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Watch: The Damien Martyn block that somehow went for four

by Wisden Staff March 12, 2021 - 10:33am 3 minute read

Watch: A Damien Martyn ‘block’ for a boundary from 2006 has resurfaced, winning hearts for the sheer timing of the stroke, managing to send a mere push racing to the ropes for four.

When on song, you just couldn’t take your eyes off Damien Martyn, such was the mastery of his batting. In a team of brutal strokeplayers, Martyn stood out for his classy style, dishing out elegant cover drives and wristy flicks on his way to 279 international appearances.

Thanks to Rob Moody, or Robelinda2, as he’s otherwise known, the world can take a break from the T20-styled power-hitters of today and go back in time to 2006, when Martyn produced an immaculately timed forward push to the boundary in an ODI. It was the final of the 2006 Champions Trophy against West Indies in Mumbai, and the bowler was Jerome Taylor.

Taylor bowled an off-cutter at 125 kph to Martyn, batting at No.4, a half-volley just wide of off-stump. Martyn leaned forward just a tad, perfectly aligning his elbows and feet to give the delivery a mere push. The ball came to life on contact, piercing the gap between cover and cover-point and racing to the ropes.

“Surely it wouldn’t cross the boundary?” asked Ian Bishop on commentary. It did.

It was a shot that oozed class from a man truly in form. As it turned out, it was Martyn’s last ever ODI, having scored 78, 73*, 26 and 47* in his last four one-day innings, and leaving the stage with a Champions Trophy title in his final game. While his retirement later that year did ruffle a few feathers, in hindsight, it did feel well-timed, just like his cover drives to the fence.

It’s probably not the first time the video of the stroke has been uploaded, and some of you might have seen it before. Any which way, it’s worth another watch: