The hearts of over a billion fans of Mumbai Indians would have been in their mouth when they saw a snorter hit their star batsman Kieron Pollard in the eye.
Pollard had to be taken off the field and rushed back home after consultations with doctors in Taunton, who said Pollard's right eye was swollen sharply. The man who did the damage was no fiery rookie but a wily old fox. Dominic Cork! Remember thy name? When the underdogs Hampshire won the domestic T20 in England, there was one player who was a true role model for every young gun in the team. And that same player was the star of the tournament. A bowler whom the West Indies shivered facing in 1995 when on debut, he returned home figures of 7-43, the best ever figures by an Englishman on debut.. Yes, we are talking of the wily old fox of English cricket Dominic Cork, who is now in his 40th year of his life and yet generates considerable pace.
Pollard's bloody tale in pictures
It was astonishing to watch 'corky' unfurl lovely cutters at nearly 85 miles an hour in the final and once again proved a champions' spirit is all that matters in a sport and that the spirit can defy almost every barrier along the way. One of the game's most natural outswing bowlers, Cork is very upset at not being able to play Champions League T20 as ECB decided against sending any team for the tournament due to domestic commitments. After being a commentator in the IPL, Cork was now hoping to be a player as well. Corky, as he is fondly nicknamed is desperate to play in the Champions League and unfortunately it won't happen this year. He has been offered a fresh deal at Rose Bowl after the domestic triumph with Hampshire but remains undecided about his future. After seeing him jump around the field and also bowl with such control and aggression, it would be only logical that Corky takes up a fresh contract.
Born in 1971, Cork made his first class debut in 1990 for Derbyshire against a visiting New Zealand team and had to wait for 5 long years before getting a call from the England test team for the home series against a faltering West Indies. And where did he get a chance to make his international debut? Lords, the Mecca of cricket. And what a debut series it was for corky! A record-breaking one..
1. 7-43 in his first match, best by an Englishman on debut. A performance that helped England level the series
2. 26 wickets in the series
3. Hattrick in a debut series. Victims included Richie Richardson, Carl Hooper and Junior Murray
If that was some debut, things got better for Cork in 1996 when he was named Wisden Cricketer of The Year. That was ironically his peak and from then on began a gradual slide in the fortunes of Cork. He failed as an overseas bowler and was always labelled as a performer at home. Among the dismissals, he will remember that wicket of Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar in 1996 series at Edgbaston when Cork got him clean bowled with an absolute beauty.
Corky Record!
| Format | Matches | Runs scored | Wickets taken | Batting average | Bowling average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 32 | 864 | 131 | 18.00 | 29.81 |
| ODIs | 37 | 180 | 41 | 10.00 | 33.36 |
| First Class | 307 | 9681 | 952 | 25.21 | 26.53 |
Having faded away at the start of the millennium, it is truly incredible to see Cork emerge out of the oblivion with such vigour in such late stages of his career. Many say Cork's bowling action resembles that of our very own Kapil Dev for the release and the accuracy. Injury-free, effective and potent. May be there is a lesson for the rookies. Fast bowling is not all about hurling the leather at over 150 but about bowling accurately over many many years. Hats off Corky for your contribution to the game!
