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Jim Laker (born 9 Feb 1922) was so grooved that he could have run in to bowl blindfolded.
#cricket #onthisday @surreycricket
Jim Laker (born 9 Feb 1922) was so grooved that he could have run in to bowl blindfolded.
#cricket #onthisday @surreycricket
His accuracy was supreme. Once he said: “I had a bad season last year, I bowled two long-hops.” After the Test trial figures of 8/2, he lamented that he could have had much better economy if he had not given a courtesy single to Eric Bedser to allow him to get off the mark.
But parsimony did not make him mechanical. Six balls in an over were often six different types.
Not blessed with the long fingers of Lance Gibbs, Laker painfully put the ball between the index and middle fingers and stretch the webbing in between. Success came at a cost.
His spinning finger was callused and raw and kept him sleepless with pain on many a night. His terrific tweak had to be recharged with continuous rubbing with ointment.
Laker was also a wizard with numbers and could recite Shakespeare from memory. As Arlott claimed, there have been off-spinners who have spun more, but seldom have any been more intelligent.
He also had a refined sense of humour. When told by Everton Weekes that he was so named because his father had been devout supporter of the English soccer team Everton, Laker had responded that it was fortunate that the old man did not support West Bromwich Albion.
In spite of his talent and skill, he was forced to become a late bloomer. Yorkshire rejected him. After becoming a legend in Surrey and winning Test matches and series with the ball, he was curiously overlooked for overseas tours. He missed more Tests for England than he played.
It all changed in the summer of 1956.
Laker and Lock took 18 wickets between them at Headingley to draw level in the Ashes series. Laker had 11 to Lock’s 7.
And in the fourth Test at Manchester, they accounted for all 20, Lock accounting for one.
Laker’s famous figures read 51.2-23-53-10, 19 for 90 in the match.
The off-spinner was mobbed by press and public and did not leave Old Trafford until 8 PM. On the way home, he drove to a pub where his exploits were being shown on the television. He sat there, peaceful and unrecognised, savouring his pint and sandwich!
"So modest a drink can rarely have been as richly deserved," recalled Alan Ross.
Laker ended the series with 46 wickets at 9.60 each.
Laker ended the series with 46 wickets at 9.60 each.
He could no longer be given the occasional Test. Succession of series followed with excellent figures, and finally, at the age of 37, under Peter May, he embarked on his first venture to Australia.
It was a disastrous tour for England, but Laker successfully laid to rest the contention that finger spinners could not succeed Down Under. He took 15 wickets in four Tests, at 21.20 apiece.
But, the tour was marred by differences of opinion between Laker and the management — captain May, and more importantly, Freddie Brown the notoriously autocratic manager.
On his return, Laker published his autobiography Over to Me that spoke strongly about the tactics in Australia and also against the ridiculous distinctions between amateurs and professionals that still survived in the cricketing world.
Laker, who always felt strongly about the class distinction prevalent in cricket, stood by what he had written. It did not go down very well with the establishment.
Here he is seen as part of the Players side during one of the ridiculously archaic Gentlemen vs Players fixture of the 1950s
His honorary membership of Surrey and MCC were revoked. Although they were later restored, Laker never played First-Class cricket again.
Over to Me was also one of the very rare cricketing autobiographies to question apartheid, and underline the support provided to the apartheid sporting policies by MCC.
His 193 Test wickets were taken at an average of 21.24 and strike rate of 62.3, staggering numbers for a spinner.
What is even more striking is that he took part in just 46 of the 99 Tests played by England during his career span.
What is even more striking is that he took part in just 46 of the 99 Tests played by England during his career span.
He later gravitated to the commentary box, with rather fresh and progressive views on cricket.
