Cricinfo - Kumble's contrived feat no match to Laker's record (15 February 1999)

Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble, who stepped into the record books with the second best Test bowling performance as he took 10 for 74 in Pakistan's second innings, is not a big turner of the ball, but can bowl a combination of goolies, top spinners, and the occasional leg-break, at a brisk pace. He bowls off a very long delivery stride, a remnant of his fast bowling days, and is almost unbelievably accurate - the secret of his impressive strike-rate in international cricket. He is always attacking the batsmen, giving them very little room to play shots.

Without detracting from his due credit for a rare distinction it was a continued feat in which Jayaparkash, the novice umpire had a hand. Srinath bowling from other end says to it that the tenth wicket doesn't fall in his bag and Kumble completes the desired tally.

The best figures returned in a single innings of a Test was by England's great off-spinner Jim Laker (10 for 53) against Australia at Old Trafford in 1956. Laker took 9-37 in the first innings of the match. This historic performance was spread over five days including the rest day. Following on 375 behind, after Laker had devastated their first innings with a spell of eight wickets for seven runs in 22 balls to return a final analysis of 9 for 37, Australia lost their first wicket before stumps on the second day. Rain on the third day permitted only 45 minutes cricket during which Laker took his second wicket. Heavy rain fell on Sunday, the rest day, and allowed just an hour's play in two spells on the fourth day. Fierce winds compelled the use of heavy bails made from lignum vitae. They were not disturbed and Australia had still eight wickets intact when play began ten minutes late on the last day (31 July). They were still intact at lunch. then the sun appeared, the ball began to turn more quickly and four wickets fell to Laker's off-spin before tea.

England had 115 minutes in which to take the last four wickets and ensure retention of the Ashes. When Colin McDonald (89) was out to the second ball after tea, Australia's hopes of a draw vanished. He had batted on four different days in the match. At 5.27 pm Laker trapped wicketkeeper Len Maddocks lbw and England had won by an innings and 170 runs. All Laker's wickets in both innings fell from the Stretford End. That night heavy rain returned to cause the abandonment of the entire country cricket programme on the following day. Tony Lock in 55 overs in the second innings failed to take a wicket.

Laker possessed all the necessary qualities - a classical action, superb control of flight and spin, and the ability to assess swiftly his opponent's strengths and weakness, which was to become a valuable asset in his commentator's role. During his 13 years at Surrey he was consistently successful, but it was not until 1956 established himself as an international force. In that year he mesmerised the touring Australians to such an extent that Don Bradman, in his coaching book The Art of Cricket, devoted an entire chapter to the best way to combat off-spin generally and Laker in particular. In May at The Oval, playing for Surrey, he took all 10 wickets in the Australian first innings, and in the fourth Test match at Manchester he ended the match with figures of 19 for 90, a staggering performance even if the wicket was helpful. At the other end on both occasions, no doubt tearing out what was left of his hair, was Tony Lock. Where Laker remained totally unemotional and phlegmatic as he quietly led the batsmen to their downfall, Lock was brimful of aggression and venom.

When England's Jim Laker made history in 1956 by taking 19 wickets in a Test match, the only Australian that posted a fifty in the match was Colin McDonald, while batting on a pitch he describe as a 'mud heap'.

McDonald battled against prodigious spin and scored 32 and 89 in a Test that became known as 'Laker's Match'. Another man that made a significant contribution in the game was Laker's teammate, Colin Cowdrey. He made 80 and played a part in denying Laker all 20 as his catch, that dismissed Jimmy Burke in the first innings, gave Tony Lock (Laker's Surrey colleague) the dubious distinction of being 'the man that took the other one'.

Laker's rich bag of victims at Manchester included stars like Harvey, Miller and Benaud. Going in to that fourth Test at Old Trafford, the Ashes series was all square at one apiece, but the wicked turn that Surrey player was able to extract from the spin-friendly wicket signalled the Australian downfall.

It is interesting and also a bit intriguing, that throughout Test history, two spin bowlers have ever taken ten wickets in an innings. Many pace-orientated eras starring greats like Larwood, Miller, Lindwall, Hall, Trueman, Tyson, Lillee, Tomson, Hadlee, Imran and Wasim and a galaxy of West Indians of the 70s and 80s failed to do so.

Kumble's contrived feat no match to Laker's record (15 February 1999)