John Hastings, a former Australian fast bowler, had a horror over in a recent game. Australia lost to Pakistan by 10 wickets in the World Championship of Legends T20 in England.
Hastings, who used to play for Australia, bowled 12 wides and one no-ball in an over that never even got to six legal balls. Brett Lee, the Australian captain, gave Hastings the ball in the 8th over when Pakistan were looking to score. Australia had scored 74 in 12 overs. Only Ben Dunk (26), extras (11) and Callum Ferguson (10) scored more than 10. Hastings started his over by bowling five wides in a row to the off side.
Then the 39-year-old bowled two legal balls, let them score a single and then four, then a no-ball which was also a wide because it went high and down the leg side. The other team got a free hit because of the no-ball but Hastings bowled another wide. Then he changed his position to bowl around the wicket to Sharjeel Khan and the other team got a leg bye. Then he bowled another wide, way outside Sohaib Maqsood’s off stump. Then he bowled two more legal balls and let them score a single to deep square leg before bowling five more wides in a row and handing Pakistan the win.
The first three wides were down the leg side when bowling around the wicket to Khan. Then Hastings switched to over the wicket and sent the last two almost off the pitch outside off stump. Khan (32*) and Maqsood (28*) couldn’t believe what they were seeing and neither could Lee or the rest of the Australians. Hastings was having trouble keeping the ball where it needed to be. The over was 18 balls long but only five of them were legal and it cost 19 runs. Even after the loss, Australia will play South Africa in a semi-final early Friday morning. AB de Villiers will captain South Africa.
