The phenomenon of batsmen being blown away by great yorker deliveries is not new. In the past, there have even been instances of pacers breaking stumps or bats due to their speed. This time, an incredible yorker was seen splitting the stumps in two in the middle of the Vitality Blast franchise tournament in England. The ball was delivered by Somerset’s Australian pacer Riley Meredith.
Essex were batting in the Vitality Blast, chasing a target of 226 runs set by Somerset. Meredith bowled the fourth delivery in the third over of the innings, a full-toss yorker. Essex’s Michael Pepper, who came forward in an aggressive mood, was bowled. At that moment, a rare sight in cricket was seen – the stumps were split in half, one half lying on the ground, the other half lying on the grass.
That out ended Pepper’s innings of 13 runs off 10 balls. Then disaster began for Essex’s batting lineup. Earlier, the team, which had scored 28 runs for no wickets in 2.3 overs, lost 5 wickets before reaching 50 runs. In the end, Essex’s innings was wrapped up in 14.1 overs. In total, they lost by a big margin of 95 runs for 130 runs. Noah Thain scored the highest 38 and Paul Alter 20 runs for Essex.
Meredith, who split the stumps that the opposing team had just rolled up, could not complete his four-over bowling quota. He took 2 wickets for 22 runs in 2 overs. Meredith has previously played for two franchises in the IPL. Where he took 19 wickets in 18 matches. Meanwhile, in the Vitality Blast match, Somerset’s other New Zealand pacer Matt Henry took 4 wickets for just 21 runs in 4 overs.
Earlier, batting first, Somerset scored 225 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in the allotted 20 overs. Tom-Kohler Cadmore played a stormy innings of 90 runs off 39 balls for the team. Apart from this, Will Smith played cameo innings of 30 and Sean Dixon played 28 runs to give Somerset a big boost. Pakistani pacer Mohammad Amir took the highest 3 wickets for Essex.
FAQ
Who is Meredith?
Riley Meredith is an Australian fast bowler known for his pace and accuracy, often playing in T20 leagues like the Vitality Blast.
What exactly happened in the match?
Meredith bowled a perfect yorker that cleanly split the stumps, a rare sight in modern cricket, during a high-pressure moment in the Vitality Blast match.
What is a yorker in cricket?
A yorker is a delivery that lands at the batsman’s feet or just beneath the bat, making it very hard to hit. It’s especially effective in T20 cricket.
Why is splitting the stumps considered rare?
Splitting the stumps means the ball hit with such precision and force that the middle stump broke apart. It’s a rare and exciting occurrence in professional cricket.
Which teams were playing in this Vitality Blast match?
The exact teams haven’t been mentioned here, but the match was part of England’s domestic T20 league, the Vitality Blast.
