The balls of the century

[ankitj]

The balls of the century, No. 1: Ryan Harris to Alastair Cook

The perfect delivery, from a bowler who often tried too hard to bowl such balls

www.thecricketmonthly.com

Wish one of Bumrah's deliveries in WI tour made it. Probably better than his slower ball that did make the list.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Predictable but good choice for number 1. That it was the first ball of the innings made it that much better.

 

[TheJediBrah]

was always going to be #1, nothing else compares

 

[Migara]

Overrated #1.

I'd take a random Asif wicket over that ball.

 

[Line and Length]

It was a top delivery, but #1?

 

[Engle]

As opener to 1st ball, Cook is playing at his defensive best.
The ball quivers thru the air minutely moving towards him, provoking him to commit. Then anticipating his positioning, moves away from the bat as if magnetized. It penetrates the opening with the pin-point precision of a guided missile.
Worthy of 1

 

[Midwinter]

The context must be borne in mind.

Beating one of the world's best batsmen at the very start of the innings in one of the most important games of the year is not the same as me bowling the same ball to a local No 11 on a saturday afternoon.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

was always going to be #1, nothing else compares

Vaughan getting Tendulkar and you know it.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

As opener to 1st ball, Cook is playing at his defensive best.

wot

 

[Migara]

The context must be borne in mind.

Beating one of the world's best batsmen at the very start of the innings in one of the most important games of the year is not the same as me bowling the same ball to a local No 11 on a saturday afternoon.

The whole issue is this. 1st ball, when a batsman is new and not moving his feet, etc. How about Asif doing it to the world's best batsman at the time when the fellow was on 20 odd? Not one of them, alomost all the top bunch? Tendulkar, Sangakkara, Devilliers, Amla, KP, Laxman . . . the list goes on.

 

[TheJediBrah]

lmao try harder

time of innings was irrelevant to the result. No one is hitting that ball unless it's by accident. Nothing else on the list comes close to the Harris ball

it was also an absolute fluke, Ryan Harris could try to bowl the exact same ball for the rest of his life and never do it again. It wasn't just the result of helpful overhead conditions or a green seaming pitch which makes it unique

 

[ImpatientLime]

The context must be borne in mind.

Beating one of the world's best batsmen at the very start of the innings in one of the most important games of the year is not the same as me bowling the same ball to a local No 11 on a saturday afternoon.

if we're basing it on context then it most certainly isn't number one. flintoff to ponting in terms of context is leagues ahead.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Overrated #1.

I'd take a random Asif wicket over that ball.

That ball followed Asif's MO to the letter. Good length, subtle movement, caused general befuddlement...paint Ryano brown, make him lose a few pounds and a few yards of pace, and you couldn't tell the difference.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Looking at the full list now and there's too many bowleds and not enough bouncers imo

 

[Kirkut]

Overrated #1.

I'd take a random Asif wicket over that ball.

I posted Akram's ball to Gilchrist during Colombo ODI in 2002 in this thread.

Harris to Cook was basically Cook playing the wrong line and bowled.

 

[stephen]

I posted Akram's ball to Gilchrist during Colombo ODI in 2002 in this thread.

Harris to Cook was basically Cook playing the wrong line and bowled.

He played the right line but the ball decided to dodge his bat. Since when does a ball swung after pitching like that?

 

[TheJediBrah]

That ball followed Asif's MO to the letter

Funny given that he never bowled one that good

 

[Arachnodouche]

Looking at the full list now and there's too many bowleds and not enough bouncers imo

Maybe because the bouncer is more brute strength and less finesse? More and less being relative terms of course.

 

[Starfighter]

The main problem with the Harris to Cook ball is that James Brayshaw's voice is on it.

 

[Daemon]

Landed 2cm from a crack, cheating aussies at it again