Test cricket has witnessed countless great bowling performances, but none has surpassed Jim Laker’s 19-wicket haul at Old Trafford in July 1956. In the fourth Ashes Test against Australia, the England off-spinner claimed an astonishing 19 wickets for 90 runs, a feat that remains unmatched nearly 70 years later.
With the Ashes level at 1-1, the fourth Test at Old Trafford carried enormous significance. England laid the foundation after captain Peter May elected to bat first. Centuries from Peter Richardson (104) and David Sheppard (113), along with Colin Cowdrey’s 80, powered the hosts to 459. As the pitch deteriorated over five days, it increasingly rewarded spin, setting the stage for one of cricket’s greatest individual performances.
The spell that made history
Australia made a steady start, reaching 48 without loss before Laker made his breakthrough. Once he dismissed Colin McDonald, there was no looking back.
Bowling with relentless accuracy, subtle variations and impeccable control, Laker dismantled the Australian batting order to finish with extraordinary figures of 9 for 37. Only McDonald (32) and Jim Burke (22) offered any meaningful resistance as Australia were bundled out for just 84, handing England a commanding first-innings lead.
Asked to follow on, Australia returned hoping to salvage a draw. Rain briefly threatened to save the visitors, but when play resumed on the final day, Laker produced an even greater performance.
He dismissed every Australian batter, finishing with 10 wickets for 53 runs to become the first bowler to claim all ten wickets in a Test innings. Australia were bowled out for 205, giving England victory by an innings and 170 runs while securing the Ashes.
A record beyond comparison
Laker’s match figures of 19 for 90 remain the best ever by a bowler in Test cricket. The only wicket he did not claim across the match went to fellow spinner Tony Lock, who finished with figures of 1 for 106.
The achievement capped an extraordinary year for Laker. Earlier in 1956, while representing Surrey, he had also taken all ten wickets in an innings against the touring Australians, becoming the first county bowler to achieve the feat against Australia since 1912.
Although Laker was later named the inaugural BBC Sports Personality of the Year, his financial reward for one of cricket’s greatest performances was surprisingly modest. Printing firm Thomas de La Rue had offered him £10 for every Australian wicket, earning him a total of £190.
Nearly seven decades later, bowlers have taken hundreds of five-wicket hauls, dozens have claimed ten wickets in a Test match and a handful have captured all ten wickets in an innings. Yet no one has matched, let alone surpassed, Jim Laker’s extraordinary match figures of 19 for 90. In a sport built on records, it remains one of Test cricket’s most enduring achievements.
