Local bowler claims all 10 wickets in an innings in CSA 4-Day match

South Western Districts bowler Sean Whitehead completed an incredible feat on Saturday afternoon when he claimed all 10 wickets in an innings to lead his side to an amazing 120-run win over the Eastern Storm in their CSA 4-Day match at the Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn.

It is just the fourth time ever, according to Cricinfo’s 10 wicket records, that 10 wickets have been taken in an innings by the same person in South African first class cricket with Whitehead joining the likes of Bert Vogler, Stephen Jefferies and Mario Olivier.

Vogler holds the current best local figures as he picked up 10/26 for Eastern Province against Griqualand during the 1906-07 Currie Cup competition.

Jefferies claimed 10/59 in an innings for Western Province against Orange Free State in December 1987, while Olivier was the most recent South African to achieve the feat when he claimed 10/65 for the Warriors against the Eagles in December 2007.

Whitehead’s figures of 10/36 in 12.1 overs in the Storm’s second innings are thus the second best ever in first class cricket by a South African and joint 11^th best first class figures in history.

He also took 5/64 in the Storm’s  first innings to end with superb match figures of 15/100.

It was an incredible match in all for Whitehead who contributed with the bat as well, coming in at number eight for SWD in both innings, as he made important contributions of 66 in the first innings and 45 in the second to help his side reach 242 and 193 all out respectively.

The Storm responded with 250 in their first innings to take a slight eight run lead, but despite then setting themselves just 185 to win they were blown away by Whitehead in the second innings to crash to 65 all out.