Born On This Day: 28th October

Slow-left-arm bowler Rajesh Maru was born in Nairobi, Kenya in1962 and played for Middlesex 2nd XI from 1979 and for England under-19s the following year.

He made his first-class and limited-overs debut for the county in 1980, but with England spinners Edmonds and Emburey at the club, found it hard to secure a regular place, and after 16 first-class matches with 23 wickets, he joined Hampshire, making his debut in 1984.

He took first-class wickets regularly through the next eight seasons, with 73 in 1985, and 71 two years later.

From 1992, he played less regularly in the Championship but from 1990-1992, Maru was a fairly regular member of Hampshire’s limited-overs sides, taking 40 wickets in that period and played in the Hampshire side that won the Nat West Trophy in 1991.

Maru was a useful batsman who scored seven first-class half centuries for Hampshire, and he was a fine close-to-the-wicket fielder, holding 240 catches, in 213 matches – one of the few Hampshire catchers to average better than one per game.

In 1988, he held seven catches in the match v Northamptonshire at Bournemouth, equalling the county record set by Tom Dean (and since matched by Liam Dawson). For Hampshire, he took 504 first-class wickets at 33.62, to which he added 82 limited-overs wickets.

After his benefit season in 1998 he retired and took up a coaching position at the club, and from 1999-2001, he captained the Hampshire Cricket Board side in the knock-out competitions. He has since become the cricket coach at Lancing College where he was instrumental in the development of Mason Crane.

Also today: Walter Humphreys, Walter Lancashire.