DIL SCOOP !!! But should it really be called that ?

You might not remember him but I bet Zaheer and McGrath do remember him and his “ramp-shot” vividly .

Dil scoop , Go on,Read it!!! Its not that obvious .

• Popularly known as the “Dil Scoop” but do you really have any idea who played this shot for the first time ?
• Interesting trivia Right? You never thought someone else did it first !!! Its like the “Microsoft Windows” fiasco .

Do you know him?



By the shirt you might have guessed that he is from Zimbabwe but any idea regarding his name ?



How about now? No Bells ? Nothing ? Indian cricket fans ?

• His name is Douglas Marillier .
• Yes , he is the man who invented and executed this shot for the first time in world cricket “The Marillier Ramp Shot”.
• Chasing 275 in Faridabad,Zimbabwe were just trying to play out 50 overs with 233/8 when Marillier walked-in at number 10 .
• Zim’s players had no answers for the lethal yorkers of Zaheer Khan until the moment when Marillier walked across the stumps and scooped it for a boundary.
• Everyone was amazed at this extraordinary yet effective feat which was an answer to the block hole deliveries .
• Everyone including the Indian fans were assuming it to be a fluke but then came a blistering knock of 56 off just 24 deliveries .
• Never had I ever taken a Number 10 batsman so seriously in my life .
• My patriotism and amazement were in contradiction that day.
• This is where I became familiar with this shot but when I digged into this shot a bit deeper I came to know that he already played this gutsy shot against the mighty Australians and that too choosing The best Glenn McGrath .
• There also at Perth he managed to hit him for two boundaries in an over that too on consecutive deliveries but Zim lost the match by 1 run .
• Recalling his career in an interview he quoted,

Perth and Faridabad, Faridabad and Perth that’s what my career in cricket has boiled down to . I loved playing those knocks,don’t get me wrong . But its a bit agitating to be remembered for absolutely nothing else .

• I kind of disagree with him,he should take it as an honor that in a match where Damien Martyn scored 144,Stuart Carlisle 119 and Grant Flower 85 the match is remembered by the 5 ball 12 runs scored by Marillier .
• Although he played only 48 ODIs for his country but he definitely gave birth to a nightmare for the death over bowlers ,”Ramp Shot” .
• Because of his two cameos in perth and Faridabad , he was nicknamed ”BAY CITY ROLLER” .(A band which was one-hit wonder )

After this shot only in world cricket even the yorker length was not safe because it can be ramp-ed for a boundary or may be even a six depending upon the bowler’s speed .

You might not remember him but I bet Zaheer and McGrath do remember him and his “ramp-shot” vividly .