Fastest over EVER bowled in test cricket history

[Richard]

It's not a dig at you but the whole 'he was too quick' thing when I've never heard the same thing said about Lee/Tait/Shoaib. Strikes me as more mythology than anything, especially since Holding himself has said Shoaib was quicker than he ever was (although not by much).

I've seen odd deliveries where said bowlers have - on deliveries that have not moved a millimetre - simply got the ball through the batsmen before he's got the bat down. Mostly only happens to batsmen with relatively high backlifts (I can recall Shoaib doing it to Gilchrist at least a couple of times) but it does happen. I've not even seen that much of Tait but have certainly seen him be too quick - and not just for a tailender - once or twice.

It only happens occasionally, but all you need is for it to happen with a straight one and you're gone.

 

[Richard]

Although 76 and 79 would seem to be a little different

I might be misinterpreting that post - but for Holding it certainly was. He himself and (UIMM) several batsmen have long maintained that he was never quite as quick after his injury in '77 as he was for the year before that.

Ditto Thomson and that shoulder injury in '76/77.

 

[Richard]

Greg Blewett bowled 140km/h plus, and he was might have been described as slippery, surprising, etc.

Bloody hell, did he really?

 

[zaremba]

Never forget that Craig Sh!te bowled at over 90mph after he fell over in that ditch and hit his head

 

[Neil Pickup]

For reference on the horizontal vector, if you deliver a ball from 2.5m above the ground and pitch it, pretty damn short, 13m in front of you, the ball has travelled 13.24 metres. This "95.3mph" ball will therefore really be travelling 97.0mph (+1.8%).

If you deliver a ball from 2.5m above the ground and pitch it 22m away from you, it will travel 22.14 metres. So a "95.3 mph" yorker length ball will really be doing 95.9mph (+0.64%).

 

[silentstriker]

In terms of the reaction time of the batsman, the vertical speed is pretty irrelevant anyway. How fast it gets to the batsman depends on the horizontal speed.

 

[zaremba]

In terms of the reaction time of the batsman, the vertical speed is pretty irrelevant anyway. How fast it gets to the batsman depends on the horizontal speed.

Strictly speaking that's true - but in reality if you've got a very fast ball that's lifting towards your armpit, the vertical speed becomes a matter of acute practical significance

 

[silentstriker]

Strictly speaking that's true - but in reality if you've got a very fast ball that's lifting towards your armpit, the vertical speed becomes a matter of acute practical significance

Well, but yorkers can be nasty too, though obviously not as physically imposing. And I'd argue that even for yorkers, the horizontal speed & accuracy matters much more difference than its vertical speed.

 

[Uppercut]

In terms of the reaction time of the batsman, the vertical speed is pretty irrelevant anyway. How fast it gets to the batsman depends on the horizontal speed.

But if you're hit by it, it doesn't just hurt in proportion to the horizontal speed

 

[vic_orthdox]

Bloody hell, did he really?

Yeah, vividly remember him, the first year that we had the speedo's for Australian games, coming onto bowl and being described as "Right Arm Medium", and clocking higher speeds than McGrath and Fleming that day.

A few blokes who faced him, especially when young, reckoned that he had some bloody good wheels; but the ball just slid onto the bat, and that's why he always tended to be used as a shock/change bowler. First couple really hurried on, but once you got used to it, he wasn't the worst to face.

There used to be a video clip on youtube of him bowling big reverse tang, too; can't find it now though. Also famous for bowling pace whilst wearing sunglasses.

 

[Top_Cat]

Yeah, vividly remember him, the first year that we had the speedo's for Australian games, coming onto bowl and being described as "Right Arm Medium", and clocking higher speeds than McGrath and Fleming that day.

In Adelaide, 1999 against India I believe. Took big bags for Prospect that year too, won them a grand final with the ball alone around that time if memory serves and opened their bowling. Was in good form for a while.

There used to be a video clip on youtube of him bowling big reverse tang, too; can't find it now though. Also famous for bowling pace whilst wearing sunglasses.

Blewwy was just cooler than cool.

 

[vic_orthdox]

We still call anyone "Greg Blewett" if they are bowling pace in the nets with sunnies on.

 

[Richard]

Yeah, vividly remember him, the first year that we had the speedo's for Australian games, coming onto bowl and being described as "Right Arm Medium", and clocking higher speeds than McGrath and Fleming that day.

A few blokes who faced him, especially when young, reckoned that he had some bloody good wheels; but the ball just slid onto the bat, and that's why he always tended to be used as a shock/change bowler. First couple really hurried on, but once you got used to it, he wasn't the worst to face.

There used to be a video clip on youtube of him bowling big reverse tang, too; can't find it now though. Also famous for bowling pace whilst wearing sunglasses.

I guess his relative shortness just made him slidey rather than skiddy. And if he never usually got it to do all that much, all the more so.

My only memory of him bowling was for Nottinghamshire in 2001 and he was no more than 80 mph ish. I'm absolutely astonished that he could bowl the best part of 90.

 

[aussie]

Greg Blewett bowled 140km/h plus, and he was might have been described as slippery, surprising, etc.

Peter Siddle bowls spells at 140km/h, and a batsman would describe them as quick and scary. Really think that speedometers are one of the most overrated things in cricket.

Well maybe.

But i've always though that some bowlers like Blewett, White, Patel, Ryder etc. Who deliver at speeds that seem quite impropable on the speedometer, compared to the Lee's n Akhtat of the world. Are just slidders.

Since i'd say seeing Ryder bowling @ 135 the other day, to Bracken at similar pace. Certainly to a batsman wouldn't feel the same way.

 

[Evermind]

Well maybe.

But i've always though that some bowlers like Blewett, White, Patel, Ryder etc. Who deliver at speeds that seem quite impropable on the speedometer, compared to the Lee's n Akhtat of the world. Are just slidders.

Since i'd say seeing Ryder bowling @ 135 the other day, to Bracken at similar pace. Certainly to a batsman wouldn't feel the same way.

Is it just me or is this post really hard to understand?

 

[Top_Cat]

I guess his relative shortness just made him slidey rather than skiddy. And if he never usually got it to do all that much, all the more so.

My only memory of him bowling was for Nottinghamshire in 2001 and he was no more than 80 mph ish. I'm absolutely astonished that he could bowl the best part of 90.

His back was starting to play up by then.

 

[rivera213]

How dare you use the Fastest Bowler competition results. They wrong because journalists, pundits and the poor players, bereft of hubris or ego, have said so.

Ha ha.

When it comes to speeds, it seems the words of ex-players (notably Rod Marsh & Richie Benaud) are taking as gospel, yet proof and common sense are disregarded- particularly with a Mr Jeff Thomson.

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Does anyone know the FULL speed results of the '75 and '76 tests? (every delivery of every bowler timed).

I'm more interested in average delivery speed than a single delivery being 100mph and I know the bowlers in the 2 tests had a number of deliveries timed (and that the ball Lillee said was his fastest was actually his slowest. Lol).

I've got a theory that the top seamers bowl around 94 to 96% of their capability over a whole spell (ca 6 or 7 overs), that'd put Thommo ca 94-95mph per delivery which is insane pace. Needless to say, the heat conditions, muscle conditions, quality of the grass where the bowler runs up all play a part in the speed, but here are some of my estimations (+/- 0.5mph) gathered from official speeds (not hear'say or unconfirmed speeds), by watching the speeds flash up and my own common sense (or lack of):

Thomson ('74-'76): 94-96mph
Shoaib ('99-'03): 93-95mph
Roberts: 92-94mph
Lillee: 91-93mph
Croft & Holding: 90-92mph
Waqar: 89-91mph
Garner & Ambrose: 88-90mph
Wasim: 87-89mph

Which seems low for some of them, but remember the wickets in the mid 70's to mid 80's were fast and bouncy in most regions, hell even in England you could get some purchase if you banged it in and gave A LOT of assistance to seamers.

The wicket obviously plays a huge part in how fast a bowler looks (batsman reaction time, carry to the keeper etc) and the average speed doesn't account for an over of 2 of near top pace or a really inspired spell (adrenaline etc).

I've paid attention to the speeds of a number of today's faster bowlers (not that fast but hey. Lol) and the theory seems to work, especially since a number of balls are of around the speed I'd have estimated:

Johnson: 88-90mph (though he is getting faster by the year, a talent for sure)
Steyn: 87-89mph
Flintoff & Edwards: 86-88mph
Harmison- 84-86mph

* 1 thing which is obvious is the top bowlers can replicate their action over and over whereas guys like Tait & Malinga can bowl 93mph+ when their action "clicks" but as low as 86mph (which is very low for slingers) when it doesn't click. That makes it impossible to estimate their average speed.

People think there is a huge distance between the seamers of the 70's & those today, but it's the change in the wickets which is down to the "appearance" of slower bowling. If you watch the ball from the hand to the pitch from, say, Michael Holding and Mitchell Johnson (when Johnson is in full flow) there isn't much of a difference IAH.

Lastly, we have a number of promising fast bowlers in this country people should look out for in the future: Stuart Meaker (bowls at Lillee pace!), Maurice Chambers, Chris Jordan and Mervyn Westfield. Stuart Meaker and Maurice Chambers I'm sure will be our future new ball partnership with Stuart Broad and 1 from Jordan, Westfield, Liam Plunkett and Jade Dernbach being the first changers.

- Steve

 

[Neil Pickup]

Stuart Meaker and Maurice Chambers I'm sure will be our future new ball partnership with Stuart Broad and 1 from Jordan, Westfield, Liam Plunkett and Jade Dernbach being the first changers.

Is this a good time to ask how the Aussie points system works for immigration?

 

[Richard]

Lastly, we have a number of promising fast bowlers in this country people should look out for in the future: Stuart Meaker (bowls at Lillee pace!), Maurice Chambers, Chris Jordan and Mervyn Westfield.

This is one of those worrying comments you read from time to time.

To date, there is absolutely no evidence that any of the above are more than club bowlers.

 

[rivera213]

This is one of those worrying comments you read from time to time.

To date, there is absolutely no evidence that any of the above are more than club bowlers.

The fact they play for counties suggest they are more than club bowlers. Clue is in the title.

Chambers has made a decent start to the season, Meaker shows a lot of potential and the Surrey bowling staff are keeping an eye on him.

I certainly think both of those have a future. I'm sure you haven't seen either bowl otherwise you wouldn't question their potential.

Of course, the number who make it to test level who used to be promising county players is low but Meaker especially shows huge potential.