Ten Wickets in a Match in Cricket Explained
What taking ten wickets in a match means, how rare it is, and the bowlers who have done it most often in Test cricket.
What Is a Ten-Wicket Match?
A ten-wicket match occurs when a bowler takes ten or more wickets across both innings of a Test match combined. It requires taking at least five wickets in each innings, or a split such as seven in one and three in the other. It is one of cricket's rarest and most prestigious bowling achievements, possible only in Test cricket (where a team has two innings).
How Common Is It?
Fewer than 50 ten-wicket match performances have occurred in all Test cricket history spanning over 140 years and 2,500+ Tests. The achievement requires exceptional conditions, the right opposition, and sustained brilliance across multiple days. Jim Laker's 19 wickets in the 1956 Old Trafford Test against Australia (9/37 and 10/53) is the most extreme example — it remains the most dominant individual bowling performance in Test history.
Famous Ten-Wicket Matches
- Jim Laker — 19 wickets, England vs Australia, Old Trafford 1956 (record: 9/37 and 10/53)
- Anil Kumble — 10/74 in one innings (all ten wickets), India vs Pakistan, Delhi 1999
- Muttiah Muralitharan — multiple ten-wicket match performances (22 times)
- Shane Warne — 12 ten-wicket match performances across his Test career
Why Ten-Wicket Matches Are So Rare
Even the best bowlers in history rarely sustain excellence across both innings of a Test. Pitches change, conditions vary, and batters adapt. A bowler who takes five wickets in the first innings faces a batting line-up that has seen their bowling and made tactical adjustments. Breaking through again for another five requires new plans, fresh conditions, or a deteriorating pitch.
Frequently asked questions
Can a ten-wicket match happen in ODI or T20 cricket?
No — limited-overs cricket has only one innings per team, so ten wickets from one bowler is impossible under the over caps in those formats.
Is ten wickets in a match considered better than one individual innings ten-for?
A single-innings 10-for (10 wickets in one innings, as Anil Kumble achieved) is arguably more remarkable — it means the bowler dismissed every batter in the opposition. A match ten-for spread across two innings, while impressive, allows for variable performances.
Who holds the record for most Test wickets?
Muttiah Muralitharan with 800 Test wickets, followed by Shane Warne with 708.