When Malcolm Marshall rearranged Mike Gatting’s face with a lethal delivery

Malcolm Marshall was one of the most dreaded bowlers in the history of cricket with lethal pace.

One of his victims was Mike Gatting, whose nose was rearranged by a vicious bouncer in the opening One-Day International between the West Indies and England on February 18, 1986. Gatting was wearing a helmet, but the snorter from Marshall crashed into Gatting’s nose as the batsman went for a hook. To make things worse, the ball went on to disturb Gatting’s wickets to end his innings. Gatting had to leave the tour and fly back home for medical treatment of the injury he suffered — though he was back in the Caribbean to resume his battles in an amazing act of bravery.

What kind of damage did the ball do to Gatting’s face? Well, when the ball was returned to Marshall, he threw away in a moment of shock; a piece of Gatting’s nasal bone had got lodged in the leather!

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