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The Bowler Who Took (Almost) Every Wicket
In a team sport, one player dominating a match is rare. One player taking nearly every wicket is almost unthinkable. Yet, in 1956, English off-spinner Jim Laker did just that against Australia in a Test match that is now simply known as 'Laker's Match'.
On a pitch prepared to favour spin, Laker was unplayable. He took nine wickets for 37 runs in the first innings. As if that wasn't enough, he followed it up by taking all ten wickets in the second innings for 53 runs. His final match figures were a staggering 19 wickets for 90 runs, a record that remains untouched in first-class and Test cricket. The only other wicket in the entire match was taken by his fellow spinner Tony Lock, who reportedly grew frustrated watching Laker claim victim after victim.
Playing Professionally Past Fifty
Modern cricket is a young person's game, with immense physical demands making careers past 40 a rarity. That makes the story of England's Wilfred Rhodes all the more incredible. His Test career spanned a remarkable 30 years, from 1899 to 1930. When he played his final Test match against the West Indies in April 1930, he was 52 years and 165 days old, making him the oldest person to ever play Test cricket. This was no ceremonial appearance. Rhodes was a vital all-rounder for England for decades. His longevity is a testament to his skill and endurance, holding world records for the most first-class appearances (1,110) and most first-class wickets (4,204). In an era of specialization and burnout, a career stretching into a player's 50s seems truly impossible.
A Test Match Shorter Than an ODI Game
Test cricket is the sport's longest format, designed to last up to five days. So when a match finishes in under two, it's exceptional. But the Test between South Africa and India in Cape Town in January 2024 set a new benchmark for brevity. The entire match was completed in just 642 balls, or 107 overs, making it the shortest completed Test in history. After bowling South Africa out for just 55, India suffered their own collapse, losing their last six wickets for zero runs. The game saw 23 wickets fall on the first day alone. It was a chaotic, whirlwind contest that was over before lunch on the second day, lasting fewer overs than a standard One Day International.
The 77-Run Over
Conceding 36 runs in an over is the stuff of a bowler's nightmare. But what about 77? This truly bizarre event happened in a first-class match in New Zealand in 1990. Wellington, needing an outright win against Canterbury to secure a trophy, devised a bizarre plan. They decided to let Canterbury score quickly to entice them into a declaration. To achieve this, part-time bowler Bert Vance was brought on to bowl what became the most expensive over in history. In an attempt to offer up easy runs, Vance bowled a series of deliberate no-balls. The over consisted of 17 deliveries, only one of which was legal, and resulted in a whopping 77 runs being conceded. It was a farcical, yet strategic, moment that has never been repeated.
A Duck That Lasted 77 Balls
Getting out for a duck is disappointing. Surviving for over an hour without scoring a single run is a different kind of achievement altogether. In 1999, New Zealand bowler Geoff Allott etched his name into cricket's book of oddities with one of the most stubborn ducks ever seen. During a Test match against South Africa, Allott came in to bat and simply refused to get out. He faced 77 deliveries and spent 101 minutes at the crease, all without troubling the scorers. While his primary job was to bowl, this epic display of blocking, which saw him survive for nearly an hour and a half, is remembered as one of the game's most resolute and bizarre scoreless innings.
The Wicket on the 'Zeroth' Ball
How can a bowler take a wicket before they have even bowled a legal delivery in their career? It sounds like a riddle, but it's a genuine record held by none other than Virat Kohli. Primarily known for his batting genius, Kohli has a unique bowling record to his name. In a 2011 T20 International against England, he was brought on to bowl for the first time. His very first delivery was a wide that went down the leg side. The batsman, Kevin Pietersen, was overbalanced and the wicketkeeper, MS Dhoni, whipped off the bails to complete a stumping. Because the ball was a wide, it didn't count as a legal delivery. This meant Kohli had taken a wicket on the 'zeroth' ball of his T20I career, a perfect piece of trivia for any cricket fan.
