Historic Cricket Moments on November 30

Historic Cricket Moments on November 30

Cricketers Born on November 30

Heath DavisNZ
Heath Davis

54y / 1971

All-rounder

John ArnoldENG
John Arnold

118y / 1907

Batsman

Nasir HossainBD
Nasir Hossain

34y / 1991

All-rounder

Samit PatelENG
Samit Patel

41y / 1984

All-rounder

Ken WadsworthNZ
Ken Wadsworth

79y / 1946

Wicket-keeper batsman

Bobby AbelENG
Bobby Abel

168y / 1857

Batsman

Phillip HughesAU
Phillip Hughes

37y / 1988

Wicket-keeper batsman

Player Info

1928 – Debut of the Don

Don Bradman made his Test debut against England in Brisbane, scoring just 18 and 1. At 20, he was a young newcomer alongside 46-year-old Bert Ironmonger, Australia’s oldest Test debutant at the time. Australia were heavily beaten by 675 runs, managing only 122 and 66 in their innings. Injuries to Jack Gregory and Charles Kelleway didn’t help, but it was a rough introduction to what would become one of cricket’s greatest careers.

1988 – Birth of Phillip Hughes

Australian opener Phillip Hughes was born, a player whose life was tragically cut short just before his 26th birthday. Hughes made a sensational start in South Africa in 2009, becoming the youngest to score a century in both innings of a Test. Despite struggles against the short ball and competition from Shane Watson, Hughes returned in 2012 and became a reliable part of Australia’s rotation of openers. He was pursuing a Test spot in 2014 when tragedy struck during a Sheffield Shield game.

1857 – Birth of Bobby Abel

Bobby Abel, nicknamed “the Guv’nor,” was born today. Though he played only 13 Tests for England, he became a legend at Surrey, scoring 357 against Somerset in 1899—a record that still stands. Abel amassed over 33,000 first-class runs and was the first Englishman to carry his bat in a Test, achieving this in Sydney in 1891-92. He passed away in London in 1936.

1998 – Zimbabwe’s First Overseas Test Win

Zimbabwe beat Pakistan by seven wickets in Peshawar, marking their first-ever Test win abroad. Despite a first-innings deficit of 68, Neil Johnson’s maiden Test century and the bowling of Henry Olonga and Pommie Mbangwa dismantled Pakistan’s middle order. Murray Goodwin guided Zimbabwe to a seven-wicket victory, a result enough to clinch the series due to rain and fog in the remaining matches.

2014 – New Zealand’s Emotional Win

New Zealand defeated Pakistan by a massive innings in Sharjah to square the series 1-1. The match was overshadowed by the death of Phillip Hughes, leading to abandoned play and muted celebrations. Mark Craig’s seven wickets restricted Pakistan to 351, while Brendon McCullum (202) and Kane Williamson (192) dominated the batting. Trent Boult’s spell on the penultimate morning helped seal the win, their first away victory against Pakistan since 1996.

1946 – Birth of Ken Wadsworth

New Zealand wicketkeeper Ken Wadsworth was born today. He played 33 Tests before dying of cancer at 29. Wadsworth improved over his career, averaging 7.83 in his first 11 Tests and 29.96 in his last 22. He famously dropped Geoff Arnold at Lord’s in 1973, delaying New Zealand’s first win over England by a decade, but later hit the winning boundary in their first victory over Australia in 1973-74.

1998 – South Africa Beats West Indies

South Africa recorded their first-ever Test victory over the West Indies, winning by six wickets. Shaun Pollock shone, taking 9 for 103, scoring his 1,000th Test run, and claiming his 100th wicket in just 26 matches—one of the fastest in history, alongside Ian Botham, Vinoo Mankad, and Kapil Dev.

1999 – Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe Hat-Trick

Sri Lanka defeated Zimbabwe by six wickets in a Test highlighted by Nuwan Zoysa’s hat-trick with his first three deliveries. He trapped Trevor Gripper and Neil Johnson LBW around Murray Goodwin’s caught-behind dismissal. Andy Flower led a revival for Zimbabwe, but Tillakaratne Dilshan’s unbeaten 163 secured the win.

1984 – Birth of Samit Patel

English allrounder Samit Patel was born today. Known for his heavy build and occasional on-field heroics, Patel played 11 ODIs in 2008 and took a five-for at The Oval against South Africa. After being dropped and working on fitness, he returned in 2011 and performed in India’s 5-0 whitewash, scoring his only ODI fifty. In Tests (2012-2015), he struggled, never passing 42 in nine innings.

1991 – Birth of Nasir Hossain

Bangladeshi allrounder Nasir Hossain was born today. He scored 63 on ODI debut in 2011, prompting his Test selection. He made a half-century in his fourth Test, scored three more in two Tests against West Indies, and then notched a century in Galle during Bangladesh’s 2013 tour of Sri Lanka. He followed this with two half-centuries against Zimbabwe in Harare.

1973 – Tehzib-ul-Ghani’s First-Class Debut

At 44, Tehzib-ul-Ghani made a stunning first-class debut, scoring 104 for Pakistan’s Commerce Bank against Khairpur in Karachi. He played only one more match after that, making 3 runs, ending his brief first-class career with an average of 53.50.

Last updated on: November 30, 2025