World of Cricket Contest Series | Jim Laker, most wickets in a test match.

It is said that records are set to be broken. But there are some records in the history of cricket that are impossible to break. In July 1956, the cricket world witnessed a similar record at the Old Trafford Test. Jim Laker took 10 wickets in an innings (53/10 in the second innings) as the 'first' bowler in Test history. He took a total of 19 wickets in that test, including 9 in the first innings. The 'unique' record of the right-handed off-spinner taking 19 wickets for 90 runs against Australia is the best bowling record in the history of test cricket as well as first-class match also! 19 wickets in a match is a far cry, no one has ever taken more than 17 wickets so far!

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Summer of 1956 in England::

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The Australian team is then going through reconstruction. The number of experienced players in the team is very low. Mostly young players. But no one has time to listen to so much. In the previous two editions, they lost the Ashes to arch-rivals England. This time the Ashes must be restored. Australia might have won the series. But an offspinner named James Charles Laker chose this series to be the legend!!!

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The first Test was at Nottingham in Trent bridge. Laker played a big role in drawing the match with a total of 6 wickets in two innings of this Test. Laker took only 3 wickets in the second Test. Laker didn't get many wickets. England also did not win the match. Australia leads the series 1-0. Laker shook Australia in the third Test at Leeds. He took 11 wickets in two innings. Jim Laker became a nightmare for Australia. They didn't understand what Laker was balling. The result was a humiliating defeat of 1 innings and 42 runs.

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In the 5 Test Ashes series, the score was 1-1. At this point, the Old Trafford Test began. There was no grass on the pitch. "It's not a pitch, It's a beach." said one England player before the match. Winning the toss, England scored 459 runs in the first innings. The Australian batsmen were shining."If the English run so much, we will do more. And what will Laker do on this bald pitch? ” But they forgot that the Australian spinners took 6 of the 10 wickets of the English batsmen.

Australia got off to a good start in batting. They scored 48 runs without losing any wickets. English captain Peter May then invite to bowl Jim Laker and Tony Lock to break the partnership. Aussies scored 62 for 2 before the tea break. Laker picked up both the wickets of McDonald (32) and Nell Harve (0). Another opener, Jim Burke (22), was picked up at the first ball after the tea break, by the left-arm orthodox Tony Lock, Jim Laker's best bowling partner of his career. Then Jim Laker showed his class. Aussie batting line-up was destroyed in the next 37 minutes. The off-spinner picked up Aussie's last 7 wickets at the cost of 8 runs off just 22 balls. Australia was bowled out for 84 runs. Jim Laker Bowling figure stands as 16.4-4-37-9! only three bowlers had the distinction of taking 9 wickets in an innings in a Test before.

Laker, who took 9 wickets, must have been a little upset with his teammate Tony Lock because he would have taken 10 wickets for the first time in history if Lock had not taken 1 wicket. And that is why he may have bet in the next innings that he will not share the wicket with anyone else, he will take all wickets in the next innings.

Following on, Australia finished the second day with 53 runs for 1 wicket. The wicket was also taken by Jim Laker. The next day(July 28) was a rest day. Due to the rain, the game was played on July 29 for 48 minutes and on July 30 for 1 hour. Between that time, Laker returned Jim Burke in the dressing room for 33 runs.

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The game started 10 minutes late on the last day on 31st July, with clouds flying in the sky over Manchester from the morning, giving hope to Aussies. They need to play all day to save the match, with 8 wickets in hand. Colin MacDonald and Ian Craig are still unbeaten. After that, Colin MacDonald added 36 runs with Craig (38) till lunch, in an unbroken partnership.

It was not impossible for Aussies to save the match. They just needed to spend four hours with 8 wickets in hand. Meanwhile, as the pitch begins to spin, Jim Laker may be warming himself up to make the Aussie camp cry. After lunch, Laker took 4 wickets for 3 runs in 9 overs. Richie Beno joined McDonald, who was at one end. The two of them spent 75 minutes before the tea break.

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The teammates rushed to congratulate him with applause and handshakes, while Laker walked silently with a sweater in hand from the umpire. source

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But England did not try hard to gain much momentum after the tea break. Specifically, we can say Jim Laker, not the English because all the wickets of Australia are his victims. McDonald, who was at the crease for 336 minutes, returned with an 89-run innings. Richie Beno could not score more than 18 runs before being McDonald was bowled. Australia was all out for 205 an hour before the end of the day's play.

England ensured an innings and a 180-run victory. Jim Laker's bowling figure is 51.2-23-53-10. For the first time in the history of cricket, Jim Laker became the bowler to take all wickets in an innings. His bowling figure in the match is 68-27-90-19!!!

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The record is Invincible because cricket is said to be the game of all possibilities, constantly setting new records. Building records, breaking records, but Jim Laker may be smiling. English Fast bowler Sydney Barnes, who was closest to the record took 17 wickets in 1913, three wickets less than Laker. Jim Laker truly has built a reputation that can beat anyone's imagination. Even if any bowler wants to sit next to Jim Laker, he will have to get 10 wickets in an innings and 9 in another. It would take 10 wickets in two innings to break Laker's record. Jim Laker is therefore in a position to be seen just below. Never above!!

One has rightly said about Jim Laker, "Climbing Everest in a short-sleeved sweater".