Greatest Cricket Moments

27 Wickets in a Day — Lord's Test, 1888

1888-07-17England v Australia1st Test, England v Australia, Lord's2 min readSeverity: Serious

Summary

On 17 July 1888, the second day of the first Test at Lord's, 27 wickets fell — a single-day Test record that has stood for 138 years. England were dismissed for 53 in 55 minutes, Australia for 60, England for 62 — three full innings inside one day's play, on a Lord's pitch baked then drenched. Australia won the match by 61 runs.

Background

The 1888 Australian touring side was built around Turner and Ferris, the bowling pair Wisden later named among its first ever Cricketers of the Year. England's bowlers Lohmann, Peel, Briggs and Barnes were equally dangerous. The summer was wet; pitches were uncovered; conditions were a bowler's paradise.

Build-Up

Australia batted first and were 35/4 at stumps on day one. Day two began with the pitch drying after overnight rain — a classic 1880s sticky wicket.

What Happened

Australia had begun the match the previous afternoon and were already 35/4 at stumps. On the Tuesday morning they slumped to 116 all out. England then crumbled in 55 minutes for 53, Briggs top-scoring with 17. Bowling for Australia, Charlie Turner took 5 for 27 and JJ Ferris 5 for 26 — the partnership that had ravaged English batting all season.

Australia's second innings was the briefest collapse of the lot: 60 all out, with Bobby Peel taking 4/14 and George Lohmann 2/24. England, set 124 to win, were dismissed for 62 — Turner 5/36, Ferris 5/26 again. Total: 27 wickets between morning and stumps.

The match itself was over by lunch on day three. Australia won by 61 runs. The aggregate score for the entire match — 291 runs — remains one of the lowest in Test cricket. The 27-wickets-in-a-day mark has only been seriously challenged twice since: 25 wickets at Old Trafford in 1888 (the next match in this very series), and 25 at Headingley in 1961.

Key Moments

1

End of day one: Australia 35/4.

2

Day two morning: Australia all out 116.

3

England 53 in 55 minutes; Turner 5/27, Ferris 5/26.

4

Australia 60 second innings; Peel 4/14.

5

England 62 chasing 124; Turner 5/36.

6

27 wickets fall on day two — a Test record.

7

Australia win by 61 runs; match over by lunch day three.

8

Match aggregate 291 — one of lowest in Test history.

Timeline

16 Jul 1888

Test begins; Australia 35/4 at stumps.

17 Jul, morning

Australia 116; England 53 in 55 minutes.

17 Jul, afternoon

Australia 60; England 62 chasing 124.

17 Jul, close

27 wickets fallen on day two.

18 Jul

Match over; Australia win by 61 runs.

Notable Quotes

“I cannot remember a Test more thoroughly governed by the wicket.”

— Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1889

Aftermath

The 1888 series went on to produce more wicket-fests on uncovered pitches; England came back to win 2-1, with Lohmann and Peel running through Australia at Old Trafford and The Oval. Turner finished the English summer with 283 first-class wickets — a record for a touring bowler.

Lord's, having hosted only its second Test, established its reputation as a ground that could swing wildly with the weather; it would happen again in 1934 with Verity's 14-wicket day.

⚖️ The Verdict

The most explosive day's wicket-taking in Test history — 27 wickets, three completed innings, and a Lord's pitch that rewrote the bowling record book.

Legacy & Impact

The 27-wickets-in-a-day record has stood since 1888. It is now used in cricket-statistical contests as the benchmark of how much could go wrong in a single day's Test cricket. Turner and Ferris together took 18 of the 27 wickets — a tag-team performance unmatched since.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has 27 wickets in a day ever been beaten in a Test?▾
No — it remains the Test record after 138 years.
Why was the pitch so unplayable?▾
Pitches were uncovered before the 1980s; rain followed by sun produced the lethal 'sticky dog' that turned every off-break into a leg-break and vice versa.
Who was the leading bowler?▾
Charlie Turner with 10/63 in the match (5/27 and 5/36); JJ Ferris was almost level with 8/52 (5/26 and 3/26).

Tags

#lords#1888#27-wickets#test-record#ferris#turner#lohmann#peel#england#australia

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