'Mike Gatting batting?': Alana King's bowling dubbed 'Warne-like' after claiming Ashes player of the series
Updated . First published at
Alana King's 5-53 on day three of the Women's Ashes Test at the MCG has put her up with some of the greatest spin bowlers of all time.
But before she was crowned player of the Ashes series for her 23 wickets across the entire tournament, it was one delivery on day three of the Test that had one cricketing great in awe.
As King bowled one of her best deliveries of the series to dismiss England's Sophia Dunkley on Saturday, former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee had some serious praise.
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Lee dubbed the delivery "Warne-like", tipping his hat in honour of the late great Shane Warne, one of the game's best spin bowlers.
"Not many players in the world would be able to get bat on ball with that one," Lee said on Fox at the time.
Alana King of Australia celebrates taking the final wicket to win the Women's Ashes Test. Getty
Lee also likened King's ball to the famous "Gatting ball" or the "ball of the century", which Warne bowled England's Mike Gatting on the second day of the first Test of the 1993 Ashes series at Old Trafford - Warne's first ball in an Ashes Test.
"Is that Mike Gatting batting?," Lee added.
And King took kindly to the praise after Australia's innings and 122-run Test win over England, capping off a 16-0 series whitewash.
The Victorian-born spinner took a total of nine wickets across two innings, with earlier figures of 4-45.
It was the first time she'd also ever bowled from the Shane Warne Stand end at the MCG.
Fittingly, she also bowled 23 overs when she took those four wickets, a tribute to the number Warne made famous.
"He's obviously taken plenty of poles (wickets) at the MCG for fun, so yeah, all I can say is hopefully he's smiling down and having a couple of beers and enjoying a few ripping past the outside edge," King said after her stunning performance.
King's name has been etched into MCG history, with her 5-53 figures added to the honour board after the victory on Saturday night.
