On This Day - May 19

For the Cricket Fans, the day of 19th May has been marked by remarkable moments in cricket history. In 1874, Gilbert Jessop, "The Croucher," was born, a ferocious hitter who smashed a 77-minute Test century in 1902, leading England to a thrilling one-wicket win over Australia. In 1910, stylish South African opener Alan Melville was born, later scoring four Test centuries. On this day in 1988, Monte Lynch debuted for England but was run out on the second ball in an ODI against West Indies. Also, Jamie How, born in 1981, emerged as a promising New Zealand batsman.

On This Day - May 19, 1981 - The Birth of New Zealand’s Star Opener, Jamie How

The man from New Zealand, Jamie How, born on May 19, 1981, in New Plymouth, carved a notable cricket career as a top-order batsman. Known for his disciplined batting, How debuted for New Zealand in an ODI against Sri Lanka in 2005, scoring a lively 58. Across 19 Tests, he scored 772 runs at an average of 22.70, with a best of 92 and in 41 ODIs, he amassed 1,046 runs, including a century (139) against England, averaging 29.05. His T20I stint was brief, with 56 runs in five matches.

(Jamie How played for New Zealand team in 2005-2015)

For Central Districts, he shone, scoring 7,647 first-class runs, with 16 centuries, and led them to a domestic T20 title in 2009-10. He also played in the Champions League T20, averaging 94.00 in four matches. Despite inconsistent international form, his first-class prowess and leadership left a mark and his career spanned 2005 to 2015, retiring after a final List A match.

On This Day - May 19, 1990 - The Birth of India’s Speedstar Siddarth Kaul

Teammate with Virat Kohli in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup, 19th May 1990 saw the birth of Siddarth Kaul, a spirited Indian pacer from Punjab. Starting cricket in 1996, Kaul debuted for Punjab in 2007, grabbing 5/97. His 10 wickets helped India win the 2008 U-19 World Cup and despite early injuries, he shone in 2012-13, taking 44 Ranji wickets. Kaul played 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is for India (2018-2019), taking 4 T20I wickets at 21.00.

(Siddarth Kaul played for Sunrisers Hyderabad from 2016 to 2021)

In the IPL, he claimed 58 wickets in 55 matches for teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad, averaging 29.98. His first-class record boasts 297 wickets in 88 games, with 17 five-wicket hauls. Kaul retired from Indian cricket in November 2024, eyeing overseas leagues after a stellar county debut for Northamptonshire, taking 5/76. His grit and pace left a lasting mark.

On This Day - 19th May 2014 - Shreyas Gopal Makes his IPL Debut for Mumbai Indians

Marking the start of a new career in the IPL, the 44th match on May 19, 2014, in Ahmedabad saw Mumbai Indians defeat Rajasthan Royals by 25 runs. Mumbai posted 178/3, led by Michael Hussey’s 56 off 39 and Lendl Simmons’ 62 off 51. Shreyas Gopal, debuting for Mumbai, shone with his leg-spin, taking 2/25 in 4 overs. He dismissed Stuart Binny and Ankit Sharma, bowling tight lines to stifle Royals’ chase.

(Shreyas Gopal picked 2 wickets on his IPL Debut)

Rajasthan, chasing 179, managed 153/8, with Karun Nair’s 48 off 24 and Brad Hodge’s 40 off 30 offering resistance. Harbhajan Singh also took 2/13. Gopal’s composed performance, conceding just one six, earned praise, signalling his potential and Hussey was Player of the Match. Mumbai’s win kept their playoff hopes alive, while Royals slipped into the race.

On This Day - May 19, 2016 - James Vince Makes Debut for the England Test Team

Stepping onto the Test cricket stage for England, James Vince debuted against Sri Lanka at Leeds on May 19, 2016. Batting at No. 5, he scored a cautious 9 runs off 27 balls, showing brief glimpses of his smooth style before Shaminda Eranga had him caught and his short innings couldn’t make a big mark, as England cruised to a massive win by an innings and 88 runs, thanks to Jonny Bairstow’s brilliant 140.

(James Vince has played 13 Test Matches for the England Team)

Vince’s Test journey covered 13 matches, where he scored 548 runs at an average of 24.90. His best was a classy 83 against Australia in 2017, one of three fifties. In 2016, he managed 212 runs across seven Tests, averaging just 19.27 and will be looking to get back to the England team now.

On This Day - May 19, 2019 - England defeats Pakistan by 4-0 to clinch the ODI Series

With England playing against Pakistan at Leeds on May 19, 2019, the 5th ODI saw England clinch a 54-run victory, sealing the series 4-0. England batted first, posting 351/9 in 50 overs, powered by Joe Root’s 84 off 73 balls and Eoin Morgan’s 76 off 64 and Shaheen Shah Afridi took 4/82 for Pakistan. Chasing 352, Pakistan struggled early, slumping to 6/3.

(Sarfaraz Ahmed was run out by Jos Buttler for 97 runs)

Babar Azam’s 80 off 83 and Sarfaraz Ahmed’s 97 off 80 sparked a fightback, but Chris Woakes’ 5/54, including key wickets, derailed their chase, ending at 297 in 46.5 overs. Mohammad Hasnain’s late 28 off 17 added spark, but it wasn’t enough. Woakes earned Player of the Match, while Jason Roy’s 277-run series haul won him Player of the Series and England’s dominant batting and bowling showcased their World Cup readiness.

On This Day - 19 May, 2024 - Abhishek Sharma’s Storm Blasts Away Punjab Kings

The day of 19th May 2024 proved to be a thrilling clash in Hyderabad, as Sunrisers Hyderabad chased down Punjab Kings’ 214/5 to win by 4 wickets with 5 balls left in the IPL’s 69th match. Punjab posted a strong total, thanks to Prabhsimran Singh’s 71 off 45 and Rilee Rossouw’s 49 off 24 and Abhishek Sharma stole the show for SRH, smashing a blazing 66 off 28 balls, including 5 fours and 6 sixes, at a strike rate of 235.71.

(Abhishek Sharma scored 66 runs off 28 balls against PBKS in the IPL 2024)

His aggressive knocks, with quick boundaries and towering sixes, set the tone, powering SRH to 100 runs in 8.1 overs. Supported by Heinrich Klaasen’s 42 off 26 and Nitish Kumar Reddy’s 37 off 25, SRH clinched second place in the league. Abhishek’s match-winning blitz earned him Player of the Match.