On This Day in Cricket - May 28

The cricketing world celebrates 28th May as a day full of remarkable milestones and historic moments. Jeff Dujon (born 1956) remains one of the finest West Indies wicket-keepers. On this day in 1912, Jimmy Matthews took two Test hat-tricks in a single day—still unmatched. Graeme Hick reached 1000 first-class runs in England before June in 1988. In 2011, CSK dominated RCB to win their second IPL title. Jack Hobbs scored his final first-class century in 1934 at 51 years old while the Indian team lost the ODI series against the West Indies team by 4-1 in 2006. It's a day of legends and records etched in cricket history.

On This Day - May 28, 2011 - Chennai Super Kings Defend their IPL Title against Royal Challengers Bengaluru

After winning the IPL title in 2010, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defended their crown in style, beating Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 58 runs in the IPL 2011 final on May 28 at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium. CSK posted a strong 205/5, powered by Murali Vijay’s brilliant 95 off 52 balls (four fours, six sixes) and Michael Hussey’s 63 off 45 (three fours, three sixes). Their 159-run opening stand set the tone, with MS Dhoni’s quick 22 off 13 adding late fireworks.

(CSK defeated RCB by 58 runs to win the IPL 2011)

RCB’s Chris Gayle took 2/34, but their bowlers struggled. Chasing 206, RCB faltered early, slumping to 16/2 as Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Gayle (0) and Mayank Agarwal (10). Virat Kohli (35 off 32) and Saurabh Tiwary (42* off 34) fought, but CSK’s spinners shone. Ashwin’s 3/16, including Daniel Vettori’s wicket, and Shadab Jakati’s 2/21 crippled RCB, who ended at 147/8. Doug Bollinger (1/28) and Dwayne Bravo (1/15) chipped in. Vijay’s match-defining knock earned him Player of the Match, while CSK’s disciplined bowling sealed their second straight title.

On This Day – May 28, 2010 - Zimbabwe defeats India despite Rohit Sharma’s Century

Marking debuts of players like Vinay Kumar, Ashok Dinda, Umesh Yadav, and Zimbabwe’s Craig Ervine, the 1st ODI of the 2010 Zimbabwe Triangular Series on May 28 at Bulawayo’s Queens Sports Club saw Zimbabwe stun India by six wickets. India, batting first after winning the toss, posted 285/5 in 50 overs. Rohit Sharma shone with a brilliant 114 off 119 balls (six fours, four sixes), his first ODI century, while Ravindra Jadeja’s unbeaten 61 off 61 added late momentum. Their 132-run fifth-wicket stand was a highlight. Zimbabwe’s Christopher Mpofu took 2/63.

(Rohit Sharma scored 114 off 119 against Zimbabwe)

Chasing 286, Zimbabwe reached 289/4 in 48.2 overs, led by Brendan Taylor’s 81 off 103 (four fours, two sixes), earning him Player of the Match. Craig Ervine’s unbeaten 67 off 60 and Hamilton Masakadza’s 46 off 43 set a solid platform. Vinay Kumar, on debut, took 2/51, while Dinda (0/49) and Yadav (0/48) went wicketless. Amit Mishra and Jadeja grabbed one wicket each.

On This Day – May 28, 1965 – Two Coffee Breaks Lead to Ken Barrington’s Omission from the Next England Test

During the second day of the first Test match between England and New Zealand on May 28, 1965, at Edgbaston, Birmingham, the weather was so bitterly cold that something unusual happened. With temperatures barely hitting 10°C, icy winds, and a grey, dreary sky, players were freezing on the field. Warwickshire CCC took the rare step of serving hot coffee to the batters twice, a first in Test cricket. Wisden called it one of England’s chilliest Tests, noting New Zealand fielders huddled with hands in pockets to stay warm. The coffee didn’t jolt Ken Barrington, who crawled to 137 in 437 minutes, stuck on 85 for 20 overs. His sluggish innings helped England win by nine wickets but got him dropped for the next Test for slow play.

(England vs New Zealand, 1965, 1st Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham)

In the match, England, choosing to bat, piled up 435 in 156.4 overs, with Barrington’s 137, Colin Cowdrey’s 85, and Ted Dexter’s 57 leading the way. New Zealand’s Dick Motz grabbed 5/108. New Zealand crumbled to 116 in 63 overs, Fred Titmus taking 4/18. Bert Sutcliffe retired hurt twice after a bouncer struck his ear. Following on, New Zealand battled to 413, thanks to Vic Pollard’s unbeaten 81 and Sutcliffe’s 53. England chased 95 in 30.5 overs, with Bob Barber’s 51 and Geoff Boycott’s 44* sealing a comfortable nine-wicket victory.

On This Day - May 28, 2014 - Chennai Super Kings Eliminates Mumbai Indians from the IPL 2014

The IPL 2014 Eliminator on May 28 at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium saw Chennai Super Kings (CSK) overpower Mumbai Indians (MI) by seven wickets with eight balls to spare, advancing to the next qualifier. MI, batting first, posted 173/8 in 20 overs, led by Lendl Simmons’ 67 off 44 balls (five fours, four sixes) and Michael Hussey’s 39 off 33. Mohit Sharma took 3/42 for CSK, while Ravindra Jadeja claimed 2/31. MI’s innings saw a strong 76-run opening stand, but late wickets stalled them.

(CSK defeated MI by 7 wickets in the IPL 2014 Eliminator)

Chasing 174, CSK cruised, thanks to Suresh Raina’s unbeaten 54 off 33 (four fours, two sixes), earning him Player of the Match, and David Hussey’s 40* off 29. Faf du Plessis (35 off 20) and Dwayne Smith (24 off 20) gave a fiery start with a 60-run opening stand in 6.2 overs. Harbhajan Singh took 2/27 for MI, but CSK reached 176/3 in 18.4 overs, crossing 100 in 11.2 overs.

On This Day - May 28, 2006 - India loses the 5 Match ODI Series against West Indies by 4-1

The fifth ODI between India and West Indies on May 28, 2006, at Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, saw West Indies clinch a 19-run victory, sealing the series 4-1. India, opting to field, restricted West Indies to 255/6 in 50 overs. Dwayne Bravo’s unbeaten 62 off 44 balls (four fours), earning him Player of the Match, and Chris Gayle’s 51 off 61 (10 fours) powered the innings. Ramnaresh Sarwan added 52 off 97, while Ajit Agarkar took 2/44 for India. Chasing 256, India fell short at 236 all out in 48 overs. Virender Sehwag led with a fiery 95 off 103 (10 fours, one six), but lacked support.

(West Indies defeated India by 4-1 in the ODI Series)

Yuvraj Singh scored 26 off 30, and Harbhajan Singh made 26 off 33, but early blows, including Robin Uthappa’s duck, hurt. West Indies’ Jerome Taylor (3/48) and Dave Mohammed (3/39) shone, with Wavell Hinds grabbing 2/28. India’s innings crumbled after a 57-run fourth-wicket stand, with key run-outs of Rahul Dravid (18) and catches ending their hopes. West Indies’ disciplined bowling and Bravo’s late surge proved decisive. Sarwan, with 273 runs, was Player of the Series.