Cricket is the most popular game worldwide. Bowlers, batters, and fielders are the nucleus of the game of cricket. Bowling is crucial in cricket games as it needs full attention and alertness. In cricket, a yorker bowling delivery is a specific delivery used by the fast bowlers against the batsman to control big hitters and take wickets.
If a yorker ball is executed well by a bowler, a batsman finds it challenging to score. It is frequently used in shorter matches. A bowler needs a lot of practice to deliver a yorker ball successfully. To become an expert in yorker bowling in cricket, a bowler must know about yorker bowling. So in this article, I am here to share how yorker bowling in cricket.
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Why Is It Called Yorker Bowling In Cricket – Interesting Facts
In cricket, a yorker is a ball that pitches on a highly full length around the batsman’s feet or inside the popping crease. It needs to be more of a fuller length to allow the batsman to hit it like a full toss, but also not short enough so that it bounces and can hit it on the half volley. When a yorker bowls at a high pace, it is a hazardous and challenging delivery for a batsman to play. Let’s see why it is called yorker bowling in cricket.
A yorker bowling in cricket could be described as the king of all bowls. It’s tough to hit when the ball lands directly at the batter’s feet inside the 9 cricket lane. According to Oxford Dictionaries, a yorker term was coined because players from York bowled these deliveries. The other meaning of yorker is ‘cheater.’
The yorker, named in one of the first cricketing dictionaries in 1888 by Steel & Lyttelton, defines the yorker states that it was “called in days gone by a ‘tice’, and abbreviation of ‘entice'”. The yorker bowling in cricket is generally associated with fast bowler types.
Priyantha Weragoda is a former Sri Lanka A team and first-class cricketer who invented the spinner yorker bowling in cricket. Lasith Malinga is a former Sri Lanka cricketer who is the father of the yorker and yorker king in the world. He was the one who introduced the slow ball yorker bowling to the cricket world.
How To Do Yorker Bowling In Cricket?
A bowler should hold the ball with his index and middle fingers on either side of the middle seam and his thumb finger on the left side. New yorker 5-4 is just like a fastball method. Then, a bowler should aim for the popping crease line or the base of one of the stumps. Bowlers must aim at the batsman’s feet to bowl a yorker.
The perfect yorker ball should be released late with a bowler’s arm almost directly vertical, so the ball lands right into 4 cricket lane at a fast pace. When it comes to yorkers, the late delivery of the ball is the key to a perfect yorker. Bowling of yorker is only some people’s strength; below are some tips to help you bowl the perfect yorker.
- Control your eyes.
- Adopt a confident attitude.
- Remember that practice makes perfect.
- Take swing into account.
- Watch the batsman and react to their movements.
- During practice, use specific yorker drills.
Yorker bowling in cricket is considered to be one of the most challenging deliveries to bowl for bowlers. There are five types of yorker bowling in cricket – slow yorker, fast yorker, swinging yorker, toe crusher, and a wide yorker. The yorker bowlers using these five variations have been successful in cricket history.
How To Bat A Yorker Ball In Cricket?
All batsmen need a plan for batting against the yorker ball. A yorker bowling in cricket is one of the most challenging deliveries for a batsman to attack and defend. To bat consistently well against the yorker ball, a batsman must develop some techniques in the following areas.
- Detecting the yorker ball.
- Defending against the yorker ball.
- Changing your body position at the popping crease line.
- Shots that you can play to attack the yorker ball.
#1 Detecting The Yorker Ball
The first step for a batsman to face the yorker ball is detecting it early enough. This step is essential because if a batsman recognizes it early, he has more time to react appropriately. To detect the yorker, a batsman should focus on the following areas.
- The batsman should watch the ball from the bowler’s hand.
- Maximize your practice time against the yorker ball.
- Analyze the game situation.
#2 Defending Against The Yorker Ball
The key to defending against the yorker ball is simple. Batsmen have to make sure that their bats should straight down quickly and ensure that they do not leave a gap between the bat and the ground. If batsmen leave a gap between bat and ground, there is a chance the yorker ball could sneak through, which would likely result in being bowled.
Another of the most effective tips to help batsmen defend against the yorker ball is to lower their back lift. Batsmen who have a very high back lift will struggle to react to the yorker ball. A batsman with a low back lift can quickly get the bat down to the ground.
#3 Changing Your Body Position At The Popping Crease Line
Learning to adjust the position at the crease line is the only way for batsmen to hit the yorker balls. If a batsman learns to move in the right ways, there is more chance to hit the ball using the middle of his bat. Below are some techniques to hit the yorker ball.
- Advancing down the pitch to turn the yorker ball into a full-toss ball.
- Retreating into your crease, by moving to 8 cricket lane to turn the yorker ball into a half volley.
- Adjusting the grip on the bat.
#4 What Shots Can You Play To Attack The Yorker Ball?
Below are some of the shots to attack the yorker ball.
- Ramp shot.
- Sweep or reverse sweep.
- Square drive.
- Lofted shots into the leg side.
Best Yorker In Cricket Indian Team
Jasprit Burmah is the best and the most effective yorker bowler among fast bowlers playing in the Indian cricket team. He has been a right-arm fast bowler in the Indian team from 2016 to the present. Also, he is the best yorker king of the Indian team.
Yorker Bowling In Cricket: Indian Yorker Bowlers
Below is the list of the top 5 Indian yorker bowlers.
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Irfan Pathan
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Zaheer Khan
- T. Natarajan
Yorker Bowling In Cricket FAQ
1. Who is the yorker king in the world?
A former Sri Lankan cricketer, Lasith Malinga is the yorker king in the world.
2. Is it hard to bowl a yorker?
Yes, it is hard to bowl a yorker. A yorker bowling in cricket is considered one of the most challenging deliveries to bowl for the bowlers.
3. Can we take wickets using yorker balls?
Yes, yorker balls are known for taking wickets and restricting the opponents from scoring easy runs.
4. Can spinners bowl yorkers?
Yes, even spinners can bowl yorkers, but this bowing is mostly effective for fast and medium-pace bowlers.
Conclusion – Yorker Bowling In Cricket
Hopefully, you got a clear overview of yorker bowling in cricket from the above article. We also discussed why it is called yorker bowling in cricket, how to do it in cricket, how to bat yorker ball, who is the best yorker bowler in the Indian team, and a list of the top 5 yorker bowlers in the Indian team.
In cricket, a yorker is a ball that pitches a full length around the batsman’s feet or inside the popping crease. It is a delivery that fast bowlers bowl. The bowling of yorkers in cricket is considered one of the most challenging deliveries to bowl for the bowlers and also difficult for batsmen to play or attack and defend against it. So, let’s look at the above article to find out how yorker bowling in cricket.
