ISLAMABAD: Alana King delivered a stunning recreation of Shane Warne’s iconic ‘ball of the century’ to dismiss Sophia Dunkley during the Women’s Ashes Test at the MCG, bowling from the very end named in honour of the Australian legend.
In a remarkable display of skill, King dismantled the English batting lineup in their second innings, claiming three wickets in just four overs during the pivotal middle session of day three of the day-night Test.
She trapped Nat Sciver-Brunt lbw for 18 with a delivery that veered into the leg side, sneaking past the inside edge and striking the front pad.
Despite the England vice-captain opting for a review, the decision stood firm, with the ball crashing into the top of the leg stump, confirmed by all three red lights.
In her subsequent over, 29-year-old, King conjured up a moment of brilliance to send Dunkley back to the pavilion after just three balls faced.
With a mesmerizing drift into the leg side, the ball pitched on the leg stump gripped the surface, and spun past Dunkley’s bat, clipping the top of off stump.
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This delivery drew striking parallels to Warne’s legendary ball that dismissed Mike Gatting in the first Test of the 1993 Ashes. Coincidentally, King was bowling from the very end of the ground named after Warne, following his passing in 2022.
Earlier in the day, King acknowledged the significance of her performance in front of the stand dedicated to a player she has long admired.
She described the experience as “pretty nostalgic,” expressing her hope that “he’s smiling down, enjoying a couple of beers and watching a few rip past the outside edge.”
Throughout his illustrious career, Warne took 56 Test wickets at the MCG, second only to Dennis Lillee, who claimed 82.
