Derek Underwood, the legendary England spinner and ICC Hall of Famer, has died at the age of 78.

In an international career that spanned more than 15 years, Underwood represented England in 86 Tests and 26 ODIs. He claimed 297 wickets in Test cricket, still the highest for any spinner for England, and the sixth-highest overall.

In his domestic career, Underwood played solely for Kent, making his debut when he was 17 in 1963.

In 676 first-class games, Underwood picked up a whopping 2465 wickets to go with another 572 wickets in 411 List-A games with his left-arm spin before calling time in 1987.

“It is always a sad day when a great of the English game passes away," ECB chair Richard Thompson said in a statement. 

"Derek Underwood will be remembered as one of the finest spin bowlers this country has ever produced and his remarkable record is testament to his enduring skill." 

According to the retrospective ICC Men's Test Player rankings, Derek Underwood was the No. 1 ranked bowler in the world from September 1969 to August 1973.

Underwood served as the President of Kent Cricket Club in 2006, the President of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 2008, and was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2009.