the greatest spin bowler in England’s Test history, passed away at the age of 78. Underwood played his entire first-class career at Kent and had made his first-team debut at the age of 17. He went on to play over 900 matches, spanning three decades, from 1963-1987, and took 2,523 wickets at an average of just 19.04. He claimed 297 wickets in 86 Tests between 1966 and 1982.
Nicknamed “Deadly” by his team-mates, Underwood’s lithe, whippy left-arm action was renowned for its accuracy. It came at the batter with the pace and snap of a seam bowler. Underwood was at his most lethal on rain-affected wickets. He is most famously remembered for his performance in the final Test of the 1968 Ashes at The Oval, where he claimed four wickets in 27 balls to defeat Australia and square the series with six minutes of the match remaining.
Underwood remains the leading spin bowler in England’s history and the sixth-highest wicket-taker overall ahead of Graeme Swann (255). In ODI cricket, he made 26 appearances between 1973 and 1982, including two appearances in the inaugural 1975 World Cup, taking 32 wickets at an average of 22.93.
According to the retrospective ICC Men’s Test Bowler rankings, Underwood was ranked as the world’s No.1 bowler from September 1969 to August 1973. His most startling figures came at Hastings in 1973 when he claimed 8 for 9 to rout Sussex on another rain-affected pitch, with the crowd once again aiding the Fire Brigade in mopping up the ground’s floodwater.