On February 1, 1895 in Sydney, Johnny Briggs, the left-arm spinner from England, became the first cricketer to take 100 Test wickets. Since then many bowlers, fast and slow, from different parts of ...

February 1 MCC enjoy some carefree batting, racing to 376 in 261 minutes with Les Ames and Wally Hammond to the fore. Harold Larwood, bowling at three-quarter pace, takes two wickets before the close.

I like going to Test venues early. Not training-day early, but early enough that only groundsmen and the permanent staff are there. There is something about the empty stands four days before a Test; ...