Derek Underwood: England and Kent great dies aged 78

[CharlieH]

 

Derek Underwood, one of England and Kent's greatest ever bowlers, has died at the age of 78.

Slow left-armer Underwood took 297 wickets in 86 Tests between 1966 and 1982, the most by any England spinner.

 

He claimed 2,465 wickets in 676 first-class matches overall, representing only Kent, the county of his birth, in a stellar 24-year domestic career.

Underwood was appointed an MBE in 1981 and was president of the Marylebone Cricket Club in 2009.

He also took 32 wickets in 26 one-day internationals and would have represented England more but for joining World Series Cricket in 1977 and the rebel tour of South Africa in 1981-82.

Nicknamed 'Deadly', Underwood was one of 55 inaugural members inducted into the International Cricket Council Hall of Fame when it launched in 2009.

Kent Cricket chair Simon Philip said the club is "in mourning following the passing of one of its greatest ever players".

He added: "Derek was an outstanding contributor to both Kent and England, winning trophies for club and country and etching his name in the history books forevermore."

Known for his high level of accuracy, Underwood would often bowl much quicker than most spinners but was also able to deceive batters with variations of pace and length.

He was particularly challenging to face on uncovered pitches that had been affected by rain, his faster pace helping to skid the ball on to batters quickly, while also able to extract turn on surfaces starting to dry out.

"Watching Derek weave his unique magic on a wet wicket was a privilege for all who were able to witness it," added Philip.

"His induction into the ICC Hall of Fame shows the esteem in which he was held in world cricket.

"An advocate for growing our game worldwide whilst protecting our sport's rich heritage, Derek also made substantial contributions off the field as well as on it, and he will be sorely missed by everyone at Kent Cricket."

Underwood is sixth on England's Test wicket-takers list, having taken 42 more scalps than the next spinner and seventh overall, Graeme Swann.

 

 

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