In cricket, a five-wicket haul (also known as a "five–for" or "fifer") refers to a bowler taking five or more wickets in a single innings. This is regarded as a notable achievement, and as of August 2014 only 23 bowlers have taken at least 20 five-wicket hauls at international level in their cricketing careers.

Clarence Victor "Clarrie" Grimmett (25 December 1891 – 2 May 1980), a leg spinner and right-hand batsman, was born in New Zealand though he played the bulk of his cricket in Australia. He is thought by many to be one of the finest early spin bowlers, and is usually credited as the developer of the flipper. Grimmett made his first-class debut for Wellington at the age of 17. At that time, New Zealand was not a Test cricketing nation, and in 1914 he moved to neighbouring Australia to further his career.

Grimmett played 37 Tests between 1924 and 1936, taking 216 wickets at an average of just 24.21 runs apiece. He took a five-wicket haul on debut against England in Sydney in 1925. He became the first bowler to reach the milestone of taking 200 Test wickets, and is one of only four Test bowlers that played in their first Test after the age of thirty to take more than 100 wickets, the other three beings Dilip Doshi, Saeed Ajmal and Ryan Harris. He took an average of six wickets per match. Many wickets in the last four years of his Test career were taken bowling in tandem with fellow leg-spinner Bill O'Reilly. Grimmett remains the only bowler with career figures of over 200 wickets in fewer than 40 Tests. He took a five-wicket 'bag' on 21 occasions, seven times finishing with ten wickets or more in a match.

Grimmett was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1931, the same year as Donald Bradman. He died in Adelaide in 1980, and was posthumously inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 1996 as one of the ten inaugural members.

On 30 September 2009, Clarrie Grimmett was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

Key

+ Key Symbol Meaning Date Starting day of the match Inn Innings of the match in which the five-wicket haul was taken Overs Number of overs bowled in that innings Runs Runs conceded Wkts Number of wickets taken Econ Bowling economy rate (average runs per over) Batsmen Batsmen whose wickets were taken in the five-wicket haul Result Result for Australia in that match One of two five-wicket hauls by Grimmett in a match 10 wickets or more taken in the match

Test five-wicket hauls + Five-wicket hauls in Test cricket by Clarrie GrimmettNo.DateGroundAgainstInnOversRunsWktsEconBatsmenResult 1 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Frank Woolley J. W. Hearne William Whysall Roy Kilner Arthur Gilligan Won 2 Jack Hobbs Andy Sandham Patsy Hendren J. W. Hearne William Whysall Bert Strudwick Won 3 Headingley, Leeds Herbert Sutcliffe Roy Kilner Maurice Tate George Macaulay Bert Strudwick Drawn 4 Exhibition Ground, Brisbane Jack Hobbs Phil Mead Patsy Hendren Percy Chapman Maurice Tate Harold Larwood Lost 5 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Herbert Sutcliffe Douglas Jardine George Duckworth Maurice Tate Jack White Lost 6 Trent Bridge, Nottingham Wally Hammond Frank Woolley Patsy Hendren Harold Larwood Maurice Tate Lost 7 Jack Hobbs Wally Hammond Maurice Tate Harold Larwood Dick Tyldesley Lost 8 Lord's, London Jack Hobbs Frank Woolley Wally Hammond Patsy Hendren Gubby Allen Maurice Tate Won 9 Headingley, Leeds Jack Hobbs Herbert Sutcliffe Percy Chapman Maurice Tate Dick Tyldesley Drawn 10 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Lionel Birkett George Headley Frank Martin Baron Constantine Barto Bartlett Ivan Barrow Tommy Scott Won 11 Exhibition Ground, Brisbane Lionel Birkett Ivan Barrow Tommy Scott George Francis Herman Griffith Won 12 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Syd Curnow Bruce Mitchell Herbie Taylor Cyril Vincent Quintin McMillan Sandy Bell Won 13 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Syd Curnow Herbie Taylor Jock Cameron Denys Morkel Ken Viljoen Quintin McMillan Neville Quinn Won 14 Bruce Mitchell Jim Christy Cyril Vincent Ken Viljoen Denys Morkel Quintin McMillan Neville Quinn Won 15 Trent Bridge, Nottingham Cyril Walters Herbert Sutcliffe Maurice Leyland George Geary Ken Farnes Won 16 The Oval, London Herbert Sutcliffe Maurice Leyland Bob Wyatt Gubby Allen Hedley Verity Won 17 Newlands, Cape Town Jack Siedle Eric Rowan Chud Langton Bob Crisp Xen Balaskas Won 18 Jack Siedle Dudley Nourse Bruce Mitchell Ken Viljoen Xen Balaskas Won 19 Old Wanderers, Johannesburg Ken Viljoen Robert Harvey Frank Nicholson Chud Langton Buster Nupen Xen Balaskas Eric Davies Won 20 Kingsmead, Durban Jack Siedle Herby Wade Bruce Mitchell Dudley Nourse Chud Langton Xen Balaskas Bob Crisp Won 21 Jack Siedle Ken Viljoen Robert Harvey Chud Langton Xen Balaskas Edward van der Merwe Won

Test ten-wicket hauls

Clarrie Grimmett took ten wickets in a Test Match on seven occasions, and sits equal fifth on the all-time Test bowling table for "Most ten-wickets-in-a-match". Among Australian bowlers he sits equal second (with Dennis Lillee) behind Shane Warne who took ten wickets in a Test in ten matches.

+ Ten-wicket hauls in Test cricket by Clarrie Grimmett No.Figures Match Opponent Venue City Year Result 1 11/82 1 Sydney Cricket Ground Sydney 1924–25 Won 2 10/201 10 Trent Bridge Nottingham 1930 Lost 3 11/183 15 Adelaide Oval Adelaide 1930–31 Won 4 14/199 23 Adelaide Oval Adelaide 1931–32 Won 5 10/88 35 Newlands Cape Town 1935–36 Won 6 10/110 36 Old Wanderers Johannesburg 1935–36 Won 7 13/143 37 Kingsmead Durban 1935–36 Won

References