Cricket Pictures: Top moments in cricket history

It’s often said that a picture says a thousand words. In the
case of these iconic cricket pictures, it’s more like a million. 

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, a legend of the game
(or sometimes a rank outsider) pulls something off you could never have
predicted. England’s recent Word Cup win has proven the point quite nicely – a
tournament that concluded with perhaps the most exciting and unusual final in
the history of the sport.

The 2019 World Cup reignited the UK’s interest in cricket
like no major tournament of the past decade. Nevertheless, England’s
spectacular last-second victory will go down in history as just one of several
incredible and unforgettable moments that defined the modern game.

According to Sport Photo Gallery, who sells not only cricket
pictures but other sports photos all around the world, crickets pictures are
becoming more popular by the day. So let’s take a look at another handful of
top moments in cricket history – some of which have been immortalized in the
most incredible cricket pictures:

Warne’s Ball of the Century

It was and is considered perhaps the most impressive and
important delivery of all time. A single throw that completely transformed the
way the world looked at both Warne himself and the art of bowling. The Daily
Telegraph’s Tom Stangster explaining what happened as follows:

“After hitting an early
boundary, Gatting took guard for his first ball from the young
spinner. Warne began his run-up—just a few casual steps—before
releasing the ball with an almighty flick of the wrist.

“The ball continued straight
for three quarters of its flight, until the viciously spinning ball swerved
wildly to the leg side. The ball pitched well outside the leg stump, gripping
viciously, turning past Gatting’s outside edge to just clip off
stump.” 

The Rise of the Pink-Haired Irishman

Chalking up the fastest century in the history of World Cup
cricket, club cricketer Kevin O’Brien came out of nowhere to take England
completely off guard. The Irishman had previously been considered more of a
novelty than a threat – not least due to his pink hair, which he had dyed in
support of a charity.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad threw everything but the
kitchen sink at O’Brien, who remarkably went on to strike six sixes and 13
fours. He managed to score a century in just 50 balls, bettering the prior
record set by Matthew Hayden by an astonishing 16 balls.

Twenty-Two Runs off One Ball

This farcical end to a World Cup semi-final still smarts for
thousands of South African cricket fans. It was a pretty controversial
incident, wherein South Africa’s target was adjusted from 22 runs off 13 balls
to an impossible 22 off one, following a 12-minute delay due to rain.

The often-disputed ‘lowest-scoring-over rain rules’
destroyed what had otherwise been a great game and a potentially nail-biting
conclusion, sending England through to another World Cup final they were destined to lose.

Kapil’s Catch

Racking up an extraordinary 303 runs, seven catches and 12
wickets over eight matches at the 1983 World Cup, Kapil Dev is single-handedly
credited with sparking a love affair with one-day cricket for millions of
Indians. However, it was one of the most iconic catches in the history of the
professional game that will be most fondly remembered from that fateful 1983
final.

“As Kapil Dev swirled and hovered, the whole of India
held its breath,” commentator Henry Blofeld explained. “It was a
fairly straightforward catch, but I can’t believe there was ever a more
pressured one in World Cup history.”

Leverock’s Lunge

Last but not least, one of the
greatest catches of all time came from one of the most unexpected players in
the game. Bermudian jail officer Dwayne Leverock – weighing in at approximately
20 stone at the time – suddenly took flight to pull off an exceptional
one-handed catch, dismissing India’s Robin Uthappa and completely turning the
tide of the game.

It seems Leverock was as surprised and elated as the rest of
the crowd, celebrating wildly before bursting into tears and being tackled
euphorically by his entire team. He’d then go on to be named Sports Personality
of the Year and Athlete of the Year in his native Bermuda, while instantly
adding his name to the professional cricket history books.

“People still talk about it and reminisce about the
catch. I have a picture of the moment in my living room so I just glance at it
and think of the memories. It feels really good,” in the words of the great man
himself.