Taking all ten wickets in a single innings is widely regarded as one of the most significant achievements for a bowler in cricket. While such feats have occurred in international and first-class cricket, there are even rarer instances recorded outside recognised formats where bowlers have taken ten wickets without conceding a single run.
One such remarkable performance was delivered by Jennings Tune on 6 May 1922 in a district-level tournament in Yorkshire. Representing Cliffe against Eastrington, Tune produced an extraordinary spell in which he claimed all ten wickets without conceding a run. His complete bowling figures were five overs, five maidens, zero runs, and ten wickets. Notably, every one of the opposing batsmen was dismissed bowled, a detail that further distinguishes this performance in cricket history.
Although taking all ten wickets in an innings is rare, it has been achieved in Test cricket by three bowlers: Jim Laker, Anil Kumble, and Ajaz Patel. In first-class cricket, the best recorded bowling figures remain those of Hedley Verity, who took ten wickets for ten runs for Yorkshire against Nottinghamshire in the 1932 County Championship.
Records indicate that there have been 25 instances of bowlers taking ten wickets without conceding a run in forms of cricket outside officially recognised competitions. Among these, Tune’s achievement stands out not only for the absence of runs conceded but also because all dismissals were bowled.
A similar feat was recorded 72 years later. In 1994, during an age-group tournament in Durham, a 17-year-old bowler named Alex Kelly replicated the achievement of taking ten wickets without conceding a run. However, unlike Tune, not all dismissals in that instance were bowled.
Subsequently, two more bowlers are known to have taken ten wickets without conceding a run, though again without dismissing all batsmen bowled. The most recent of these occurred in the 1998–99 season in Brisbane, where D Morton, representing Bayside Muddies, achieved the feat against a team named Ranatungas.
A summary of notable instances is presented below:
| Year | Bowler | Competition/Level | Bowling Figures | Notable Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | Jennings Tune | Yorkshire district match | 5–5–0–10 | All ten batsmen bowled |
| 1994 | Alex Kelly | Age-group tournament | Not fully recorded | Ten wickets, no runs conceded |
| 1998–99 | D Morton | Brisbane tournament | Not fully recorded | Ten wickets, no runs conceded |
There is also a historical precedent in first-class cricket where all ten dismissals were bowled. In 1850 at Lord’s, John Wisden, playing for North against South, took all ten wickets in the second innings with each batsman dismissed bowled. However, complete bowling figures from that match are unavailable, as the preserved scorecard does not record overs bowled or runs conceded. In that innings, South were dismissed for 76, and despite North being all out for 131, they won by an innings and 19 runs. The scheduled three-day match concluded within a single day.
Such occurrences remain exceptionally rare in cricket’s recorded history, underscoring the uniqueness of performances where a bowler claims all ten wickets without conceding a run.