Best bowling attack ever (4 bowlers)

[Days of Grace]

To complement the top 7 thread.

Hard to go past:

Holding
Marshall
Roberts
Garner

(how many tests did these four play together, I wonder?)

or:

McGrath
Gillespie
Kasprowicz
Warne

(not as strong on paper, but in reality they were the most consistent, probing attack I have ever seen)

 

[archie mac]

To complement the top 7 thread.

Hard to go past:

Holding
Marshall
Roberts
Garner

(how many tests did these four play together, I wonder?)

or:

McGrath
Gillespie
Kasprowicz
Warne

(not as strong on paper, but in reality they were the most consistent, probing attack I have ever seen)

The English attacks of the mid to late 50s were pretty good on paper (and in the middle)

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

The dream team West Indies sides of Holding/Marshall/Roberts/Garner and similar rarely played together due to career gaps, injuries etc, and their peaks didn't really coincide. I suppose it's similar to the theoretical lineup of McGrath/Gillespie/Lee/Warne, which would be one of the best ever if Lee was as good at that point as he is today, but the peaks of all 4 never really matched up. They did play a decent number of games as a solid attack though.

 

[Sanz]

To complement the top 7 thread.

Hard to go past:

Holding
Marshall
Roberts
Garner

(how many tests did these four play together, I wonder?)

Only 6 Test matches - WI won 3 , Drew 3

4 of them vs. India and 2 Vs. England. Ironically Gavaskar is the only batsman (among the great ones) who faced them all together in a series and scored at an average of 36. It has often been pointed that Gavaskar struggled against the might WI attack, well he only played them in 4 tests.

McGrath
Gillespie
Kasprowicz
Warne

(not as strong on paper, but in reality they were the most consistent, probing attack I have ever seen)

Played 15, Lost 2, Won 10, Drew 3

 

[SJS]

There are so many terrific attacks to chose from. Let me try to list some.

ENGLAND : mid 1880's to mid 1890's's

1. George Lohmann
2. Tom Richardson
3. Bobby Peel
4. Johnny Briggs

The problem with that lot : only three of them actually played in a test match together.

ENGLAND : 1909

1. SF Barnes
2. George Hirst
3. Colin Blythe
4. Wilf Rhodes

ENGLAND : 1932-33

1. Larwood
2. Tate
3. Verity
4. Bowes/Voce

It also had Gubby Allen.

ENGLAND : 1955-56

1. Tyson
2. Statham
3. Trueman
4. Laker
5. Bedser

In support : Trevor Bailey, Tony Lock, Johnny Wardle

Take your pick

Those are the best England attacks I could think of.

Other countries later

 

[aussie]

The rebel SA's in the 1980s had some solid attacks:

Le Roux
Van der Bijl
Jefferies
Rice
Kourie

 

[SJS]

AUSTRALIA : 1946

1. Lindwall
2. Miller
3. Orielly
4. Johnston

AUSTRALIA : early 1950's

1. Lindwall
2. Miller
3. Davidson
4. Benaud

Johnson and Johnston in addition

AUSTRALIA : 1970's

1. Lillee
2. Thomson
3. Ashley Mallet
4. Max Walker
5. Gary Gilmour

AUSTRALIA : start of the 21st century

1. McGrath
2. Brett Lee
3. Jason Gillespie
4. Shane Warne

 

[SJS]

And the all conquering West Indians of the mid 70's and 80's....

WEST INDIES in England 1976

1. Roberts
2. Holding
3. Daniell
4. Holder

WEST INDIES in England 1980

1. Roberts
2. Holding
3. Marshall
4. Garner

Croft in attendance.

WEST INDIES in England 1984

1. Marshall
2. Garner
3. Holding
4. Harper

WEST INDIES in England 1988

1. Marshall
2. Ambrose
3. Walsh
4. Benjamin

Patterson and Harper for support

 

[Laurrz]

McGrath
Gillespie
Kasprowicz
Warne

(not as strong on paper, but in reality they were the most consistent, probing attack I have ever seen)

agreed - incredibly accurate attack..

 

[SJS]

South Africa vs Australia 1957-58

1. Adcock
2. Heine
3. Tayfield
4. Goddard

South Africa in Australia 1963

1. Peter Pollock
2. Eddie Barlow
3. Trevor Goddard
4. Joseph Partridge

South Africa mid to late sixties

1. Pollock
2. Proctor
3. Barlow
4. Goddard

 

[Goughy]

From an England POV, its annoying that IIRC its 5 best seamers of the 90s never combined to played together in any combination as a 4 man attack, especially as during that time playing no spinner was common. The 5 being Gough, Caddick, Headley, Fraser and Cork

 

[SJS]

From an England POV, its annoying that IIRC its 5 best seamers of the 90s never combined to played together in any combination as a 4 man attack, especially as during that time playing no spinner was common. The 5 being Gough, Caddick, Headley, Fraser and Cork

Thats true though they are not still absolutely top line names.

Its amazing how England do not have a great attack after the mid fifties while Australia keep regenerating every second decade. Hence England's near failure to really dominate world cricket again while Australia keep resurfacing at the top 70's and since 90's. The West Indians of the 70's and 80's and the South Africans of the sixties fill the gaps.

A great attack will always be a pre-requisite to world dominance in the longer version of the game hence the clear correlation between the great sides and great attacks.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Not sure if this attack played together (Statsguru probably has the answer but I can't be arsed to look it up) but it's an interesting thought.

Hall
Griffith
Sobers
Ramadin
Valentine

 

[subshakerz]

McGrath
Gillespie
Kasprowicz
Warne

(not as strong on paper, but in reality they were the most consistent, probing attack I have ever seen)

Great attack but Kasprowicz was always more of a workhorse than a strike bowler.

 

[S.P. Fleming]

Hadlee
Chatfield
L. Cairns
Morrison

Bracewell unfortunately if you want a spinner

 

[Zinzan]

Wasim Akram
Waqar Younis
Imran Khan
Abdul Qadir

from around 1990 may not be the best, but worth a mention

 

[Zinzan]

Hadlee
Chatfield
L. Cairns
Morrison

Bracewell unfortunately if you want a spinner

Lance Cairns & Danny Morrison never played together. Cairns played his last test in 1985 while Morrison debuted in 1987. Unless of course you mean't John (mystery) Morrison, but then I'd know you were taking the p

 

[Flem274*]

Not to mention that if Bond, Nash, Cairns, Doull/O'Connor and Vettori played in the same test (unlikely) they'd be better as a unit.

 

[Beleg]

I am fairly sure wasim, waqar, shoaib and saqlain played together at least once...

 

[SJS]

Not sure if this attack played together (Statsguru probably has the answer but I can't be arsed to look it up) but it's an interesting thought.

Hall
Griffith
Sobers
Ramadin
Valentine

I thought of that but....

In 1957 on the England tour, West Indies played Gilchrist Valentine and Ramadhin in two tests. Valentine was finished and bowled just 3 overs in the first of these and 23 in the second for no wickets. Ramadhin was only slightly better taking 2 wickets in the two tests for 182 runs !!

Hall was yet to debut but Gilchrist bowled well opening the bowling with him was Frank Worrell !!

In the next series in Pakistan Ramadhin and Hall both did not play.

Then came that controversial tour to India. Hall and Gilchrist and Ramadhin played but no Valentine. That tour was the end of Gilchrist.

Hall, Ramadhin, Valentine bowled together in two tests. alongwith Sobers, Watson and Worrell in the tied test series.

That was Ramadhin's last series.