Long rain of the ‘deadly’ king of spin
GENERALLY regarded as one of the country’s best ever Test cricket bowlers, Derek Underwood earned the nickname “Deadly” from fellow professionals on his way to claiming an astonishing career total of 297 wickets in just 86 international matches.
Underwood played much of his career on typical English, rainsoaked pitches left exposed to the elements, and excelled exploiting the resultant “sticky wickets”.
For his county club Kent and England, the spin bowler took five wickets or more in an innings 153 times, with 17 of them coming in Test matches.
The slow left-arm, orthodox spin bowler actually delivered at around medium pace, and was considered on seaming English wickets to be almost unplayable.
Born in Bromley, Kent, Derek was the son of Leslie Underwood and Evelyn Wells, and was given an early taste of cricket by his father, a regular club bowler, who was so determined he and older brother Keith should take up the game, he built a batting net in his garden.
Underwood’s skill soon shone through and at Dulwich College
Preparatory School, he took nine wickets for 10 runs in an under-10s match and continued to shine at Beckenham and Penge Grammar School, hitting 96 in a match against the staff and taking 10 wickets against a close rival.
Underwood made his debut two years later as a 17-year-old against Yorkshire, bagging cricket legend Ray Illingworth as his first victim and taking 100 wickets in his debut season, the youngest ever to do so.
One year shy of his 40th birthday, Underwood secured his first and only first-class century, knocking 111 in his 591st first-class match in July 1984.
The match was played at Hastings, a favourite bowling haunt for Underwood who, having gone into bat as nightwatchman, hit his century in his 618th first-class innings. Cricket commentator Colin Bateman spoke for many fans when
he declared that there was “no more popular century that summer”.
Underwood retired in 1987 at the age of 42, claiming 2,465 wickets at a little over 20 apiece.
In 1973 the player married Dawn Sullivan and the couple had two daughters.
He later became consultant at ClubTurf Cricket Ltd, joining his
brother Keith who was managing director.
Underwood suffered complications related to his dementia.
Chair of the England and Wales Cricket Board, Richard Thompson said: “Derek was one of the finest spin bowlers this country has ever produced. His remarkable record is testament to his enduring skill.”