On this day in 1986: Mike Gatting had his nose broken by a Malcolm Marshall bouncer

On 18 February 1986, England batter Mike Gatting got hit on the nose by a bouncer from West Indies’ Malcolm Marshall. The incident occurred in the first England-West Indies ODI at Sabina Park, Kingston. The West Indies side were feared at that point in time for their bowling attack. The lethal combination of Malcolm Marshall, Courtney Walsh, Joel Garner and Pat Patterson dominated every team. [caption id=“attachment_10385841” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  File photo of Mike Gatting. Getty[/caption] The ODI began with England’s opening order crumbling before the West Indies side. With 10/2, England were in choppy waters when Gatting took to the crease. With teammate Graham Gooch, the right-handed batsman tried to build a partnership and steady the English side. Sensing a threat from the budding partnership, West Indies captain Vivian Richards instructed Marshall to bowl a ‘perfume ball’, a delivery which passes so close to the batsman’s face that they can smell it. Gatting was at the crease wearing a helmet without a visor when Marshall executed his delivery. The bouncer sailed perfectly, and landed on Gatting’s nose, while he attempted to play the ball. Moreover, the delivery also dropped on to the stumps, dismissing the batter at the score of 10. The delivery hit Gatting nose so hard that it broke off a piece of bone, which was later found embedded in the ball.

The England side were disheartened on seeing their teammate’s injury. After Gatting’s injury and dismissal, the rest of the England team lost all their morale and finished at 145/8.  Apart from Gatting, Marshall scalped three more wickets. West Indies easily chased down the target with six wickets in hand. Marshall was declared the Player of the Match for his figures of 4/23. Gatting was taken home for treatment. At Heathrow airport, a confused journalist asked the battered player “where exactly on the nose” was he hit. However, after a few weeks, the right-hander was back in the game.

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