Well, I thought I'd start off a new thread by asking what the best wicket that members have seen is. This can be in any form of cricket, just describe the wicket and how it happened (I reckon TTFC may have some comedy dismissals at Chertsey to tell us about)

To start the ball rolling, here's a couple from test cricket:

Martin Bicknell to Jacques Rudolph: Inexperienced Rudolph faces experienced county pro Bicknell in the 2003 England vs South Africa series in England. Bicknell embarrasses Rudolph by starting off with two lovely away swingers which Rudolph can easily leave. Having not faced Bicknell before, Rudolph is unaware that Bicknell is also able to swing the ball in. The next ball, Bicknell bowls the perfect inswinger. Rudolph leaves it only to see the bails dislodged. Excellent bowling and deception by Bicknell.

Chris Cairns to Chris Read: Well, everyone's seen this one haven't they? Once again, the wily old campaigner outfoxed the youngster. Cairns completely deceived Read with the slower ball and disguised it so well that Read saw it as a bouncer. In fact, the ball goes past Read on the full and castles him. Game over for Read, and not only does the wicket represent a great piece of cricket by Cairns, but it still tarnishes Read's career even now - somewhat unfairly.

Me to some teenager: I was playing in a friendly match at Langley Manor cricket club. This teenager comes in looking like he owns the place. He turns out to be more than useful with the bat and proceeds to clatter my first 4 balls to him to the boundary. He then tells me, "You know where the next balls going, matey". I was decidedly annoyed with this and showed that I was angry by extending my run up and charging in as fast as I could. He was expecting the quicker delivery, he got the slower ball and hoicked at the ball, missed and was left with enough time to turn round and see the ball hit middle and off. Goodnight Vienna!

So, what are the best wickets you've seen and taken? Or has someone completely outfoxed you at the batting crease and you feel you want to recognise their ability?

I think my new favourite is Simon Jones to Michael Clarke at Old Trafford, possibly the most textbook of examples of perfect reverse swing. Clarke saw the ball heading for a line comfortably outisde off, strode out and shouldered arms. The ball then reversed in, pitched and seamed into Clarke's off tump which was sent cartwheeling. Cue delirium.

In second place comes any big-ripping leg break from Shane Warne. This includes the Gatting Ball, the Strauss ball and any other that pitches well outside leg and hits off with the batsman looking like a total idiot through no fault of his own.

Hmmmm...In the farce of a series between the World XI and Australia Murali had a wonder over against Katich. After Murali had spun him into a twist in the past few overs Katich finally gave up with a C&B for Murali. (I just laughed).

My best wicket was when I was just messing about with one of my mates. I was bowling my generally minimal turning leg spin, one ball I got my action right and it pitched outside leg and took out off. I was thoroughly pleased with myself.

Ok, best wicket is always going to be Warne's to Gatting. Everyone knows it so I will not bore you with the way it happened.

Best, well maybe the worst its hard to tell. So I will explain it and you can judge for your self.

Ok, this game was my first club game - I had been playing for a few years in a school team but never played in club cricket - ie open to any age group. I was 18 at the time.

Now in school I am a pretty good middle order batsman and not a bad bowler. So we had lost a couple of quick wickets after a good opening partnership. So the score from memory was about 3 for 115 with the last 3 wickets falling for a couple of runs.

1st ball, accidental full toss at head and I went for the big hook. Got a top edge and over the keepers head to the boundry for four. Well I thought that was a pretty nervous shot I think I should have just left it alone.

2nd ball was a beauty of an inswinging yorker which I just got an inside edge putting the ball perfectly between leg and stump to the boundry for four. Wow I thought lucky to survive that one two lives I should block the next just to get my neves under control.

3rd ball, bouncer, eyes lite up huge pull. Tope edge flys over the keeper to the boundry for four. Bowler now relatively unhappy and the keeper is now making comments about my parentage. Went for little walk trying to calm myself and reminding myself I can block or leave the ball alone.

4th Ball pitched up leaned into with a cover drive beautifull shot and smacks into the boundry boards. Probably the best timed shot I have ever hit, I was rapped - I could do anything now.

5th ball was wide outside of off, goes for the square cut and just about topples over fast finishing the stroke. Luckly for me I had bottom edged the ball and it fly down at the legs of second slip who failed to get behind the ball and it went to the boundry for four. Ok I really need to leave these deliveries alone. My partner who was just as helpfull as the opposition came down and offered his advise to me - leave the bloody thing alone.

6th ball was wide of off so I left it. After hereing it smash into the stumps only then did I notice that the bowler bowled the ball alot wider from the stumps than normal and I ended up shouldering arms to a ball headed straight for middle stump - still went down for 20 runs and still the most boundries I have hit off one over.

the Gatting ball hands down but another good delivery i saw was in a oneday match im not sure who Australia was playing or what batsman it was but Brett Lee bowler this 150 k/ph bouncer that hit the batsman in the helmet snapping the chin strap clean off and the helmet fell off the batsmans head onto the stumps. HIT WICKET

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Bill Ponsford - The only one who could play in Bradman’s company and make it a duet.

Warne bowling Gatting at Old Trafford in 1993 is obviously a classic.... but so, equally, was Jack Russell stumping of Dean Jones off the bowling of Gladstone Small (SCG, January 1991)... but amid all the classics... one will always, i suspect, be regarded as out on it's own: Holding to Boycott, the most hostile over of fast bowling that will perhaps EVER be bowled... culminating in perhaps the most unplayable delivery of all time.

See http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/co...ry/144327.html

My own favourite is one I can't even place: I couldn't say who bowled.. or who was dismissed.... as the memorable bit doesn't include either. Indeed... the entire point was that everyone watching thought the ball in question had been carved over point, in truly brutal fashion, for a certain boundary.

What followed was the most glorious moment I've ever seen in cricket: Johnty Rhodes leaping almost impossibly high in what looked like a hopeless effort to get his body in the way of the bullet-like trajectory of the ball.... but then making actually making what looked at the instant in time as quite astonsihingly inadvisable contact - a potentially career threatening move given the pace on the ball.. and all to save a single boundary.

I recall watching him land and am sure all eyes were on him to see if he'd done himself serious damage by putting his hand in the line of fire...

Even at this point I doubt anyone watching even considered the possibility that they were watching a wicket being taken.. but Johnty seemingly had no doubts: recognising that it's simply not possible to pluck balls like that out of the air... he'd palmed the ball high into the air above his head... and even as he landed he was preparing to take what would have been a pretty special catch even for a fielder who had NOT just pulled off one of THE great stops in the history of the sport!

His hockey-honed reactions and composure came through: the ball went smoothly into his hands.. as safely and securely as in a net practice....

I've seen that move in slow motion many, many times.... and I can't see how it could ever be topped: truly awesome.

This is an interesting one. Should the wicket be judged on sheer quality or also its importance? For the latter Wasim to get rid of Lamb and Lewis in the world cup final 1992, Border to Gatt world cup final 1987 (remember that reverse sweep?), Thommo's rebounded catch to Miller off Tavare from Botham Melbourne 1982, Harmison against Kaspa to win the 2nd test Birmingham 2005 and the slower ball against Clarke, and 1981 Willis castling Bright in Leeds and Botham yorking Alderman at Edgbaston. In terms of quality John Dysons catching Knott (Manchester 1981) (one of the best catches ever), Randall running out McCoscker 1977, Holding splattering Boycotts stumps in Bridgetown 1981, Tendulkar one handed on the run 1990, Botham catching Lawson at the Oval 1985, Thommo yorking Greig 1974/5, Warne bowling Gatt Manchster 1993 (IMO the best ball ever), Jonty Rhodes horizontal runnout in the 92 world cup (you know the one) and right up to date AB de Villiers against Australia last weekened.

But top of the list IMO is Roger Harpers runout of Gooch in the bicentary test at Lords. If you disagree get the video and watch it. Gatt at the none strikers end is completely bemused. Look at him!! Thats how good it was. Gooch completely stranded. If you can show me a better piece of fielding than this then, in the words of the great Rixhie Benaud, I'll be your friend for life,

Chertsey 3rd XI v Leatherhead 3rd XI - August 2005
TTFC is bowling to a well set right hander, with an orthodox field, just midwicket and point pushed about 1/2 way back to encourage the single.

TTFC trots up and lets fly an abysmal longhop which the batsman gleefully pulls high and far out of the ground................. only to be pouched at very deep cow corner by our 15 year old who was trotting back to midwicket after receiving a mid-over slurp of Um Bongo from his father on the boundary!

ps - The important thing to note here is that I had time to shout "Oh Teatime you stupid fat ****" between the ball pitching and the young lad pouching it - cue much mirth amongst my team and the non-striker, and of course, absolutely no sympathy at all for the batsman!

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I'll have the Mouseburger please, with a side of Goldfish.

GO Jones stumping of Ali in that tied one-dayer in SA last year was pretty spectacular.

From a personal point of view my best wicket must be the one which was (according to the batsmen telling his team mates in the bar afterwards) "a much quicker ball that was swinging in, pitched on a good length in front of middle and seamed away to flatten the off stump - absolutely unplayable" - I though he just played round a straight one.

Dhoni's dismissal today is memorable for it's stupidity.Having got away with the same shot moments earlier he then decided to gift his wicket away.Surely the most brainless piece of cricket since Mike Gatting's reverse sweep in the World Cup Final.