googly

Definition

A ball, bowled by a leg-break bowler, that spins from off to leg (to a right-handed batsman), unlike a normal leg-break delivery.

Etymology

Unknown; perhaps derived from googie (“an egg, in reference to the unusual direction of bounce”). Though the delivery was perfected and made famous by English cricketer Bernard Bosanquet, circa 1900, the term is recorded earlier in Australian English (1896).

Example Sentences

• "His weakness in batting is against googly."
• "He bowled a googly that sparked a shout for LBW."
• "To go the whole round of bowlers before, again putting, on either Copplestone or B. Goodwin was a mistake, I thought, and equally so were Molyneau's repeated attempts at bowling slow "googlies.""

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