Bowler York returns amazing 10-7 figures in club game

A bowler taking all 10 wickets in an innings has only happened three times in the history of Test cricket.

The feat is less rare at club level, but still a remarkable achievement when it does occur.

David York can now count himself among that elite group after producing astonishing figures of 10-7 as Kettering's Third XI beat Old Northamptonians Fourths by 186 runs.

Such was the 51-year-old's relentless accuracy in the Northamptonshire Cricket League Division Seven game that nine of his victims were bowled, including the last to go, Chris Pedel, for a second-ball duck.

Mind you, York had inside knowledge of how the pitch was going to behave as the seamer is also a groundsman at the club.

"It was one of those days when the ball was swinging like a banana and they just couldn't cope with it," Kettering co-chairman Martin Reece, who also plays for the third team but missed the game through injury, told BBC Sport.

"We had a fourth team player score a hundred last weekend and a first-teamer got 7-48. Normally they'd get the headlines, but not this time."

After Kettering made 219-7, with Muzamil Baba hitting seven sixes in his 94 off 93 balls, the Northamptonians reply lasted just 16.5 overs as they crumbled to 33 all out.

York bowled Andrew Deeming with the first ball of their innings and told BBC Sport: "I'm an inswing bowler and conditions on the day - it was muggy, there was cloud cover - were perfect for inswing bowling.

"I certainly wasn't thinking about all 10 at that point, but it was like Groundhog Day. I was in the groove, it was pure repetition and the wickets kept tumbling."

Lorry driver York had achieved his previous best of 7-13 in an away game against Irchester last summer and thought, at his age, he would never better that.

But so unplayable was he that Deeming's opening partner Steve Thomas ended up carrying his bat through the innings for 22 not out as his team-mates came and went in quick succession.

"My team were saying, 'you're on for all 10', but it was only after the ninth wicket that it dawned on me - I just needed one more for something quite special," added York.

By that stage, members of Kettering's first team had gathered on the boundary edge having already lost their game - the club has two pitches at their Northampton Road ground.

"The first ball [of the final over], I just wanted to stay calm, not try to do anything different and if it happened, it happened," said York.

And sure enough, a perfect inswinger with his fifth delivery pierced Pedel's defence to end the match.

He added: "I usually run off Alan Shearer style when I take a wicket, with one hand in the air. I didn't know how I felt, it was just pure joy. And the fact that lots of my team-mates are great friends of mine meant it was just a magic moment."

It is perhaps no surprise York is an exponent of swing as he cites Sir James Anderson, who took more than 700 Test wickets for England but has never claimed more than seven in an innings, as "by some distance my bowling hero".

Next up for Kettering Thirds is a game against Old CC this weekend.

York added: "I don't think I've played against them before. I'll settle for two or three as two 10s is impossible, but the result is the most important thing."