On This Day In Cricket - February 18

18th February has witnessed several major cricket records. On this day, Brendon McCullum scored 302 runs against India and became the first New Zealand player to hit a triple century. On the same date, Sachin Tendulkar scored a century in the 1996 World Cup and helped India defeat Kenya. This day is also special for Bhuvneshwar Kumar, as he became the first Indian fast bowler to take five wickets in a T20 International. In addition, it is the birthday of ‘chinaman’ bowler Tabraiz Shamsi, and New Zealand completed a historic run chase of 336 runs against Australia on this day.

On This Day - February 18, 1990 - Magician Spinner Tabraiz Shamsi Was Born

South Africa’s ‘Magician’ Spin bowler Tabraiz Shamsi was born in 1990 in Johannesburg. He is known for his chinaman bowling and for performing magic tricks on the field after taking wickets. In the beginning, he wanted to become a fast bowler, but his school coaches told him that his pace was not enough, so he started bowling spin.

Shamsi is counted among the best bowlers in T20 cricket and he became the world’s number one T20 bowler in March 2021. In July 2022, he took five wickets against England and broke Dale Steyn’s record to become South Africa’s highest wicket-taker in T20 Internationals. Recently, a court allowed him to play leagues as a freelance cricketer.

On This Day - February 18, 1996 - Sachin Tendulkar Centuries vs Kenya in World Cup

India played a World Cup match against Kenya at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack in 1996, which was Kenya’s first international ODI match. Sachin Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 127 runs and led India to victory. He faced 138 balls and hit 15 fours and one six in his innings.

In this match, Sachin added 163 runs for the first wicket with Ajay Jadeja, who scored 53 runs. At that time, it was India’s highest partnership for any wicket in World Cup history. Sachin looked a bit nervous after reaching 99 and took 9 balls to complete his century. In the end, India won the match easily with 7 wickets in hand, and Sachin was named Man of the Match.

On This Day - February 18, 1996 - England Crushes UAE by 8 Wickets

England beat UAE by 8 wickets in a one-sided match at Peshawar during the 1996 World Cup. Neil Smith was the hero of the match. He took 3 wickets for 29 runs with his off-spin and then scored 27 runs as an opener. It was a tough match for him physically because he vomited on the field while batting and had to retire ill. He was named Player of the Match for his performance.

UAE captain Sultan Zarawani won the toss and chose to bat first, but his team was all out for 136 runs. Mazhar Hussain was the top scorer with 33 runs. Phil DeFreitas bowled well on his 30th birthday and took 2 wickets. England chased the target easily in 35 overs, with Graham Thorpe scoring 44 not out. Despite the win, England suffered a setback as Craig White was ruled out of the tournament due to a side strain injury.

On This Day - February 18, 2007 - New Zealand Historic Run Chase Against Australia

On 18 February 2007 in Auckland, New Zealand produced a big upset against Australia. Australia scored 336/4 after batting first. Mike Hussey made 105 runs and Brad Hodge scored 97 not out. At that time, chasing such a big total in ODI cricket was considered almost impossible.

In reply, New Zealand fought back through Ross Taylor’s brilliant 117 runs. It was his first ODI century. He added 76 runs with Peter Fulton and steadied the innings. Craig McMillan scored 52 runs in just 30 balls in the end. New Zealand won the match by 5 wickets with 8 balls remaining.

On This Day - February 18, 2014 - Brendon McCullum Became First New Zealander to Score 300

On 18 February 2014, Brendon McCullum created history at Wellington’s Basin Reserve. He became the first New Zealander to score 300 runs in Test cricket. He scored 302 runs against India and broke Martin Crowe’s previous national record of 299 runs. McCullum batted for about 13 hours (775 minutes). He faced 559 balls and hit 32 fours and 4 sixes.

This innings was very special because New Zealand were 94 for 5 in the second innings and were close to losing by an innings. McCullum added 352 runs for the sixth wicket with B.J. Watling, who scored 124 runs. This was a world record partnership. New Zealand saved the match and won the series 1-0. One unique moment in the match was when Indian captain MS Dhoni bowled and Virat Kohli kept wickets during that time.

On This Day - February 18, 2018 - Bhuvneshwar Kumar Becamem First Indian Pacer to Take Five-Wicket Haul in T20I

On 18 February 2018 in Johannesburg, Bhuvneshwar Kumar created history. In the first T20I against South Africa, he troubled the hosts with his swing and accurate line and length. He took 5 wickets for 24 runs (5/24). With this performance, he became the first Indian fast bowler to take a five-wicket haul in a T20 International innings. Before him, only spinner Yuzvendra Chahal had achieved this for India.

In this match, India scored 203/5 thanks to Shikhar Dhawan’s 72 runs. In reply, South Africa scored quickly and Reeza Hendricks made 70 runs and looked dangerous. Bhuvneshwar dismissed Hendricks in the 18th over at a crucial moment and broke South Africa’s hopes. India won the match by 28 runs. Bhuvneshwar was named Man of the Match for his career-best performance.