The remarkable rise of the T20 format has caused a frenzy since the first international game between Australia and New Zealand in 2005. It was truly inconceivable five years ago that an off-spinner who could more accurately be described as a slow bowler would be opening the bowling in a limited overs match. But T20 is here and as the recent expansion of the IPL to 10 franchises indicates, it's here to stay. Personally, the most intriguing consequence of T20 cricket has been the invention of a new shot, or the way I like to think about it, the conquering of a new scoring zone.
As far as I know, the shot was first attempted (and successfully so) by Sri Lankan limited-overs opener Tillakaratne Dilshan in the IPL of 2009, and the moment that ball went up and over the keeper's head for four runs, the final piece of the scoring jigsaw was complete.
If you think about a scoring map, it is easy to imagine the shot that yielded the runs. For example, anything to point was probably a square drive or cut, anything to square leg probably a pull, and anything down the ground almost certainly a straight drive. But there was an area that you could only really guess how the runs were scored. The batsman's no man's land- directly behind the keeper. Prior to 'The Dilshan Scoop', if a batsman scored runs in this area one could only assume it was an edge of some sort; that is, the 'shot' and consequential runs were unintentional.
Dilshan has now made that zone his own; or at least only has to share it with a select few players in the world (Brendan McCullum and Kieron Pollard come to mind).
Just yesterday I was discussing the evolution of shots with a friend. He believes this is just the beginning of the development of new, exciting shots, the invention of which will be not only facilitated but also demanded by the newest, shortest format.
I must say, he definitely has an argument. In the five short years of T20 cricket not only has Dilshan has blown our mind with his artisan-like innovation, but we have seen reverse sweeps being played far more regularly, even appearing the odd time in test matches.
Now, we come to the point of my article. I could be swallowing my words in a matter of weeks with the T20 world cup in the Caribbean beginning shortly, but I do not believe we will see such radical innovation as Dilshan's any time soon as far as playing shots goes.
Why? For one reason- there is no need.
Dilshan's ludicrous disregard for his teeth was born out of an inability to play a certain delivery, and to score in a certain area. In the past five years bowler's have had to master the yorker. It is- or should I say- was, the only ball that, if executed perfectly (and not accounting for a lucky edge) was certain not to be blasted to the boundary in the dying stages of a limited overs' innings. Now, not even the sacred yorker is safe. Players like Dilshan, McCullum and Pollard are now able to intentionally hit a boundary off what use to be considered the 'perfectly pitched' ball. They can simply take a step or two down the track so to get leverage underneath the ball and use their willow as a ramp to the boundary.
The moment Dilshan executed his shot, the bowler's final sanctuary was lost, and what was the batsman's no man's land was conquered. So then, the question I would ask to anyone who, like my friend, believes new shots will continue to be invented is this:
Why would a batsman invent a shot when he, assuming he is reasonably accomplished, can already hit any ball to the boundary?
To summarize, Dilshan's invention was born out of need, out of a desperate urgency to over-come bowlers like Gul and Malinga who their captain's could rely on to restrict the last over of an innings to a miserly 6 runs. With the vanquishing of that need, I do not believe the evolution of shots will continue, however unfortunate that may be for fans.
The rise and rise of Twenty20 cricket is rapidly revolutionising the traditional game of cricket making it more exciting for the ‘ADD Generation’ while long dismissed cricket purists would be turning in their graves. As we become more accustomed to the colossal scores, unbelievable shots, and fast pace of the newest and shortest form of the game fans will rapidly demand more. The players, or as I see them celebrities, seem more than happy to oblige. The old adage to “protect your wicket at all costs” is rapidly becoming less meaningful, with ten wickets and twenty overs batsmen are forced to dance the thin line that separates recklessness and aggression.
ReplyDeleteYes Jim, I agree that the ‘Dilshan Scoop’ is the only new shot which has conquered a new scoring zone but it is only one of a number of innovative shots on show by the world’s best batsmen. Kevin Pieterson’s ‘flamingo shot’ which involves walking across the stumps and down the pitch and then, at the last moment, flicking the ball towards mid-wicket with a straight bat has come about from searching for a way to counter an off-stump line with a packed offside field. Or Eion Morgan’s ‘reverse drive’ in which he switches to a right-handed grip and waiting till the ball has passed him then plays a reverse-drive to fine leg.
This brings me to the basis of my argument that the driving force behind the innovation of shots is the fact that a batsman can never have too many shots in his armoury. Cricket traditionalists coach batting theory to youngsters which aims to align one correct shot to each delivery but the speed in scoring required in T20 cricket has meant that good attacking batsman must have more than one shot to play to every type of ball, and the decision as to which to use depends on the weaknesses in the field. Let’s look at a short-pitched delivery which depending on the line a batsman will traditionally pull/hook or cut. T20 cricket will usually see sweepers both on the off and leg sides and so a batsman will be tempted to take advantage of the unguarded boundary in front of the sight-screen and use a cross-batted smash straight down the ground. Traditionally the straight boundary was only found through straight-batted drives and so now a batsman can play straight to not only full pitched deliveries but short ones as well.
Yes the ‘Dilscoop,’ ‘McScoop’ or shovel shot, depending on where you live, is the most unbelievable, undefendable, revolutionary and arguably successful of the new shots but it is one shot of many which I believe will be invented. From what I have heard World Series cricket produced comparable excitement to those seen today 40 years ago and changed the face of cricket forever. Whether T20 cricket will be more or less impactful remains to be seen but I am sure the likes of Warner and Pollard, who a forging incredible reputations, as well as pay checks, without the rigors of Test Match cricket, will continue to invent and practice shots to smash any one delivery to every part of the ground. Discussion regarding ‘switch hitting’ and the back of the bat continues amongst cricket critics, or tragics, but I believe it is a question of when and not if a new shot will be invented.