Cricket stumps will not be the identical unadulterated wood beasts they as soon as have been, however they’re nonetheless awfully laborious to be splintered on a whim. Properly, apparently not for Lizaad Williams, who completely bisected the center stump in Abu Dhabi on Friday in a three-wicket over, enroute to an exhilarating four-fer.
Ireland lastly managed to get issues proper with the bat within the third and ultimate ODI in opposition to South Africa on the Zayed Cricket Stadium as openers Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie put up a century stand earlier than Harry Tector smashed a speedy half-century in the direction of the loss of life. The Proteas spearhead Lungi Ngidi suffered specifically, conceding 70 runs in his 9 overs with none success, however the facet managed to script a mini-comeback late within the recreation to limit the Irish to below 300, with Lizaad Williams the headline act as three of his 4 wickets got here within the ultimate over of his quota.
The in-form right-arm fast was handed the Kookaburra for the penultimate over with Mark Adair on strike. The Irishman tried to innovate with a scoop behind the wicket as he moved throughout the stumps however was undone by Lizaad’s unnerving accuracy because the white rock pitched on a full size and smashed into the middle-stump, fracturing it into two separate items. Nonetheless, the pacer remained stoic regardless of the spectacular scenes, and adopted up the trouble with a yorker down leg to dispatch debutant Fionn Hand for a golden duck. Regardless that the hattrick by no means got here, Lizaad ensured he added a third wicket within the over with one other scintillating yorker on the final ball that sneaked below Graham Hume’s bat and despatched the bails flying.
Twitter was ecstatic on the exhibition of quick bowling on show in sweltering circumstances as they showered reward on the promise proven by Lizaad Williams.
What a ball!
BBB
CCC
EEEE
FFF
HHH
IIII