From toe-crushing yorker to unplayable googly: Top 5 deliveries of the 2019 World Cup

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For the first time in 23 years, the cricket world cup saw its new takers, as England lifted the trophy for the first time in their history. In an exciting final at Lord’s England pipped New Zealand in the number of boundaries scored to win their maiden trophy in the most dramatic way.

The quality of cricket in the 2019 World Cup was supreme, and the bowlers, in particular, have sparkled throughout the tournament. We saw some absolute peaches from the pacers, and spinners catching the batsmen in their web of spin.

It had been daunting, but we, with an acknowledgement of being unfair to some, pick the top-5 deliveries of the tournament:

5:  Kuldeep Yadav to Babar Azam

India cruised to victory for the seventh time in as many games between the two countries in the World Cups. During the game, however, Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam cruised to a solid partnership, and at one point, looked to steer the game away from India. In came Kuldeep Yadav, with a brilliant delivery to dismiss Babar Azam.

The spinner pitched the ball a little full and on the off-side, but it took a massive turn and came inwards to the batsman. Azam wasn’t fast enough to react – and one could hardly blame him.

4: Sheldon Cottrell to Colin Munro

The West Indies had a tournament to forget, but they had their moments of brilliance on the field. Against New Zealand in the group stage, Sheldon Cottrell produced an impressive yorker in the very first over of the game, after removing Guptill on the very first ball of the match. 

It was late, inswinging yorker, and Munro completely misjudged the length. 

3: Lockie Ferguson to Faf du Plessis

The Kiwi bowler had an impressive World Cup, and he bowled one of the most terrifying deliveries of the tournament to the South African captain. It was, again, a yorker which surprised du Plessis. The Proteas skipper looked to defend the ball, but was too late to react.

2: Mohammed Shami to Shai Hope

The Indian bowler had taken a hat-trick in the previous game, and replicated his fiery form against West Indies. The delivery to Shai Hope could easily have been the ball of the tournament, as this one moved back in after deceiving Hope into playing a straight drive. The batsman was simply stunned by the sudden movement of the ball.

1: Mitchell Starc to Ben Stokes

There couldn’t have been a more pleasing yorker. In the group stage game against England, the Aussie bowlers managed to reverse the ball in the second innings, and Starc produced a moment of brilliance against Stokes. A reverse-swinging yorker went through Stokes’ defence, who threw his bat with a mix of rage and shock.