Matt Parkinson, the Lancashire legspinner, went viral on Friday after bowling a ball-of-the-century contender to Northamptonshire’s Adam Rossington in a County Championship fixture at Old Trafford, which evoked Shane Warne’s dismissal of Mike Gatting at the same ground in 1993.
The greatest wicket taking delivery by a blonde haired leggy at @EmiratesOT?
We can’t think of any better, @mattyparky96…
#RedRoseTogether @ShaneWarne pic.twitter.com/xrUOQtt4wW
— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) April 16, 2021
It didn’t take long for the split-screen comparison to emerge…
Who did it better? @ShaneWarne, @mattyparky96
#RedRoseTogether pic.twitter.com/HwLQgwM9De
— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) April 16, 2021
…or for the plaudits to start flooding in.
@mattyparky96 that’s pretty special young man!! https://t.co/4dBTHnoE7V
— Liam Livingstone (@liaml4893) April 16, 2021
How good is this @ShaneWarne ?? #CountyCricket @lv_cricket ! pic.twitter.com/srQev9Hzfq Fantastic @mattparky
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) April 16, 2021
This ended up hitting top of off.
Dream delivery from @mattyparky96 pic.twitter.com/7rmm6XEmf3
— Yas Rana (@Yas_Wisden) April 16, 2021
Video game stuff from @mattyparky96 pic.twitter.com/e1NIdYnXmM
— Jarrod Kimber (@ajarrodkimber) April 16, 2021
Hi there Shane sorry @mattyparky96 pic.twitter.com/iMJSWy1I2Z
— England’s Barmy Army (@TheBarmyArmy) April 16, 2021
By Saturday morning, Warne himself had given it his seal of approval.
Wow ! Was that his first ball of the summer too ? Hahahaha. Love it, congrats mate and well bowled. Spin to win @SkyCricket @MichaelVaughan !!!! https://t.co/N2uIox4RrU
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) April 17, 2021
Parkinson had come into the game following a frustrating winter, spending three months in England’s bio-secure bubbles in Sri Lanka and India without getting onto the field.
He said that he wanted to “prove a point” after missing out on selection for Lancashire’s first game of the season, and that after being hit for a couple of boundaries by Simon Kerrigan, his former team-mate, he had thought: “Sack it, I’m going to try and rip it.”
So, @mattyparky96 talk us through delivery…
“Sack it, I’m gonna try and rip it”
#RedRoseTogether pic.twitter.com/th6Wmr6p6Y
— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) April 16, 2021
Needless to say, it was a plan that worked pretty well.
Parky takes wickets.
#RedRoseTogether pic.twitter.com/HSWkC67cdT
— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) April 16, 2021
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