On This Day in Cricket - July 23

For cricket lovers, 23rd July is a bag of historic moments. In 1953, Graham Gooch, England’s prolific run-scorer, was born, later amassing 8900 Test runs. In 1994, Mike Atherton’s ball-tampering controversy at Lord’s sparked debate, costing England dearly. The 2008 Sri Lanka-India Test trialled the review system, a game-changer for umpiring. England’s women clinched the 2017 World Cup at Lord’s, edging India by nine runs. Clive Rice, a South African all-rounder, was born in 1949, while Yuzvendra Chahal, born in 1990, rose as a cunning legspinner. Don Bradman’s 304 in 1934 and Sam Northeast’s 410 not out in 2022 lit up Headingley and Glamorgan.

On This Day - July 23, 2021 - Nitish Rana, Prithvi Shaw, Sanju Samson, and Chetan Sakariya Make Their ODI Debut

On July 23, 2021, four Indian players, Nitish Rana, Prithvi Shaw, Sanju Samson, and Chetan Sakariya, stepped up for their first ODI against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Rain made it a 47-over game, and India, under Shikhar Dhawan, chose to bat, reaching 225 all out in 43.1 overs. Prithvi Shaw dazzled with 49 off 49 balls, his shots bold and crisp. Sanju Samson added a neat 46 off 46, and Suryakumar Yadav chipped in with 40, but India slumped from 157/3.

(Sanju Samson receiving his ODI Cap)

Sri Lanka’s spinners, Akila Dananjaya and Praveen Jayawickrama, took three wickets each, causing chaos. Nitish Rana got 7 off 14, and debutant Krishnappa Gowtham took 1/49. Sri Lanka chased 227 in 39 overs, winning by three wickets, led by Avishka Fernando’s 76 off 98 and Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s fiery 65 off 56. Rahul Chahar’s 3/54 and Sakariya’s 2/34 showed grit, but Sri Lanka won. Fernando was Player of the Match, and Yadav’s 124 series runs earned Player of the Series.

On This Day - July 23, 1934 - Don Bradman Scores his Second Triple Century

On July 23, 1934, Don Bradman put on a show, scoring 304 off 473 balls in the fourth Test against England at Leeds. His second Test triple century, with 43 fours and 2 sixes, pushed Australia to 584 in their first innings. At Headingley, where he loved to bat, Bradman and Bill Ponsford, who scored 181, built a huge 388-run stand, crushing England’s bowlers. Bill Bowes took 6 wickets, but England fell to 200, with Clarrie Grimmett grabbing 4 wickets and Bill O’Reilly 3.

(Don Bradman scored his second triple-century on July 23, 1934)

England’s second innings hit 229/6, with Maurice Leyland’s unbeaten 49, but it ended in a draw. Bradman’s 430-minute knock was all focus and flair, leaving England stunned. His magic at Headingley made this innings epic, showing his pure genius. Though Australia couldn’t win, Bradman’s long haul at the crease was a masterclass, proving why he’s cricket’s greatest. His knack for piling on runs turned the game into his personal stage.

On This Day - July 23, 1963 - Graham Gooch Was Born Today in England

Born on July 23, 1953, Graham Gooch became one of England’s best batsmen. A right-handed opener, he debuted in 1975 against Australia, starting with a pair but later stacking up 8,900 Test runs in 118 matches, a record until Alastair Cook topped it in 2015. His 20 centuries included a massive 333 against India in 1990, and his 154 not out against West Indies at Headingley in 1991 was pure grit. In ODIs, he made 4,290 runs in 125 matches with 8 centuries.

(Graham Gooch was born on July 23, 1953)

His 44,846 first-class runs and 22,211 List A runs showed his hunger, while his 246 first-class wickets added versatility. As captain, Gooch’s drive lifted England. After retiring in 1997, he coached at Essex, shaping Cook, and was England’s batting coach until 2014. Despite a South Africa rebel tour mess, his 49.01 first-class average defined him. Known for his heavy bat and quick wit on air, Gooch’s legacy as a run-machine and leader shines, built on sweat and big scores.

On This Day - July 23, 1990 - Yuzvendra Chahal was Born Today

Born on July 23, 1990, Yuzvendra Chahal went from chess kid to India’s ace leg-spinner. After playing chess for India, he debuted for Haryana in 2009, shining in the IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore, nabbing 23 wickets in 2015 and 2016. His India debut came in 2016 against Zimbabwe, and his 6/25 against England in 2017 is a T20I record for an Indian. Chahal has 96 wickets in 80 T20Is and 121 in 72 ODIs, with two five-wicket hauls.

(Yuzvendra Chahal was born on July 23, 1990)

In the IPL, he tops the charts with 221 wickets in 174 matches, including a 2022 hat-trick for Rajasthan Royals, earning the Purple Cap with 27 wickets. His 119 first-class wickets and 300 List A runs add depth. Chahal’s tricky spin works on flat pitches, making him a white-ball star. His 2025 Northamptonshire stint nearly pulled off a record win, showing his chess-sharp mind. From chess moves to cricket spin, Chahal’s crafty bowling makes him a modern great.

On This Day - July 23, 1993 - Rovman Powell was Born Today in the West Indies

Born on July 23, 1993, in Jamaica, Rovman Powell became a powerhouse for the West Indies. Debuting in ODIs against Sri Lanka in 2016, he scored 979 runs in 51 matches, including a century against Ireland in 2018. In T20Is, his 1,875 runs in 95 matches, with a 107 off 53 against England in 2022, show his 142.36 strike rate and 123 sixes. His 2015 List A debut won Player of the Match with 31 runs and 3 wickets.

(Rovman Powell was born on July 23, 1993)

Powell led Jamaica Tallawahs to the 2020 CPL title and has captained West Indies’ T20I side since 2023, beating South Africa, India, and England. In the IPL, he scored 365 runs in 29 matches for Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, and Kolkata Knight Riders, with a top score of 67*. His 3,164 List A runs and 5,047 T20 runs show his T20 flair. Powell’s big hits and leadership make him a feared finisher, a key spark for West Indies cricket.

On This Day - July 23, 2017 - England Women defeat India Women to lift the ICC Women’s World Cup

On July 23, 2017, England Women won a tight World Cup final against India Women by 9 runs at Lord’s. Batting first after the toss, England made 228/7 in 50 overs, with Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 51 off 68 and Sarah Taylor’s 45 off 62 holding firm. Jhulan Goswami’s 3/23 kept India in it. Chasing 229, India lost Smriti Mandhana for 0, but Punam Raut’s 86 off 115 and Harmanpreet Kaur’s 51 off 80 gave hope.

(England Women with the ICC Women’s World Cup)

At 191/3, India were cruising, but Anya Shrubsole’s 6/46 sparked a collapse, bowling them out for 219 in 48.4 overs. Veda Krishnamurthy’s 35 off 34 wasn’t enough. Shrubsole was Player of the Match, and Tammy Beaumont’s 410 series runs earned Player of the Series. A huge TV crowd saw England’s steady batting and sharp bowling clinch the title. India’s late fall cost them the final, but the match showed women’s cricket’s fire and skill.

On This Day - July 23, 2008 - Decision Review System Was Used for the First Time

On July 23, 2008, the Decision Review System (DRS) debuted in a Test match between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo’s SSC, shaking up cricket. The first review backed Harbhajan Singh’s lbw shout against Malinda Warnapura. Virender Sehwag was the first out via DRS, while Tillakaratne Dilshan flipped an out call, a big moment. Early on, DRS had hiccups, with dodgy tech and human slip-ups causing arguments over fairness.

(DRS was used for the first time in 2008)

The match showed DRS could fix umpiring errors but also bared its flaws, kicking off talks on how to tweak it. This game set the path for DRS’s growth, changing how cricket is umpired. The Sri Lanka-India Test was a turning point, showing the system’s promise and problems. Later fixes made DRS a core part of the game, ensuring better calls and adding drama, as players and fans got used to its role in cricket’s flow.

On This Day - July 23, 1994 - Mike Atherton Using Dirt on the Ball

On July 23, 1994, England captain Mike Atherton stirred trouble in a Test against South Africa at Lord’s. Caught on camera using dirt from his pocket to dry the ball, helping Darren Gough’s reverse swing, Atherton broke Law 42.5. He first said it was to dry his hands but later owned up to match referee Peter Burge that he lied, getting a £2,000 fine, half for the act, half for the lie. South Africa’s 356-run win, after scoring 357 and bowling England out for 180 and 99, got lost in the drama.

(Mike Atherton during an interview for using dirt on the ball)

The British press demanded Atherton quit, but he stood firm, hitting 99 in the next Test. His press conference with Ray Illingworth and the BBC’s Jonathan Agnew stirred more heat. Atherton’s move, meant to keep the ball’s state, was called dumb, not cheating. The “dirt in the pocket” mess put ball-tampering in cricket’s spotlight, setting a marker for future rows over the game’s honesty.