Quickest Bowlers? Today or Yesteryear?

[demondavey]

Couch potatoes scoff at guys on TV that "only" bowl in the 130s but even if you're an accomplished grade cricketer (which I am not) that's serious pace. I've faced a mate who played to a decent level in NSW and off his long run probably only got to 120-130 having not played regularly in years and I can say from experience if you don't pick it up it can leave a hefty bruise. People are the same watching the tennis. The top servers on the ATP tour can serve at 200 or even 250 km/h but if you reckon you'd get a serve back from someone who "only" serves at 160-170 you're kidding yourself. Did LOL watching heroes at the Hopman Cup measuring their powerful serves that came up low 100s.

**** doing a Piers Morgan and facing Brett Lee in the nets.

Brett Lee absolutely unleashed on Morgan. I was surprised he let him have it. No wonder he is universally disliked.

Yeah 'only' 130, it cracks me up when people say that. I've faced a few guys who are around that clip or maybe 135, and I can tell you, it's smoke and it's not cool. Put an extra 20 on that and you'd be killing blokes in district cricket.

 

[Scotland]

Brett Lee absolutely unleashed on Morgan. I was surprised he let him have it. No wonder he is universally disliked.

Yeah 'only' 130, it cracks me up when people say that. I've faced a few guys who are around that clip or maybe 135, and I can tell you, it's smoke and it's not cool. Put an extra 20 on that and you'd be killing blokes in district cricket.

I hit my mate to the boundary (well, what would've been in the boundary in a non nets situation) bowling at a fair clip because it was full outside off, I was forward and I picked it up. Glorious cover drive, but 9 times out of 10 I probably don't even make contact.

What I noticed the most facing someone quick when you aren't used to it is the height of the bounce and shorter reaction time when the ball is pitched shorter. A play and miss to a full straight one is just bowled or LBW a fraction of a second faster, but just short of a length still rising when it gets to you and hitting you on the hip/thigh/ribs/shoulder etc. is a big difference.

 

[WireHawk]

Andy Roberts might not have been as fast as Lee, Holding, Ahktar et al, but apart from Jeff Thomson he was the most dangerous in terms of hitting batsmen and hurting them. David Hookes and Colin Cowdrey had their jaws broken and are only a couple of the batsmen he seriously hurt.

Holding was fast. Garner was very awkward to face. Roberts was lethal.

 

[Registered User]

For those who don't know, Piers Morgan's problem with Ian Chappell stems from him facing Brett Lee, coz Chappell reckons he's a farkhead for doing it.

He introduced himself to Chappell, and it went something like this:
"Hi, Ian. I'm Piers Morgan"
Chappelli: "No, you're your a farking idiot", and he walked off.

I dunno if Chappell thinks he was a dickhead for putting himself in harm's way, or because he made a mockery of the game for publicity.
The exchange is probably on Youtube somewhere

 

[Gough]

Andy Roberts might not have been as fast as Lee, Holding, Ahktar et al, but apart from Jeff Thomson he was the most dangerous in terms of hitting batsmen and hurting them. David Hookes and Colin Cowdrey had their jaws broken and are only a couple of the batsmen he seriously hurt.

Holding was fast. Garner was very awkward to face. Roberts was lethal.

Quite what the TCCB were thinking sending a 43 year old Cowdrey out to face Lillee and Thommo in 1974/75 has always eluded me.

 

[Registered User]

Some of the strike rates are interesting. Some guys were better than I expected, and vice versa. I think some spinners are also on this list

SE Bond (NZ) 18 Tests: 38.7
K Rabada (SA) 22 Tests: 39.8
DW Steyn (SA) 85 Tests: 41.4
SF Barnes (ENG) 27 Tests: 41.6
AEE Vogler (SA) 15 Tests:43.1
Waqar Younis (PAK) 87 Tests: 43.4
FR Spofforth (AUS) 18 Tests: 44.5
W Barnes (ENG) 21 Tests: 44.8
J Briggs (ENG) 33 Tests: 45.1
FH Tyson (ENG) 17 Tests: 45.4
C Blythe (ENG) 19 Tests: 45.4
Shoaib Akhtar (PAK) 46 Tests: 45.7
JJC Lawson (WI) 13 Tests:46.3
MD Marshall (WI) 81 Tests: 46.7
JL Pattinson (AUS) 17 Tests: 46.8
AA Donald (SA) 72 Tests: 47.0
SP Jones (ENG) 18 Tests: 47.8
MA Starc (AUS) 38 Tests: 48.4
Mohammad Asif (PAK) 23 Tests:48.7
GJ Gilmour (AUS) 15 Tests:49.2
CEH Croft (WI) 27 Tests:49.3
VD Philander (SA) 46 Tests: 49.4
FS Trueman (ENG) 67 Tests: 49.4
DW Headley (ENG) 15 Tests: 50.4
RJ Harris (AUS) 27 Tests: 50.7
J Garner (WI) 58 Tests:50.8
Sir RJ Hadlee (NZ) 86 Tests:50.8
MA Holding (WI) 60 Tests:50.9
MG Johnson (AUS) 73 Tests: 51.1
ST Finn (ENG) 36 Tests:51.2
SL Malinga (SL) 30 Tests: 51.5
D Gough (ENG) 58 Tests:51.6
N Wagner (NZ) 34 Tests:51.7
RWV Robins (ENG) 19 Tests:51.8
GD McGrath (AUS) 124 Tests:51.9
DK Lillee (AUS) 70 Tests: 52.0
IR Bishop (WI) 43 Tests:52.2
M Hayward (SA) 16 Tests:52.2
JR Thomson (AUS) 51 Tests: 52.6
R Ashwin (INDIA) 55 Tests:52.8
LS Pascoe (AUS) 14 Tests:53.1
B Lee (AUS) 76 Tests:53.3
KJ Abbott (SA) 11 Tests:53.3
RGD Willis (ENG) 90 Tests:53.4
M Ntini (SA) 101 Tests:53.4
CL Cairns (NZ) 62 Tests:53.6
WE Bowes (ENG) 15 Tests:53.7
Imran Khan (PAK) 88 Tests: 53.7

 

[Mockcockpit]

Good list, nice mix of modern and older players. What a gun Shane Bond was, that spell in the 2003 World Cup was seriously fast and seriously good.

 

[The Passenger]

**** doing a Piers Morgan and facing Brett Lee in the nets.

That was ridiculous from all involved.

There was another one where Sam Burgess (South Sydney RL player) was facing with just canvas shoes you'd wear out clubbing. If I were his coach I would've been pissed off big time. getting hit by a cricket ball at 130+ on the foot with (effectively) no protection could put you out of action for 6+ months.

 

[PhatBoy]

That was ridiculous from all involved.

There was another one where Sam Burgess (South Sydney RL player) was facing with just canvas shoes you'd wear out clubbing. If I were his coach I would've been pissed off big time. getting hit by a cricket ball at 130+ on the foot with (effectively) no protection could put you out of action for 6+ months.

To be fair, the bloke had his face caved in by another englishman’s head in the opening 10 seconds of a grand final, and never left the field.

 

[thejockey]

Andy Roberts might not have been as fast as Lee, Holding, Ahktar et al, but apart from Jeff Thomson he was the most dangerous in terms of hitting batsmen and hurting them. David Hookes and Colin Cowdrey had their jaws broken and are only a couple of the batsmen he seriously hurt.

Holding was fast. Garner was very awkward to face. Roberts was lethal.

He cleaned up plenty of batsman in his day, used to bowl a set up bouncer and follow it with the proper one that was yards quicker

Marshall not too far behind him on that count either

 

[thejockey]

I was pleased I was able to see him bowl when he was at his peak. Never seen a keeper stand back so far when I went to the MCG Boxing Day 1975. He took the first 5 wickets to fall.

My dad says that's the quickest bowling ge has ever seen , said he made everyone else in the match look 'pedestrian'

 

[footyfan1978]

Bill was very raw early on, injuries cruelled him in terms of sheer pace.

Just was looking at highlights of 1984 Test he made his debut.
Forget his first wicket in Test cricket was a very weird one.
About 3 mins 45 seconds in. Then a couple more wickets soon after.
His third wicket sheer raw pace.

 

[JimDocker]

Couch potatoes scoff at guys on TV that "only" bowl in the 130s but even if you're an accomplished grade cricketer (which I am not) that's serious pace. I've faced a mate who played to a decent level in NSW and off his long run probably only got to 120-130 having not played regularly in years and I can say from experience if you don't pick it up it can leave a hefty bruise. People are the same watching the tennis. The top servers on the ATP tour can serve at 200 or even 250 km/h but if you reckon you'd get a serve back from someone who "only" serves at 160-170 you're kidding yourself. Did LOL watching heroes at the Hopman Cup measuring their powerful serves that came up low 100s.

**** doing a Piers Morgan and facing Brett Lee in the nets.

I think one Piers Morgan is one too many.

 

[BRWB]

Another great story about Thommo in comparison to Lillee (who is only our greatest quick ever) this time

"Ian Chappell: Lance Gibbs probably summed up the attitude of most willow-wielders in that period. I’d known Gibbsy for a few years and at the end of the first day’s play in the South Australia versus West Indies game at the start of the 1975—6 tour, he called me over.

‘You’ve got a job to do, Ian’, he said. ‘I can handle Lillee, he has a wife and kids, like me. But that mad man Thomson, you’ve got to tell him I can’t bat and he mustn’t kill me.’

‘But, Gibbsy,’ I said, laughing, ‘you’re forgetting that I’m not the captain any more’.

‘I don’t care,’ he said, wagging his finger at me. ‘I’m holding you responsible for my safety.’"

https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricke...p/news-story/a42bc140b18d80ed99c5ec542758da5b

 

[BRWB]

Legendary West Indian commentator Tony Crozier who saw all the West Indian great quicks up close from Wes Hall onwards, gives his thoughts on Thommo (noting the spell he refers to here is after Thommo buggered his shoulder) so Thommo was quicker prior..

"PP: What’s the fastest spell or the most intimidating spell of pace bowling that you’ve ever commentated on?

TC: I think it was Jeff Thomson, in Barbados in the Test match in 1978 when Australia came to West Indies with their back up players. He was the only one of the established Australians who came because he hadn’t yet signed a contract with World Series Cricket. They were badly beaten in the first Test match in Port of Spain.

In Barbados, Australia were bowled out for about 180 and that left the West Indies about an hour and a half’s batting before the close of play. It was Thomson from one end and from the other end it was Wayne Clark, a medium pace swing bowler.

Thomson really generated enormous pace with some hostility. He got the wickets of Greenidge, Richards and Kallicharran and there were thrilling confrontations between himself and Richards, as you would imagine. Eventually he got Richards...

...Then you had spells from the likes of Michael Holding, Roberts and Malcolm Marshall — who was generally acknowledged as being perhaps the best fast bowler that West Indies has produced — in that he swung the ball at pace, he could do anything with the ball. He was a tremendous competitor as well a bowler who bowled some wonderful spells.

However, I would have to say Thomson’s spell in Barbados in 1978 was certainly the most awesome and fastest I have seen."

http://www.cricketcountry.com/artic...8-was-the-fastest-i-ve-seen-tony-cozier-29724

 

[HavUEvaSeenTheRain]

I wouldn't doubt Thomson is the fastest of all time but I just can't believe he bowled 170kph. It is just far too big of an outlier. The talk about the ball only having one bounce before hitting the side screen is very believable but not completely unprecedented. On the radio just the other day they were talking about Waqar Younis and how the keeper was keeping 31m back for him at the WACA so I would imagine even he could achieve that. Also just because you seen him doesn't mean you can judge with any accuracy how quick he was bowling. I was at the ground during the 13/14 Ashes watching Johnson and the entire crowd (myself included) were getting carried away at how fast he was bowling and it took me awhile to realise he was only bowling about 4-5kph faster then Harris, who looked nearly medium. If Ricky Ponting rekons he couldn't see Akhtar when he was on then there is no way in hell people could have been facing 10kph faster at 170kph imo

 

[Registered User]

On the radio just the other day they were talking about Waqar Younis and how the keeper was keeping 31m back for him at the WACA

I heard that, it was Dean Jones talking to Hutchy and Pickers on Saturday morning. He said it was probably the fastest spell he faced. He looked around to see the keeper standing about a metre outside the 30 metre ODI circle

 

[Registered User]

I'm not sure if he still thinks this, but Justin Langer said several years ago that one of the fastest spells he faced was from Gillespie in a Shield match

 

[footyfan1978]

Legendary West Indian commentator Tony Crozier who saw all the West Indian great quicks up close from Wes Hall onwards, gives his thoughts on Thommo (noting the spell he refers to here is after Thommo buggered his shoulder) so Thommo was quicker prior..

"PP: What’s the fastest spell or the most intimidating spell of pace bowling that you’ve ever commentated on?

TC: I think it was Jeff Thomson, in Barbados in the Test match in 1978 when Australia came to West Indies with their back up players. He was the only one of the established Australians who came because he hadn’t yet signed a contract with World Series Cricket. They were badly beaten in the first Test match in Port of Spain.

In Barbados, Australia were bowled out for about 180 and that left the West Indies about an hour and a half’s batting before the close of play. It was Thomson from one end and from the other end it was Wayne Clark, a medium pace swing bowler.

Thomson really generated enormous pace with some hostility. He got the wickets of Greenidge, Richards and Kallicharran and there were thrilling confrontations between himself and Richards, as you would imagine. Eventually he got Richards...

...Then you had spells from the likes of Michael Holding, Roberts and Malcolm Marshall — who was generally acknowledged as being perhaps the best fast bowler that West Indies has produced — in that he swung the ball at pace, he could do anything with the ball. He was a tremendous competitor as well a bowler who bowled some wonderful spells.

However, I would have to say Thomson’s spell in Barbados in 1978 was certainly the most awesome and fastest I have seen."

http://www.cricketcountry.com/artic...8-was-the-fastest-i-ve-seen-tony-cozier-29724

Yes, this was clearly the spell Colin Croft talks about. He refused to go in as night watchman in his recall of towards end of that day. Pity we not got it on video. Also very interesting it is past his shoulder injury which further highlights to me how much quicker he must have been at his fastest before shoulder injury.

 

[footyfan1978]

I'm not sure if he still thinks this, but Justin Langer said several years ago that one of the fastest spells he faced was from Gillespie in a Shield match

Gillespie could get it up there is mid 150's at times but really settled on not trying to be an out and out pace bowler as his international career established. It is fast enough though as we saw with Mitchell Johnson and Starc. You do not have to bowl at Holding or Thommo like speed to have batsmen struggling with the pace.
Anything over 150 km/h is very fast for any batsmen to get used to when first coming to the crease.

 

[BRWB]

Yes, this was clearly the spell Colin Croft talks about. He refused to go in as night watchman in his recall of towards end of that day. Pity we not got it on video. Also very interesting it is past his shoulder injury which further highlights to me how much quicker he must have been at his fastest before shoulder injury.

Watching that forged in fire special and I can't recall anyone inspiring so much fear in batsman. Nor finishing so many careers nor seriously hurting so many batsman.

People say it was Thommo's action and he couldn't have been past Tait's 160. Well I look at what Thommo did and what Tait did (who had a similar slinging action) and it's chalk and cheese.

Thommo was a freak and the more I look at it the more certain I am that he would have been clocked at 170 in modern times and pre shoulder.

 

[strewthcobber]

Mitch Johnson getting it to the boundary in two bounces at the new Perth stadium yesterday


Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[imadodgyumpire]

Accounting for primitive speed gun technology. I'd say Thommo bowled at 210.

 

[imadodgyumpire]

I was just a lower grade plodding opening bat for my club. One time, I faced a guy named Terry Keays. I had nfi who he was or what he could do.

Lol!

 

[ROOTA#6]

Accounting for primitive speed gun technology. I'd say Thommo bowled at 210.

Closer to 250 is what I have been told!!!