Famous Cricketers No 91 - J.C.Laker

Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m Strike RunR Test matches 283.5 127 442 46 10/53 9.60 4 2 37.02 25.95 Players v Gentlemen 15 7 30 2 2/30 15.00 - - 45.00 33.33 Championship 441.4 147 1036 57 5/30 18.17 3 - 46.49 39.09 Other Surrey matches 219 83 398 27 10/88 14.74 1 1 48.66 30.28 Season 959.3 364 1906 132 10/53 14.43 8 3 43.61 33.10 Career 12117.5 3954 25747 1406 10/53 18.31 97 25 51.71 35.41 1956/57 – MCC in South Africa Laker had his first overseas tour since the winter of 1953/54 when he went to South Africa with MCC in 1956/57. It could hardly be expected that he would repeat his astonishing feats of 1956 but he did play a valuable part in a low-scoring series playing in all five Tests and taking eleven wickets at an average of 29.45. Most of these wickets were from the top half of the South African order. Whilst not as successful as Johnny Wardle, who took ninety wickets on tour, Laker did perform well in other matches taking fifty wickets in all at 17.50. These included figures of six for 47 against Western Province and five for 53 against Natal. He scored only 79 runs on the tour at an average of 7.90 and he held three catches. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 311. MCC v Western Province, Cape Town, October 26, 27, 29, 30 (MCC won by an innings and 76 runs) b E.R.H.Fuller 10 334 15 3 42 2 J.H.Ferrandi c J.B.Statham 129 J.E.Pothecary b 24 12 47 6 A.J.Pithey lbw 129 G.A.S.Innes lbw C.B.van Ryneveld b R.R.MacDonald lbw B.D.Pfaff b J.B.R.Maile b 312. MCC v Orange Free State, Bloemfontein, November 9, 10 (MCC won by an innings and 168 runs) did not bat - 420-4d 9 3 18 1 P.H.Carlstein c J.H.Wardle 71 13 5 20 0 181 313. MCC v Rhodesia, Salisbury, November 23, 24, 25 (MCC won by an innings and 292 runs) c R.W.Coventry b G.B.L.Lawrence 0 501 4 2 3 0 57 19 5 63 3 D.J.Lewis lbw 152 R.W.Coventry b H.V.Paton c A.S.M.Oakman 314. MCC v Transvaal, Johannesburg, November 30, December 1, 3, 4 (MCC won by three wickets) b K.L.Gibbs 4 279 19 3 41 2 A.I.Taylor b 212 J.H.B.Waite c J.H.Wardle did not bat - 67-7 17.3 6 40 4 J.H.B.Waite st T.G.Evans 130 M.Charnas b K.L.Gibbs b P.S.Heine c T.E.Bailey 315. MCC v Natal, Durban, December 14, 15, 17, 18 (Match drawn) not out 13 307 27 8 53 5 T.L.Goddard st T.G.Evans 209 J.C.Watkins b R.A.McLean b R.A.Pearce b N.E.Markham c P.J.Loader did not bat - 150-7d 14 5 30 0 90-7 316. ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICA, Johannesburg, December 24, 26, 27, 28, 29 (England won by 131 runs) c T.L.Goddard b N.A.T.Adcock 0 268 21 10 33 1 W.R.Endean c M.C.Cowdrey 215 not out 3 150 2 1 5 1 J.C.Watkins b 72 317. ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICA, Cape Town, January 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (England won by 312 runs) b N.A.T.Adcock 0 369 28 8 65 1 D.J.McGlew c M.C.Cowdrey 205 did not bat - 220-6d 14.1 9 7 2 R.A.McLean lbw 72 N.A.T.Adcock b 46