[Cricket] Test match bowler,s and your number One.

[redoubtable seagull]

...........including one of his own. Remember him walking out to bat, arm in plaster, played one handed and STILL hit a four. It was like the Windies team at the time were taking the piss out of us.

Edit - found it. https://youtu.be/VeHsvctOaHQ

Marshall then took 7 wickets in the innings with his arm in plaster.

Marshall would be my number 1. A formidable fast bowler. His strike rate was very good too with a wicket every 46 balls.

I think in years to come Rabbada is going to be very high up the list. He has 151 wickets in 32 tests at an average of 22 and a strike rate of a phenomenal wicket every 39 balls.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Marshall for me, with a nod to Hadlee.

Jimmy is RIGHT up there though. Absolute genius.

 

[Arkwright]

The combined West Indian attack of Marshall, Croft, Garner, Ambrose, Holding and the under used Clarke must have been a daunting prospect as with Thompson and Lillie.
However for me it's either Murali or Warne brilliant bowlers and in all countries and conditions. If pushed I would say Warne saw him at the MCG rip England apart on the first day of a Test in dull conditions on a soft wicket he was brilliant.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

 

[Invicta]

The combined West Indian attack of Marshall, Croft, Garner, Ambrose, Holding and the under used Clarke must have been a daunting prospect as with Thompson and Lillie.
However for me it's either Murali or Warne brilliant bowlers and in all countries and conditions. If pushed I would say Warne saw him at the MCG rip England apart on the first day of a Test in dull conditions on a soft wicket he was brilliant.

Ambrose was later than the others .? Walsh just about in that era

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

The combined West Indian attack of Marshall, Croft, Garner, Ambrose, Holding and the under used Clarke must have been a daunting prospect as with Thompson and Lillie.
However for me it's either Murali or Warne brilliant bowlers and in all countries and conditions. If pushed I would say Warne saw him at the MCG rip England apart on the first day of a Test in dull conditions on a soft wicket he was brilliant.

Saw a good interview with Jeff Dujon the other day and he reckons Patrick Patterson was the fastest of the lot on his day.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

The five Wisden cricketers of the 20th century, voted for by a panel of 100 cricketing experts, were ( in order ).....
1 ) Bradman
2 ) Sobers
3 ) Hobbs
4 ) WARNE
5 ) Richards ( Viv )

The only specialist bowler. He was still playing when they voted. A leg-spinner voted the 4th greatest player of the 20th century.
I rest my case.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Muralitharan is clearly the best test bowler of all time, no debate.

Anderson only has another 200 wickets or so to catch up!

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Hadlee and for one major reason.

The day after our marriage my wife and I had breakfast with him, NZ were touring and playing Sussex staying in the hotel we were and what an engaging person he was.

Nice story. When the Kiwis toured England with RH in his prime he pretty much carried the team. Someone in the England camp (or maybe a journo) said that betting a against the NZ attack was like facing the World XI at one end and Ilford 2nds at the other. Apparently the kiwis had some T-shirts printed with 'Ilford 2nd XI' - and won the series. Was there ever a side more dependent on one player?

 

[Dave the OAP]

Lillie
Thomson
Mike proctor
Anderson
Andy Roberts
Whispering death holding.

 

[Dave the OAP]

In the same way as there is a huge difference between a decent county league footballer and an international footballer, the same can be said for cricket.

I always thought I was a decent player, County schoolboy cricket etc, until I came up against a touring West Indian side. They were only young players and I was asked to play up at the oval in an invitation game. I went in number three, and was going along quite nicely on a fast wicket( no helmets in those days) and this young lad received the call to get warmed up.

Anyway on came this tall lad and I peered into the distance to see him walking out his run. I looked around me and the keeper must have been at least 30 yards back and there wasn't 1 player apart from the bowler in front of the wicket. First ball came and went, or I thought it did as all I heard was this thump and the ball hit the wicket and seconds later the same sound as the keeper took it above his head. I lasted 4 balls , the final one, I stepped away to short leg to avoid a sort ball and it caught my glove and was caught. I honsestly didn't see one ball he bowled and he tore through the team and we were all out for 45. We had the best ever beer match afterwards though where you had to bat left or right handed opposite to your normal

I found out later it was a young lad called colin crofts.

 

[pasty]

Lillie
Thomson
Mike proctor
Anderson
Andy Roberts
Whispering death holding.

On a cruise a few years back I went on a tour of cricket grounds in Antigua. We were promised at the end of the tour a Q&A session with a West Indies legend. So there we were, sat in the main stand at The Recreation Ground, and the tour host said "Ladies and Gentlemen, can I introduce you to....... Mr Andy Roberts"

Loved it. Best moment was when somebody asked "Was there any batsman you thought you would never get out?" He paused for a few seconds in deep thought, then in a very deep West Indian voice just said "No man". He also gave Boycott a bit of a slagging off, insinuating he always appeared to be injured and not play when faced with a venomous pace attack