How to Play the Marillier Shot: The Slog Over Deep Fine Leg
The Marillier shot is a high-risk, high-reward slog played to full or short-of-a-length pace deliveries, swatting the ball over fine leg or deep square leg for six.
The Marillier shot is a deliberately unorthodox attacking stroke where the batter clears their front leg and smashes a full-ish delivery — usually from a pace bowler — high and hard over the fine leg or deep square leg boundary. It is a percentage shot only in specific match situations, but when executed cleanly, it is almost impossible to field.
Why the Shot Exists
Named after Zimbabwe’s Douglas Marillier, the shot exploits a gap that conventional batting rarely targets: fine leg. When the off side is heavily guarded, and the fielding team is bowling full and straight to prevent the slog, the batter essentially changes the angle of attack entirely. The ball is allowed to come onto the bat slightly, then the batter swings across the line with power and loft.
Stance
Start in your normal stance. Unlike the sweep or slog sweep, there is no prescribed front-foot stride forward. Many batters play it from a slightly open stance, transferring weight onto 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 quickly and the field is set conventionally.
- When the bowling is full and swinging in — swinging across the line uses that movement rather than fighting it.
- Against pace bowlers who are bowling full and straight in death overs.
- When fine leg is inside the circle (powerplay) — the gap is at its largest.
Risks and How to Manage Them
The shot carries real risk. Here’s what goes wrong and how to avoid it:
- Top edge: Usually happens when the ball is not full enough. Only play it to a genuine full-length delivery.
- Caught at deep fine leg: The fielder is in the game if your swing isn’t clean. Hit through the ball, not under it.
- Bowled or LBW: If you clear the front leg too early, you leave the stumps exposed. Time the leg clearance to after the ball leaves the hand.
Practice Drill
Ask a throwdown specialist or bowling machine to deliver full balls on off stump at medium pace. Practice stepping the front foot away to the on side and swinging flat across the line over fine leg. Start on a short boundary to build confidence, then increase the target. The goal is consistent connection, not maximum distance.
Quick summary: The Marillier shot clears the front leg and swings a full pace delivery over fine leg. Use it late in chases against over-pitched bowling when the off side is heavily guarded. Clean contact and timing matter more than brute force.
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.