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'Deadly' they called him - the ultimate wet wicket bowler of the modern
era. Underwood mesmerised Test batsmen - even Australians - until the
regular covering of wickets made him less effective. Even then he was
still a fine bowler and was one of the few English players to make a
mark in Kerry Packer's World Series. A left arm spinner who bowled
nearer medium pace than slow, Underwood made his debut against West
Indies in 1966, bowling 45 overs without taking a wicket.
He returned in
1967 with 5-52 against Pakistan, but his real mark was made against
Bill Lawry's Australians in 1968, when opposing batsmen found him almost
impossible to score off, despite attacking fields which culminated in
nine close catches in the closing stages at the Oval, when Underwood
took 7-50 to win the match and square the series. He took 12 wickets
against New Zealand at the Oval in 1969 and was the stock bowler on Ray
Illingworth's Ashes win in 1970-71, taking 16 wickets in five Tests.
In
later years Illingworth would distrust him on true wickets and prefer
old sweats like Norman Gifford. Underwood returned at Headingley against
Australia in 1972 on a wicket affected by a fungus disease and bowled
England to victory with 4-37 and 6-45. Underwood took 5-20 and 8-51
against Pakistan at Lord's in 1974, his last triumph on an uncovered
wicket. At one stage he took 6-2 in a spell of 51 balls. Always a gutsy
tail-end batsmen he stood up to Lillee and Thomson better than the
specialists, scoring 25 and 30 in the Brisbane blitz of 1974-75 also
taking four wickets. He played in the 1975 World Cup, bowling 10 overs
for 11 runs against East Africa. His last Tests were in the early 1980s. (Bob Harragan)
Derek Underwood died on 15th April 2024 aged 78.
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