This day in history: 5th June

Mervyn Dillon was born on this day in 1974

Cricket

1974: Birth of Mervyn Dillon, a West Indian cricketer. He has played 38 in Tests and taken 131 wickets. He has also played 108 One Day Internationals from 1997-2004.

1980: Ian Botham’s first day as England captain. 

1997: On the first morning of the Ashes series, Australia crumbled to 54 for 8. But it was Shane Warne who got the Aussies to a first-inning total of 118. 

2009: England lost to the Netherlands off the last ball in the opening match of the second World Twenty20 in England.

Football

1938: Italy opened the World Cup with an extra-time win over Norway, the closest match they had in their successful bid to defend their title.

1998: Aston Villa completed the signing of midfielder Alan Thompson from Bolton Wanderers, who had just been relegated from the Barclays Premier League.

Tennis

1961: Birth of Ramesh Krishnan, a tennis coach and former professional tennis player from India. As a junior player in the late-1970s, he won the boy’s singles titles at both Wimbledon and the French Open.

Do check out the rest of the ‘This day in history’ series.