Derek Underwood passes away…. a tribute to one of the greatest spinners ever..

Derek Underwood passes away

Deadly is no more. The world of cricket this week sadly lost Derek Underwood, one of the greatest spinners to grace the stage.

Deadly was a nickname that never suited his personality, but with a cricket ball in hand, the name fit like a well-knit glove. Derek Underwood, the calm, shy left armer, will always be considered one of England’s greatest spinners, with due respect to the likes of Laker and Lock.

With a quick run-up, cocked wrists, and bowling at almost medium pace, Underwood didn’t float the ball much; flatter deliveries with venom were his weapons. However, it was more his accuracy and the ability to extract vicious bounces, especially from wickets, with even a hint of help that made him unplayable.

In a test career that spanned 16 years, Underwood played 86 test matches and took 297 wickets, a tally that is still the highest for an English spin bowler. In county cricket, he represented Kent and ended up with 2465 first-class wickets.

Underwood was spotted and picked up as a prodigal talent. In 1963, aged just 17, playing for Kent, he became the youngest man to take 100 wickets in a season on debut. A feat that he would go on to repeat nine more times in his career. He was a nightmare on the pitches, which used to be uncovered those days. Underwood, in fact, had taken 1,000 wickets by the age of 25.

The Underwood -Alan Knott partnership

The story of is never complete without mentioning his partnership with Alan Knott. A true partner in crime, Alan Knott also played for Kent. Together, Underwood and Knott were involved in a stunning 198 dismissals. Knott was one of endless infectious energy, sprightly on the field and quicksilver behind the wickets. However, to catch Knott at his best, one had to watch him keep wickets for Underwood.

Underwood, coming around the wicket from behind the umpire, would emerge like an uncorked genie and whip in his brisk off-spinners. On wet pitches, he would get faster and faster, and Knott would stick to the wickets and collect every ball with consummate ease. Balls spinning viciously or bouncing violently were never a problem for Knott. It was a pleasure, they say, to watch the maverick combination at work. It is no surprise then that one of the stands at gloriously picturesque St. Lawrence Ground in Canterbury, the home of Kent Cricket Club, was named the Underwood-Knott stands.

Of the many performances that Underwood was famous for, the one that is often mentioned is a stunning 1968 rout of Australia on the last day, with rain threatening an early close. After the spectators had helped mop up a wet field, Underwood ripped into the Australian line-up and finished with 7 for 50. A famous win that helped England draw the Ashes.

Pakistan bites the dust at Lords, a Derek Underwood masterclass…

However, one that many consider even better was to come in the hallowed ambience at Lord’s in 1974. Pakistan was visiting England and boasted some of the best batsmen in cricket history. In a performance that would see Underwood get his best match figure, he bamboozled the star-studded Pakistani line-up. In the first inning, Pakistan batting first were 71 for no loss, with the opening pair of Sadiq Mohammed and Majid Khan handling the opening bowlers, Geoff Arnold and Chris Old, with ease. Sadiq was dismissed by Hendricks, and then Underwood took over with an unlikely ally in Tony Greig.

In a spell that was to read 14-8-20-5, Underwood ran through the famed line-up, closing them out at 131. A spectacular collapse was triggered by some brisk off-spin bowling. Tony Greig chipped in with three wickets.

If the first innings were a lesson in spin bowling, what the now-wary Pakistani’s ran into in the second innings was a mesmerising masterclass. Sadiq and Majid put on 55 for the first wicket before Underwood took two wickets to stall the innings. Mushtaq Mohammed and Wasim Raja staged a recovery and pushed the Pakistani total to 192 for 3.

What unfolded later was to be spectacular, to say the least. Spinning, bouncing, and on-the-damn-spot balls were just too wicked for the Pakistanis, who, like many from the Indian subcontinent, were supposed to be adept at playing spin. Underwood, in a magical 51-ball stretch, took six wickets, conceding just two. He ended with figures of 34.5-17-51-8.

A match haul of 13 wickets, a performance that Richie Benaud summed up in his usual simple style as “as close to unplayable as you’ll see.”

A look at the scoreboard would say everything.

He was not just a wet wicket wonder. His performances in India would speak of his prowess. 54 wickets in India, second only to Nathan Lyon at 56 and miles ahead of the likes of Graeme Swann.

Later in his career, he was involved in the Kerry Packer experiment and the equally controversial South African tour. He served as MCC president in 2008.

Derek Underwood, or Deadly, was a generational gift to cricket; he graced the game in all humility and left it richer by his efforts on the field.

Underwood was quite a handful on any pitch and in most of the conditions, but if there was a hint of rain in the air, then he would become truly unplayable. It was a matter of when he would run riot and not if. In his autobiography, he mentions the pressure on him when the clouds darkened in the distance with his team fielding. The instant refrain from his teammates would be

That’s a five-for-40 cloud up there, Deadly’.

I dreaded it, he said.

On the pitch, it would be the batsmen who would dread it.

The gentleman has passed this way and left his mark. May his soul rest in peace.

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