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.

3. Malcolm Marshall to Andy Lloyd

Malcolm Marshall’s powerful bouncer during the first Test of the West Indies’ tour of England in 1984 caught Andy Lloyd off guard. The impact was so hard that that Lloyd had to be admitted to hospital for several days due to his blurred vision. This was Lloyd’s only Test appearance.

4. Shoaib Akhtar to Brian Lara

Brian Lara was hit on his neck by a nasty bouncer delivered by the ‘Rawalpindi Express’ during the second semifinal of ICC Champions Trophy 2004. It was a tremendous blow that caused Lara to drop to the ground. Akhtar immediately ran up to him. It was a close shave and Lara had to be taken off the field. As for the game, WI won the match and the final too.

5. Glenn McGrath to Mal Loye

During the 10th match of the CB Series in 2007, English batsman Mal Loye missed his slog-sweep and got hit on the chin by this bouncer by Australian star bowler Glenn McGrath. Interestingly, no one realised that Loye was seriously hurt. The commentators went on to say that “helmets and visors can be a mighty good idea” only to be taken aback when Loye took off his helmet to reveal a bleeding wound on the chin. Braveheart Loye got his wound bandaged and chose to continue batting, only to get out the very next ball.

6. Courtney Walsh to Greg Ritchie

Greg Ritchie immediately dropped his bat and fell down as a tricky bouncer from Courtney Walsh knocked him down during the fifth Test of the 1984 West Indies tour of Australia. Ritchie’s cheek was hurt and he could not continue his innings.

7. Mitchell Johnson to Jacques Kallis

Mitchell Johnson bowled a stupendous spell during an Australia-South Africa match in 2008, sending two top order batsmen – Neil McKenzie(caught by keeper) and Hashim Amla (LBW) — to the pavilion within the first three overs. A diabolic delivery hit Graeme Smith hard, and he retired hurt. Mitchell’s fiery energy again produced a deadly bouncer to Jacques Kallis who, upon being hit, stood for a few seconds, then squatted down as blood dripped from his face. The damage was so grave that Kallis had to leave the field.

8. Brett Lee to Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Shivnarine Chanderpaul was on 86 runs when, sensing a particularly nasty bouncer, he decided to duck and let it pass. However, the ball cracked the back of his helmet, causing him to fall flat and lie motionless on the ground, almost like he was unconscious. Nevertheless, unmindful of his injury, he stood up, continued batting and went on to score an astounding 118 runs. Later, Chanderpaul confessed he’d been terrified that Lee’s bouncer had paralysed him and that things would get worse if he went back to the pavilion. With a never-say-die spirit like that, no wonder Chanderpaul was the last man standing!

9. Steve Harmison to Ricky Ponting

There’s something so distinct about an Australia-England match. More so if it’s the Ashes. In 2005, English bowler Steve Harmison was at his hostile best. A quick bouncer to Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting caused a serious bruise causing blood to drip from Ponting’s cheek. Despite the injury, Punter, being the true sport that he is, resumed batting immediately.

10. Shoaib Akhtar to Gary Kirsten

Ace batsman Gary Kirsten, during South Africa’s tour of Pakistan in 2003, was hit by a super-fast bouncer by Shoaib Akhtar. It was a horrible sight to watch Kirsten fall down to the ground as the Pakistani team flocked to him. Kirsten got ten stitches and suffered a broken nose and damage to his eye socket.

There have been many more deadly bouncers that have broken a nose or two on the field. Cricket is a game that changes with every ball and with it comes tremendous thrill and exhilaration that manifest themselves in forms, both good and bad. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the aggressive side of cricket!