The cricketing world is mourning the loss of a legend as England and Kent cricketer Derek Underwood passed away at the age of 78. Underwood, known for his exceptional left-arm spin bowling, was a key player for both his county team Kent and the England national team during his illustrious career.
Underwood's skill and precision on the field made him one of the most feared bowlers of his time, with his ability to turn matches in favor of his team with his deadly deliveries. His record-breaking performances and numerous achievements have solidified his place in cricketing history as one of the greatest bowlers to have ever played the game.
A staunch one-club man, Derek Leslie Underwood was born in Bromley, Kent, on 8 June 1945. In 1963, he made his first-team debut aged 17 against Yorkshire – finishing his first innings as a first-class cricketer with figures of 4-40. He went on to become the youngest bowler to take 100 wickets in his initial season.
He was awarded Kent Men’s Cap number 141 in 1964 on the back of his achievements in his debut year and was named the Cricket Writers’ Club Young Cricketer of the Year in 1966.
Derek would go on to make over 900 appearances for Kent across three decades, from 1963-1987, taking a remarkable 2,523 wickets at an average of just 19.04.
He captured his 1,000th first-class wicket aged just 25, and took 100 wickets in a season 10 times, notably 157 in 1966. He was the leading bowler in England on four occasions: 1966, 1967, 1978 and 1979.
Kent Cricket chair Simon Philip said the club is "in mourning following the passing of one of its greatest ever players".
He added: "Derek was an outstanding contributor to both Kent and England, winning trophies for club and country and etching his name in the history books forevermore."
Known for his high level of accuracy, Underwood would often bowl much quicker than most spinners but was also able to deceive batters with variations of pace and length.
He was particularly challenging to face on uncovered pitches that had been affected by rain, his faster pace helping to skid the ball on to batters quickly, while also able to extract turn on surfaces starting to dry out.
Regardless, Underwood’s place in the pantheon was assured and, in the 2004 edition of Wisden, a panel featuring six former captains named him in England’s greatest post-war XI. Fittingly, the side’s wicketkeeper was the silken-gloved Alan Knott, with whom Underwood had formed an almost telepathic partnership for both club and country.
A gentle character by all accounts, much in contrast to the nickname, Underwood’s England returns might have been greater still but for bans that followed his late-career appearances in World Series Cricket and a rebel tour of South Africa – opportunities that proved too lucrative to turn down at a time when players were hugely underpaid.
Awarded an MBE for services to cricket in 1981, Underwood went on to serve as president of Kent in 2006 and Marylebone Cricket Club in 2009 (the same year he was inducted into the ICC’s Hall of Fame) before withdrawing from public life in recent years after being diagnosed with dementia. He leaves behind his wife, Dawn, and two daughters.
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