Warne's wonderful wickets
Shane Warne announced his arrival on the international scene with the ‘Ball of the Century’ that dislodged Mike Gatting’s off stump at Old Trafford in 1993.
He has gone on to claim 699 Test victims to become considered arguably the greatest bowler of all time and was named one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the century in 2000.
Here are some of the leg-spinner’s greatest deliveries:
Richie Richardson, 1993, Melbourne
Warne gave perhaps the first significant hint of his world-class potential with a flipper that deceived Richardson and shot underneath his back-foot defensive stroke. The West Indian had a half-century to his name but had no answer to Warne, who went on to take 7-52 in a 139-run win.
Mike Gatting, 1993, Old Trafford
The most famous delivery in cricket history. Gatting was bamboozled by Warne's first Ashes ball which drifted wide of leg stump. Instead, it turned beyond Gatting's forward push to disturb his off stump.
Basit Ali, 1996, Sydney
The Pakistan middle-order batsman was the fall guy this time as Warne demonstrated not just his skill with ball in hand but his ability to unsettle an opponent's mental state. Ali was undone by the final ball of day three - a plain leg-break which bowled him through his legs - after it had been delayed by several seconds while Warne and wicket-keeper Ian Healy held an ostentatious mid-pitch conference on how best to undermine their prey.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 1996, Sydney
Another huge leg-break, this time dropped short of a length and drawing the left-hander into an attempted cut. With Chanderpaul rocking back looking for another boundary to add to his 71 runs, the ball went at right angles to beat bat and body as it homed in on leg stump. Warne therefore ended Chanderpaul's century stand with Carl Hooper to put Australia on course for a last-day victory.
Andrew Strauss, 2005, Edgbaston
Strauss had long been on the receiving end of Warne's mind games and was bowled in the first innings of the second Test when he shaped to cut a leg-break which was too close and full for the shot. Second time round, though, another leg-break - delivered from round the wicket - turned from well outside off stump to bowl Strauss behind his legs.
