Shane Warne: Australian icons greatest moments including Ashes and World Cup

The world of cricket has been left reeling after the death of Australian legend Shane Warne at the age of just 52.

The leg-spinner claimed 708 Test wickets, the second most of all-time, across 145 matches in an astonishing international career that spanned 15 years.

Warne also helped Australia win the 1999 50-over World Cup and claimed 293 dismissals in 194 one-day internationals between 1993 and 2005.

His long and successful career has featured so many memorable moments and we celebrate some of Warne’s finest here.

Australian cricket hero and legendary leg-spinner, Shane Warne, pictured at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on February 18, has died suddenly aged 52

Warne is widely considered one of the greatest bowlers in history and a leg spinner of unsurpassed quality

Warne is widely considered one of the greatest bowlers in history and a leg spinner of unsurpassed quality 

The ball of the century

No better place to start than the beginning, or at the very least Warne’s first ball against England in his first Ashes Test in 1993.

Who was this peroxide-haired 23-year-old from Victoria who’d barely stepped into the Test arena? Well, England would soon find out and he’d become their scourge for the next 14 years.

It’s still an absolutely outrageous ball to watch back even now, clipping the top of Mike Gatting’s off-stump having pitched miles outside leg.

Gatting was so bemused he initially stayed at the crease believing that the Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy had knocked the bails off himself.

Ultimately he’d have to concede he’d been completely and utterly bamboozled.

Mike Gatting stands absolutely bewildered after being bowled by the 'ball of the century'

Mike Gatting stands absolutely bewildered after being bowled by the ‘ball of the century’

Gatting looks back to see the bail gone after Warne's ball turned outrageously to clip the stump

Gatting looks back to see the bail gone after Warne’s ball turned outrageously to clip the stump

Leaving Strauss bewildered

12 years after the Ball of the Century, Warne was still causing England torment and there was no better example than in the ding-dong second Ashes Test classic at Edgbaston.

His stunning second innings spell of six wickets for 46 was sparked by another scarcely believable dismissal, this time of England opener Andrew Strauss.

Pitching way outside off-stump, the ball spun two-and-a-half feet across to bowl Strauss around his legs as he stepped across his crease.

A little like Gatting, the England batsman momentarily couldn’t register what Warne had done to him before allowing a wry smile to himself as he walked off.

We all know the rest – England went on to win this epic Test match, arguably the best of all time, by just two runs.

Andrew Strauss looks back to register what has just happened after Warne bowled him

Andrew Strauss looks back to register what has just happened after Warne bowled him

Stepping across his crease, Strauss was undone by an outrageously deviating delivery

Stepping across his crease, Strauss was undone by an outrageously deviating delivery

Hat-trick hero

Sorry to pile on the bad memories, England fans, but it’s pretty typical that Warne’s one and only Test hat-trick would come in the Ashes.

It was the Boxing Day Test at Warne’s home ground in Melbourne in 1994 when Warne got on a real roll to dismiss tail-enders Phil DeFreitas, Darren Gough and Devon Malcolm in consecutive balls.

DeFreitas was trapped LBW on the back leg pad for a duck, Gough stepped forward and feather edged, then Malcolm was caught by David Boon to seal Australia’s 295-run victory and send the MCG into raptures.

He would take 27 wickets across that five-Test series, including a career best eight for 71 in the second innings of the first Test at the Gabba.

Warne celebrates taking the wicket of Devon Malcom to complete a memorable hat-trick

Warne celebrates taking the wicket of Devon Malcom to complete a memorable hat-trick

Warne with the hat-trick ball and some light refreshment after Australia's 295-run victory

Warne with the hat-trick ball and some light refreshment after Australia’s 295-run victory

Celebrating in style at Trent Bridge

Warne took ‘only’ the 24 wickets during Australia’s Ashes tour of England in 1997 but he certainly knew how to celebrate in style.

When England were beaten by a whopping 264 runs at Trent Bridge in the fifth Test, putting Australia 3-1 up with just one Test to play, Warne cut loose.

Grabbing a souvenir stump, he whipped up the crowd that had gathered on the outfield with some memorable hip shaking.

Warne's memorable balcony dance after Australia wrapped up the 1997 Ashes series

Warne’s memorable balcony dance after Australia wrapped up the 1997 Ashes series

On top of the world

Taking a quick step away from the Test arena to the 1999 50-over World Cup, which proved one of Warne’s finest hours.

None more so than in a tense semi-final against old rivals South Africa at Edgbaston. Australia, without a World Cup success since 1987, had only posted 213 in their innings. The Proteas responded by reaching 48 without loss.

Step forward Warne to completely destroy the South African batting. He removed first Herschelle Gibbs and then Gary Kirsten in quick succession, then came back for captain Hansie Cronje.

After Jacques Kallis reached his half-century, Warne dismissed him at the crucial moment. Remarkably, South Africa were bowled out also for 213, with Australia advancing to the final because they finished higher in the Super Six stage – and only then on net run rate. Talk about tight.

Warne would take four more wickets in the final to restrict Pakistan to just 132, a target that was knocked off with eight wickets to spare. Australia were on top of the world.

Warne (centre) celebrates with the Waugh brothers as Australia won the 1999 World Cup

Warne (centre) celebrates with the Waugh brothers as Australia won the 1999 World Cup

Early signs of promise

Flashback to December 1992 and the Boxing Day Test against a West Indies side who Australia hadn’t got the better of since 1978.

The fresh-faced Warne hadn’t exactly made a seismic impact during his first year in Test cricket but, on his home ground, Allan Border threw him on as West Indies were pursuing a victory target of 359 to go 1-0 up in the series.

The tourists were 143 for one when Warne bowled skipper Richie Richardson for 52, the first of seven wickets for just 52 as the West Indies uncharacteristically collapsed to 219 all out.

It was the first of many man of the match performances as his career well and truly took flight.

Gabba dabba do

As has often been the case since, it didn’t take long for English optimism to be punctured at the Gabbatoir in the opening match of an Ashes series.

Michael Atherton’s side may have fancied their chances of springing a surprise in 1994/95 but Warne soon extinguished the hope.

He took 11 wickets for 110 runs in the match, including a sensational eight for 71 in the second innings as the hosts closed in on a 184-run win.

And just look at this flipper to get rid of Alec Stewart. Nice partnership you had there…

The perfect farewell

You couldn’t really have scripted it any better. Warne, performing in front of his home crowd in his final Boxing Day Test in the 2006-07 Ashes, collects his 700th wicket by bowling Andrew Strauss.

Strauss was lured down the track and into some kind of stroke, then made to look daft as the ball passes him and hits the stumps.

Cue absolute delirium as Warne races off with his arm raised before being caught and mobbed by his team-mates as nearly 90,000 spectators gave a standing ovation.

It was the start of the carnage as Warne took five for 39 as England, having surrendered the Urn, were bowled out for 159 en route to an innings loss.

Agonisingly close to a ton

Warne obviously wasn’t known for his batting, though he made plenty of handy lower order contributions and actually recorded a dozen fifties, 3,154 Test runs in all at an average of 17.32.

But there was one occasion when he came agonisingly close to a century.

December 2001 and a Trans-Tasman series with New Zealand at Perth. Warne reached 99 off 157 balls when he was caught at mid-wicket off the bowling of Daniel Vettori with the landmark within his grasp.

Even worse, the delivery was later revealed to be a no ball!

Commentating on one of his wickets

Regular watchers of the Aussie Big Bash will know that certain players are picked to wear a microphone and give a kind of running insight to the TV commentary team.

In the fifth edition of the BBL, Warne was bowling for the Melbourne Stars against Brisbane Heat and described precisely what he was about to do to get rid of McCullum before he did it.

‘Might try and slide one in there, fast…’ Just watch… Liz looked impressed, anyway. 

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk