Sri Lankan pace bowler Lasith Malinga picked up 4 wickets in 4 balls in the super eight game against South Africa to bring Sri Lanka close to victory.South Africa needed 4 runs to win from 32 balls with 5 wickets in hand when Malinga picked up 2 wickets in the last 2 balls of the over and 2 wickets in the first two of his next over.

Luckily,South Africa managed to get the runs from the last batsman.

This World Cup has certainly been one for records.

__________________
Karthik Venkatesan

Well done Malinga,and for once this record wasn't against a minnow.

Is it me or is Malinga's action "suspect"?


If it isn't then well done for the acheivement.........

His action is certainly unique.

I assume that 4 in 4 has never been done before?

__________________
Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi

Malinga's 'slinga' is very unconventional, but completely legal. No one has questioned that aspect of his bowling. His right arm is low, but remains well above the shoulder level. Shorter fast bowlers often adopt that action for extra pace - like Fidel Edwards for example, though it is more obvious in Malinga's case. For some obscure reason, people refer to that action as "round arm".

I think Lasith Malinga is one of the good things that has happened in cricket recently (and there are not that many these days). He is a great character with his multicoloured hair, ponytail, bouncy exhuberance and that action. But above all, he is a very good bowler with a potential for greatness.

That type of action can cause you to bowl too many wides and short deliveries.

__________________
Karthik Venkatesan

Before yesterday........


Four wickets with consecutive balls

J Wells Kent v Sussex Brighton 1862
G Ulyett Lord Harris' XI v New South Wales Sydney 1878-79
G Nash Lancashire v Somerset Manchester 1882
JB Hide Sussex v MCC Lord's 1890
FJ Shacklock Nottinghamshire v Somerset Nottingham 1893
AD Downes Otago v Auckland Dunedin 1893-94
F Martin MCC v Derbyshire Lord's 1895
AW Mold Lancashire v Nottinghamshire Nottingham 1895
W Brearley Lancashire v Somerset Manchester 1905
S Haigh MCC v Army Pretoria 1905-06
AE Trott Middlesex v Somerset Lord's 1907
FA Tarrant Middlesex v Gloucestershire Bristol 1907
A Drake Yorkshire v Derbyshire Chesterfield 1914
SG Smith Northamptonshire v Warwickshire Birmingham 1914
HA Peach Surrey v Sussex The Oval 1924
AF Borland Natal v Griqualand West Kimberley 1926-27
JEH Hooker New South Wales v Victoria Sydney 1928-29
RK Tyldesley Lancashire v Derbyshire Derby 1929
RJ Crisp Western Province v Griqualand West Johannesburg 1931-32
RJ Crisp Western Province v Natal Durban 1933-34
AR Gover Surrey v Worcestershire Worcester 1935
WH Copson Derbyshire v Warwickshire Derby 1937
WA Henderson NE Transvaal v Orange Free State Bloemfontein 1937-38
F Ridgway Kent v Derbyshire Folkestone 1951
AK Walker Nottinghamshire v Leicestershire Leicester 1956
SN Mohol President's XI v Combined XI Poona 1965-66
D Robins South Australia v New South Wales Adelaide 1965-66
PI Pocock Surrey v Sussex Eastbourne 1972
SS Saini Delhi v Himachal Pradesh Delhi 1988-89
D Dias W Prov Suburbs v Central Province Colombo 1990-91
Ali Gauhar Karachi Blues v United Bank Peshawar 1994-95
KD James Hampshire v Indians Southampton 1996
GP Butcher Surrey v Derbyshire The Oval 2000
Fazl-e-Akbar PIA v Habib Bank Lahore 2001-02

Notes:
1. The feats of Brearley, Hooker, Tyldesley, Walker, Robins and Saini
were spread over two innings

2. Trott had another hat-trick in the same innings of this, his benefit match

3. Having bowled J Firth with the last ball of the first innings,
Walker achieved a unique feat by dismissing G Lester, M Tompkin and
GA Smithson with the first three balls of the second

4. Sussex lost five wickets in the course of the final (six-ball) over
of their match with Surrey at Eastbourne. Pocock, who had taken three
wickets in his previous over, captured four more, taking in all seven
wickets with 11 balls, a feat unique in first-class matches. (The
eighth wicket fell to a run-out)

5. James is the only player to score a century in the same match.

In theory yes, but Malinga seems to have better control than most and is visibly improving.

An impressive feat, but he still gave up 54 runs in 9.2 overs. That didn't really help his team.

I'm not 100% on the laws but if his arm is straight surely its legal regardless of how low it is? Absolutely no cas to argue IMO