Greatest Cricket Moments

John Wisden's Ten Wickets All Bowled — North v South, Lord's, 1850

1850-07-15North vs SouthNorth v South, Lord's, July 18503 min readSeverity: Mild

Summary

Bowling for the South against the North at Lord's in July 1850, the Sussex fast-roundarm bowler John Wisden — the diminutive 'Little Wonder', barely 5'4" tall — clean-bowled all ten North batsmen in the second innings. It is the only first-class instance in cricket history of all ten wickets in an innings being taken bowled, and the bedrock of the reputation that would, fourteen years later, attach his name to cricket's most famous publication.

Background

Roundarm bowling — the hand at or below shoulder height — had been legal since 1835. Wisden, born at Brighton in 1826, was one of the leading roundarm bowlers of the late 1840s, whippy, accurate and capable of long spells. North v South, played at Lord's most years, was the strongest professional fixture of the summer outside the Gentlemen v Players match.

Build-Up

Wisden had already enjoyed a strong start to the 1850 season; the Lord's pitch, then notoriously rough, suited a bowler of his stamp far more than the smoother ground at Brighton or the Oval.

What Happened

John Wisden of Sussex was already established as one of the leading professional bowlers in England by 1850, but he was not yet the household name he would become. Bowling fast-medium roundarm — the law of the day permitted the hand only as high as the shoulder — Wisden relied on accuracy, pace off the pitch and a sharp off-cutter rather than on raw speed. The North v South match at Lord's in July 1850 was one of the showcase fixtures of the English summer, played between the strongest professionals from each half of the country. North batted twice on a rough Lord's strip; in the second innings Wisden, bowling unchanged from the pavilion end, dismissed every batsman bowled for a total of 76. North were beaten by an innings and 19 runs. The scorecard does not record overs or runs conceded — that level of bookkeeping was still a generation away — but the bare statistic of ten clean bowled in a single innings has never been equalled in first-class cricket since. It remains one of the unique freaks of the cricket record book, and the foundation of the legend Wisden built on his 340 wickets across 38 matches in the 1850 season.

Key Moments

1

Wisden opens the South attack from the pavilion end

2

First North batsman bowled; subsequent dismissals all bowled

3

Tenth wicket falls — every North batsman dismissed bowled by Wisden

4

North all out 76 in their second innings

5

South win by an innings and 19 runs

Timeline

Jul 1850

Wisden bowls all ten North batsmen at Lord's

Season 1850

Wisden takes 340 wickets across 38 matches

1852

Wisden helps found the United All-England Eleven

Notable Quotes

“He was a small man, under 5ft 6in in height, but was for many years an excellent fast bowler, very accurate with an easy delivery.”

— Wisden retrospective on John Wisden

Aftermath

Wisden ended the 1850 season credited with 340 wickets across all matches, by far the most in the country. Within two years he and Jemmy Dean would break from William Clarke's All-England Eleven to found the United All-England Eleven, taking many of the leading professionals with them.

⚖️ The Verdict

A bowling feat unmatched in 175 years of first-class cricket, achieved by the small Sussex roundarm who would later put his name on the sport's most enduring annual.

Legacy & Impact

The ten-bowled record has never been equalled. Several bowlers have since taken all ten in a first-class innings, but none has dismissed every batsman bowled. The feat sits alongside Laker's 19-90 of 1956 as one of the unique items in the cricket record book; the difference is that Wisden's was the first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has the all-bowled feat ever been equalled?▾
No. Several bowlers have taken all ten wickets in a first-class innings since 1850, but none has dismissed every batsman bowled. Wisden's 1850 feat is unique.
Why was Wisden called 'the Little Wonder'?▾
He was barely 5'4" tall but bowled at fast-medium pace, an unusual combination at the time. The nickname stuck for the rest of his career.
Was the match first-class?▾
Yes. North v South was one of the principal showcase fixtures of the English season and is reckoned a first-class match.

Tags

#john-wisden#ten-wickets#all-bowled#lord-s#1850#north-v-south#iconic-moment#fast-roundarm#little-wonder

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