How to Play the Marillier Shot: The Slog Over Deep Fine Leg
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Douglas Marillier pulled off one of ODI cricket’s great upsets in 2001 by doing something batters simply didn’t do against pace bowling: stepping clear of his stumps and swatting Javagal Srinath and Harbhajan Singh over fine leg, again and again, until Zimbabwe had chased down a total nobody gave them a chance at. The shot still carries his name for a reason.
Why the Shot Exists
The Marillier targets a gap conventional batting rarely touches: fine leg. When the off side is packed and the bowling team is going full and straight to shut down the slog, this shot changes the angle of attack entirely. Let the ball come on a touch, then swing across the line with power and loft.
Stance
Start normally. Unlike the sweep or slog sweep, there’s no set front-foot stride here. Many batters play it from a slightly open stance, shifting weight to the back foot as the ball arrives.
Step-by-Step Technique
| Phase | Action |
|---|---|
| Read the line | Identify a full delivery on or outside off — this is the trigger ball |
| Clear the front leg | Step the front foot away to the leg side, creating room |
| Get leg-side of the ball | Move the head slightly to the off side so you can swing freely |
| Swing across the line | Use a high, flat-bat swing aimed at fine leg to deep square leg |
| Use the pace | Don’t try to hit too hard — let the bowler’s pace do the work |
| Follow-through | High, around the shoulder; don’t check the shot |
When to Use It
- Late in a chase, when boundaries are needed fast and the field’s set conventionally.
- Against full, swinging-in deliveries — the swing across the line works with that movement rather than against it.
- Against pace bowlers going full and straight in the death overs.
- When fine leg sits inside the circle during the powerplay, since that’s when the gap is biggest.
Risks and How to Manage Them
The shot carries real risk. Here’s what tends to go wrong:
- Top edge. Usually from a ball that isn’t full enough. Only attempt it on a genuinely full-length delivery.
- Caught at deep fine leg. The fielder’s in the game if the swing isn’t clean. Hit through the ball, not under it.
- Bowled or LBW. Clear the front leg too early and the stumps are exposed. Time the leg clearance to after the ball leaves the bowler’s hand.
Practice Drill
Have a throwdown specialist or bowling machine deliver full balls on off stump at medium pace. Practise stepping the front foot to the on side and swinging flat across the line over fine leg. Start with a short boundary to build confidence, then push the target back. The goal is clean, consistent contact, not distance.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the Marillier shot named after?+
It is named after Zimbabwe's Douglas Marillier, who used the shot memorably against India in a 2001 ODI, hitting Javagal Srinath and Harbhajan Singh over fine leg repeatedly to pull off a famous upset.
What type of delivery suits the Marillier shot?+
It works best against full-length deliveries on or outside off stump from pace bowlers, where a conventional drive is blocked by the field. The batter clears the front leg and swings across the line over the fine leg region.
Is the Marillier shot the same as a slog sweep?+
They are related but different. The slog sweep is played to spin on the front foot. The Marillier shot is played to pace — the batter clears their front leg and hits hard over the leg side, often from a back-foot position.
Sources
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