“Is that Mike Gatting batting?”
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That was the question Brett Lee asked after what he described as a “Warne-like” delivery from Alana King as the Australian star produced her best delivery yet to dismiss Sophia Dunkley on Saturday, putting the hosts one step closer to a historic 16-0 whitewash against England.
It was King’s 20th wicket of the series and there wasn’t much Dunkley could have done about it as the ball pitched outside leg stump, spinning over her bat and into the top of off stump.
“Not many players in the world would be able to get bat on ball with that one,” Lee added.
King, who combined with Ash Gardner to wreak havoc against England on Saturday, was backing up another breathtaking display of leg-spinning brilliance on the opening day of the Ashes Test at the MCG.
King finished the day with 4-45 from 23 overs and said it was the first time she had ever bowled from the Shane Warne Stand end, describing the feeling as “pretty nostalgic”.
“He’s obviously taken plenty of polls (wickets) at the MCG for fun, so yeah, all I can say is hopefully he’s smiling down and having a couple of beers and enjoying a few ripping past the outside edge,” King added at the time.
Mooney’s history-making century! | 01:17
King’s incredible wicket on Saturday had some cricket fans reflecting on the ‘Gatting ball’, later called the ‘Ball of the Century’, which saw Warne bowl out Mike Gatting with his first ball in an Ashes series on British soil in 1993.
Warne told The Herald Sun in 2018 on the 25th anniversary of the delivery that it “changed my life”.
“I feel humbled and flattered because people do say it was the best ball ever bowled in Test cricket, the ball of the century,” Warne said at the time.
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