Jim Laker facts for kids
Jim Laker leaves the field after taking 19 for 90
at Old Trafford in 1956. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name |
James Charles Laker
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 9 February 1922 Shipley, Yorkshire |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 23 April 1986 (aged 64) Wimbledon, London |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right arm off break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 328) | 21 January 1948 v West Indies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 18 February 1959 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1946–1959 | Surrey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1951/52 | Auckland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1962–1964 | Essex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 28 April 2018
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
James Charles Laker (born 9 February 1922 – died 23 April 1986) was a famous English professional cricket player. He played for Surrey County Cricket Club from 1946 to 1959. He also represented England in 46 Test matches. Jim Laker was born in Shipley, West Riding of Yorkshire, and passed away in Wimbledon, London.
Laker was a right-arm off break bowler. Many people believe he was one of the best spin bowlers in cricket history. In 1956, he set a world record that still stands today. He took 19 (out of a possible 20) wickets in a single Test match at Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester. This amazing performance helped England beat Australia in what became known as "Laker's Match".
For his club, Surrey, he worked with Tony Lock, another great spinner. Lock was a left-arm orthodox spinner. Together, they were a powerful team. They helped Surrey win the County Championship seven times in a row from 1952 to 1958. Laker also batted right-handed. He was a useful tail-ender (a player who bats lower down the order). He even scored two first-class centuries. He was also a good fielder, especially in the gully position.
In 1952, Laker was named one of the five "Wisden Cricketers of the Year" by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (Wisden). This was for his achievements in 1951. He also won the "New Zealand Cricket Almanack Player of the Year" award in 1952. This was after he played for Auckland during the 1951–52 season. In 1956, he was voted "BBC Sports Personality of the Year". He was the first cricketer to win this award. After he stopped playing, he became a cricket commentator for BBC Sport.
Contents
Jim Laker's Early Life and School Days
Jim Laker was born on 9 February 1922 in Shipley, near Bradford. His mother, Ellen Kane, was a schoolteacher. She raised him and his four sisters. His father left the family when Jim was two years old.
Jim started playing cricket very young. His mother loved the game and always encouraged him. She even made his sisters bowl to him! She believed he could become a great batsman.
Jim went to Frizinghall Council School in Bradford until 1932. Then he won a scholarship to Salts High School in Saltaire. Around this time, his family moved to Baildon. Jim was very happy at Salts High School. He played regularly for the school cricket team. He mostly played as a batsman, but he also bowled fast.
In March 1938, when he was 16, Jim was invited to special coaching sessions. These were held by Yorkshire County Cricket Club at Headingley. He remembered his mother buying him new cricket gear. She made a big sacrifice to help him succeed.
At these sessions, Jim learned how to spin the ball. Former Yorkshire player Benny Wilson taught him this skill. Other former Yorkshire players also coached him.
Yorkshire suggested he join Saltaire Cricket Club. He played for them from 1938 to 1940. He even scored a century once. At this time, Jim still thought of himself as a batsman. People who played with him said he bowled a mix of "fast off-cutters-cum-spinners" before World War Two.
Joining the Army and Moving to Surrey
Laker finished school in February 1939. He started working at Barclays Bank in Bradford. In early 1941, at age 19, he joined the Army. He served in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) in Palestine and Cairo until 1945. He was never in front-line fighting.
While in the army in Egypt, Laker really improved his cricket. He played on coconut matting wickets in inter-service matches. He decided to focus on the off spin technique he had learned. He was amazed at how much he could make the ball turn. People back home in England heard about "a Yorkshire lad who could bowl off spin like a master."
In 1943, Laker took five wickets for ten runs, including a hat-trick, in a match in Alexandria. In 1944, he scored a century and then took six wickets for ten runs against another team. He played against some top players during these matches.
Laker came home on leave in early 1945. Soon after, his mother passed away. His northern roots were broken, and he didn't have a strong reason to go back to Bradford. He was posted to the War Office in central London. An army friend invited him to stay with his family in Forest Hill. Laker ended up living with them for over five years.
Even though he was still connected to Yorkshire, Laker ended up joining Surrey County Cricket Club. He played for service teams and then for Catford Cricket Club. His good performances were noticed by Andrew Kempton, a member of Surrey. Kempton recommended Laker to Surrey's coach, Andy Sandham.
On 17 July 1946, Laker made his first-class debut for Surrey. He took three wickets for 78 runs and three for 43 runs. He was still in the army but was released in August.
Surrey offered him a professional contract. Yorkshire agreed to let him go. Laker signed with Surrey for £6 a week in winter, plus match fees in summer. He played two more first-class matches in 1946. Just 17 months later, in January 1948, he made his Test debut for England in Barbados.
Playing for England: Jim Laker's Career Highlights
Starting His International Journey (1947-1948)
In 1947, Laker bowled very well for Surrey, taking 79 wickets. He was invited to play in a Test trial match. He took eight wickets in that game, including a hat-trick. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (Wisden) said that finding Laker was "very satisfactory" for Surrey. They described him as an off-break bowler who was good at fielding and showed promise as a batsman.
Soon after, he was chosen to tour the West Indies with the MCC team. He played in four Tests. In his very first Test, he took seven wickets for 103 runs in the first innings. This tour was tough for the MCC team, but Wisden said Laker "excelled" and was "undoubtedly the find of the tour."
Facing Australia (1948)
In 1948, Laker took 79 wickets for Surrey. The team finished second in the County Championship. However, he had a tough time in three Tests against the 1948 Australians. This Australian team was very strong and didn't lose any matches on their tour. Laker took nine wickets in these three matches, but they cost a lot of runs.
England's worst game in that series was at Headingley. England played well for four days and set Australia a huge target of 404 runs to win. But Australia, led by Don Bradman, won by seven wickets. Godfrey Evans, an England player, said the team was too confident. He also missed a chance to stump Bradman off Laker's bowling. Bradman later said this was a key moment. Laker bowled 62 overs in the match and took three wickets for 206 runs.
After this match, Laker was left out of the final Test. He also wasn't chosen for the tour of South Africa in 1948–49. Even though he kept doing well for Surrey, he didn't get a regular spot in the England team again until 1956.
Yorkshire County Cricket Club, where Laker was born, was very keen to get him to play for them. Their president even tried to persuade him to return. But Laker wanted to stay with Surrey.
Continued Success and Challenges (1949-1955)
In 1949, Laker took 122 wickets in the season. But he played in only one Test against New Zealand. In 1950, Laker took eight wickets for just two runs in a Test trial match. The pitch was tricky after rain, making the ball spin a lot. This amazing performance meant Laker would play in the first Test against the West Indies. But he injured his hand while batting in that Test, which affected his bowling. England won the match, but Laker was left out of the team for the rest of the series.
Even though Laker took 166 wickets in 1950 (his highest ever), he was not chosen for the tour of Australia in 1950–51. Instead, he toured India and Ceylon with a Commonwealth XI team. He took 36 wickets on this tour. He had to return home early because of sinusitis.
After recovering, Laker got married in 1951. He took 149 wickets that season. He played in two Tests against South Africa. In the final Test, he took ten wickets in the match, helping England win.
In the winter of 1951–52, Laker went to New Zealand as a player-coach for Auckland. He and his wife loved it so much they thought about moving there. But Laker decided his cricket future was in England.
In 1952, Surrey won the first of their seven straight County Championship titles. Laker played in four Tests against India. In 1953, he played in three Tests against Australia. England won The Ashes for the first time in 20 years. He toured the West Indies again in 1953–54. He played in one Test against Pakistan in 1954 and one against South Africa in 1955.
The Amazing Year of 1956
Laker finally became a regular Test player in 1956. He played in all five Tests against Australia. He took all ten wickets in an innings for Surrey against the Australians. This was the first time a bowler had done this against Australia since 1878.
Laker took 46 wickets in the 1956 Ashes series. This is still a record for a five-match Test series between England and Australia. For this amazing effort, he won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award in 1956. Surrey also won the County Championship for the fifth time in a row.
"Laker's Match": A World Record
The fourth Test at Old Trafford in 1956 is famous as "Laker's Match." This is because of his incredible performance. He took nine wickets for 37 runs in the first innings and ten wickets for 53 runs in the second. The match was played from 26 to 31 July. England won by an innings and 170 runs.
England batted first and scored 459 runs. Then, Australia was bowled out for only 84 runs. Laker and Lock, the spin bowlers, did most of the work. Laker took nine wickets for 37 runs, and Lock took one.
Australia had to bat again (follow-on). They were 28 for no wicket when one of their players got injured. Neil Harvey, Australia's best batsman, came in and was out on his first ball! He hit Laker's ball to a fielder.
The weather caused delays on Saturday and Monday. But on Tuesday, the final day, conditions improved. The sun came out, which made the ball spin even more. Laker took four wickets in nine overs for just three runs.
Finally, at 5:27 PM, Laker bowled to Len Maddocks. Maddocks was given out, and Laker had taken all ten wickets for 53 runs! This gave England the victory.
Wisden noted that rain returned the next night. This showed how close England was to running out of time. It meant that "the greatest bowling feat of all time nearly did not happen."
Laker's ten for 53 was the first time a bowler had taken all ten wickets in a Test innings. Only two other bowlers have done it since. Laker's match figures of 19 wickets for 90 runs are still a world record in first-class cricket.
Later Career and Retirement (1956-1964)
Laker toured South Africa with MCC in 1956–57. He took 50 wickets, his best ever in an overseas season. He played in four Tests against the West Indies in 1957 and four against New Zealand in 1958.
The 1958 season was the last of Surrey's seven straight titles. But it had a problem between Laker and captain Peter May. May accused Laker of "not trying" in a match. Laker had bowled a lot of overs and his spinning finger was hurting. Some teammates supported Laker, saying he was tired. Others blamed Laker for his batting.
On England's difficult tour of Australia in 1958–59, Laker still bowled well. But he badly hurt his spin finger and had to go home early. He played his last Test match in February 1959. Because of his injured finger, he decided to retire at the end of the season. His last match for Surrey was in September.
In 1960, Laker's book Over To Me was published. It caused some controversy because it criticized Peter May. Laker was unhappy about the social differences in cricket between amateur and professional players. Surrey and MCC were upset and took away his free entry pass and honorary membership. These were later given back to him.
In 1962, Laker was convinced to come out of retirement by his old teammate Trevor Bailey. He played as an amateur for Essex for three seasons. He was still a strong bowler in 1962 and 1963. He retired for good after the 1964 season.
Jim Laker's Cricket Stats
Laker played his first first-class match on 17 July 1946. His last first-class match was on 27 February 1965. He played in 450 first-class matches and took 1,944 wickets. His best bowling was ten wickets for 53 runs in the 1956 Test. On average, he took a wicket for every 18.41 runs scored against him. He took five wickets in an innings 127 times and ten wickets in a match 32 times.
Even though he was a tail end batsman, he scored two centuries. His highest score was 113 runs. He also scored 99 runs once and had 18 half-centuries. He scored a total of 7,304 runs in his career. He usually fielded in the gully position and caught 271 catches.
Laker played his first Test match for England on 21 January 1948. His last Test was on 18 February 1959. He played in 46 Tests and took 193 wickets. His best Test bowling was ten wickets for 53 runs. He took five wickets in an innings nine times and ten wickets in a match three times. In Test matches, he scored 676 runs, including two half-centuries. He also held 12 catches.
Laker's Style and Personality
Colin Cowdrey, another famous cricketer, said Laker was "perhaps the best off-spin bowler the game has seen." Cowdrey described Laker as a "perfect model" for young slow bowlers. He was tall and strong with big hands. This allowed him to bowl for a long time. He changed how he bowled the ball, making it hard for batsmen to guess. If the pitch helped him, he could make the ball spin very fast, making him "almost unplayable."
John Arlott, a cricket writer, said batsmen could "hear the ball buzz" when Laker spun it. Garry Sobers, one of the greatest cricketers ever, agreed. He said Laker was "undoubtedly the best off-spinner I ever saw." Sobers was especially careful of Laker's straight ball. It was slower than his spinning balls and would "drift" (move sideways).
Fred Trueman, a fast bowler, described Laker as a "modest, laconic, sometimes dour guy." Trueman was amazed by Laker's world record in 1956. But he was even more impressed by Laker's humble reaction. Pictures showed Laker walking off the field without even smiling, "as if returning from net practice."
Arthur McIntyre, a wicket-keeper, said Laker was the hardest bowler to keep wicket to. He said Laker "spun the ball so viciously."
Peter Richardson said Laker was "slightly cynical, difficult to connect with, laconic and moody." He also said Laker and Lock didn't always get along. They were always competing. Lock would "attack" with his bowling, while Laker would just keep "chipping away."
Jim Laker's Life After Cricket
After recovering from his illness, Laker married his fiancée, Lilly, on 27 March 1951. Lilly was from Vienna and had moved to the Middle East during World War II. She met Laker when they both worked in Cairo. They met again in London and got married. Lilly lived for 35 years after Jim passed away. She and their daughters, Fiona and Angela, helped write Laker's biography.
Lilly didn't know much about cricket. After Jim's 19-wicket record, she took many phone calls. When Jim came home, she asked him: "Jim, did you do something good today?"
Laker became interested in broadcasting. After he stopped playing, he became a respected cricket commentator. He worked for ITV from 1966 to 1968 and for BBC Television from 1968 until he passed away in 1986.
John Arlott described Laker's commentary style as: "Wry, dry, laconic, he thought about cricket with a deep intensity." Colin Cowdrey praised Laker's "own brand of television commentary." Ted Dexter, another commentator, said Laker and Richie Benaud created a "new style of interpretation." Their commentary was known for "patience, accuracy and persistence."
Jim Laker was still working for the BBC when he died on 23 April 1986, at age 64. He passed away from problems after gall bladder surgery. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at The Oval cricket ground.
Images for kids
-
Jim Laker leaves the field after taking 19 for 90 at Old Trafford in 1956.
