Even though he played in an era when Test matches were fewer in number, and there was no DRS to help spinners, Underwood remains the country's most prolific, successful and revered spin bowler with ancareer haul of 297 Test wickets.

His ubiquitous nickname was uttered affectionately by those who played alongside him and fearfully by those he came up against, a recognition of his ability to wreak havoc with his unique set of skills.

He was far quicker and flatter than the average slow left-armer, but slowed down when in Australia to extract more bounce. Renowned as a master manipulator of damp surfaces in the eras of uncovered pitches he was also prized by captains for his accuracy when conditions were against him.

The International Cricket Council's official rankings, applied retrospectively, now places Underwood as the world's No.1 Test bowler for almost four years between 1969-1973.

Among many highs, including 17 five-wicket Test hauls, four times against Australia, and six 10-wicket matches, he is most fondly remembered for a starring role in a classic Ashes finish at the Oval in 1968.

With a downpour threatening to preserve Australia's 2-1 series lead, members of the crowd helped with the mopping up work to allow Colin Cowdrey's side little more than half-an-hour to take the six wickets they needed for victory.

All eyes were on Underwood, who exploited a made-to-measure surface with a sequence of four wickets for six runs in 27 balls, wrapping things up with barely five minutes to spare and finishing with seven for 50.

Three years later he took the wicket of Terry Jenner in the seventh and final Test in Sydney to wrap up England's 1970-71 Ashes series win.

He was an obvious choice to be head-hunted for Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket, a decision that cost him a spell out of Test cricket, as did his later participation in the first 'rebel tour' of South Africa.

Born on June 8 1945 in Kent to a cricketing family Underwood made his first-class debut for the county at 17, taking 100 wickets in each of his first two seasons.

Underwood continued to turn out for Kent, with whom he won 11 domestic trophies, until 1987, taking 8-31 at the age of 42 in a List A match against Scotland. He finished with 2,465 first-class wickets at 20.28 apiece and an economy rate of 2.14 runs per over, and one century, made aged 39 as a nightwatchman.

He was appointed president of Kent in 2006, the MCC in 2008 and inducted into the ICC's Hall of Fame a year later.

Australian Associated Press