On This Day: Shane Warne's 'Ball of the Century'

It was on this day 29 years ago that Shane Warne bowled one of the finest deliveries ever witnessed in cricket.

With a single twist of his right wrist at Old Trafford in 1993, the 24 year old bamboozled Mike Gatting with the 'Ball of the Century'.

The beautifully flighted delivery initially appeared to be heading straight, but began to drift through the air towards the right-handed Gatting -- a vastly experienced batter known for his expertise against spin bowling.

The ball pitched a foot outside the line of Gatting's leg stump and with the batsman thrusting his left pad forward with his bat angled down, it gripped in the dust.

It then spat and bounced back at a 45 degree angle, ripping past the edge of Gatting's bat and hitting the top of off stump.

As a delighted Warne was congratulated by his team mates, Gatting began the long walk off, looking back over his shoulder at his tormentor and shrugging his shoulders in resignation.

The International Cricket Council revived memories of 'the ball of the century' on Saturday, sharing pictures of that iconic moment in 1993.

'On this day in 1993, the world witnessed Shane Warne's 'Ball of the Century',' ICC tweeted.

Warne, who went on to redefine the art of spin bowling and become one of the greatest cricketers of all time, died of a suspected heart attack in Thailand on March 4, 2022.