Thailand got a wicket with a loopy leg-side full-bunger

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In the third over of Thailand’s match against South Africa, something truly magical happened. Ratanaporn Padunglerd bowled a really, really shit delivery and got a wicket with it.

We love wickets off abject filth and this particular abject filth was pure.  

In theory, Padunglerd bowls medium-pace, but the speed gun had this down at a Chris Harris-esque 90km/h (56mph).

In terms of length, it would have landed on the wicketkeeper’s toes. In terms of line, the wicketkeeper would have had to shuffle leg-side for her toes to be in any danger.

Brain short-circuited by the sheer, cubic filthiness of what had been sent vaguely in her direction, Dane van Niekerk high-left-elbowed the ball in a gentle parabola straight to midwicket.

As the ball slowly looped through the air, she had plenty of time to do some excellent body language.

With just a single flap of the arm, van Niekerk said: “Oh come off it. You can’t be given out to a delivery that shit. Can you? You can? Really? In that case how and why did I hit it there?”

It was really very expressive.

She should probably take up mime. Mime is money.

That was about as good as it got for Thailand: South Africa made 195-3 and then they lost three wickets in the fourth over of their reply en route to 82 all out.

Having already lost to the West Indies and England, the wait for Thailand’s first T20 World Cup win goes on.

6 comments

  1. That’s how I used to get wickets! Leggies that often turned a lot, but would be three foot outside leg stump, or beamers, or double bouncers (sadly not extra-impressive bouncers). My genuinely good deliveries would all be play and miss, whilst slogs to cow corner that deserved to be hit for six would end up caught.

  2. I am delighted to report that I actually saw the wicket in question as it happened. For reasons I cannot explain with any logic, seeing Captain ‘Kirk get her comeuppance pleases me in particular. There’s something smug and self-satisfied about the way she comes across to me, which might just be an unfair impression.

    What was I doing watching TV at 4:10 in the morning, I hear you cry?

    Well, much like The Leaping Nuns of Norwich, last week I got into the habit of rising at 4.00 every morning, then going back to bed again at 5.00 once I realised I’d got up too early, then up again at 6.00 for the early morning leap.

    https://youtu.be/-TLLEAyyXxs

    Leaping here, leaping there, leaping, leaping everywhere.

    The Leaping Nuns of Norwich would no doubt put in a solid fielding performance at the Women’s World Cup.

  3. Dane van Niekerk was in another comedy situation this morning, towards the end of the match against Pakistan. Up went a skier, towards which she started running out towards the boundary while Shabnim Ismail ran in from the boundary.

    Both probably could have made an attempt at the catch; both pulled out – Ismail some moments ahead of van Niekerk.

    A rather heated debate ensued, which we viewers could not hear, which mostly seemed to be van Niekerk skipsplaining herself.

    I did wonder whether van Niekerk said, “call ‘ME’, Ismail”?

    I wondered whether

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