In cricket, a jaffa is an exceptional delivery by a bowler. A fast bowler with command of direction and pitch can deliver an unplayable delivery. Also known as "corker" a jaffa makes for a delivery that can go viral on social media.
Exceptional Bowling
The best jaffa delivered in the sport result in a batsman fumbling in thin air. At the worst, the batsman ends up with a dismissal.
Possible Origin of Jaffa
Jaffa is an port city and one of the oldest areas of Tel Aviv in Israel. It is said that a thick-skinned orange is grown in the area and that the fruit is exceptionally swift. How the word "jaffa" came to be used in cricket is unclear, but some attribute an exceptional delivery to the idea of a great-tasting fruit.
Corker Explained
The alternative word for "jaffa" which is "corker" is easier to explain. Cricket originated from southeast England. Corker is an old-fashioned informal word used by the British to refer to a thing that is excellent or a person that is equally superior. Corker is often used in Britain as a countable noun, such as for instance in the phrase, "an absolute corker of an idea".
