5 overs in cricket that never seemed to end

Bowlers always have a key role to play in the success or failure of a particular team. Throughout the history of cricket, sides with a stronger bowling unit are the ones who have managed to dominate the scene. So whether it is the West Indies team of the 1970s and 1980s or the Australian team from the late 1990s and early 2000s, they had a bunch of outstanding bowlers to do the job.

However, even the best of bowlers can have bad days and there are some dubious records held by the finest among them. The worst it can get for a bowler, though, is when he concedes too many extras in an over and is forced to bowl an extended over. There have been numerous such instances in the different forms of cricket but there are some that really break the barriers.

Here are 5 instances in cricket when an over didn’t seem to end:

5. Daryl Tuffey (New Zealand) – 14-ball over against Australia in an ODI

Skipper Fleming tries to help Tuffey out

Former New Zealand fast bowler Daryl Tuffey represented his country in both Tests as well as ODIs and did a decent job with 77 and 98 wickets respectively. However, there is an unfortunate bowling feat which stayed stuck with him till the end of his career. Tuffey once bowled a 14-ball over in an ODI match against the Australians in 2005.

It was the first match of the over and Adam Gilchrist was at the striker’s end. None of his first six balls of the over were legitimate deliveries and by the time he bowled his first, the Kiwi pacer had already given away 14 runs. The rest of his over saw Daryl Tuffey bowl another couple of wides that pushed his tally up to 14 balls.

Considering the fact that Tuffey had already conceded 14 runs off his first ball, he did a pretty good job of giving away just 2 more runs in the rest of his over.

4. Curtly Ambrose (West Indies) – 15-ball over in a Test against Australia

Curtly Ambrose shocked everyone with his 15-ball over

Perhaps the most shocking name on this list is that of legendary West Indian fast bowler Curtly Ambrose, who was among the last great pacers to emerge from the country. Ambrose was known not only for his wicket-taking ability but also for his accuracy. However, this trait of his deluded him at least on one occasion in his career and he ended up bowling a 17-ball over.

It all transpired during a Test match against Australia in the 1997 Frank Worrell Trophy. Ambrose had done quite a decent job until then and had 2 wickets under his belt as he pushed to wipe out the Aussie tail. However, in a shocking turn of events, the lanky pacer sent down as many as 9 no-balls in an over which lasted 15 deliveries.

To add to it, Curtly Ambrose followed it up with another 6 no-balls in his next over and he was quickly taken off.

3. Abhishek Nayar (West Zone) – 17-ball over against South Zone in a List A match

Abhishek Nayar’s 17-ball over included a wicket off his first ball (Image Credit: Deccan Chronicle)

Mumbai’s Abhishek Nayar has been one of the prominent all-rounders in the Indian domestic circuit and has enjoyed quite a bit of success across all formats. Nayar also played for Team India but was in the ODI side for a mere 3 matches. In the Deodhar Trophy, India’s premier zonal List A tournament, the 32-year old has represented the West Zone.

While playing a match in the tournament against South Zone in 2013, the all-rounder was brought in to bowl the 12th over of the innings. The over began on a positive note for Nayar as he claimed a wicket but no one had anticipated what was going to follow. A total of 10 wides were bowled in the over followed by a no-ball as the over stretched to 17 deliveries.

Although Abhishek Nayar was taken off the attack post his disastrous over, he returned to bowl six more overs in which he conceded just one wide.

2. Mohammad Sami (Pakistan) – 17-ball over against Bangladesh in an ODI

Sami is known most for his infamous 17-ball over (image Credit: Zee News)

Mohammad Sami is a Pakistani fast bowler who has been around for the past 15 years in international cricket and has represented his country every now and then. His last appearance came during the latest edition of the ICC World Twenty20 played earlier this year. Sami, though, holds a very dubious bowling record, that of bowling the longest over in ODI cricket.

The 35-year old achieved this ignominious feat during a match against Bangladesh in the 2004 Asia Cup. The Bangladeshi had scored just 6 runs in their first 2 overs when Sami charged in to bowl the third over. A total of 7 wides and 4 no-balls bowled in the over, though, ensured that the pacer bowled 17 balls whereas the batting side added 24 runs to their tally.

Sadly for Mohammad Sami, this terrible over is one of the things that he is known most for.

1. Bert Vance (Wellington) – 22-ball over against Canterbury in a first-class match

Vance was primarily a batsman (Image Credit: ESPNCricinfo)

Bert Vance is a former cricketer who represented New Zealand in 4 Tests and 8 ODIs between the years 1988 and 1989. Vance can be described as a utility player whose batting was better than his bowling. The Kiwi cricketer has his name etched in the record books for a record that he will surely not be too proud of.

During a first-class match in New Zealand between Wellington and Canterbury, the latter team needed 96 to win with 2 wickets in hand and just 2 overs left to play. With a draw being the most likely result, the opposition captain decided to toss the ball towards part-timer Bert Vance. Little did he know that it would turn out to be a costly mistake of epic proportions.

In a 22-ball over, Vance bowled as many as 16 no-balls in his first 17 deliveries and eventually ended up conceding an impossible 77 runs in a single over. This left Canterbury with 18 runs to score off the last over and wicketkeeper-batsman Lee Germon took them home.