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Derek Underwood




  Nationality English
  Country England
  Country Abbrev ENG
  Name Derek Underwood
  Picture Cricket_no_picpng
  Batting Style Right-hand bat
  Bowling Style Slow-medium left-arm orthodox
  Balls true
  Tests 86
  Test Runs 937
  Test Bat Avg 1156
  Test 100s/50s -/-
  Test Top Score 45
  Test Overs 21862
  Test Wickets 297
  Test Bowl Avg 2583
  Test 5s 17
  Test 10s 6
  Test Best Bowling 8/51
  Test Catches/stumpings 44/-
  ODIs 26
  ODI Runs 53
  ODI Bat Avg 588
  ODI 100s/50s -/-
  ODI Top Score 17
  ODI Overs 1278
  ODI Wickets 32
  ODI Bowl Avg 2293
  ODI 5s -
  ODI 10s -
  ODI Best Bowling 4/44
  ODI Catches/stumpings 6/-
  Date 1 January
  Year 2006


Derek Leslie Underwood is an English Cricket er born on June 8 1945 . He was one of the foremost Spin Bowlers in the world for over a decade starting from the late 1960s. Not a classical spinner, Underwood was closer to medium pace (officially slow-medium) and was often unplayable on the seaming English wickets, particularly " Sticky Wickets " on rain-affected uncovered pitches, earning his nickname "Deadly". His inswining " Arm Ball " was particularly noted for dismissing batsmen Leg Before Wicket .

Underwood finished his career just 3 wickets short of 300 in Test cricket, at the excellent average of 25.83. He famously took the last 4 Australian wickets in 27 balls in the final half an hour at the end of the 5th Test in 1968, after a heavy thunderstorm on the fifth day had all but ended the match, to square an Ashes series that Australia were winning 1-0

He played county cricket for Kent . He made his debut for Kent aged 17 in 1963, and was the youngest player to take 100 first-class wickets in his first season of counnty cricket. He repeated this accomplishment a further 9 times. His batting was less accomplished, with a first-class average barely over 10 runs in 676 matches. He scored his first and only first-class century (111) at the age of 39, in his 591st first-class match.

He was one of five England cricketers (the others being Alan Knott , Dennis Amiss , Bob Woolmer and Tony Greig ), to feature in Kerry Packer 's World Series Cricket in the late 1970s, and Toured South Africa in 1981-82.

He was awarded the MBE in 1981.

In 1997, he became Patron of the Primary Club .