by Abhishek Mukherjee

Back in 1956, Brylcreem had announced £100 and a silver cup for the best bowling figures of the season.

The Australians were touring England that summer, so, playing for Surrey at The Oval, Jim Laker took 10 for 88 against them at The Oval.

That was May. Kane of Gloucestershire got 10/66 in June.

Then Laker's Surrey and England spin-bowling partner Tock took 10/54 against Kent.

But Laker regained it, with – as we know – (9/37 and) 10/53 *in an Ashes Test* at Old Trafford.

That was how the best innings and match figures in Test cricket were set, in the race for silver and silverware.

But Laker's love affair with Australia stretched beyond that. He took 79 wickets against them at an astonishing 18.27.

Even when England were thrashed 0-4 in 1958-59, he topped the English bowling charts with 15 wickets at 21.20, the same as his career average.

However, it had started long before that, during the World War II, when Laker was posted at Cairo as a Corporal. He took 6/10 in a match against the Australian Services.

"Laker skittles Australians," ran the headline on Egyptian Gazette next morning.

It might well have been the Manchester Guardian in 1956.

Jim Laker, that bogeyman of Australians and a hero of Surrey during their record run in the 1950s, arguably the greatest off-spinner of all time, was born February 9, 1922.