Yorker

In cricket, a yorker is a delivery where the cricket ball bounces on the cricket pitch on or near the batsman's popping crease. Since a batsman in a normal stance has his feet on the popping crease, this means the ball is bouncing very near his feet, which makes the ball difficult to hit with the bat.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bowling yorkers is a tactic used most often by fast bowlers. A fast yorker is one of the most difficult types of delivery in cricket to play successfully, as the bat must be swung down right to the pitch to intercept the ball—if any gap remains between the bat and the pitch, the ball can squeeze through and potentially go on to hit the wicket, getting the batsman out. A bowler who achieves swing when bowling yorkers can be even more dangerous, as the ball will deviate sideways as it travels towards the batsman, making it even harder to hit.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Yorkers can also be aimed directly at the batsman's feet, making the batsman have to shift his feet while attempting to play the ball, or risk being hit. Inswinging yorkers have a reputation for being particularly nasty to defend and probably unlikely to score runs off. Such a delivery is colloquially known as a sandshoe crusher or a toe crusher.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Despite the effectiveness of yorkers, bowlers will usually only attempt to bowl a handful of yorkers during a sequence of several overs. The main strength of the yorker is as a surprise weapon, when the batsman has become accustomed to hitting shorter-pitched balls and not using the bat with the speed necessary to defend against a yorker. Yorkers are also notoriously difficult to bowl correctly, as a slight variation in length can mean the yorker will pitch just short of the batsman—making the ball into a half volley that is easy to hit—or will reach the batsman without bouncing—which makes the ball a full toss, that is also easy to hit. The margin for error is slim, which is why bowlers do not bowl yorkers more frequently.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The yorker is regarded as particularly effective against weak "tail-end" batters, who often lack the skill to defend even a non-swinging yorker and who are sometimes less susceptible to other bowling tactics. It is also particularly effective in the latter stages of an innings in one-day cricket, because it is the most difficult of all deliveries to score off even if defended successfully.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The term is thought to derive from the 18th and 19th century slang term "to pull yorkshire" on a person meaning to trick or deceive them and this is the intention of a yorker ball.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Cricket ball: A cricket ball is a hard, solid ball used to play cricket....

Cricket pitch: A cricket pitch is the central strip of the playing area between the wickets. The pitch is 22 yards (20.12 m) long and 10 feet (3.05 m) wide. The surface is very flat and normally covered with extremely short grass though this grass is soon removed by wear at the ends of the pitch....

Batsman: A batsman in the sport of cricket is a player whose speciality in the game is batting....

Yorker related Images and Photos (experimental)

New Yorker	New Yorker and Cabs	Hotel New Yorker New York City	New Yorker Dogs 2011 Wall Calendar
The New Yorker Moms 2011 Wall Calendar	The New Yorker Cats 2011 Wall Calendar	The New Yorker Dads 2011 Wall Calendar	1955 Chrysler New Yorker Dlx Hardtop Coupe
New Yorker Dogs 2011 Softcover Engagement Calendar	New Yorker Cats 2011 Softcover Engagement Calendar	New Yorker Cartoons 2011 Bubbles Ecalendar	The New Yorker Cartoons Weekly 2012 Wall Calendar