What’s the story?
A local fast bowler from Karachi, Mohammad Ali, achieved an extraordinary feat on Tuesday by taking all ten wickets in an innings during Karachi region’s inter-district Under19 three-day tournament.
Right arm fast bowler Mohammad Ali, was playing for Zone III and clinched all 10 wickets against Zone VII in the second innings at Karachi’s UBL sports complex to help his team win by an innings and 195 runs.
In case you did not know
James Charles Laker who is also known as Jim Laker, was the first bowler ever to register 10 wickets in one innings. The English bowler achieved this feat in 1956 in the 4th Ashes Test of that series at Old Trafford. Laker took all the ten wickets in Australia’s 2nd innings for just 53 runs.
Later the match was famously known as "Laker's match". Jim Laker eventually took nineteen wickets in the entire match as England defeated Australia by an innings and 170 runs.
Watch here: Video: Classic Jim Laker scalps 19 wickets in a single Test against Australia
The only other bowler to take all 10 wickets in an innings is former Indian leg-spinner, Anil Kumble, who achieved this incredible feat in 1999 when Pakistan were touring India. Kumble bowled nine maidens in his spell at Feroz Shah Kotla, as he clinched ten wickets, conceding 74 runs. India won the match defeating Pakistan by 212 runs.
The heart of the matter
Ali’s ten-wicket haul in the innings came in just under nine overs, in which he conceded only 12 runs. This was one of the most economical bowling spells in three-day cricket.
Interestingly, all 10 wickets achieved by Mohammad Ali were without any fielder’s help. Nine of his dismissals were bowled while one was LBW, which showcases his disciplined line and length and control over the ball.
What’s next
Since the 3-day tournament does not hold any first class status, the record would not be entered in the books, but Ali’s impeccable performance is sure to attract the selectors’ eyes for future assignments.
Sportskeeda’s take
There's a dedicated system of playing tennis-ball cricket in Pakistan. But unlike the usual tennis ball, the ball is taped to make it slightly heavier. Now either a fast bowler or a batsman only can survive that regime, as spinners would be ineffective with a tennis ball.
Bowling is also associated with the genetics of a player. Pakistanis come across as a tough race with an aggressive streak, which thus gives them an indispensable factor in bowling quick. If cricket is just the expression of our true self, fast bowling exposes that vein better than anything else.
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