First-class cricket is the oldest format of the game. Though it officially got the status in 1895, first-class cricket has been officially recorded since the second half of the 18th century (1772).
In the history of more than 300 years of this game, cricket fans have experienced many prolific performances. Some of these feats are known as rarely achievable in this game. One of these records is picking up 10 wickets in an innings in first-class cricket.
More than 80 incidents have been recorded till the date, where the bowlers have managed to take all the ten wickets in a first-class innings. While Test cricket is the international format of first-class cricket, only three bowlers have achieved the 10-wicket haul feat in an innings till the date.
After legendary English off-spinner Jim Laker (10/53 vs Australia at Manchester in 1956) and legendary Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble (10/74 vs Pakistan at Delhi in 1999), recently New Zealand left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel (10/119 vs India at Mumbai in 2021) also recorded the 10-wicket haul feat in a Test innings.
Here we are talking about some rare facts about the 10-wicket haul in an innings in first-class cricket history.
The only bowler with all bowled dismissals
In July 1850, North of England and South of England met in a three-day match at Lord’s (London). While that match was finished on an opening day, legendary John Wisden took all the ten wickets for North during the match-decider third innings of the game. The special point of that historical bowling spell was that Wisden bowled all those ten South batters in their second innings.
Later, in July 1946, Warwickshire’s leg-spinner Eric Hollies became the only other bowler to record all ten wickets in a first-class innings without any direct assistance from a fielder (10/49 during Nottinghamshire’s first innings at Birmingham). However, Hollies managed to dismiss through bowled seven Nottinghamshire batters while the other three batters lost their wickets through the lbw dismissals.
Only debutant to record 10-wicket haul in an innings
In December 1889, when Canterbury and Wellington faced each other at Hagley Oval (Christchurch), the fast bowler Albert Moss made his first-class debut serving for Canterbury. In his very first innings as a bowler (during the second innings of the match when Wellington were playing their first innings), Moss recorded the bowling figures of 21.3-10-28-10. He is still the only bowler to manage the incredible 10-wicket haul in an innings on first-class debut.
Oldest bowler
The oldest age of a bowler to complete a 10-wicket haul in a first-class innings is 46 years and 116 days. Derbyshire’s right-arm fast-medium bowler Billy Bestwick is holding this record which he achieved in 1921. It was their County Championship match against Glamorgan at Cardiff, when Bestwick inscribed his name in that record book on the second day (20th June 1921) with the bowling figures of 19-2-40-10.
Two bowlers recorded a 10-wicket haul in an innings on the same day
History says that it is really tough to pick up all the ten wickets of a first-class innings. However, there was the rarest incident when two different bowlers achieved that extraordinary feat on the same day in different matches.
On 20th June 1921, during a County Championship match at Cardiff, Derbyshire’s right-arm fast-medium bowler Billy Bestwick bagged all the ten wickets of Glamorgan’s second innings (19-2-40-10).
On the same day in that same tournament, the Somerset left-arm spinner John White also completed his 10-wicket haul during Worcestershire’s first innings at Worcester (42.2-11-76-10).
Most 10-wicket hauls in an innings by a bowler
While it is highly rare for a bowler to achieve the bowling feat of taking all the ten wickets in a first-class innings, only five bowlers have managed to record this feat for more than once in their first-class career (excluding picking up 10 wickets in 12 or more players per side matches). However, the legendary English leg-spinner Tich Freeman is the only bowler to record this feat thrice in his first-class career.
Freeman achieved all those extraordinary feats for Kent in three straight years 1929 (10/131 vs Lancashire (1st innings) at Maidstone in July 1929), 1930 (10/53 vs Essex (1st innings) at Southend-on-Sea in August 1930) and 1931 (10/79 vs Lancashire (1st innings) at Manchester in May 1931).
The only bowler with more than one 10-wicket haul in an innings in a season
Legendary English off-spinner Jim Laker was a famous name in the list of 10-wicket hauls in a first-class innings as he was the first bowler to record it in Test cricket history. Not only that, but he is still also holding the first-class and Test cricket record of most wickets in a match (19 wickets). However, here we are talking about another unique record of him as he is still the only bowler to record a 10-wicket haul in a first-class innings twice in a season.
Jim Laker recorded that rarest feat in the 1956 home season. At first, the Surrey spinner destroyed the complete Australians’ batting line-up during the first innings of a tour match at The Oval in May 1956 (46-18-88-10).
Later, during the fourth game of the 1956 Ashes at Manchester, Laker became the first Test cricketer to pick up all ten wickets in an innings during Aussie’s following-on innings (51.2-23-53-10). The last wicket of that match was not only Laker’s 10th wicket in that innings, but it was also his another record 19th wicket in that Test match.
Youngest bowler
Can you guess the age of the bowler who is holding the record of youngest to pick up all the ten wickets in a first-class innings? At the age of only 18 years and 344 days, former Pakistan domestic right-arm fast-medium Imran Adil created that record during the BCCP Patron's Trophy match between the hosts Faisalabad and the visitors Bahawalpur in October-November 1989. On the very first day of that game (30th October 1989), Adil’s bowling (22.5-3-92-10) helped the away side to bowl out the home team for 226 runs.
