Sports Calendar

Calendar: 2009 at the Sports

April 2009

The Indian Premier League began a new innings in the land of the Springboks and the highvelds on April 18.

The month also holds a special place in the heart of two of cricket's greatest names Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar. While Lara compiled his two magnum opuses - 375 and 400 not out - in this month, Sachin celebrates his birthday on April 24.

Let's raise a toast to April

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Thursday

Friday

Saturday

What is it with left-handers and April 1! England's David Gower, India's Ajit Wadekar and New Zealand's Stephen Fleming were all born on this day

Sanath Jayasuriya, plundered an ODI 100 off just 48 deliveries against Pakistan in Singapore in 1996

108 years earlier, in 1888, Neville Cardus, probably the greatest cricket writer ever, was born to a 'genteel prostitute'

In 1930, West Indies and England began what turned out to be the second longest Test in all - lasting all of nine days and ending in a draw still

The 1930 Test which began on April 3 also went on to witness the first-ever triple ton in Tests, a 10-hour long 325 by 40-year-old opener Andy Sandham

The Waughs - Mark and Steve - became the first twins to play in a Test together in 1991. They went on to repeat the feat on 104 other occasions

The man they called the Colonel Dilip Vengsarkar was born on this day in 1956

Born on this day in 1882, Bert Ironmonger was 45 years and 237 days old when he earned his Test debut. He made up for it with the most miserly 10-for in cricketing history

Birth in 1963 of Alec Stewart, who has played the most number of Tests - 133 - for England till date

Englishmen still rate Alan Knott, born on this day in 1946, as the finest wicketkeeper of all time

In 1896, at Athens, Greece's Spiridon Louis won the first modern Olympic marathon gold in 2 hours 58 minutes 50 seconds

On this day, in 2000, Hansie Cronje shocked the world by quitting as captain after revealing his involvement in the match-fixing scandal

That man Brian Lara was at it again on 2004, reclaiming the record for the highest individual Test score with a 400 not out against England

This day in 1971 saw the start of the Trinidad Test that India would draw on the back of Gavaskar's twin centuries to clinch a famous series win

The birth in 1961 of Craig McDermott, the premier Australian fast bowler of the 1990s

The King held court as only he could on this day in 1986. Viv Richards shredded an English attack that included good friend Ian Botham to rattle up the fastest Test ton ever - in 58 balls

Birth in 1878 of RE Foster, who still holds the record for the highest Test score by a debutant - 287. He led England in both cricket and football, another unique distinction

On this day in 1972, cricket's most successful bowler Muttiah Muralitharan made his way into this world

In 1904, India's first-ever Test opener Naoomal Jeoomal was born

It was on this day in 1994 that Brian Lara first wrested the record for the highest individual score

IPL season II kicks off with the Chennai Super Kings taking on the Mumbai Indians

Born on this day in 1873 was the man reckoned by many to be the greatest bowler ever. Sydney Barnes claimed 189 wickets at 16.93. Need we say more

West Indies Alvin Kallicharan scored a second hundred in his second Test innings in 1972 to announce his arrival in the grandest manner possible

The man they called Rent a caravan was born on this day in 1946. Srinivas Venkatraghavan played 57 Tests and umpired in 73 Tests

Sehwag smashed a 41-ball 94 not out as Delhi Daredevils thrash Deccan Chargers by nine wickets in IPL's debut season

Pakistan and Australia clash in the first ODI of a five-match series in Dubai

Brian Lara hits his maiden ton on his homeground Trinidad's Queen's Park Oval in 2003. This after having been dismissed for 91 in the first innings

In 1973, this day witnessed the birth of a certain Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

Birth in 1872 of a man who was offered the chance to become King of Albania. A good friend of the great Ranji, CB Fry was not just a dazzling cricketer, he held the world long jump record at one point of time too

Born on this day in 1918 in Netherlands was the legendary Fanny Blankers-Koen, who won four gold medals at the 1948 Olympics

Shoaib Akhtar inaugurated Cricket's 100 mph club when he sent a 100.04 mph (161 km per hour) thunderbolt to New Zealand's Craig McMillan in 2001

Birth of the Englishman rated by many to be the greatest cricket captain ever. Mike Brearley said to have a degree in people made his way into this world on this day in 1942

Aravinda De Silva, once notorious as cricket's Mad Max, became the first batsman to score unbeaten tons in either innings of a Test in 1997

When he made his Test debut as a bumbling 24-year-old in 1988, nobody expected Ian Healy, born on this day in 1964, to play the 119 Tests that he did