Derek Underwood: 'Deadly' Derek and England's Greatest Slow Left-Armer

The Wet-Pitch Specialist

Derek Underwood was known as 'Deadly' Derek, and the nickname was most appropriate on a rain-affected pitch. He was not a conventional slow left-armer — he bowled at medium pace rather than the gentle loop most left-arm spinners used — but on a sticky or drying surface, his sharp variations in pace and trajectory made him almost impossible to score off. Clive Lloyd, who faced every major bowler of his era, named Underwood the most difficult bowler he ever faced on a responsive pitch.

The Oval 1968: One of Cricket's Great Moments

Underwood's most famous match was the final Ashes Test at The Oval in 1968. England needed to bowl Australia out to level the series. A thunderstorm had soaked the outfield with just 75 minutes of play remaining, leaving the pitch damp. Underwood was brought on and took 7/50 to bowl England to victory with just five minutes to spare. The crowd spilled onto the field at the close — it remains one of the most dramatic finishes in Ashes history.

297 Test Wickets and Legacy

Underwood finished with 297 Test wickets in 86 matches at an average of 25.83. He was controversially banned from Test cricket for three years after joining Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket in 1977 and then joining the rebel tour to South Africa in 1981-82, which effectively ended his international career at 37. He was widely regarded as unlucky not to have reached 300 Test wickets. Underwood remains the model of what England's slow left-arm spinner should aspire to be.