Derek Underwood RIP

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

I remember watching him in one of his last matches for Kent, a rather unathletic run up, the ball delivered at a medium pace, trundling in for his 8 overs, with a couple of wickets and not many runs.  No bowler today will take 3000 wickets in First Class and List A cricket.  And he was often used as a nightwatchmen in the days of terrifyingly fast bowlers and no helmets.

[Wowbagger]

I watched him play in a test match at Old Trafford in the early 1970s. It must have been the Monday- I recall bunking off college for the day and missing my choir practice. I think he was night watchman then. The memorable bits of the day were: John Edrich scoring 100; rain bringing an early close to the day’s play; and being able to make out my pal Gerard and me in the background in a photo, in the following day’s Graun, of Edrich hitting a 4. India were the opponents.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/india-tour-of-england-1974-62274/england-vs-india-1st-test-63125/full-scorecard

That match. So I saw him bat but not bowl.

I know he was always described as a spin/slow bowler, but I think he was more of a slow-to-medium pace bowler who also turned the ball. He was a one-off.

[Von Broad]

What a bowler. He had a very unusual action - classified as a spinner, but didn't give the ball a lot of air like some spinners, really fired the ball in flat and kind of low.
And the thing about his era? Uncovered pitches, and all the varying conditions that arose as a consequence....like this one!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLQdh2T8Tmw

[somebody had to post it]

[Peter]

G. that is a fabulous clip.  Lovely to see a glimpse of Colin Milburn and (I think) Raman Subba Row, too.  Yes, the news reports are calling him a slow bowler, which is and always was, nonsense.  If you'd been facing him in a 2nd team game, he'd have been opening the bowling.  A real one-off.  Thanks for that.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

He also has a batting record that will be hard to beat in this day and age - he scored his first (and I think only) first class hundred in his 591th match.

[Wowbagger]

I recall that 1968 match very clearly. I was 14.