Derek ‘Deadly’ Underwood, the English left-arm spinner, who passed away on Monday at the age of 78, possessed a beautiful action, akin to a medium pacer. It made for fine pictures which cricket followers of the 1970s marvelled at in various magazines.

Underwood unsurprisingly features in the book, 100 Greatest Bowlers by Phil Edmonds (yes, the erstwhile England left-arm spinner, who wrote it in collaboration with Scyld Berry). The caption to the photograph accompanying Underwood’s profile reads, “How could anybody have possibly thought that a fellow with such a run to the wicket could ever be turned into a spinner?” Robin Marlar, the celebrated English cricket writer described Underwood’s action in The Cricketer magazine as, “It is a fine action. Rhythmic. Controlled. Plenty of body. It lends itself to accuracy. He also has stamina. He can bowl for hours.”