On This Day: Jim Laker forays into record books, claims all 10 wickets

Hyderabad: Sixty-six years ago, on 31st July, English off-spinner Jim Laker achieved a rare feat by claiming all 10 wickets (the first ever in the game’s history) in an innings.

Jim Laker was the former off-spinner who represented England in 46 Test matches. Domestically, he played for Surrey County Cricket Club.

The off-spinner pulled off the feat in a Test match against Australia in 1956 in Manchester at Old Trafford. He restricted the Australian team to a mere total of 205 runs and helped England win the fourth Test of the five-match series against Australia.

Having won the toss, England decided to bat first and piled 459/10 in the first innings thanks to their opening batsman Peter Richardson and one down batsman David Sheppard who chipped in with a century each. Ian Johnson was the pick of the Australian bowlers in the innings.

In reply, the Kangaroo team was bowled out for 84. The Australian openers Colin McDonald and Jim Burke were the only batsmen to reach the double-figure mark. Jim Laker gave England the first breakthrough as he dismissed Colin for 32. He then ran through the Aussies batting line-up to register a 9-wicket haul.

After being forced to follow on, England’s batting crumpled once again as Jim put up a monumental performance to take all Australian wickets. As a result, the Australian team was bundled out for 205 which helped England to register a memorable win.

In the first innings, Jim bowled 16.4 overs, and his figures read 9/37. In the second innings, he bowled 51.2 overs, including 23 maidens, and gave away 53 runs in the second innings. The offie was the standout bowler from the England camp as he scalped 19 wickets in the match.

After Jim Laker, Anil Kumble (India) and Ajaz Patel (New Zealand) were the other two bowlers to achieve the feat against Pakistan and India respectively.

Score:

England: 459/10

Australia: 84 & 205

Result: England won by 170 runs

Jim Laker bowling figures: 9/37 and 10/53