The Underarm Ball That Rocked a Rivalry
Picture this: it's 1981, the final ball of a one-day international between Australia and New Zealand. The Kiwis need six runs to tie. To ensure they can't possibly hit a six, Australian captain Greg Chappell instructs his younger brother, Trevor, to bowl
the last ball underarm, rolling it along the ground. The batsman, Brian McKechnie, could only block it defensively before throwing his bat down in disgust. The act, while technically legal at the time, was seen as a colossal breach of sportsmanship. The Australian players were met with a chorus of boos, and the Prime Ministers of both nations weighed in, with New Zealand's leader calling it 'an act of cowardice'. The incident led to the laws of one-day cricket being changed to ban underarm bowling, forever marking one of the sport's most controversial moments.
Dennis Lillee and His Infamous Aluminum Bat
In December 1979, during a Test match against England, Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee walked out to bat with a ComBat—a bat made not of traditional willow, but of aluminum. It was a marketing ploy for a bat manufactured by a friend, intended as a cheap alternative for schools. After Lillee hit a ball that made a dull thud instead of a crisp crack, England's captain Mike Brearley complained to the umpires that the metal bat was damaging the leather ball. An animated, 10-minute argument ensued on the pitch. Eventually, Lillee's own captain, Greg Chappell, had to march onto the field and insist he use a wooden bat. In a fit of theatrics, Lillee hurled the aluminum bat away before begrudgingly continuing with a standard one. Soon after, the official laws of cricket were amended to state that the blade of a bat must be made solely of wood.
The First 'Timed Out' Dismissal in History
During the 2023 Cricket World Cup, Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews made history for a reason no player wants. He became the first-ever cricketer in international play to be dismissed 'timed out'. The rule states that an incoming batsman must be ready to face a ball within two minutes of the previous wicket falling. Mathews walked to the crease, but as he prepared to take his stance, the strap on his helmet broke. While he was waiting for a replacement, Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan appealed to the umpires. Despite Mathews' pleas, the umpires upheld the appeal, as the two-minute window had already passed before the helmet issue occurred. Mathews had to walk off without facing a single ball, a dismissal that sparked a huge debate about the 'spirit of the game'.
The Shortest Test Match Ever Played
While Test matches are designed to last five days, one infamous game was over in a fraction of that time. The shortest completed Test match in history by balls bowled was between South Africa and India in Cape Town in January 2024, lasting just 642 deliveries (107 overs). The match was done and dusted midway through the second day. In a whirlwind of action, 23 wickets fell on the first day alone. South Africa were bowled out for a paltry 55 in their first innings. India took a lead but then suffered their own dramatic collapse, losing their last six wickets for no runs. South Africa batted again, and despite a century from Aiden Markram, India chased down the small target for a seven-wicket win. This match broke a record that had stood for nearly 92 years, set in a 1932 match between Australia and South Africa that lasted 656 balls.
The Catch That Ended Up in a Pocket
Of all the ways to be dismissed, being caught by a fielder is the most common. But there was nothing common about the catch taken by England's Jonathan Trott during a county match. Fielding at short leg, a position perilously close to the batsman, the ball was hit hard in his direction. In a fluke moment, instead of catching it with his hands, Trott turned, and the ball lodged directly inside his trouser pocket. The players and umpires were momentarily stunned. After a brief consultation, they turned to the rulebook. Law 32 states a catch is fair if the ball 'accidentally lodges in his clothing'. Since Trott hadn't deliberately used his pocket to catch the ball, the batsman was given out. It remains one of the most bizarre and humorous dismissals the sport has ever seen, proving that in cricket, you truly can expect the unexpected.
