The ????? "Ball of the Century"

[neville cardus]

I cannot think why this astonishing delivery has been forgotten. (Just try googling it: There's nothing. It can't have helped, of course, that observers like Harold Larwood reported it to the world as a googly.) One can only imagine how good it would look if the camera were so aligned as to give us a decent sight of the drift.

 

[smash84]

Wasim had some great deliveries that spring to mind, just absolutely mind boggling

 

[smash84]

Great wasim compilation from the India tour, what great reverse swing. Had Dravid at 1:35 and then another worthy contender for ball of the century at 2:05

 

[Burgey]

He should have simply come down the track and hit it back over the bowler's head.

Nice to see you posting again, Nev.

 

[Aritro]

I cannot think why this astonishing delivery has been forgotten. (Just try googling it: There's nothing. It can't have helped, of course, that observers like Harold Larwood reported it to the world as a googly.) One can only imagine how good it would look if the camera were so aligned as to give us a decent sight of the drift.

Great delivery, it's nice we still have some footage of it albeit frustratingly grainy.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Was going to it was a very quick leg break but looks like the video is sped up quite a bit? Everyone moving a bit too jerky and fast, was probably a sort of normal speed leg spinner

 

[Burgey]

Wasim had some great deliveries that spring to mind, just absolutely mind boggling

Always looked at that ball as having actually swung in both directions, which would be impossible. But the genius of it really is it comes in on the angle and tails away just enough, and really, really late.

What a bowler he was. Could watch him all day. Mo always rated him right up there with Marshall as the hardest bowler he ever faced.

 

[smash84]

Always looked at that ball as having actually swung in both directions, which would be impossible. But the genius of it really is it comes in on the angle and tails away just enough, and really, really late.

What a bowler he was. Could watch him all day. Mo always rated him right up there with Marshall as the hardest bowler he ever faced.

Yes it does look like it first swings in just a hint but it really is the angle. And swinging it away from that angle is extremely hard too. Was my favorite bowler to watch as well.

 

[_00_deathscar]

Wasim had some great deliveries that spring to mind, just absolutely mind boggling

What the hell was the umpire thinking?

 

[Migara]

If I am not mistaken Shane Warne himself bowled a Gatting like delivery to VVS Laxman. I can remeber him cleaning up TM Dilshan similarly as well. Laxman is a next level player of spin compared to Gatting and Dilshan was on a century when Warne bowled him. Those two for me are technically way better deliveries than Gatting ball.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I've never seen anything from Warne drift and spin near as much as the Gatting ball.

 

[Starfighter]

Spin, yes, drift, no.

 

[Migara]

 

[OverratedSanity]

The sharpest turn Warne got was probably that one ball to Chanders at sydney.

 

[OverratedSanity]

VVS played that like ****. Gatting literally played the one he got better despite being a much worse player of spin.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Spin, yes, drift, no.

The drift is what made it special. Any half-decent spinner can get massive turn out of the rough on a late game wicket

That's not even close to as much drift and spin as the Gatting ball

 

[Starfighter]

The drift is what made it special. Any half-decent spinner can get massive turn out of the rough on a late game wicket

That's not even close to as much drift and spin as the Gatting ball

I meant I have seen as much spin (or more even), but not seen him bowl one as drift as much (in case there was confusion).

And there's definitely more turn on the Chanderpaul one.

 

[Migara]

The drift is what made it special. Any half-decent spinner can get massive turn out of the rough on a late game wicket

That's not even close to as much drift and spin as the Gatting ball

The two deliveries I describe are much faster than Gatting ball, so definietly less turn. But to get that much of turn at that pace is special. We can argue till cows come home. Yes Gatting ball, the two I described are special because of drift and as well it went off the pitch, without involving rough. The wickets are due to pure skill and excellence of the bowler.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I meant I have seen as much spin (or more even), but not seen him bowl one as drift as much (in case there was confusion).

And there's definitely more turn on the Chanderpaul one.

Yeah I knew what you meant, just reiterating that it's not just the turn that was special

The two deliveries I describe are much faster than Gatting ball, so definietly less turn. But to get that much of turn at that pace is special. We can argue till cows come home. Yes Gatting ball, the two I described are special because of drift and as well it went off the pitch, without involving rough. The wickets are due to pure skill and excellence of the bowler.

Not really because there have been quite a few of those faster balls bowled, even that I've seen live. Never seen anything like the Gatting ball though. That's why it's special.

 

[Burgey]

The sharpest turn Warne got was probably that one ball to Chanders at sydney.

I think he said that himself, though tbf he dumped it into the rough on day five.

I was there that day, he'd bowled to a spell earlier int eh morning to Chanders and was getting toweled up badly before he came back and bowled that ball.