Jim Laker

Laker's 19 wickets for 90 against Australia at Old Trafford in 1956 remain the best match figures in first-class cricket, let alone Tests. The pitch helped, but Tony Lock, a fine spinner at the other end, took one wicket on it. Laker's accuracy and drift with off-spin, and his patience to keep the ball on a length, are what turned helpful conditions into a record.