Derek Underwood

Derek Underwood

MBE
Underwood in 2008
Personal information
Full name
Derek Leslie Underwood
Born(1945-06-08)8 June 1945
Bromley, Kent, England
Died15 April 2024(2024-04-15) (aged 78)
NicknameDeadly
BattingRight-handed
BowlingSlow left arm orthodox
Left arm medium
RoleBowler
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 433)30 June 1966 v West Indies
Last Test17 February 1982 v Sri Lanka
ODI debut (cap 20)18 July 1973 v New Zealand
Last ODI14 February 1982 v Sri Lanka
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1963–1987Kent
Career statistics
Competition Tests ODI FC LA
Matches 86 26 676 411
Runs scored 937 53 5,165 815
Batting average 11.56 5.88 10.12 7.02
100s/50s 0/0 0/0 1/2 0/0
Top score 45* 17 111 28
Balls bowled 21,862 1,278 139,783 19,825
Wickets 297 32 2,465 572
Bowling average 25.83 22.93 20.28 19.40
5 wickets in innings 17 0 153 8
10 wickets in match 6 0 47 0
Best bowling 8/51 4/44 9/28 8/31
Catches/stumpings 44/– 6/– 261/– 108/–
Source: CricInfo, 25 March 2008

Derek Leslie Underwood MBE (8 June 1945 – 15 April 2024) was an English international cricketer. In retirement he became president of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 2008.

Through much of his career, Underwood was regarded as one of the best bowlers in Test cricket. Although classified as a slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler, Underwood bowled at around medium pace. He was often unplayable on seaming English wickets, particularly sticky wickets, earning his nickname 'Deadly'.

Underwood was a first-class bowler from his teens and took his 100th Test wicket and 1,000th first-class wicket in 1971, aged only 25. Only George Lohmann and Wilfred Rhodes had secured a thousand wickets at an earlier age.[1] His England career ended when he went on the rebel tour to South Africa, finishing his Test career with 297 wickets.

On 16 July 2009, Underwood was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.[2]

  1. ^ Bateman, Colin (1993). If The Cap Fits. Tony Williams Publications. p. 173. ISBN 1-869833-21-X.
  2. ^ "Border, Harvey, Gower, Underwood inducted into Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 22 August 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2009.