Ambrose Vs Mcgrath?

[andyc]

A wonderful spell. His delieveries to the 3 rights handers - Vaughan, Bell and Flintoff - were amazing.

Back of a length, down the slope but staying low and moving back in, almost around the batsman. Only Bell had the technique to get a token inside edge onto it. The other two looked like they had their pockets picked by a ghost.

Loved how clueless Flintoff looked when he got bowled. He never had the most classical technique going around, but he was made to look positively village.

And it's not as if 05 was the only time he took wickets at Lords. 26 wickets @ 11.50 must surely be the best figures on a single ground after three matches.

 

[zaremba]

A wonderful spell. His delieveries to the 3 rights handers - Vaughan, Bell and Flintoff - were amazing.

Back of a length, down the slope but staying low and moving back in, almost around the batsman. Only Bell had the technique to get a token inside edge onto it. The other two looked like they had their pockets picked by a ghost.

Yeah it was probably the best spell of bowling I've ever seen. Certainly right up there. It was a combination of knowing that he was likely to get a wicket at any moment with knowing that there was no way that the batsmen were going to be able to score any runs.

 

[Top_Cat]

Yeah it was probably the best spell of bowling I've ever seen. Certainly right up there. It was a combination of knowing that he was likely to get a wicket at any moment with knowing that there was no way that the batsmen were going to be able to score any runs.

The best part for me was the build-up behind it too. Both sides had just fought out a very tough ODI series and England had just blown the Aussie top-order away, were thoroughly on top by tea. Then McG threw some hefty punches back, just such aggressive cricket from both sides. The whole day was a harbinger of the quality of cricket about to unravel and so set off a couple of months of 3:30am bed times.... Was the the best possible start to the series after what had come before.

 

[GuyFromLancs]

Yeah it was probably the best spell of bowling I've ever seen. Certainly right up there. It was a combination of knowing that he was likely to get a wicket at any moment with knowing that there was no way that the batsmen were going to be able to score any runs.

There was a touch of the divine about that spell. I remember booking the afternoon off work to watch it next door in the pub, I also remember the scoreboard beaming 5-21 soon after threatening a collapse even the 90s could never have delivered us - I don't recall Mcgrath's exact figures at the time but the feeling was briefly that he could take 10-30 and be done with us.

 

[stephen]

Loved how clueless Flintoff looked when he got bowled. He never had the most classical technique going around, but he was made to look positively village.

And it's not as if 05 was the only time he took wickets at Lords. 26 wickets @ 11.50 must surely be the best figures on a single ground after three matches.

I thought we'd be wheeling him out in his wheelchair at age 80 onto the pitch at Lords for his Michelle. We certainly could have used another magical Lords spell in the 09 Ashes.

 

[Furball]

There was a touch of the divine about that spell. I remember booking the afternoon off work to watch it next door in the pub, I also remember the scoreboard beaming 5-21 soon after threatening a collapse even the 90s could never have delivered us - I don't recall Mcgrath's exact figures at the time but the feeling was briefly that he could take 10-30 and be done with us.

Quite confident in saying that he'd conceded a maximum of 2 runs by the time the 5th wicket fell. Easily the best spell of bowling I've seen, thinking about the Flintoff wicket just now still gives me goosebumps.

 

[pasag]

Loved how clueless Flintoff looked when he got bowled. He never had the most classical technique going around, but he was made to look positively village.

And it's not as if 05 was the only time he took wickets at Lords. 26 wickets @ 11.50 must surely be the best figures on a single ground after three matches.

In the words of McGrath: "Poor Freddie Flintoff didn't stand a chance."

 

[stephen]

Loved how clueless Flintoff looked when he got bowled. He never had the most classical technique going around, but he was made to look positively village.

And it's not as if 05 was the only time he took wickets at Lords. 26 wickets @ 11.50 must surely be the best figures on a single ground after three matches.

Cricket Records | Records | Lord's, London | Test matches | Most wickets | Cricinfo.com

McGrath the highest non-English wicket taker on the ground. Only Bob Massie appears on that list with a better average than McGrath (but he only played one test there).

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Ambrose.

McGrath's averages look much better than reality as he took the wickets of **** batsmen more frequently e.g. Mike Atherton.

 

[GuyFromLancs]

Ambrose.

McGrath's averages look much better than reality as he took the wickets of **** batsmen more frequently e.g. Mike Atherton.

1. Mcgrath took scores of top order wickets. I haven't looked but would still put my neck out and say his 1-6 wickets ratio is as good if not better than any bowler of his era.

2. Ambrose took Atherton's wicket 17 times. Only 2 less than mcgrath

3. Mcgrath played half his career after Ambrose retired, a period were wickets were prepared ridiculously in favour of batsmen.

 

[Slifer]

But when both played during the same period neither player's record was distinctly better than the other. Which leads me to believe that had Ambrose played on (esp as part of the Oz attack) its likely he would have still ended up with the superlative record he currently has.

 

[GuyFromLancs]

McGrath played 66 of his 124 test matches took 297 wickets at 20.53 in the 00s. Ambrose retired in 2000.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

1. Mcgrath took scores of top order wickets. I haven't looked but would still put my neck out and say his 1-6 wickets ratio is as good if not better than any bowler of his era.

2. Ambrose took Atherton's wicket 17 times. Only 2 less than mcgrath

3. Mcgrath played half his career after Ambrose retired, a period were wickets were prepared ridiculously in favour of batsmen.

In answer to 1,2 & 3. I wasn't being serious.

Anyway, I prefer Ambrose mainly because he was cool and McGrath certainly wasn't. Both epically good bowlers and much respect for both.

Don't forget either that Ambrose got to bowl to Australia - the best team in the world at the time. How would McGrath have gone against his own boys? Probably still pretty well, but the statistical gap may have lessened.

 

[Slifer]

What i meant was, when u look at both player's records during the 90s when conditions were supposedly better for fast bowlers there was little to choose between both men. Therefore i dont see ne reason y Ambrose couldnt have remained superb post 00 (like Walsh was).

 

[Top_Cat]

Don't forget either that Ambrose got to bowl to Australia - the best team in the world at the time. How would McGrath have gone against his own boys? Probably still pretty well, but the statistical gap may have lessened.

McGrath vs Ponting was always epic at Shield level, can only imagine how awesome a contest it would have been at Test level;

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Even with McG systematically dismembering the rest of Tassie top-order, Ponting still managed to hit some big, big scores. In the case of the last link, big tons in both innings. Was probably a better contest to watch than McGrath/Lara and shows you how seriously they both took all FC matches, even though, especially for McGrath, they were more about tuning up for an up-coming Test series. Was always amusing to see McGrath just cruising through a Shield innings but he'd instantly be given the ball as soon as Ponting walked out and suddenly the aggro would kick in.

That's a big reason why OZ of that era did so well, tbh. Lots of State-based grudges within the team and wasn't unusual to see someone like Gillespie bounce the absolute ever loving **** out of the Waughs right before playing a Test with them.

 

[Ikki]

I wonder how many times they played because Ponting gave NSW a shellacking there. I didn't follow Shield Cricket very closely but I also hear he was imperious against Warne as well.

 

[Top_Cat]

It's easy enough to find, actually, because McGrath didn't play many games for NSW. Interestingly, when Ponting and McGrath came up against each other in OD'ers, Ponting generally came off second-best.

 

[Burgey]

Not sure if both of these have been posted in thie thread, and cbf looking it up.

Ambrose - 7 for 1 vs Australia, Perth 1993

YouTube - Curtley Ambrose devastating spell of 7 for 1 run v Australia

McGrath at Lord's in 2005

YouTube - Glenn 'Pidgeon' McGrath takes 5 at Lords- Imma Star

Compelling to see the lngththey both bowled. Perfect for the conditions. Wonderful cricketers they both were. Can't believe it's 10 years since Ambrose retired.

 

[GraemeSmith]

Ambrose easily.

I've never understood why McGrath been so successful. He doesn't have the pace, doesn't swing the ball and isn't an intimidating presence. He just comes in and bowls straight and seems to get wickets, kind of similar to someone like Kumble who also just bowled straight and kept getting wickets. I have seen Andre Nel be more intimidating than McGrath and I've seen Ajit Agarkar swing the ball more than him.

 

[The Sean]

Ambrose easily.

I've never understood why McGrath been so successful. He doesn't have the pace, doesn't swing the ball and isn't an intimidating presence. He just comes in and bowls straight and seems to get wickets, kind of similar to someone like Kumble who also just bowled straight and kept getting wickets. I have seen Andre Nel be more intimidating than McGrath and I've seen Ajit Agarkar swing the ball more than him.

Does that not tell you something about McGrath then?