Lyon’s top delivery ‘wasted’ on Martin
Australian spinner Nathan Lyon says his best delivery in test cricket was wasted on the New Zealand batsman who had a cult following for all the wrong reasons.
Lyon, who has bowled over 19,000 balls in test cricket and taken in excess of 300 wickets, rates the delivery that knocked over serial struggler with the bat, Chris Martin, at the Gabba in Brisbane back in 2011 as the best of his career.
Martin, a high-quality test bowler who took 231 test wickets, built a cult following for his lack of ability with the bat.
Lyon bowled Martin – a classical No. 11 – in the final act of the Black Caps’ first innings with a ball that pitched outside off stump but spun back sharply to go between bat and pad and hit middle stump.
Lyon said it was embarrassing that his best delivery only took the wicket of Martin.
‘‘I’ve wasted it on Chris Martin, no offence Chris,’’ Lyon told cricket.com.au.
‘‘A genuine good ball to a righthander it bowled him through the gate,’’ Lyon said.
Lyon wished the well-flighted delivery had been bowled to a batsman of the calibre of AB de Villiers or Kevin Pietersen.
Most of the 123 runs Martin scored in test cricket were meet with an ironic applause – especially in home tests in New Zealand.
Lyon also dismissed Martin in New Zealand’s first innings of the Gabba test match for 1.
Australia went onto beat the Black Caps by 9 wickets.
Martin was dismissed for 36 ducks – the second most in test history. He also holds the record for the most pairs.
Daniel Vettori has been dumped as coach of the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.
The former Black Caps captain has been replaced by South African Gary Kirsten. Vettori, 39, had an eight-year association with the franchise – the last five as coach after being their captain.