Ashes 3rd test @ The WACA

gordo2016

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In most eras they'd have been blokes that hit 150. Maybe not as many but from what we have heard Larwood was really quick. not nice facing that speed under bodyline conditions.

in the 1950's Tyson and Statham were very quick. Richie Benaud always said Tyson was close to the fastest he had ever seen.
Grandfather saw Tyson bowl and said he was frightening. Wes Hall, too.
 

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footyfan78

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Lol he's the biggest knob on BF changed AFL teams cos the Essendon saga.
WTF? Did some poster really change teams over that?
Maybe he deserves respect for having principles and refused the Kool Aid ?
 

Demosthenes

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There's been analysis done that estimates Larwood at somewhere between 90-100MPH.

Getting more accurate than that is difficult given the technology available at the time, and the quality of surviving footage.
 

Jimthegreat

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The Windies from that late 70s/80s/early 90s era had great fast bowlers rotating constantly so there was no let up whatsoever, all lethal in their own way, Holding and Roberts were quick and relentlessly accurate with their line and length, Marshall was scary quick and could swing it both ways, Garner not as quick but got steepling bounce from being about 7 feet tall. Ambrose was quick and had bounce, Walsh was not so quick but was accurate, had bounce and a deceptive faster ball. Bishop was an underrated Windies quick too that would've gone down as one of the Windies all time great fast bowlers if not for injury.

I'm not saying Bradman would have failed against them but I doubt he would have had the average he did if he played them on a regular basis like Border.
Wouldn't have mattered. His skills were as such he would've played them way better than anyone else in history. Even more so these days with the body packed up like a suit of armour. No protection at all back in those days. Every the fingers on the gloves were just rubber spikes. Nothing would've been as intimidating as bodyline, everyone on the leg side, 90 mph ball aimed at the body on uncovered wickets.
 

Forward Press

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1 wicket lost and it wasn't that of Smith. You'd take that every time for a session.

And now within 90 of the first innings total. Still a lot of work ahead but a lot better position than the start of today.

Let's go Smiffy double ton...
 

footyfan78

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We have some available footage of Larwood from matches where he is described as bowling fast and he's nowhere near as fast as the genuinely quick bowlers from the modern era.
Show me this available footage. Curious if footage and camera speed good enough to even be able to tell.
 

BRWB

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We have some available footage of Larwood from matches where he is described as bowling fast and he's nowhere near as fast as the genuinely quick bowlers from the modern era.
Maybe it's too hard to say from old footage. But try facing him with the toothpicks they used to bat with on uncovered pitches with a body line field, no helmet and pads not much better than today's shin guards
 

Jimthegreat

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We have some available footage of Larwood from matches where he is described as bowling fast and he's nowhere near as fast as the genuinely quick bowlers from the modern era.
You won't tell much from old, grainy black and white footage. Players from that era said he was bloody quick.
 

gordo2016

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We have some available footage of Larwood from matches where he is described as bowling fast and he's nowhere near as fast as the genuinely quick bowlers from the modern era.
It is impossible to tell from the footage whether Larwood was not as quick as some of the fastest bowlers from the modern area. Judging by the reaction of the batsmen facing Larwood, his pace was certainly up there.
 

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footyfan78

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Wouldn't have mattered. His skills were as such he would've played them way better than anyone else in history. Even more so these days with the body packed up like a suit of armour. No protection at all back in those days. Every the fingers on the gloves were just rubber spikes.
The thing is the Don has a sharp mind, as I can tell from letters been browsing through, so he would have come up with a strategy and we know he had amazing talent so really hard to know. Very silly for someone to suggest he would fail though. All evidence suggests he would do better than others.
 

Demosthenes

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The Windies from that late 70s/80s/early 90s era had great fast bowlers rotating constantly so there was no let up whatsoever, all lethal in their own way, Holding and Roberts were quick and relentlessly accurate with their line and length, Marshall was scary quick and could swing it both ways, Garner not as quick but got steepling bounce from being about 7 feet tall. Ambrose was quick and had bounce, Walsh was not so quick but was accurate, had bounce and a deceptive faster ball. Bishop was an underrated Windies quick too that would've gone down as one of the Windies all time great fast bowlers if not for injury.

I'm not saying Bradman would have failed against them but I doubt he would have had the average he did if he played them on a regular basis like Border.
There is no way to know this. The circumstances were vastly different, and batsmen of both eras had vastly different challenges.
 

footyfan78

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You won't tell much from old, grainy black and white footage. Players from that era said he was bloody quick.
Yeah, that is what I am guessing. Footage from 40's of most sports seem to be at frame rates a bit different that really hard to know for sure.
 

The_Reaper

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Show me this available footage. Curious if footage and camera speed good enough to even be able to tell.
Can't find good footage at the moment but if you have time try and watch Bodyline by Adam Zwar which was on ABC a few years ago. They even got Brett Lee to replicate Larwood's action.

They worked out that Larwood was mostly between 137 - 147 (so about Hazlewood's range). But add no helmets, uncovered wickets and bodyline and it would have been far more daunting than any bowler around today.
 

BRWB

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The thing is the Don has a sharp mind, as I can tell from letters been browsing through, so he would have come up with a strategy and we know he had amazing talent so really hard to know. Very silly for someone to suggest he would fail though. All evidence suggests he would do better than others.
Bradman was an innovator - only succeeded against body line by backing away and hitting through the empty off side.

IIRC there was a story from Alan McGilvray who was a medium fast bowler. Bradman said he'd hit the ball wherever McGilvray nominated in a shield game. Did it off every ball of an 8 ball over.
 

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Not surprised as he has been bowling crap and a lot slower than his usual self which screams to me that he is just going through the motions without any real effort or heart in it.

Aussies are making him pay as well which is great.
 

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Bradman was an innovator - only succeeded against body line by backing away and hitting through the empty off side.

IIRC there was a story from Alan McGilvray who was a medium fast bowler. Bradman said he'd hit the ball wherever McGilvray nominated in a shield game. Did it off every ball of an 8 ball over.
Has to be said that Stan McCabe, who has a record which stacks up against pretty much everyone, also succeeded against Bodyline.
 

gavaniacono

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Yeah, that is what I am guessing. Footage from 40's of most sports seem to be at frame rates a bit different that really hard to know for sure.
Plus of course it is impossible to know whether whatever random footage they have is their typical speed or not. Also, what about other aspects of a fast bowlers bowling? Are the fastest bowlers therefore the best? Clearly not. Its a silly observation that speed makes a fast bowler.

I always thought batting may be getting easier, not harder. Don could have averaged more than 100 in the modern game with steadier wickets and better technology.
 
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