September 20th.

Colin Cowdrey's slip catch to dismiss Australia's Neil Hawke at The Oval in 1964 made Fred Trueman the first bowler to take 300 wickets in Test cricket.

Trueman, who had missed the previous match at Old Trafford, began the match on 297 wickets, and quickly took that tally to 299, with wickets in consecutive deliveries during Australia's first innings. Hawke averted the hat-trick, but did not survive much longer. The match was drawn and the Ashes stayed with Australia, but for once it didn't matter so much.

Asked whether he thought anyone would ever break his record, Trueman is reputed to have replied: "Aye, but whoever does will be bloody tired." Fiery Fred's eventual total of 307 remained the world record until 1975-76.

And Fred, God rest his soul, modest to the end, never mentioned the above events for the rest of his days. ( At least not more than four or five times every single s*dding occasion he was on the radio.)