5 moments of brilliance from Shane Warne

Classic spells from the Sheikh of Tweak, Shane Warne

1. 4/36 vs West Indies, Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, 1996 World Cup.

Overs: 9, Maidens: 0, Runs: 36, Wickets: 4, Economy Rate: 4.00.

Australia didn’t have much of a total to defend. Mark Taylor’s side made 207/9 in 50 overs with Stuart Law (72 off 105 balls) and Michael Bevan (69 off 110 balls), top-scoring. Ian Healy (31 off 28 balls) provided a handy cameo that helped propel Australia over the 200-mark. The pitch was a challenging one for batting.

At the half-way stage, most people would have backed the West Indies to win the match and reach the final. At 2/165 after 41.1 overs, the West Indies looked solid, and they had two well-set batsmen at the crease. Shivnarine Chanderpaul (80 off 126 balls) and captain Richie Richardson (49* off 83) put on a partnership of 72 for the 3rd wicket. Once Glenn McGrath removed Chanderpaul, the West Indies collapsed like a pack of cards.

The West Indies lost the game by 5 runs as Australia went onto the World-Cup Final. The West Indies lost their last 8 wickets for 37 runs in the space of 49 balls. Shane Warne, who picked up Courtney Browne (10 off 18 balls) with the first ball he bowled, came back for his last spell. In that spell, he dismissed Otis Gibson, Jimmy Adams, and Ian Bishop with some clever bowling. Flippers, changes in pace and tight lines did the trick as Warne helped Australia win a World Cup classic. Warne’s last spell, included 3 overs, 6 runs, and 3 wickets. Warne performed on the big stage and this would not be the last time he performed on the big stage.

2. 4/29 vs RSA, Edgbaston, Birmingham, 1999 World Cup.

Overs: 10, Maidens: 4, Runs: 29, Wickets: 4, Economy Rate: 2.90.

Australia reached the 1999 World Cup semi-final after beating South Africa in the last Super Six match. They had a poor start to the tournament, and they had to win every game to reach the final.

The 1999 World Cup semi-final was and will remain as one of the greatest ODIs and to be fair, cricket matches of all-time. Edgbaston was the venue for the semi-final between the two Southern Hemisphere teams. South Africa dismissed Australia for 213 in 49.2 overs. Michael Bevan (66 off 101 balls) and captain, Steve Waugh (56 off 76 balls) helped Australia post a modest total on a tricky pitch. Australia needed a big performance from one of their star bowlers to defend the total and reach the final. A tie or a victory for Australia meant they would have reached the final. South Africa needed a win to reach the final.

At 0/48 after 12.1 overs, South Africa was in control of the match. Australian captain, Steve Waugh brought Shane Warne into the attack, and the situation changed. Warne bowled one of his best spells. Warne removed Herschelle Gibbs (30 off 36 balls) with a beautiful leg-break pitched outside leg-stump that turned and clipped off-stump. He then bowled Gary Kirsten (18 off 42 balls). Warne tossed the ball up in the air and the ball turned back into the stumps. Kirsten played a loose shot at the wrong stage of the game.

Warne removed the late South African captain, Hansie Cronje (0 off 2 balls) for his third duck in World Cup encounters against Australia. Cronje nicked the ball to Mark Waugh at first slip. Later Warne came back and got the big wicket of Jacques Kallis (53 off 92 balls). Warne tossed it up and extracted just enough turn to create an error. Kallis lobbed the ball to Australia captain, Steve Waugh who was waiting at the cover for the catch. Warne bowled an amazing 4 maidens in a World Cup semi-final. Also, he went under 3 an over, which is brilliant in ODIs for any era.

When he removed Gibbs, he kept pumping his teammates up, which lifted the team’s spirits after South Africa’s positive start. Again, Warne performed when his team needed it the most. 

3. 8/71 vs England, GABBA, Brisbane, 1994:

1^st innings bowling figures: Overs: 21.2 Maidens: 7, Runs: 39, Wickets: 3, economy rate: 1.83 & 2^nd innings bowling figures: Overs; 50.2 overs, Maidens: 22, Runs: 81, Wickets: 8, Economy Rate: 1.41.

First Ashes series at home for Shane Warne and he had an instant impact as he ripped through the English batting line-up. This was the 2nd of Warne’s 10 10-wicket match hauls in his Test career. His performance in the second innings remained his best performance throughout his Test career. England required a then-world record of 428 to win and fell 183 runs short of the total. Shane Warne weaved his magic and destroyed England.

His first wicket was England wicketkeeper, Alec Stewart (33 off 40 balls), who he bowled with a beautiful flipper. Then the ‘Sheikh of Tweak’ dismissed Mike Atherton (23 off 40 balls), plumb in front. Warne ended a 160-run partnership between Graeme Hick and Graham Thorpe, dismissing the latter, with a looping delivery that delivery slipped though Thorpe’s (67 off 229 balls) bat and pad, and bowled him.

One run later, Hick (80 off 227 balls) misjudged a ball pitched outside leg-stump that bounced and it caught his glove. Ian Healy took the catch. Graham Gooch (56 off 137 balls) was Warne’s 5th wicket. Warne deceived Gooch with a delivery that had revs on it. Gooch under-edged it to Healy. Warne bowled Phil DeFreitas around his legs, and then Warne trapped Martin McCague, plumb in front, with a googly. Darren Gough was Warne’s 8th wicket. Gough nicked the ball to Mark Waugh standing at first slip.

England lost their last 7 wickets for 104 runs. Warne was like a magician that day. It wouldn’t be the last time Warne tormented the English in his Test career. Warne only lost one out of eight Test series against England throughout his career.

5 moments of brilliance from Shane Warne

1^st innings bowling figures: Overs: 24.3, Maidens: 7, Runs: 94, Wickets: 7, Economy Rate: 3.84 & 2^nd innings bowling figures: Overs: 30.3, Maidens: 3, Runs: 94, Wickets: 4, Economy Rate: 3.08.

Warne kept bowling over after over in the heat and humidity of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Pakistani batsmen went after Warne a bit and it seemed to get under Warne’s skin. The delivery after Pakistani captain, Waqar Younis, smacked Warne for six on the leg-side, Warne regathered the ball and pegged the ball in frustration at the stumps. However, despite getting hit all over the park, Warne kept going and, in the process, picked up his 22nd Test match 5 wicket-haul.

Warne relied on the Pakistani batsmen’s mistakes and the Pakistani’s obliged. Warne got revs on the ball and enough turn to pick up 7 Pakistani wickets in the first innings. He dismissed Abdul Razzaq, Faisal Iqbal, Misbah-Ul-Haq, Rashid Latif, Saqlain Mushtaq, Waqar Younis, and Shoaib Akhtar. Pakistan went from 4/116 after 31.5 overs to 279 all out in 65.3 overs. Warne got all the last 6 Pakistani wickets.

5 moments of brilliance from Shane Warne

Australia went onto win the match by 41 runs. Warne ended up with match figures of 11/188 off 54.3 overs with 10 maidens to his name. He won the man of the match for his brilliance with the ball.

The next two Test matches took place in the U.A.E. and Australia won both Test matches to secure a 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan in the subcontinent.

5. 6/64 vs England, MCG, Melbourne, 1994.

5 moments of brilliance from Shane Warne

1^st innings bowling figures: Overs: 27.4, Maidens: 8, Runs: 64, Wickets: 6, Economy Rate: 2.31 & 2^nd innings bowling figures: Overs: 13.0, Maidens: 6, Runs: 16, Wickets: 3, Economy Rate: 1.23.

This was his first Ashes Test match at his home ground, the MCG, and Warne performed really well. Warne picked up 6 wickets in the first innings as he ripped through the English batting line-up. Graeme Hick (23 off 33 balls) was the first of Warne’s 6 victims. Warne caught Hick off his own bowling. Warne then had Mike Atherton (44 off 157 balls) out lbw. Graham Thorpe (51 off 116 balls) was the next to go, caught by Mark Waugh.

Warne then dismissed Mike Gatting (9 off 24 balls), who hit the ball to Steve Waugh. Mark Waugh caught Steve Rhodes (0 off 11 balls) and Ian Healy stumped Phil DeFreitas (14 off 19 balls) to give Warne his 2nd 5-wicket haul of the series.5 moments of brilliance from Shane Warne

In the 2nd innings, he picked up a hat-trick. The first victim was Devon Malcolm. Warne bowled a top-spinner that hit Malcolm’s glove and the ball deflected to David Boon, who took a one-handed catch to his right. He then had Phil DeFreitas plumb in front. David Boon took a catch at short-leg to dismiss Darren Gough to give Warne his hat-trick.

Absolute brilliance from Warne and Australia won the match by 295 runs as Australia bowled England out for 92 in 42.5 overs chasing 388 to win. After this match, Warne’s stats against England read 8 Tests, 54 wickets at an astounding average of 19.76. Warne had the lid over the English throughout his career. His overall stats against England read, 36 Tests, 195 wickets at an average of 23.26 and a strike rate of 55.16, with 11 5-wicket hauls and 4 10-wicket match hauls.

5 moments of brilliance from Shane Warne

Author-Neel