In cricket, what is a "Yorker" designed to do?
VerifiedAnswer: To target the base of the stumps, making it difficult for the batsman to score and increasing the chance of a wicket.
Explanation:
A yorker is one of cricket's most challenging deliveries to master and equally difficult to face as a batsman. This delivery gets its name from Yorkshire, England, where it was supposedly first perfected. The yorker is bowled with the intention of pitching the ball right at the batsman's feet, ideally at the base of the stumps or the batting crease.
The primary objective of a yorker is to make it extremely difficult for the batsman to get under the ball and play attacking shots. When executed perfectly, the ball reaches the batsman at such a low trajectory that there's minimal room to swing the bat freely. This forces the batsman into an uncomfortable position where they can only dig the ball out defensively, often resulting in dot balls or weak returns.
Yorkers are particularly effective because they target the most vulnerable area around the batsman's feet. If the batsman misjudges the length or fails to bring their bat down in time, the ball can easily crash into the stumps, resulting in a bowled dismissal. Additionally, yorkers can trap batsmen LBW (Leg Before Wicket) when the ball hits the pad in line with the stumps.
Fast bowlers often use yorkers as their go-to delivery during the death overs of limited-overs cricket, especially when batsmen are looking to score quick runs. The yorker's effectiveness lies in its ability to prevent big shots while maintaining the constant threat of taking a wicket. Even experienced batsmen find it challenging to score boundaries off well-directed yorkers, making it an invaluable weapon in a bowler's arsenal.
