Jim Laker took 19 wickets in one Test match for England at Old Trafford in 1956. His figures of 9 for 37 in Australia’s first innings and 10 for 53 in the second remain the greatest match haul in Test cricket.
The fourth Test of the 1956 Ashes was later known as “Laker’s Match.” England scored 459, then dismissed Australia for 84 and 53, winning by an innings and 170 runs. Laker’s off-spin dominated a deteriorating pitch, with Tony Lock providing a crucial left-arm spin partnership.
Laker’s ten wickets in Australia’s second innings made him the first bowler to dismiss every batsman in a Test innings. He also finished the five-Test Ashes series with 46 wickets, another extraordinary series record between England and Australia.
A common mix-up is to credit Tony Lock, who was also highly effective in the match. Lock helped apply pressure, but Laker took 19 of the 20 available wickets.