Yorker in Cricket — The Most Dangerous Delivery Explained
A yorker pins the batter's toes to the crease. Learn what a yorker is, how to bowl it, and why it's the most lethal delivery in T20 cricket.
What Is a Yorker?
A yorker is a delivery that pitches at the batter's feet — specifically on or around the crease where the bat meets the ground. It is the most dangerous delivery in limited-overs cricket. A perfect yorker is nearly unplayable because there is no space to play a shot: the bat cannot swing down and through because the ball arrives at the bat's base.
Where a Yorker Must Pitch
The ideal yorker lands on the popping crease — the white line 4 feet in front of the stumps — or just beyond it. Pitching on the crease means the ball arrives skimming along the ground as it reaches the bat. Too full (further up) becomes a full-toss, which is hittable. Too short becomes a low full-pitch — also easier to play.
Types of Yorker
- Straight yorker — aimed at leg stump or middle stump; trapped LBW or bowled.
- Wide yorker — aimed at the base of off stump; batter cannot swing to leg side, must squeeze to the off.
- Reverse-swing yorker — an old-ball inswing yorker that comes in late at the toes; one of cricket's most dangerous deliveries.
- Slower yorker — a yorker bowled 10–15 mph below normal pace; batter plays the shot too early and miscues.
- Left-arm yorker — a left-arm bowler targeting the off-stump base of a right-hander from around the wicket.
How to Bowl a Yorker
- Focus on a target spot — bowl at a specific board or mark at the crease during practice.
- Release the ball slightly earlier than a half-volley — bringing it in closer to the batter's feet.
- Maintain full pace — a slow yorker is easier to scoop or ramp.
- Bowl it in sets — after establishing a yorker length, batters struggle to adjust.
Lasith Malinga and the Yorker
Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka is the greatest yorker bowler in T20 history. His slingy low arm action made his yorker particularly hard to pick — the ball arrived from an unusual angle. Malinga could bowl three or four yorkers in a row at the death, conceding almost nothing in situations where most bowlers go for 10–15 runs per over.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called a yorker?
The term 'yorker' dates to 19th-century English cricket, possibly from Yorkshire players who frequently used the delivery. Another theory links it to the word 'York' — to be 'yorked' was to be dismissed by a ball that hit the stumps at the feet, referencing the city's historical connotations.
What is the difference between a yorker and a full toss?
A full toss reaches the batter without bouncing at all — it arrives in the air rather than pitching first. A yorker pitches at the batter's feet, very close to the crease, then stays low. Both arrive at the base of the bat but in different ways — full tosses are easier to hit because they arrive at a predictable height.