Magical moments

[Barney Rubble]

Kevin Pietersen thundering Brett Lee baseball-style back past his ankles off a 95mph length ball - the single greatest cricket shot I've ever seen, the moment I knew I was witnessing the emergence of a truly special cricketer, and the moment Australia stopped believing they could win the Ashes.

Brian Lara walking out to bat at Lord's for the last time in a Test - the entire crowd had risen to its feet almost before the previous guy got out. The first time I had ever been genuinely, completely and utterly in awe of someone.

And the greatest of all - the moment I realised England had won the Ashes for the first time in my life. Unsurpassable.

 

[Jono]

Aftab Ahmed smashing Gillespie for 6, and then next ball scoring the winning runs for Bangladesh against Australia

 

[Slow Love™]

The semi final between Australia and the West Indies at Mohali in WC '96.

The West Indians had been cruising to victory, forty-odd runs behind with 8 wickets and around 7 overs in hand. Then, some magic from Warne, Fleming and McGrath saw to it that they had crumbled to 9 down with 5 runs to get, and Richie Richardson stranded at the wrong end.

Courtney Walsh waited nervously as Damien Fleming approached, awkwardly hanging his bat in front of the stumps like he was holding a stinky fish.

His lips were moving - he looked to be mouthing "keep-it-together, keep-it-together", just before he was comprehensively bowled and the stumps went everywhere, and Australia booked an ill-fated place in the final.

I don't think I've ever seen an occasion in my life (watching international cricket at least) when I've been so sure a wicket was going to fall before the ball was actually bowled. My friend and I, just from looking at Walsh, and then Fleming coming in, were screaming "He's gonna bowl him, he's gonna bowl him!"

 

[Armadillo]

The Pakistani team bowing down in gratitude towards Allah after winning the '92 world cup, then again I would say that.

 

[simmy]

Bangladesh beating Australia this summer!

So magical, so funny... just a great moment. I was playing at the time and people came rushing out saying that Bang had won! Fantastic.

 

[Sanz]

The Pakistani team bowing down in gratitude towards Allah after winning the '92 world cup, then again I would say that.

Yeup, that was magical and quite appropriate after he magically washed out their match against Eng.

 

[Deja moo]

Venkatesh Prasad castling Amir Sohail in the 96'WC Quarter-final in Bangalore. The occasion, the state of play, Sohail hitting Prasad for 4 under the lights, and then openly gesturing at the Home-boy with his bat in the direction he would hit his next boundary....and getting clean bowled the very next delivery

 

[open365]

even though it wasn't very important,Kabir ali bowling the last over against south africa last winter.

 

[Sanz]

Akhtar Sending Both SRT & RD back in pavllion(@ Edens) in consecutive balls. That was a magical spell that turned the game in favor of pak.

 

[steds]

Every single one of Dave Mohammed's test wickets.

 

[BoyBrumby]

MS Kasprowicz c GO Jones b Harmison 20

My mood changed from despair to joy instantly. What a climax. Pretty hard to top.

 

[Pothas]

watching West indies being out for 54 at lords that was truely amazing.

 

[cricketboy29]

VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Harbhajan Singh, Kolkata 2001. what a match.

 

[Barney Rubble]

MS Kasprowicz c GO Jones b Harmison 20

My mood changed from despair to joy instantly. What a climax. Pretty hard to top.

I was in Italy when that happened. Turned on CNN Sports News in the evening to find England had won by 2 runs - never has a sports bulletin made my heart skip a beat before, and never has it given me so much joy.

 

[Chubb]

The Sunday of the Edgbaston Test

I had gone to bed on Saturday night fully expecting a victory in the morning. I watched Warne go and thought "That's it, it's only a matter of time." But every run that came made the nerves worse... 20 to go. I can't take this. I switched off my TV and did two circuits of the garden (it's a small one). Come back in, switch on... no wicket. Watch one ball, get a single, turn it off, two more circuits. Come back in, 14 to win. Do another two circuits, come back in, Harmison full tos ges down leg for four byes. Two more circuits. Back inside, six to win. Two more circuits, back inside, four to win. Turn off TV. Tell mum to turn off radio in her room. Beg her to turn it off. Can't take it. Make sure it's all turned off, go on Cricinfo look at ball-by-ball of another match, Zim v. NZ. Fifteen minutes pass. Dogs come rushing in, Dad's back from their walk. "We won!" he says.
Rush to tv. Flintoff talking to Atherton. See the replay. See the rest. What a day, what a match. I've never gotten so nervous.
Play cricket for Upottery at Luppitt. Open the batting. First ball for four, third ball for four, sixth ball shoots and bowls me. Oh well, at least we'll win the ashes.

Crazy behaviour really. Did anyone else do anything like that?

 

[Neil Pickup]

No. Ya big wet blanket.

 

[simmy]

Yeah you tart... next time hide behind the sofa like the rest of us!

 

[Sir Redman]

J Kallis b Mills 0

Honestly, Kallis. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Bowled by Kyle Mills for 0. Yes, bowled. By Mills .

Pity we lost though.

 

[Jono]

J Kallis b Mills 0

Honestly, Kallis. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Bowled by Kyle Mills for 0. Yes, bowled. By Mills .

Pity we lost though.

LOL! I couldn't get over that either, great post!

 

[Sir Redman]

LOL! I couldn't get over that either, great post!

The funny thing about it (well, other than the fact that it was Kallis being bowled by Mills!) was that my brother had just said to me "Now what we need is for Mills to bowl Kallis".

Next ball: ping!!

We both nearly fell off the couch.