All Ten Wickets in an Innings in Cricket Explained
The feat of one bowler dismissing all ten opposition batters in a single innings, who has done it, and why it is so rare.
What Does Taking All Ten Wickets Mean?
Taking all ten wickets in an innings means a single bowler dismisses every batter who is out — ten wickets, ten dismissals, no other bowler takes a wicket. It requires not only exceptional bowling but also sustained wicket-taking while the other end's bowler takes none, and relies on the opposition not reaching a run-out or any other incidental mode of dismissal that would credit the wicket to the other bowler.
Only Two Have Done It in Tests
In all of Test cricket history, only two bowlers have taken all ten wickets in an innings. Jim Laker took 10/53 for England against Australia at Old Trafford in 1956 — to this day the only perfect ten in Test cricket. Anil Kumble took 10/74 for India against Pakistan in Delhi in 1999. Both performances remain iconic not just for the statistics but for the specific contexts: Laker's came on a specially prepared pitch that baffled the Australian batters; Kumble's came in a fiercely competitive subcontinental Test.
First-Class Cricket Records
In first-class cricket (which includes Tests), the 10-wicket innings has occurred more frequently — around 80 times in history. Some of the most notable include Hedley Verity (10/36 for Yorkshire in 1932) and Albert Jupp in early county cricket. First-class cricket creates more opportunities because the standard of opposition is lower than Test level and the conditions can be more extreme.
Obstacles to the Perfect Ten
The main obstacles to a perfect ten are: a run-out (where the fielder, not the bowler, gets credit), a batter who is absent hurt (reducing the available ten to nine), and the inevitable reality that even the best bowler depends on their captain deploying them for enough overs to accumulate ten dismissals. A captain who rests their star bowler for a spell prevents the perfect ten from happening even if the bowling is good enough.
Frequently asked questions
Has anyone taken all ten wickets in a T20 innings?
No. With only 20 overs per innings and a 4-over cap per bowler, a single bowler can dismiss at most 12 batters if each ball takes a wicket — but the over cap makes ten-wicket performances structurally impossible in T20 cricket.
Does a bowler need to be bowling from both ends to take all ten?
No — a bowler can only bowl from one end. They accumulate wickets over multiple spells from the same end. The other bowler simply takes no wickets during the innings.
Are all ten wickets in an innings always by the same mode of dismissal?
No. Laker's ten included caught, bowled, LBW, and stumped wickets. Only the bowler needs to be the same.