Happy Birthday: Jeff Thomson, Fu Mingxia, Roque Santa Cruz

Sport360 staff 11:45 16/08/2015
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  • [L-R] Fu Mingxia, Jeff Thomson, Roque Santa Cruz.

    65 today: Jeff Thomson is generally regarded as the fastest bowler cricket has ever seen. Thommo formed one of the most menacing fast bowling pairs with Dennis Lillee in the 1970s and 1980s.

    After an unispiring start in Test cricket in 1972, he came back two years later and terrorised the visiting England batsmen by taking 33 wickets in the Ashes. Thomson generated almost all of his pace during his delivery stride, recoiling at the last moment and hurling thunerbolts with a slingy action.

    In all, he picked up 200 Test match wickets and 55 ODI scalps. But more than the statistics, it was the impact his presence had which lingered on.

    Even after he injured his shoulder in 1976, there were reports of his bouncers landing past the boundary ropes. He joined the rebel World Series Cricket in 1979 and by that time he ceased to be a regular member of the Australian side.

    37 today: Fu Mingxia, Chinese former female diver, multiple Olympic gold medalist and world champion.

    34 today: Roque Santa Cruz, Paraguayan footballer who plays for Mexican club Cruz Azul as a striker.

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