Do you prefer watching a paceman or a spinner rip through a side?

[Cruxdude]

Love watching spinners running through line ups. Harbhajan in 2001, with fielders all around the bat, the crowd screaming and batsmen having no clue was a sight to behold. Don't see much of it nowadays.

 

[MrPrez]

Pace, no doubt. Who can resist Dale Steyn getting the batsman to prod around off-stump and edging to slip?

 

[Shri]

I don't enjoy fast bowling because they bowl outswingers and get the batsmen to edge one. I watch it for boucers that crack skulls and inswinging yorkers that makes the stumps go for a walk. Sure I am not the only one.

 

[Noble One]

I would prefer to watch Dale Steyn take 5 wickets than Rangana Herath achieve a similar feat. Saying that, I would prefer to watch Shane Warne take 5 wickets over Dale Steyn.

I'll sit on the fence with this question as it depends entirely on the bowler, the pitch conditions, the quality of opposition and I have no clear definition in my mind of pace v spin and which is more exciting.

 

[MrPrez]

I don't enjoy fast bowling because they bowl outswingers and get the batsmen to edge one. I watch it for boucers that crack skulls and inswinging yorkers that makes the stumps go for a walk. Sure I am not the only one.

You see, I'm a pace bowler, and I see it as an art. Sure, a good bouncer is awesome, but its only part of a pace bowler's artillery. I'd rather see Steyn uproot off stump by beating a batsman with outswing, than see him demolish the stumps with a yorker.
I do think some of that comes down to me being an outswing bowler who looks to smash offstump out of the ground.

 

[smash84]

You see, I'm a pace bowler, and I see it as an art. Sure, a good bouncer is awesome, but its only part of a pace bowler's artillery. I'd rather see Steyn uproot off stump by beating a batsman with outswing, than see him demolish the stumps with a yorker.
I do think some of that comes down to me being an outswing bowler who looks to smash offstump out of the ground.

There is something about a good yorker that no other delivery seems to possess. That aura of stealth that slips under the bat right under the batsman's nose.

 

[G.I.Joe]

How could stealth possibly have an aura? Wouldn't the aura give it away?

 

[smash84]

lol.....I thought about that after I wrote it but didn't change it for the heck of it....

 

[Furball]

I think it's much more fun watching a good spinner toy with a batsman, because at that pace there's no reason why a batsman shouldn't be able to lay bat on ball.Spinners also have the opportunity to make a batsman look incredibly foolish that pacers often don't.

edit: see 37 seconds in.

 

[benchmark00]

Turns out Bravo lasted longer than Flintoff...

 

[kyear2]

Have to go with fast bolwers on this one, as nothing beats watching a fast bolwer steaming in with four slips, a gully and a short leg and the batsman quivering in fear and to cap it off the jubilant slip fielder tossing the ball into the air and his team mates rushing towards the all conquering fast bowler.

That being said it would be to my utter enjoyment to watch Marshall from one end and Warne from the next doing it at the same time, in totally different ways.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

That being said it would be to my utter enjoyment to watch Marshall from one end and Warne from the next doing it at the same time, in totally different ways.

Good point this. This is also why I like to see the Dravid/Sehwag combo in action: two totally different styles, both massively effective.

 

[Son Of Coco]

I don't mind really. Loved watching Warnie take wickets, and loved watching McGrath (amongst any others). If it's a spinner who ties down the batsman and creates a number of chances then it's great to watch. Don't particularly enjoy watching any bowler take wickets when it's a catch smacked down the throat of long-on/long-off though...

 

[Faisal1985]

Akhtar comes to mind....running through the Australian side...

Always more exciting for me to see an express pace bowler i.e. Akhtar, Lee, Waqar, Allan Donald now DS...

 

[smash84]

Don't particularly enjoy watching any bowler take wickets when it's a catch smacked down the throat of long-on/long-off though...

So true

 

[vic_orthdox]

Keep me with the brotherhood.

 

[slowfinger]

tbf, when a spinner makes batsmen look stupid, it is SUCH a joy to watch... But a 90+MPH swinging pacey guy that makes a batsman crap his pants is much better

 

[The_Bunny]

Watching a part timer of any type go through a lineup is priceless, if only for the subsequent damnation of their batsmen by the entire country, regardless of how good the bowling was

 

[stephen]

I love watching the art of spin run through a lineup. There's so much more variety to what a spinner can do and it's wonderful to watch someone like Shane Warne make fools of batsmen.

 

[Kylez]

I prefer watching a paceman ripping through a side when the pitch is flat and the conditions are not helpful for fast bowling. I prefer watching spinners tear through sides when the pitch is green or in countries like Australia which generally don't assist spin bowlers.