OTD | Former England bowler Jim Laker took 19 wickets in a Test match against Australia in 1956

The game of cricket has given us a lot of great spinners and we all have seen greats such as Anil Kumble, Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, who have created a legacy which no one can forget at all. However, there are still some spinners who we should remember as they have also contributed a lot to the game. We might not have witnessed those players live, but they are still a part of the rich history of the game which we have loved for generations.

One of the players we should remember is Jim Laker. The 1950’s were the times where the pace bowlers were a phenomenon especially in countries like England and Australia. Laker still managed to get some of the best figures and proved to be one of the finest off spinners in his peak taking 193 wickets in just 46 Test matches. Laker has given great performances for his side in the 50’s and has been a consistent performer which the cricketing World should appreciate.

The legendary 19 wicket game at Manchester

There was no doubt that Laker was always a great bowler, but we were yet to see a legendary moment in the 4th Test at Manchester. The England batters had done their job scoring a massive total against Australia in the first innings. It was now up to the bowlers to do their job. This is where the brilliance of Laker was seen as he completely rammed through the Aussie lineup taking 9/37 in the first innings to bowl them out for just 84. England enforced a follow on and were already in control of the match.

Laker was not done there as he came back in the second innings as well where he took all 10 wickets in an innings as the Australians were bowled out for just 205 in the end giving England a win by an innings and 170 runs. It was on this day of 31st July that England won this game and Laker ended with the best figures in Test matches taking 19 wickets in the entire game. This was the most wickets taken in a Test match which has not been broken for 68 years and this has officially put Lakers name in the history books.

Also read: Hamilton Masakadza became the first black African to score a Test century