William O'Rourke is a name quickly gaining attention in New Zealand cricket. A towering fast bowler, O'Rourke made an immediate impact during his first subcontinent tour, playing against Sri Lanka.
Known for his pace and bounce, he took wickets on pitches that generally favours the spinners. While many fast bowlers struggled with this challenge of bowling in the subcontinent in the past, O'Rourke adapted early and made an impact by picking up key wickets for the visiting team.
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Who is William O'Rourke?
William O'Rourke, standing six feet four inches tall, has quickly become a talked-about figure in New Zealand’s cricketing setup. Born in the UK to Kiwi parents, he moved to New Zealand at a young age, following his father, Patrick O'Rourke, into domestic cricket.
His father played first-class cricket for Wellington. O'Rourke, however, made it into the national team and has quickly surpassed early expectations. After making his state team debut, he impressed selectors with his pace and bounce.
His fast rise saw him earn a New Zealand central contract, securing a place in the national team. He is often compared to Kyle Jamieson due to his height and aggressive bowling style.
William O'Rourke wreaks havoc against Sri Lanka on maiden subcontinent tour
O'Rourke’s debut in the subcontinent was a memorable one. On the dry Sri Lankan pitch at Galle, O'Rourke managed to extract bounce and speed, consistently bowling at over 140kph.
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In his first spell, he dismissed Dimuth Karunaratne, Sri Lanka’s seasoned opener, with a bouncer. The delivery forced Karunaratne to edge the ball to the wicketkeeper after being rattled by O'Rourke’s earlier deliveries.
O'Rourke quickly followed that with another wicket, sending Pathum Nissanka, a recent centurion, back to the pavilion with a rapid yorker that destroyed the stumps. These early strikes highlighted the pacer's ability to trouble batters with both bounce and pace.
Overseas fast bowlers who have little experience of the subcontinent conditions often find it difficult to perform well in dry, slow surfaces. O'Rourke, however, adapted quickly to the challenge.
Alongside Tim Southee, he focused on maintaining an aggressive approach, consistently bowling with pace and hitting the right areas of the pitch. Despite initial concerns about the pitch being flat and slow, the Kiwi bowler found the right spots and was rewarded with wickets. In his first five-over spell, he took two wickets for 26 runs.
O'Rourke’s most impressive moment came when he dismissed Sri Lanka’s veteran Angelo Mathews. Early in the match, O'Rourke bowled a sharp delivery that hit Mathews on the finger, forcing him to retire hurt.
When Mathews returned to bat, O'Rourke again troubled him, eventually taking his wicket with another sharp ball. For O'Rourke, bowling to experienced players like Mathews was a special experience.
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What is William O'Rourke record in Test cricket?
| Matches | Wickets | BBI | BBM | Average | Economy | SR | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 14 | 5/34 | 9/93 | 17.57 | 2.89 | 36.4 | 1 |
Much of O'Rourke’s success can be attributed to the guidance of Tim Southee, New Zealand’s current fast-bowling captain. He has credited Southee for his guidance and support on the field, which he said played an important part in his early success.
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