A yorker in cricket is a bowling technique that is nearly a mandate for any pace bowler to master.
The yorker is bowled in a way that the ball pitches at the crease near the batter’s legs. It is extremely difficult to score runs of a yorker as the batter would have to dig out the incoming ball. In an attempt to bowl a yorker, the bowler might inadvertently deliver a full toss, wherein the ball does not pitch. This is in complete contrast to the yorker is desirable for the batter who can smash the ball with ease.
A yorker can make the batter uncomfortable when executed perfectly. The origin of the word yorker is still a mystery. It might seem that the term was derived from Yorkshire, an English county team. But historians have suggested that ever since its first documentation in 1861, the word yorker has been termed by outsiders, and not by the locals of York. A yorker can also mean to cheat or deceive. It has been known that locals of York wanted to trick or deceive outsiders and hence the term yorker.
Literature has the mention of the words ‘yarked’ or ‘yerked’ that refer to a person being hit with something unexpectedly. A yorker is certainly a delivery that approaches the batter suddenly.
Bowlers who are able to swing the ball while simultaneously bowling yorkers are extremely difficult to face. Dale Steyn, Mitchell Starc, Lasith Malinga, James Anderson, Mitchell Johnson, Jasprit Bumrah are some of the many bowlers who have mastered this art. Synonyms of swinging yorkers are toe-crushers, sandshoe crusher, cobbler’s delight, or nail breaker.
Another version of yorker developed in modern times is a wide yorker. The advent of T20 cricket has increased its use. This type of ball is pitched near the crease but wide outside the off-stump. It is also within the limits of the wide line, thus making it a fair delivery. Such a ball restricts the batter from scoring runs as it is difficult to reach.
