Not rabbits, but bunnies
Graeme Smith could barely score a run against Zaheer Khan in the recent Test series, while Doug Bollinger made Chris Gayle a regular victim in Australia. We look at other instances where batsmen have been turned into bunnies by marauding bowlers.
Liam Brickhill and Sahil Dutta
25-Feb-2010
Not again: Ricky Ponting falls to Harbhajan Singh for the umpteenth time • AFP
Shane Warne v Daryll Cullinan - Four dismissals in seven Tests
It's a quirk of cricketing folklore that stories of Warne terrorising Cullinan outnumber the actual dismissals. Four times Warne defeated Cullinan, but such was his complete stranglehold that the South African averaged a paltry 2.75 against Warne. Cullinan had no answer, seeking out psychological help to counter the demons Warne planted, before later accepting "he was too good for me". There was, however, one occasion when Cullinan found the perfect response. While Cullinan was taking guard Warne spat: "I've been waiting two years for another chance to humiliate you." Cullinan's retort is now legendary: "Looks like you spent it eating".
It's a quirk of cricketing folklore that stories of Warne terrorising Cullinan outnumber the actual dismissals. Four times Warne defeated Cullinan, but such was his complete stranglehold that the South African averaged a paltry 2.75 against Warne. Cullinan had no answer, seeking out psychological help to counter the demons Warne planted, before later accepting "he was too good for me". There was, however, one occasion when Cullinan found the perfect response. While Cullinan was taking guard Warne spat: "I've been waiting two years for another chance to humiliate you." Cullinan's retort is now legendary: "Looks like you spent it eating".
Glenn McGrath v Mike Atherton - 19 dismissals in 17 Tests
Atherton's trials against Australia through the 1990s mirrored England's: one-sided and predictable. Like clockwork, McGrath would ease in, extract some extra bounce outside off stump, and find the obliging edge of Atherton's bat. While Atherton overcame the other great quicks of his generation - Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Curtly Ambrose, Wasim Akram - McGrath was a challenge too far. In the 13 Ashes Tests before his tormentor arrived in the fray, Atherton had made 905 runs at 36.20, including 105 at Sydney in 1991. Yet in the 17 games where McGrath featured afterwards, Atherton's average crumbled to 20.51, and he never made another Ashes century.
Atherton's trials against Australia through the 1990s mirrored England's: one-sided and predictable. Like clockwork, McGrath would ease in, extract some extra bounce outside off stump, and find the obliging edge of Atherton's bat. While Atherton overcame the other great quicks of his generation - Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Curtly Ambrose, Wasim Akram - McGrath was a challenge too far. In the 13 Ashes Tests before his tormentor arrived in the fray, Atherton had made 905 runs at 36.20, including 105 at Sydney in 1991. Yet in the 17 games where McGrath featured afterwards, Atherton's average crumbled to 20.51, and he never made another Ashes century.
Andrew Caddick v Steve Waugh - 10 dismissals in 17 Tests
Waugh was a wall England's Ashes hopes routinely crashed into through the nineties and early noughties. From 1993, he made 1127 runs at a formidable average of 62.61 in Ashes Tests. Yet throughout that period he was curiously scuppered by the awkward bounce of Caddick. It would never be remembered in the mould of, say, McGrath and Atherton, but 10 times in 17 matches Waugh was defeated. The intriguing thing is that in the 10 dismissals, Waugh's highest score was 22. Which just goes to show how many he must have made the rest of the time.
Waugh was a wall England's Ashes hopes routinely crashed into through the nineties and early noughties. From 1993, he made 1127 runs at a formidable average of 62.61 in Ashes Tests. Yet throughout that period he was curiously scuppered by the awkward bounce of Caddick. It would never be remembered in the mould of, say, McGrath and Atherton, but 10 times in 17 matches Waugh was defeated. The intriguing thing is that in the 10 dismissals, Waugh's highest score was 22. Which just goes to show how many he must have made the rest of the time.
Malcolm Marshall v Graham Gooch - 16 dismissals in 21 Tests
In his pomp, Gooch was one of the best players of pace bowling in the world and at the time Marshall was one of the greatest fast bowlers to have graced the game. It's no surprise then that their 11-year duel produced some memorable moments. While most of his contemporaries would crumble at the sight of the hallowed West Indies pace attack, Gooch stood tall. His defining, unbeaten 154 at Headingley to win the game was not the only time he emerged the winner, but over the 21 Tests in which he and Marshall faced each other, Marshall claimed his wicket 16 times.
In his pomp, Gooch was one of the best players of pace bowling in the world and at the time Marshall was one of the greatest fast bowlers to have graced the game. It's no surprise then that their 11-year duel produced some memorable moments. While most of his contemporaries would crumble at the sight of the hallowed West Indies pace attack, Gooch stood tall. His defining, unbeaten 154 at Headingley to win the game was not the only time he emerged the winner, but over the 21 Tests in which he and Marshall faced each other, Marshall claimed his wicket 16 times.
Glenn McGrath v Brian Lara - 15 dismissals in 24 Tests
McGrath made no secret of his regular plan to target the opposition's best batsman. On West Indies' 1996-97 tour to Australia that meant taking on Lara and McGrath didn't disappoint. For the first time in his career Lara's form and confidence crumbled as McGrath reduced him to a walking wicket, dismissing him five times in the first six innings of the series. Lara endured a hideous run of 26, 44, 2, 1, 2 and 2 before making a half-century in Adelaide and a hundred in the final Test in Perth. The tour etched Lara's status as one of McGrath's bunnies, and it was fitting that Lara should have been the second victim in McGrath's hat-trick at Perth in 2000.
McGrath made no secret of his regular plan to target the opposition's best batsman. On West Indies' 1996-97 tour to Australia that meant taking on Lara and McGrath didn't disappoint. For the first time in his career Lara's form and confidence crumbled as McGrath reduced him to a walking wicket, dismissing him five times in the first six innings of the series. Lara endured a hideous run of 26, 44, 2, 1, 2 and 2 before making a half-century in Adelaide and a hundred in the final Test in Perth. The tour etched Lara's status as one of McGrath's bunnies, and it was fitting that Lara should have been the second victim in McGrath's hat-trick at Perth in 2000.
Matthew Hoggard v Graeme Smith - four dismissals in five Tests
Smith has become a vital cog in South Africa's batting order, with the success of the side often depending on his ability to lay a foundation. After he dominated England so brutally with double-hundreds in the drawn first Test at Edgbaston and the innings victory at Lord's in 2003, England were wary of a repeat of his battering on their tour of South Africa in 2004-05. It wasn't to be, as Hoggard dismissed Smith no less than four times in the series, consistently troubling him by exposing a vulnerability to play around his front pad. With Smith neutered - he managed only 269 runs in 10 innings - England fought to a momentous series victory.
Smith has become a vital cog in South Africa's batting order, with the success of the side often depending on his ability to lay a foundation. After he dominated England so brutally with double-hundreds in the drawn first Test at Edgbaston and the innings victory at Lord's in 2003, England were wary of a repeat of his battering on their tour of South Africa in 2004-05. It wasn't to be, as Hoggard dismissed Smith no less than four times in the series, consistently troubling him by exposing a vulnerability to play around his front pad. With Smith neutered - he managed only 269 runs in 10 innings - England fought to a momentous series victory.
Steve Harmison v Brian Lara - four dismissals in eight Tests
Harmison never quite reproduced the devastation of that spell on the fourth morning of the first Test at Sabina Park on England's 2003-04 tour of West Indies. But his domination of Lara in the remaining three Tests - Antigua aside - symbolised the extent of England's grip over a side in disarray. Removed for 0 and 8 in the midst of England's seven-wicket victory in Port-of-Spain, Lara fell to Harmison again in the third Test, in Bridgetown, and might have been given out caught behind for 0 - television replays were inconclusive about whether he had got a thin edge off Harmison - in St John's in the fourth Test. He took full advantage of the reprieve - to the extent of 400 runs and a world record - but his failures against Harmison meant England already had the Wisden Trophy in the bag.
Harmison never quite reproduced the devastation of that spell on the fourth morning of the first Test at Sabina Park on England's 2003-04 tour of West Indies. But his domination of Lara in the remaining three Tests - Antigua aside - symbolised the extent of England's grip over a side in disarray. Removed for 0 and 8 in the midst of England's seven-wicket victory in Port-of-Spain, Lara fell to Harmison again in the third Test, in Bridgetown, and might have been given out caught behind for 0 - television replays were inconclusive about whether he had got a thin edge off Harmison - in St John's in the fourth Test. He took full advantage of the reprieve - to the extent of 400 runs and a world record - but his failures against Harmison meant England already had the Wisden Trophy in the bag.
Harbhajan Singh v Ricky Ponting - 10 dismissals in 12 Tests
Harbhajan has had a fractious relationship with Ponting since the two clashed during an ODI at Sharjah in 1998, and Ponting has struggled more against Harbhajan than any other bowler, being dismissed 10 times by him in Tests. On Australia's 2000-01 tour he had a famously disastrous run against the offspinner, registering scores of 0, 0, 6, 0 and 11. When Harbhajan was asked in January 2007 what he had over the batsman, he quipped: "He hasn't batted long enough against me, so I don't know." A century in Bangalore in 2008 provided some redemption, but Ponting's record in India is the one area of mediocrity in an otherwise sparkling career - in 12 Testsin that country, he has an aggregate of 438 runs and an average of 20.85.
Harbhajan has had a fractious relationship with Ponting since the two clashed during an ODI at Sharjah in 1998, and Ponting has struggled more against Harbhajan than any other bowler, being dismissed 10 times by him in Tests. On Australia's 2000-01 tour he had a famously disastrous run against the offspinner, registering scores of 0, 0, 6, 0 and 11. When Harbhajan was asked in January 2007 what he had over the batsman, he quipped: "He hasn't batted long enough against me, so I don't know." A century in Bangalore in 2008 provided some redemption, but Ponting's record in India is the one area of mediocrity in an otherwise sparkling career - in 12 Testsin that country, he has an aggregate of 438 runs and an average of 20.85.
Terry Alderman v Graham Gooch - seven dismissals in 13 Tests
Alderman's fast-medium swingers and cutters were particularly effective in English conditions - he picked up nearly half of his 170 Test wickets in two Ashes series in that country. He also had a knack of getting Gooch out, taking his wicket seven times in the two tours, five of which came when he trapped him lbw with his offcutter after setting him up with outswingers. Indeed, he reduced Gooch to such a shambles in the 1989 Ashes series that Gooch asked to be left out of the Test team - a personal victory for Alderman that symbolised the series.
Alderman's fast-medium swingers and cutters were particularly effective in English conditions - he picked up nearly half of his 170 Test wickets in two Ashes series in that country. He also had a knack of getting Gooch out, taking his wicket seven times in the two tours, five of which came when he trapped him lbw with his offcutter after setting him up with outswingers. Indeed, he reduced Gooch to such a shambles in the 1989 Ashes series that Gooch asked to be left out of the Test team - a personal victory for Alderman that symbolised the series.
Dennis Lillee v Dennis Amiss - eight dismissals in eight Tests
Amiss, a strongly built batsman with powerful forearms and a penchant for scoring heavily through the covers and midwicket, went to Australia in 1974-75 with a lofty reputation after a year of near ceaseless run-scoring. But he soon ran into Lillee and Thomson at their most lethal, and Lillee in particular seemed able to dismiss him almost at will. After falling cheaply in the first innings of the third Test, in Melbourne, Amiss managed 90 in the second dig, but disintegrated thereafter, bagging a pair in the fifth Test and another nought in the sixth. When Australia came to England the following summer, Amiss continued to struggle, managing just 19 runs in four innings - falling three times to Lillee - before he was jettisoned for the remainder of the series.
Amiss, a strongly built batsman with powerful forearms and a penchant for scoring heavily through the covers and midwicket, went to Australia in 1974-75 with a lofty reputation after a year of near ceaseless run-scoring. But he soon ran into Lillee and Thomson at their most lethal, and Lillee in particular seemed able to dismiss him almost at will. After falling cheaply in the first innings of the third Test, in Melbourne, Amiss managed 90 in the second dig, but disintegrated thereafter, bagging a pair in the fifth Test and another nought in the sixth. When Australia came to England the following summer, Amiss continued to struggle, managing just 19 runs in four innings - falling three times to Lillee - before he was jettisoned for the remainder of the series.
Sydney Barnes v Victor Trumper - 13 dismissals in 17 Tests
Two legends of cricket's "golden age", Sydney Barnes and Victor Trumper met 17 times in Test cricket just after the turn of the 20th century. Barnes' bounding run-up to the wicket, carrying the ball in his left hand until he was only two paces from the crease and then transferring it to his right, was a prelude to a mystery - it was said he could bowl every ball but the googly. Trumper, the greatest Australian batsman of his age, repeatedly fell to Barnes's variety of fizzing, swerving deliveries, mustering an average of only 14.84 against the legendary English bowler. Trumper lasted only five balls in their first meeting, and though he managed two half-centuries against Barnes thereafter, his record also includes eight scores of single figures - or less.
Two legends of cricket's "golden age", Sydney Barnes and Victor Trumper met 17 times in Test cricket just after the turn of the 20th century. Barnes' bounding run-up to the wicket, carrying the ball in his left hand until he was only two paces from the crease and then transferring it to his right, was a prelude to a mystery - it was said he could bowl every ball but the googly. Trumper, the greatest Australian batsman of his age, repeatedly fell to Barnes's variety of fizzing, swerving deliveries, mustering an average of only 14.84 against the legendary English bowler. Trumper lasted only five balls in their first meeting, and though he managed two half-centuries against Barnes thereafter, his record also includes eight scores of single figures - or less.
Liam Brickhill and Sahil Dutta are assistant editors at Cricinfo