Watch: Glenn McGrath bowls a perfect reverse swinging yorker

Glenn McGrath, Australia’s great fast bowler, troubled many great batsmen of his generation. A tall man, McGrath was world renowned for his accuracy bowled his team to many famous wins. He picked many Test and ODI wickets against old foes England, who many times found the right-arm fast bowler too hot to handle.

McGrath’s USP was an unrelenting off-stump line and an immaculate length. He gained off-cut and bounce, specialised in the opposition’s biggest wickets. He had a perfect in-swinging yorker that rattled the stumps on many occasion. One such instance was against the team’s arch rivals in an ODI.

A perfect yorker is a delivery which hits the pitch around the batsman’s feet bouncing near the popping crease. It is a difficult delivery to bowl as a mistimed delivery can either result in a full toss or half-volley which can easily be hammered by the batsman. A fast reverse swinging yorker is one of the most difficult types of delivery in cricket to negotiate as was found out by England’s Darren Gough. Gough, himself known for swinging the ball late and being adept at yorkers, got a taste of his own medicine from McGrath who bowled the lethal delivery with pinpoint accuracy.

The Aussie was known to deliver the ball from close to the stumps that helped him maintain high levels of accuracy. This full and fast delivery swung in the air just enough to perplex the batsman and uproot his off stump. Gough going for an expensive driver missed the ball completely and heard the dreaded sound of timber behind him. The term yorker was originated in Yorkshire and Gough, a Yorkshireman himself, must not have enjoyed being cleaned up by the rival bowler.

Watch: Glenn McGrath bowls a perfect reverse swinging yorker:

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