In 1956, Yorkshire-born cricketer James Charles ‘Jim’ Laker won Sports Review of the Year, better known nowadays as BBC Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY), in recognition of his exemplary performance in the Ashes series. A right-arm offbreak bowler, Laker took a record 46 wickets in the five-match series – which England eventually won 2-1, thereby retaining the Ashes – at an average of 9.60. However, he delivered his coup de grace in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester in late July, which henceforth became known as ‘Laker’s Match’.
With the Ashes series tied at 1-1, England won the toss and elected to bat first, posting a total of 459 all out in the first innings. Before tea on the second day, Australia were 62-2 in reply, but thereafter collapsed, in dramatic fashion, to 84 all out. Laker took the last seven wickets for eight runs in 22 balls for figures of 9-37 in the first innings as a whole. The remaining wicket fell to orthodox left-arm spinner Tony Lock, who took 1-37 in his 14 overs.
Following on, Australia fared better in the second innings, but still only reached a total of 205 all out, thereby giving England victory by an innings and 170 runs. In a hitherto unprecedented display, Laker bowled 51.2 overs, 23 over which maidens, and took all 10 second innings wickets for 53 runs. He thus became the first bowler to take all 10 wickets in a single Test innings and his overall match bowling figures, of 19-90 off 68, still rank as the finest in the history of not just Test cicket, but all forms of first-class cricket. Decades later, no other bowler has taken more than 17 wickets in any first-class match.
Interestingly, representing his county, Surrey (for whom he played between 1946 and 1959), in a tour match against the Australians at the Oval in May 1956, Laker also took 10-88 in the first innings. He duly collected his BBC SPOTY award at the Grosvenor Hotel in London and went on to claim 193 wickets in just 46 Test matches for England, confirming his status as one of the finest spin bowlers in cricket history.