A yorker is, to put it simply, a delivery bowled by a fast bowler directly onto the batter’s stumps. The ball is directed towards the batter’s shoe or a few centimetres away from the stumps.
Such yorker deliveries frequently assist bowlers in either clean bowling the batter or earning an LBW. However, consistently bowling yorkers is difficult. Bowling at the international level demands a great level of talent, craft, precision, and years of practice.
Attempting a Yorker
The yorker is a delivery that is widely used near the end of the bowling action, with the hand nearly vertically positioned. Its goal is twofold: to increase speed and confuse the batsman mid-flight.
While it is common practice to put some inswing into a yorker, an away-swinging version aimed at the batsman’s pads can be just as effective. Because of the technical complexities involved, the execution of yorkers necessitates meticulous practice. Bowlers must work hard to improve their timing and precision in order to regularly produce accurate yorkers and master this deadly tactic.
Also Read | 21+ Types of Bowling in Cricket: A Comprehensive Guide
Why Are Yorkers Important?
- Yorkers are thrown at full length, making it difficult for batsmen to defend or play them offensively.
- Yorkers aim at the stumps, improving the possibilities of bowling or trapping the batter’s leg before wicket (LBW).
- They are effective in death overs because they hinder batters from scoring freely and taking rapid runs.
- Bowler’s primary weapon: Yorkers are used as a surprise delivery by bowlers to interrupt the batter’s rhythm and cause errors.
- Yorkers with a swing or seam movement can fool the batter, making it even more difficult to play.
- Reduces hitting range: By constantly throwing yorkers, bowlers limit the batter’s hitting range and increase the likelihood of mishits.
- Yorkers are more unpredictable than other deliveries, making it tough for batsmen to anticipate and counter efficiently.
- A well-executed yorker can shift the flow of a match in the bowler’s favour, especially in tight conditions.
Types of Yorkers
Slow Yorker
It’s basically a fast bowler tricking a batsman by bowling a typical yorker delivery but eliminating the pace, leaving the batter perplexed because they would try to time the ball early, anticipating a normal pace.
Jasprit Bumrah, who has bowled at speeds of 150+, bowled slow yorkers with precision at 115–125 kmph, allowing him to grab key wickets.
Some of the top bowlers with a skill in bowling slow yorkers include Jaspirit Bumrah, Shane Bond, Andrew Flintoff, and Kyle Mills.
Swinging Yorker
Swinging yorkers are probably the most difficult to master, with just a few bowlers capable of doing so. The angle of the ball in the air changes, and it may be an inswing or outswing Yorker depending on the bowler’s intentions.
The bowler releases the ball at such a lethal angle that it swings in the air before hitting the batter’s stumps or shoes, resulting in a sureshot wicket for the bowler.
Mitchell Starc, Trent Boult, Mohamad Amir, Dale Steyn, Wasim Akram, Bhuveneshwar Kumar, Irfan Pathan, James Anderson, and Zaheer Khan all bowled some of the best-swinging yorkers.
Also Read | How to Swing a Cricket Ball? – Types & Variations of Swing Bowling Explained
Fast Yorker
Fast yorkers are another lethal weapon that fast bowlers enjoy using in critical situations. A yorker right at the stumps or toe line at 140+ mph is difficult to avoid and plays a crucial role in the death overs.
Fast Yorkers were best exemplified by Dale Steyn, Shoaib Akhtar, Shaun Tait, and Brett Lee.
Toe Crusher
The one and only Lasith Malinga is responsible for popularizing the term “toe crusher.” The maverick Sri Lankan fast bowler, who used to bowl at 140+ kmph in his prime, bowled directly on the batter’s toes.
The batter would either collapse on the ground or be clean-bowled as a result of that lethal yorker. Malinga’s toe crushers made life difficult for batsmen in the IPL. Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar were also skilled at it.
What Exactly is an Attempted Yorker?
Many times, we’ve seen commentators say, ‘he bowled an attempted yorker.,’ which suggests a bowler came close to bowling a flawless yorker but didn’t.
It indicates that the ball either did not pitch at the batter’s feet, pitched inches before it, resulting in a ‘half-volley,’ or became a full toss. In all circumstances, the bowler is unlikely to upset the batter’s timber unless he completely misses it, which does not happen often.
What Makes Yorker an Unplayable Delivery for Batters?
Now comes the big question: why is it an unplayable delivery for a batter to face? Even by appearances, a yorker is intended to trick a player, and if bowled with extra pace, it could damage either the bat or injure the batsman’s toe.
A player becomes imprisoned at the crease because there is no area for him to go for a shot. Contrary to appearances, there have been some changes in how such shots are played.
With the introduction of the T20 format, players have begun to use their feet to move a yorker. Paddle sweep the delivery to give yourself space to strike on either side of the ground, or if you’re MS Dhoni’s fan, you know what to do!
