Prettiest bowlers to watch

[FreoStillNil]

I don't know about "pretty", but along the lines of the batsmen thread who did you enjoy watching bowl. For me:

Curtly Ambrose - will never forget that spell at the WACA
Wasim Akram - swing and pace off a short run up, made it look easy
Warne - didn't appreciate it at the time as I was just getting into cricket, absolute freak
Lillee - before my time, but that action - can definitely describe that as pretty

 

[GROTTO]

 

[11kgm]

Paul Adams

 

[Shane Sheridan]

Curtly, loved the way he held the ball at it's apex - 'it's coming are you good enough to deal with it?'

 

[PhatBoy]

Not as many ‘graceful’ bowlers as there have been batsmen but there are plenty who looked better than others.

Kumble I thought had a beautiful graceful action.
Shane bond was beautiful to watch too, he was just built to bowl quickly.

steyn was great to watch in that he was thrilling - 100 miles an hour in every way. Shoaib Akhtar for a similar reason.

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

Mikey Holding. 155 k plus and it look absolutely effortless.

 

[Gethelred]

Jason Holder comes to mind. He's got a very smooth action, doesn't seem to exert himself, but plays little mind games with the person at the other end.

I really enjoyed watching Herath bowl, but less because he was graceful - even though he was - but because he was the best player of mindgames in world cricket that I've ever seen. No human being has been better at convincing the batter that the next ball is going to turn, it really will I promise; oh no, I've played across the line and he's given me the arm ball that doesn't bounce. Out LBW.

Daniel Vettori was classy, as far as spinners go. Timeless action and technique. Glenn McGrath was as economical a fast bowler in terms of nothing wasted in his action and run up as I've ever seen. Jadeja goes alright, too, but the feeling I get from him as he bowls is energy rather than relaxation.

I really like Joffra Archer's action. Not many in world cricket can amble in and just bowl a steepling bouncer without it showing in their effort or their runup. Hazelwood can make it look effortless from time to time, but he doesn't always have it. Nathan Bracken was decent, too.

 

[GROTTO]

I think we have a winner. Nimble, light and agile. Who would have thought it would take till the year of 2020 for us to find this winner in cricket.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Loved watching Dale Steyn in his pomp.

McGrath is an obvious one. Such a smooth campaigner. I’d probably include Anderson for the same reason, though primary in English conditions.

For an outside the box nomination I really enjoyed watching Bracken in ODIs, nice swing at the start and then deft cutters at the death.

Edit: just noticed Bracken was mentioned above, good stuff Gethelred

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Waqar Younis

That slingshot style that generated the reverse swing was awesome. I liked Fidel Edwards a bit the same though he obviously didn't have the same impact.

Also loved his contemporary, Saqlain Mushtaq. Introduced the doosra without the pronounced elbow flick of those who followed.

Ryan Harris had an efficiency and simplicity to his action that I admired. Not 'pretty' in the graceful sense of a Holding, just pure effectiveness. Very little that could go wrong.

Another who made it look very easy was Mohammad Asif. Breath-takingly good bowler, even on flat wickets. Presented the seam, made it talk. It's a shame the way he torpedoed his career with a string of scandals

 

[Gough]

Abdul Qadir is the first leggie I can remember proper watching and he was mesmerising. Plus one for Holding too and I never saw him live but Andy Roberts is very easy to watch.

 

[PhatBoy]

Waqar Younis

That slingshot style that generated the reverse swing was awesome. I liked Fidel Edwards a bit the same though he obviously didn't have the same impact.

Also loved his contemporary, Saqlain Mushtaq. Introduced the doosra without the pronounced elbow flick of those who followed.

Ryan Harris had an efficiency and simplicity to his action that I admired. Not 'pretty' in the graceful sense of a Holding, just pure effectiveness. Very little that could go wrong.

Another who made it look very easy was Mohammad Asif. Breath-takingly good bowler, even on flat wickets. Presented the seam, made it talk. It's a shame the way he torpedoed his career with a string of scandals

Asif - great mention! Was just sublime and really could have been generational if he wasn’t such a clown

 

[atlas1]

Definitely Kumble for me

 

[MJG14]

Agree with many of those already mentioned.

Allan Donald had a wonderful bowling action.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Modern day I love Rabada's action

Before my time Bishan Bedi had a beautiful action

 

[ioppolo]

Mohammad Amir pre prison sentence was a joy for me. Liked his flow

 

[Teen Wolf]

Keith Miller always stands out for me whenever perusing old footage and docos etc. Helped by usually being filmed from a side-on angle, rather than the modern broadcast style which isn't designed to capture the full multi-dimensional splendour of fast bowlers. Evidently quite an imitable action too. Even the elephant-like trudge of a heavy Shane Watson didn't make it look ugly.

 

[Wedge McManus]

Mikey Holding. 155 k plus and it look absolutely effortless.

He never bowled anything anywhere near that fast

 

[PhatBoy]

He never bowled anything anywhere near that fast

no of course he didn’t but Adam Dale did
Holding never got close to 155. Not even in a one off 1976 study that clocked him at 153. He was never anywhere near 155

 

[Freo Big Fella]

Marshall and Curtly in tandem on the old WSC broadcast from 87 both proving very easy on the eye.

 

[Freo Big Fella]

no of course he didn’t but Adam Dale did
Holding never got close to 155. Not even in a one off 1976 study that clocked him at 153. He was never anywhere near 155

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Some really interesting stuff in that article: http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/STATS/FC/BOWLING/BOWLING_SPEEDS_old.html

Although Agarkar clocking in at 147kmh is a bit suspect.

Edit: Nantie Hayward not getting more of a look in for South Africa in the immediate post-Donald, pre-Steyn era also remains baffling.

 

[PhatBoy]

Some really interesting stuff in that article: http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/STATS/FC/BOWLING/BOWLING_SPEEDS_old.html

Although Agarkar clocking in at 147kmh is a bit suspect.

Edit: Nantie Hayward not getting more of a look in for South Africa in the immediate post-Donald, pre-Steyn era also remains baffling.

he was very rapid

 

[WeMissYouMarkCoughlan]

 

[PhatBoy]

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hmm. While I don’t think Perry is ugly by any means I think she suffers from the same affliction as Ms Timms in the Inbetweeners in that she just happens to be the only above average looker in a group of not hot women

 

[Richard Pryor]

Always liked Brett Lee's action. Richard Hadlee and DK Lillee are the two my Dad would say.