KA Maharaj of South Africa captured 12 wickets conceding 283 runs – 9 for 129 and 3 for 154 –a in the just concluded test against Sri Lanka at Col-SSC. His effort was in a losing cause as South Africa lost the test by 278 runs. It provides the 14^th occasion of a bowler’s 12 plus wicket haul in a losing cause in the annals of test cricket. All such occasions are tabulated below   

No	Player	Overs	M	Runs	W	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	CTB Turner	88.0×4	50	87	12	Aus	Eng	Sydney	10 Feb 1888
2	T Richardson	110.3×5	39	244	13	Eng	Aus	Manchester	16 Jul 1896
3	H Trumble	65.0×5	19	89	12	Aus	Eng	The Oval	10 Aug 1896
4	SF Barnes	80.1	22	163	13	Eng	Aus	Melbourne	01 Jan 1902
5	H Trumble	64.5	17	173	12	Aus	Eng	The Oval	11 Aug 1902
6	AK Davidson	77.4	30	124	12	Aus	Ind	Kanpur	19 Dec 1959
7	AME Roberts	42.3	11	121	12	Win	Ind	Chennai	11 Jan 1975
8	G Dymock	63.4	12	166	12	Aus	Ind	Kanpur	02 Oct 1979
9	MG Hughes	73.1	16	217	13	Aus	Win	Perth	02 Dec 1988
10	SK Warne	69.0	25	128	12	Aus	SAF	Sydney	02 Jan 1994
11	J Srinath	46.0	10	132	13	Ind	Pak	Kolkata	16 Feb 1999
12	DL Vettori	60.0	19	149	12	NZl	Aus	Auckland	11 Mar 2000
13	JJ Krejza	74.5	04	358	12	Aus	Ind	Nagpur	06 Nov 2008
14	KA Maharaj	81.1	14	283	12	SAF	Srl	Col-SSC	20 Jul 2018

It also provides the tenth occasion of a bowler’s exact twelve wicket haul in a losing cause in the annals of test cricket. All such occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	Overs	M	Runs	W	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	CTB Turner	88.0×4	50	87	12	Aus	Eng	Sydney	10 Feb 1888
2	H Trumble	65.0×5	19	89	12	Aus	Eng	The Oval	10 Aug 1896
3	H Trumble	64.5	17	173	12	Aus	Eng	The Oval	11 Aug 1902
4	AK Davidson	77.4	30	124	12	Aus	Ind	Kanpur	19 Dec 1959
5	AME Roberts	42.3	11	121	12	Win	Ind	Chennai	11 Jan 1975
6	G Dymock	63.4	12	166	12	Aus	Ind	Kanpur	02 Oct 1979
7	SK Warne	69.0	25	128	12	Aus	SAF	Sydney	02 Jan 1994
8	DL Vettori	60.0	19	149	12	NZl	Aus	Auckland	11 Mar 2000
9	JJ Krejza	74.5	04	358	12	Aus	Ind	Nagpur	06 Nov 2008
10	KA Maharaj	81.1	14	283	12	SAF	Srl	Col-SSC	20 Jul 2018

The following are the four bowlers whose exact 13 wicket hauls have gone in vain. J Srinath’s 13 for 132 against Pakistan at Kolkata represent the best bowling figures in a losing cause.

No	Player	Overs	M	Runs	W	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	T Richardson	110.3×5	39	244	13	Eng	Aus	Manchester	16 Jul 1896
2	SF Barnes	80.1	22	163	13	Eng	Aus	Melbourne	01 Jan 1902
3	MG Hughes	73.1	16	217	13	Aus	Win	Perth	02 Dec 1988
4	J Srinath	46.0	10	132	13	Ind	Pak	Kolkata	16 Feb 1999

There are four occasions of a bowler conceding 200 plus runs while capturing 12 or more wickets in a test which have gone in vain. All such occasions are listed below. KA Maharaj’s 12 for 283 represent the  second most expensive bowling figures with 12 plus  wickets  in a losing cause

No	Player	Overs	M	Runs	W	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	MG Hughes	73.1	16	217	13	Aus	Win	Perth	02 Dec 1988
2	T Richardson	110.3×5	39	244	13	Eng	Aus	Manchester	16 Jul 1896
3	KA Maharaj	81.1	14	283	12	SAF	Srl	Col-SSC	20 Jul 2018
4	JJ Krejza	74.5	04	358	12	Aus	Ind	Nagpur	06 Nov 2008

KA Maharaj is the first South African bowler to witness his 12 wicket haul going in vain and it was Sri Lanka’s first ever test win when  a bowler had captured 12 plus wickets