When Bowlers Picked Up All 10 Wickets In An Innings

By Author: john shina
Total Articles: 7
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England’s Jim Laker was the first man to do it when he picked up all 10 wickets in the second innings of fourth Ashes Test held at Old Trafford, Manchester in July 1956. Laker ended with exceptional figures of 51.2 overs, 23 maidens 53 runs and 10 wickets. If that was sensational in itself, Laker actually picked up nine wickets in Australia’s first innings as well. In fact, Australian opener Jim Burke was the only batsman Laker did not dismiss twice in the Test. Burke was picked up by Tony Lock in Australia’s first innings.

For the record, Laker’s first innings figures were as follows – 16.4 overs, 4 maidens, 37 runs and nine wickets. Laker’s performance was out of the world in the sense that Australia had some of the greatest batsmen in the world at that point in their line-up. These big names included – Neil Harvey, Keith Miller and Richie Bernaud. Thanks to Laker’s genius, Australia were bowled out for 85 in the first innings and 205 in the second; England won the Test by an innings and 170 runs. Laker’s 19 wickets in a match remain a world record till date in all forms of cricket, and might never ...
... be broken.

The only other bowler in Test cricket to grab all ten wickets in an innings is India’s retired legend Anil Kumble. He achieved the rarest of rare feat against Pakistan in February 1999 at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi. Pakistan were chasing 420 to win the Test, and were comfortably positioned at 101 for 1 at one stage before all hell broke loose. Once Kumble broke the opening stand between Saeed Anwar and Shahid Afridi, he just ran through the Pakistan batting order, sending back one batsman after the other. By the time he has grabbed all ten wickets, his figures read as follows – 26.3 overs, 9 maidens, 74 runs and 10 wickets. Kumble’s dismissals were of varied types – five batsmen were out caught, three were trapped leg-before even as two others were bowled.

No one has even taken a 10 wicket-haul in one-day internationals. Sri Lankan’s former left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas came closest when he grabbed 8 for 19 against Zimbabwe at Colombo in December 2001. However, when it comes to first-class cricket, this feat has been achieved numerous times –79 till date, to be precise.

Edmund Hinkly was the first ever cricketer in the world to be credited with picking up all ten wickets in a first-class game. He did so for Kent against England at Lord’s in 1948. The numbers of runs he gave away are not available to statisticians. John Wisden created a unique all-ten record when he bowled all ten South of England batsman while representing North of England at Lord’s in 1850. India’s Debashis Mohanty picked up 10 for 46 while playing for East Zone against South Zone at Agartala in the 2000-01 season.

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