Yorkers
| Bowling techniques | |
|---|---|
| Types | |
| Fast | |
| Medium pace | |
| Spin | |
| Deliveries | |
| Fast | |
| Spin | |
| Other | Full toss |
| Actions | |
| Usual | Overarm |
| Other | |
| Illegal techniques | |
In cricket, a yorker is a ball bowled (a delivery) which hits the cricket pitch around the batsman's feet. When a batsman assumes a normal stance this generally means that the cricket ball bounces on the cricket pitch on or near the batsman's popping crease. A batsman who advances down the pitch to strike the ball (typically to slower or spin bowlers) may by so advancing cause the ball to pitch (or land) at or around his feet and may thus cause himself to be "yorked".
The Oxford English Dictionary gives the derivation of the term as originating in Yorkshire, a notable English cricketing county. However, other derivations have been suggested. The term may derive from the 18th and 19th century dewisms "to pull Yorkshire" on a person meaning to trick or deceive them, although there is evidence to suggest that the Middle English word yuerke (meaning to trick or deceive) may have been the source.
A batsman who has been beaten by a yorker is said to have been yorked. "Beaten" in this context does not mean that the batsman is bowled or given out lbw but can include the batsman missing the ball with the bat. A delivery which is intended to be a yorker but which does not york the batsman is known as an attempted yorker.
A batsman in his normal stance will raise his bat (backlift) as the bowler bowls which can make the yorker difficult to play when it arrives at the batsman's feet. A batsman may only realise very late that the delivery is of yorker length and will jam his bat down to "dig out" the yorker.
A yorker is a difficult delivery to bowl as a mistimed delivery can either result in a full toss or half-volley which can easily be played by the batsman. Bowling yorkers is a tactic used most often by fast bowlers. A fast yorker is one of the most difficult types of delivery in cricket to play successfully, as the bat must be swung down right to the pitch to intercept the ball—if any gap remains between the bat and the pitch, the ball can squeeze through and potentially go on to hit the wicket. The yorker might miss the bat but hit the pads in front of the wicket, resulting in the batsman getting out lbw. When the batsman blocks such a ball, it is referred to as "dug out". A bowler who achieves swing when bowling yorkers can be even more dangerous, as the ball will deviate sideways as it travels towards the batsman, making it even harder to hit.
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Wikipedia