Killer bouncers: The 10 deadliest deliveries ever
Gary Kirsten
Cricket, much like any other sport, is replete with overpowering passion. And, just like any other sport, it abounds with weapons that release pent up energy and emotions.
One of these is the bouncer – a ball that pitches well short of the batsman and rises up to his chest or head. No doubt it is a dangerous delivery, one that puts the batsman at the risk of getting hurt. Most batsmen, faced with a bouncer, try to duck and miss the ball.
A good bouncer is the best way to unnerve a batsman. Bouncers can change the whole game. We’ve had bowlers who have managed to bowl deadly bouncers that have made batsmen leave the wicket sheepishly. And we’ve also had batsmen who have smashed bouncers and taken the bowlers on. However, occasionally, these bouncers have hit batsmen hard, causing much bloodshed and brouhaha.
Here’s a list of 10 deadliest bouncers of all time:
1. Brett Lee to Alex Tudor
Ashes 2002 saw one of the worst injuries in cricketing history. A loaded bouncer from Brett Lee hit Alex Tudor in the face; Tudor instantly fell down in a heap. His face was badly damaged and he was in excruciating pain. The medical team rushed to Tudor’s rescue. “I feared for my sight,” Tudor said in an interview later, revealing the perilous nature of that bouncer.
2. James Anderson to Daniel Flynn
Daniel Flynn of New Zealand lost a tooth trying to deal with a zippy bouncer from England’s James Anderson. The game was being played during the NPOWER Test series, 2008. Despite his helmet and visor, which are the only protection batsmen has to
have, the ball hit Flynn so hard that its force knocked his tooth off.