10 Cricketers Who Achieved Special Feat on Their Birthday

Every cricketer likes to deliver the goods for his team. The players try to give their best to the team to serve their respective country and do their job with success. However, whenever a particular player scores big or takes wickets on his birthday, he gives himself and the team a perfect birthday present. In fact, whenever a player comes up with goods on his birthday, it adds a cherry to the cake on a special day.

Meanwhile, special performances are always remembered by the fans as well as players. Furthermore, whenever the good performance coincides with the birthday, it gives one more reason to remember the big day.

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We take a look at 10 Cricketers who achieved the special feat on their birth anniversary.

10. Sachin Tendulkar

The Indian legendary batsman was the most consistent batsman of his era. Sachin Tendulkar was at the culmination of his career in 1998 when he stunned the cricket world with the desert storm. The talisman batsman scored a fine knock of 134 runs against Australia in the final of the tri-series in Sharjah in 1998 on 24th April.

Tendulkar celebrated his 25th birthday on 24th April 1998 and made sure that he celebrated the same in style. In fact, Tendulkar had scored a breathtaking knock of 143 runs against Australia on 22 April and he was batting at the peak of his career.

9. Sanath Jayasuriya

Sri Lanka’s attacking southpaw batsman Sanath Jayasuriya celebrated his 39th birthday in style. The left-hander scored a fine knock of 130 runs from only 88 balls in the Asia Cup clash against Bangladesh. The left-hander batted at the top of his game on his birthday as he smashed half-a-dozen sixes and 16 fours in his blistering knock.

The left-hander took the Bangladesh bowlers to the cleaners and added a record 201 runs opening partnership with Kumar Sangakkara. The Island nation was able to post a gargantuan score of 332 runs in their 50 overs and went on to win the contest easily.

8. Peter Siddle

Australia’s pacer Peter Siddle bowled with fire on his 26th birthday. The right-arm fast bowler took a fine hat-trick on the opening day of the 2010-11 Ashes series. The hat-trick contained England’s opening batsman Alastair Cook, wicket-keeper batsman Matt Prior and fast bowler Stuart Broad.

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Thanks to Siddle’s fiery spell, Australia were able to skittle out England on 260. In fact, Peter Siddle‘s hat-trick was the ninth hat-trick in the Ashes history. Furthermore, he was the fourth Australia bowler to achieve the special milestone.

7. Colin Cowdery

England’s talisman batsman Colin Cowdery celebrated his birthday on 24th December. Consequently, the batsman didn’t get a chance to bat on his birthday as the Boxing day Test match commenced from 26th December. However, Cowdery got a chance to bat on his birthday in the practice match against South Australia on the Down Under tour of 1962-63. In fact, Colin Cowdery went on to score a mammoth triple hundred as he batted at the top of his game.

6. Vinod Kambli

The southpaw batsman celebrated his 23rd birthday on 18th January 1993 in style when he scored an unbeaten hundred against England in Jaipur. Kambli added a fine alliance of 164 runs with his school mate and best friend Sachin Tendulkar. However, the left-hander chewed 149 balls to complete his hundred and batted with a strike rate of 67.11.

However, it wasn’t a match-winning hundred for Kambli as England was able to win the contest on the last ball of the match. But Kambli was awarded the Man of the match for his hundred.

5. Stuart Broad

England’s lanky fast bowler Stuart Broad had a memorable 26th birthday on 24 June 2012. Broad was leading England against West Indies at Trent Bridge. Subsequently, Broad gave a perfect start to his team as he got the better of Windies number three batsman Lendl Simmons on the first ball he bowled. England went on to win the contest easily by seven wickets. Broad conceded 33 runs in his four overs quota. Alex Hales scored a blistering knock of 99 runs off just 68 balls to help his team to victory.

4. WG Grace

The right-hander scored a fine knock of 109 runs at the Mecca of Cricket, Lord’s on his 22nd birthday on 18th July, 1870. WG Grace scored a fine century while playing for the Gentleman against Players. In fact, WG Grace repeated the same heroics after a gap of seven years when a combined team of Gloucestershire and Yorkshire against England.

Furthermore, WG Grace continued his love affair scoring runs on his birthday as he scored 61 runs against MCC while playing for the London County in 1904 on his 56th birthday. Moreover, the right-hander went on to score 161 runs on the next day.

3. Yuvraj Singh

The southpaw all-rounder was at his best on his 28th birthday on 12 December 2009. Yuvraj Singh clobbered 60 runs from 25 balls to help India chase the massive total of 211 runs against Sri Lanka in Mohali in a T20 International.

In fact, not only Yuvraj shined with the bat but also delivered the goods with the bat. The off-spinner scalped three wickets and conceded only 23 runs in his three overs. Consequently, Yuvraj Singh was awarded the Man of the match for his all-round performance with both bat and ball.

2. Ross Taylor

Ross Taylor is the most consistent New Zealand batsman. Taylor scored a fine hundred of 132 runs against Pakistan in the 2011 World Cup at Pallekele. The right-hander brought his best to the table as his knock helped the Kiwis reach a competitive score of 302 runs.

In fact, the right-hander thwarted 55 runs from the last 13 balls to end the innings on a high. Meanwhile, Kamran Akmal also played a hand in Taylor’s match-winning knock as the wicket-keeper bungled two chances in the initial stages of the innings.

1. Jason Gillespie

Australian gun fast bowler Jason Gillespie didn’t gather the headlines for his bowling. However, it was Gillespie mammoth effort with the bat that made him the talk of the town. The right-hander scored a huge knock of undefeated 201 runs against Bangladesh on his 31st birthday.

Gillespie made the record of a hundred by a night watchman and helped Australia get to a monumental score of 581-4. However, Gillespie didn’t get to play in his career after this innings.