ICC Hall of Fame inductee England spinner Derek Underwood dies at 78

Utkarsh Classes Last Updated 17-04-2024

ICC Hall of Fame inductee England spinner Derek Underwood dies at 78

Death 3 min read

Derek Underwood, the great England spinner and ICC Hall of Fame inductee, died on 15 April 2024 at the age of 78. Derek Underwood made his cricket debut in 1963 at the age of 17.

Derek Underwood International Cricket Career:

In an international cricket career spanning over 15 years, Derek Underwood represented England in 86 Tests and 26 ODIs.
According to the retrospective ICC Men's Test Player Rankings, Derek Underwood held the position of world No. One ranked bowler from September 1969 to August 1973.
Derek Underwood's contributions to cricket are indeed notable. He served as the President of Kent Cricket Club in 2006, President of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 2008, and was honored with induction into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2009.

About Derek Underwood:

Derek Underwood played 24 years of his domestic cricket for Kent, where he was born. Between 1963 and 1987, Derek Underwood achieved an impressive record, taking 2,523 wickets with an average of 19.04 in more than 900 first-class matches.
Derek Underwood made his debut for Kent at the remarkably young age of 17, showcasing his talent and early promise in cricket. Underwood played all his domestic matches for Kent.

He was famous by the nickname ‘Deadly’:

Underwood who was also known by his nickname "Deadly". He was one of the first 55 inductees into the International Cricket Council Hall of Fame in 2009.
In addition to serving as President of the Marylebone Cricket Club in 2009, Underwood was awarded an MBE in 1981.
Underwood is the sixth highest wicket taker for England in Test cricket. He is also the top spinner ahead of Graeme Swann (255).
Underwood played 26 matches in One Day Internationals between 1973 and 1982. Which also included the first World Cup in 1975, where he took 32 wickets at an average of 22.93.
He won three County Championships, two One-Day Cups, three National League and three Benson & Hedges Cups as a Kent cricketer. Additionally, Underwood also had two profitable seasons during his career in 1975 and 1986. He eventually announced his retirement from the sport in 1987.