Decoding the Yorker

Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga is one of the greatest exponents of the yorker

If there was ever a delivery that could change the course of a cricket match in a matter of seconds, it has to be the ‘yorker’. One of the greatest weapons for a pace bowler, the yorker has time and again proved its worth in every format of the game.

Watching from the comfort of your homes, it may seem that yorkers are quite easy to bowl. But ask the bowlers and they will tell you that it is one of the most difficult deliveries to learn and master. Broadly speaking, the yorker is nothing but a full length delivery; but there is a very fine line that prevents it from becoming a half volley or a full toss. Getting that perfect spot where the delivery can trouble the batsmen is crucial when you are looking to bowl the yorker.

The forte of this extra special delivery is its ability to surprise the best of batsmen regardless of how settled they are at the crease. Moreover, it does not require any help from the pitch conditions and can be effective on any turf. So, even a batsman batting on 150 on a batting paradise is not safe from the devastating power of the yorker.

Masters of the yorker

Although the yorker has been a part of the sport for several years, its true effectiveness was brought to the fore in the late 1980s by two fine Pakistani young men, Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram. These two are arguably the greatest exponents of the yorker and the only other modern day cricketer who comes anywhere close is Sri Lankan Lasith Malinga. In fact, the latter has come up with this own versions of the delivery, the slower yorker.

Over the past few years, the yorker had been losing its prominence with bowlers trying too many other things with it. However, the recently concluded ICC Cricket World Cup played in Australia brought the yorker back to its former glory. Although bowlers from all teams did resort to it time and again, the two leading pacers in the tournament, Australia’s Mitchell Starc and New Zealand’s Trent Boult, reaped the most success from it.

How to Bowl the Perfect Yorker

It may be difficult to learn how to bowl effective yorkers; however, it is certainly not impossible. Here are some tips that can help you:

Focus on the target: Just like the bull’s eye is the target for an archer, you need to fix a target spot where you would like to pitch the ball. Most experts will tell you to target the ‘base of the stumps’ just near the batsman’s feet while bowling a yorker. With your target decided, you must focus on it during your run-up through to the point of delivery. This will help you understand where the ball should land in order to ensure an accurate yorker.

Release the ball earlier: The point at which release the ball is also of vital importance while bowling the yorker. You must try and let go of the ball a little earlier than normal to ensure that it lands at the perfect spot. This means that your hand must be in an almost vertical position while delivering the ball, the only exception being if you have a round arm action like Malinga.

Bowl faster: It definitely helps if you can add a yard of pace while delivering the yorker. This does not mean that you need to be an express bowler. It is just that you must try and bowl it faster than your normal delivery so that you are able to achieve the goal of taking the batsman by surprise.

Practise hard: It is not for nothing that it is said that ‘Practice makes perfect’. It is important that you keep on practising the yorker if you want to master it. For starters, you must do some target practice in the nets by bowling at an exposed set of stumps. This way you will be able to get clarity on the area that you must target. Once you get a hang of it, try bowling at the same spot again and again with a batsman at the crease to give you a more realistic picture.

Track your accuracy: Practice definitely assumes great importance for bowling yorkers, but you must also keep track whether your accuracy is improving or not. If you find that you are still unable to get it right, you must seek advice on where you may be going wrong. On the other hand, if you are doing well, try to analyse your strengths and work on them further.

The yorker is a multi-utility delivery which can not only get you wickets but also stifle batsmen by not allowing easy runs. Even if you don’t get it right all the time, always keep it in your repertoire to spring a surprise for the batsman every now and then.