Anil Kumble turns 50.
Everyone knows everything about him, so there is hardly anything I can add.
Let me narrate one exploit from 1995 that is not (probably) as well-known.
Northamptonshire were hosting Nottinghamshire that day.
Notts batted first and got 527.
+
Everyone knows everything about him, so there is hardly anything I can add.
Let me narrate one exploit from 1995 that is not (probably) as well-known.
Northamptonshire were hosting Nottinghamshire that day.
Notts batted first and got 527.
+
How dominant was Kumble? He had 50-15-118-4.
His teammates (including Paul Taylor, Kevin Curran, David Capel, and Jeremy Snape, all international cricketers), got 107.1-17-358-6.
Northants got 149 for no loss at stumps Day 2.
+
His teammates (including Paul Taylor, Kevin Curran, David Capel, and Jeremy Snape, all international cricketers), got 107.1-17-358-6.
Northants got 149 for no loss at stumps Day 2.
+
Then they slammed 560 in a single day (709/7 at stumps) and declared on 781/7 on the final morning.
Not many people expected a result in a match like that, but then, they had not taken Kumble into contention.
Kumble got 39.1-21-43-5 (the team bowled 88.1 overs).
+
Not many people expected a result in a match like that, but then, they had not taken Kumble into contention.
Kumble got 39.1-21-43-5 (the team bowled 88.1 overs).
+
Notts were bowled out for 157 and lost by an innings.
End of story? Not quite.
With 105 wickets at 20.40, Kumble was the only bowler (across counties) to hit the 100-wicket mark in that year's Championship.
+
End of story? Not quite.
With 105 wickets at 20.40, Kumble was the only bowler (across counties) to hit the 100-wicket mark in that year's Championship.
+
Before Kumble, the last Northants bowler to take a hundred wickets in a season for Northants was Bishan Bedi (100 in 1973).
And the last English cricketer to do this for Northants was Haydn Sully (101 in 1966).
And nobody has done this since Kumble.
+
And the last English cricketer to do this for Northants was Haydn Sully (101 in 1966).
And nobody has done this since Kumble.
+
Oh, and only two other Northamptonshire bowlers have topped the bowling charts in a County Championship:
George Tribe in 1955
Sarfraz Nawaz in 1976
Do I go on?
And 41 of his 105 wickets were either bowled or LBW.
+
George Tribe in 1955
Sarfraz Nawaz in 1976
Do I go on?
And 41 of his 105 wickets were either bowled or LBW.
+
And Kumble also became the first to take 100 wickets since 1991 (Waqar Younis 113 for Surrey) and the first spinner to do this since 1983 (Derek Underwood 105 for Kent).
Wisden honoured him as a Player of the Year.
Wisden honoured him as a Player of the Year.
Wisden reported that Kumble was recommended by Azharuddin to Lamb when Ambrose was ruled out.
Tagging @anilkumble1074.
Tagging @anilkumble1074.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
