Geoff Boycott reached a personal milestone when he surpassed Garry Sobers’ long-standing Test record of 8,032 runs, much to his own delight. It came as little surprise that he went on to score a century — his 22nd and final hundred in Test cricket. The Delhi Test ended in a draw, and Boycott returned home before the tour concluded, his legacy firmly intact as one of the game’s greatest run-accumulators and one of its most complex personalities.

The Cricinfo Women’s World Cup final in Lincoln turned into a gripping contest. Hosts New Zealand chose to bat first after winning the toss and were bowled out for 184. Superb bowling from Katrina Keenan and Rachel Pullar then kept the pressure on Australia, who were dismissed in the final over. The win made New Zealand just the third nation, after England and Australia, to lift the trophy in seven tournaments.

Pakistan celebrated their first home Test series victory in a decade with a commanding 263-run win over Sri Lanka in Karachi. The match had its tense moments — Pakistan were bowled out for 191 in the first innings and trailed by 80 runs. What followed was remarkable: the top four batters all scored centuries, only the second time that feat has been achieved in Test cricket. Opener Abid Ali starred with 174 in his debut series, sharing a 278-run opening stand with Shan Masood — Pakistan’s highest since 1997. Sri Lanka showed brief resistance through Oshada Fernando and Niroshan Dickwella, but were dismissed early on day five, handing 16-year-old Naseem Shah his maiden five-wicket haul. Ali and Babar Azam had also struck hundreds in the rain-affected Rawalpindi Test.

Viv Richards produced another unforgettable display, scoring a majestic double century in Melbourne. It was the first Test double hundred by a West Indian in Australia. Despite the brilliance, the match ended in a draw, bringing West Indies’ streak of 11 consecutive Test victories to an end.

Two players who would become pillars of Australian cricket in the 1960s made their Test debuts in Johannesburg. Bob Simpson scored a solid 60 in the first innings, while wicketkeeper Wally Grout took six catches in the second. Ian Meckiff also debuted in the match, though his career later ended prematurely after he was called for throwing in a Test.

Despite a right arm weakened by polio, Bhagwath Chandrasekhar produced his finest Test performance, taking 8 for 79 with his vicious legspin. England won the Delhi Test, but India went on to clinch the series, with Chandrasekhar finishing as the leading wicket-taker with 35 scalps.

New Zealand completely outplayed West Indies in the second ODI at Christchurch. After posting a formidable 325, Trent Boult delivered a stunning spell of fast bowling, claiming 7 for 34 to skittle the visitors for just 121 in 28 overs. Reflecting on his performance, Boult remarked, “It’s like I grow an extra limb when the ball swings.”

Seam bowler Don Cleverley was born on this day. His Test career for New Zealand was brief but unusual — he played only two Tests, separated by 14 years and 28 days. After debuting against South Africa in 1931–32, he wasn’t selected again until Australia’s crushing tour in 1945–46, giving him the fourth-longest gap between Test appearances in history.