Top 10 Fast Bowlers Of All Time

First topic message reminder :

Again, in order.

Plenty to choose from in this category and tbh I've gone with what I have seen, on the whole.

Marshall
McGrath
Barnes
Ambrose
Akram
Hadlee
Lillee
Trueman
Holding
Lindwall

Other contenders:
Larwood
Statham
Pollock
Thommo
Tyson

Sorry, forgot McGrath. He goes in the top ten in place of Hadlee.

Looks like I missed McGrath.

Alright, squeeze McGrath in place of Hadlee or Procter/Steyn.

I would have Steyn, McGrath and Hadlee in and replace him with Lindwall.

HumanWindmill wrote:You lads and lasses will need to bear with me, I fear, since the extent of my knowledge of cricket is limited to having played quite a bit at school, and that was the best part of forty years ago.

Anyway, as somebody who aspired to be a fast bowler I was always fascinated by the ability of Lillee's partner, Bob Massie, to swing a ball on a humid day.

Not suggesting he's a top ten pick, but an honourable mention, perhaps ?

Windy - good to have someone else north of 40 on the cricket forum.

Good and interesting shout by you for Bob Massie, now largely forgotten if not unheard of. His impact and ability to swing a cricket ball were phenomenal during the Ashes series in England in '72 - the amazement and admiration that greeted his bowling was a bit like that afforded to Shane Warne here years later. Unlike Warne though, Massie soon lost his ability and his mastery of a swinging ball disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. Sadly, he lost his test place soon after this series and not long after that his place in his state side back home.

As you suggest, not a top ten fast or even swing bowler of all time but probably one of the most effective bowlers ever in a single test series and certainly one of cricket's greatest mysteries.

Massie rocked like T Rex. He banged a gong and left the scene.

Thanks very much for the reply, guildford, and also Leff.

Nice to see that my enthusiasm for Massie wasn't entirely misplaced. I was, understandably, a wee bit nervous to submit a comment here, since you fellas clearly have an encyclopaedic grasp of the game and I am merely a casual enthusiast. However, I was anxious to know just how much or how little you experts rated Massie, and now I know.

I very much appreciate your responses, as well as your courtesy in dealing with somebody who knows so little.

I never saw Massie but 16 wickets in a test is some feat. Nareender Hirwani also got 16 on a dry pitch in India. I guess every dog has it's day given the right conditions.

Stella wrote:I never saw Massie but 16 wickets in a test is some feat. Nareender Hirwani also got 16 on a dry pitch in India. I guess every dog has it's day given the right conditions.

I would have been about seventeen when I saw him, Stella, and as one who fancied himself as the next Dennis Lillee I was sat there with my eyes popping out of my head when Massie was weaving his magic. I proceeded to try, with all my might, to polish the ball up on one side and get the thing to move in the air.

Needless to say, I failed miserably. Talent and ambition are not always bedfellows, alas.

Needless to say, I failed miserably. Talent and ambition are not always bedfellows, alas.

I know that so well. Nice to have hero's.

So it is, Stella.

Windy - lovely response from you too. We are all ''casual enthusiasts'' in our own way so please feel more than free to drop in on the cricket threads whenever you wish.

I gather boxing is your main area. I'll have to pay a visit to that part of the forum although I'm very much a bantam weight as far as that noble art goes.

Thank you very much, guildford.

There'll always be a welcome for you at the boxing section.

Just turn up at the boxing section, declare that Floyd Mayweather is rubbish and is ducking Pacquaio and you'll be welcomed with open arms.

Be good to see you over there, Guildford.

I don't think I'll bother doing a top ten, pound for pound article over there

Ha, they're a friendly bunch really, Stella

I do like Boxing but don't watch it as much I did in the 80's. The days of Hagler, Hearns and Alan Minter

About Bob Massie, there aren't better stories of success for fast bowlers in their debut matches. On that 1972 tour, Massie didn't play in the first test at Old Trafford and England won. Now, Australia introduced Massie at Lord's sensing overcast conditions. England was a capable team led by Illy with the likes of Boycott, Edrich, Luckhurst, and MJK. John Snow was England's strike bowler.

While Massie bagged 8 wickets each in the first and second innings, his illustrious teammate Lillee bagged the other 4 wickets.

Newspapers carried serial still photos of Massie bowling inswingers and outswingers with the same action. What made his success remarkable was that Snow and Lillee bowled in the same match. England should have bowled Geoff Arnold rather than Price.

Greg Chappell scored a century as if there was nothing was happening (Snow managed swing too).

He is remembered as a one-hit wonder like Brownsville Station.

It wasn't as if Massie completely lost his magic. He had injury problems. He retired after only 6 tests (including 4 on that tour) with a bowling average of about 21.

for me it has to be McGrath as the best fast bowler of all time.

Starting top down by those who must be in the list:

Wasim Akram: did things with the ball that no one else could.
McGrath: amazing consistency and longetivity.
Holding: frightening at his best.
Marshall: fast, swing, bouncer, yorker, what else do you want?
Barnes: never saw him, but stats suggest he was in a league of his own.
Ambrose: same as McGrath but quicker.
Hadlee: swing both ways and deadly accuracy at decent pace, did well everywhere.

That leaves 4 places, which seems very little considering all the greats there have been. Without much justification I go for the following 3:
Donald
Lillee
Waqar Younis

Unlucky to miss out: Lindwall, Trueman, Garner, Procter. Steyn will be thereabouts when he's finished.

steyn will be right near the top when he's finished.

In rank order:

1. Marshall
2. Holding
3. Ambrose
4. Trueman
5. Lindwall
6. Garner
7. Barnes
8. Lillee
9. Steyn
10. Hall

Leff wrote:In rank order:

1. Marshall
2. Holding
3. Ambrose
4. Trueman
5. Lindwall
6. Garner
7. Barnes
8. Lillee
9. Steyn
10. Hall

No McGrath or Wasim Akram? A bit surprising IMO, but you can't argue too much with any of the names on there, which again shows just how difficult an exercise this is...

Mad for Chelsea wrote:

Leff wrote:In rank order:

1. Marshall
2. Holding
3. Ambrose
4. Trueman
5. Lindwall
6. Garner
7. Barnes
8. Lillee
9. Steyn
10. Hall

No McGrath or Wasim Akram? A bit surprising IMO, but you can't argue too much with any of the names on there, which again shows just how difficult an exercise this is...

I like the ones that bowled fast. McGrath was accurate with many variations, but was in the category of fast-medium. With the exception of Barnes, who cut the ball prodigiously at fast-medium or medium, my picks are/were 'fast'.

Leff wrote:

Mad for Chelsea wrote:

Leff wrote:In rank order:

1. Marshall
2. Holding
3. Ambrose
4. Trueman
5. Lindwall
6. Garner
7. Barnes
8. Lillee
9. Steyn
10. Hall

No McGrath or Wasim Akram? A bit surprising IMO, but you can't argue too much with any of the names on there, which again shows just how difficult an exercise this is...

I like the ones that bowled fast. McGrath was accurate with many variations, but was in the category of fast-medium. With the exception of Barnes, who cut the ball prodigiously at fast-medium or medium, my picks are/were 'fast'.

Barnes spun the ball.
When interviewed aged 80 he said "I can still cut the ball, but any b*gger can do that!!!"

How does one differentiate a fast spun ball from a cutter?

Don't know to be honest Leff.
But Barnes always asserted that he span the ball, and was somewhat affronted by the suggestion that he merely cut it.

I presume a cutter is delivered at a faster pace???

Barnes opened the attack with a new ball. He bowled at more than medium-pace. It was intriguing that he was able to turn the ball viciously at a decent pace. I am guessing he bowled at the speed of Bailey (125-135 range).

Spinners are not just breaking from one side to the other; they spin the ball.

Ajantha Mendis bowls at medium-pace at times. To me, it seems like he mixes off-breaks and leg-breaks with off- and leg-cutters as well (and a few odd ones like the carom ball).

Barnes must have been an extraordinary bowler. Here is an example:
http://www.howstat.com/cricket/Statistics/Matches/MatchScorecard.asp?MatchCode=0131

Sydney Barnes.
Courtney Walsh.
Glenn McGrath.
Dale Steyn.
Malcom Marshall.
Curtly Ambrose.
Wasim Akram.
Michael Holding.
Imran Khan.
Richard Hadlee.

Is that in order, MSP?

Not in order the earlier one, here we go.

Malcom Marshall.
Sydney Barnes.
Curtly Ambrose.
Dale Steyn.
Wasim Akram.
Michael Holding.
Courtney Walsh.
Richard Hadlee.
Glenn McGrath.
Imran Khan.

for me, mcgrath has to be near the top. Leading wicket taker in tests out of all the fast bowlers.