How fast were Merv Hughes and Craig Mcdermott in 1991/92 series vs India

[uvelocity]

and with the first ball of the second took a hat trick by getting Greenidge lbw.

How good was that. Of course the cult status with the side stretches and everyone in the background copying the big fella as well.

I remember he did get a bit of swing as well as seam. And his action, sort of rolled his lower arm over before rolling the shoulder over. Great to imitate.

 

[Burgey]

Do you mean the 92 India tour, Weldone? I can't remember him (Reiffel) playing but he may have. He had great success on the 93 Ashes tour. Was a bit of a weird attack that summer as we played two spinners a lot. Think it was very dry in England that year. Cracker Holdsworth toured but didn't play, and at the Oval I think Mark Waugh opened the bowling in at least one dig.

 

[Camo999]

I think the Indians had just arrived in the country when Merv smashed his good friend Jamie Siddons in the face with a bouncer.

From memory Merv totally had the wood on guys like Vengsarkar and Azharuddin in that series and gained many wickets fended to Boonie at short leg.

Also remember McDermott and Hughes being more than quick enough to physically rattle the Windies top order at times in the brutal 91 series. In one of the lead up matches Walsh had hit McDermott a sickening blow in the helmet, Craig responded by hitting about three guys in the head and rolling them cheaply in that first test. Unfortunately they didn't quite have the support to finish it off in the second innings or the rest of the series.

I'd agree with at least 140+ when they were charging in, though as it was a very pace-oriented attack until Warnie, I suspect they often needed to bowl within themselves as they also bowled the bulk of the overs.

 

[social]

Hughes was really sharp

Fact is that if he wasnt pretty quick, he would not have got away with bowling half way down every ball

McDermott was very quick as a youngster but knee injuries and experience cut his pace and I'd say he was 2012 Hilf level with later outswing

 

[social]

Do you mean the 92 India tour, Weldone? I can't remember him (Reiffel) playing but he may have. He had great success on the 93 Ashes tour. Was a bit of a weird attack that summer as we played two spinners a lot. Think it was very dry in England that year. Cracker Holdsworth toured but didn't play, and at the Oval I think Mark Waugh opened the bowling in at least one dig.

Holdsworth was really a NSW mafia pick as his selection was based on 1 innings in the last shield match

Played against him a lot and IMO both Waughs & Scott Prestwidge were better bowlers

 

[Arachnodouche]

McDermott was an idol for the first 2 years of cricket I remember watching until Donald arrived on the scene.I don't quite remember this right, but had he flown out to the Windies for the '95 tour only to return through injury? Distinctly remember McGrath making good in his absence.

 

[weldone]

Do you mean the 92 India tour, Weldone? I can't remember him (Reiffel) playing but he may have. He had great success on the 93 Ashes tour. Was a bit of a weird attack that summer as we played two spinners a lot. Think it was very dry in England that year. Cracker Holdsworth toured but didn't play, and at the Oval I think Mark Waugh opened the bowling in at least one dig.

Yes, both Reiffel and Whitney (the other guy whose name I was forgetting) played in the series and in the ODI series and World Cup as well, IIRC.

 

[Top_Cat]

Reiffel, at times, was reputedly the quickest of all of them.

Hughes occasionally the sharper of the two being discussed but generally McDermott was consistently faster at that time. Both rising 140Km/h when pushing hard but generally operating low-mid 130's I reckon. Hard to say, though.

Not many genuine quicks going around in Aus at that time, Phil Alley, Wayne Holdsworth and Jo Angel probably the quickest in Shield cricket.

 

[Daemon]

Eh?

wac

 

[Flametree]

That '91 series in the West Indies must have been an amazing one to watch. The West Indies used the same 11 players through the whole 5-test series : Greenidge, Haynes, Richardson, Hooper, Richards, Logie, Dujon, Marshall, Ambrose, Patterson, Walsh.

Omitting the Guyana test on presumably a low slow slab of cow dung (though the Windies did bowl Australia out twice for a 10 wicket win), Hughes's and McDermott's combined first innings hauls were :
9-147, 7-84, 8-93, 8-107

How quick were they? Quick enough.

 

[JBMAC]

certainly not as quick as the west indian bowlers of the time

Not as quick as Thommo,Lillee,Hall,Griffith..the former timed at 150kmh consistently


I'd say from what I have seen Tyson and probably Bedser were also faster

 

[Himannv]

Not as quick as Thommo,Lillee,Hall,Griffith..the former timed at 150kmh consistently


I'd say from what I have seen Tyson and probably Bedser were also faster

How fast do you reckon Tyson was?

 

[JBMAC]

How fast do you reckon Tyson was?

I'd say mid 140's with 0ne in 16 being faster, maybe even to 150



He didn't get his nickname "Typhoon" for no reason

 

[Dan]

Not as quick as Thommo,Lillee,Hall,Griffith..the former timed at 150kmh consistently


I'd say from what I have seen Tyson and probably Bedser were also faster

Always had the impression that Bedser operated around the 130km/h mark to be honest - the descriptions of his movement give the idea of a fast medium pacer, not much more, although he was quite clearly an incredible bowler. If he was doing the things described at 140-ish, the man must have been seriously difficult to face.

 

[Himannv]

I'd say mid 140's with 0ne in 16 being faster, maybe even to 150

He didn't get his nickname "Typhoon" for no reason

Was he much faster than his contemporaries at that time? How quick were Lindwall, Davidson, Trueman and Statham?

 

[The Sean]

Not as quick as Thommo,Lillee,Hall,Griffith..the former timed at 150kmh consistently


I'd say from what I have seen Tyson and probably Bedser were also faster

You sure you mean Besder, Macca? I've never heard of Alec being any quicker than medium-fast at best.

Perhaps Trueman and/or Statham from that era?

 

[popepouri]

170-180kph IMHO.

This. In those days, they used stop watches which were more reliable than today's speed guns.

 

[social]

Reiffel, at times, was reputedly the quickest of all of them.

Hughes occasionally the sharper of the two being discussed but generally McDermott was consistently faster at that time. Both rising 140Km/h when pushing hard but generally operating low-mid 130's I reckon. Hard to say, though.

Not many genuine quicks going around in Aus at that time, Phil Alley, Wayne Holdsworth and Jo Angel probably the quickest in Shield cricket.

No way Hughes was low/mid 130s

Reckon he was like Siddle - generally late 130s-140 because he had to bowl a truck-load of overs but could get it up to 150 on occasion

Guy was sharp

 

[Top_Cat]

Oh yeah, course he was up to the late 80's but by '91? Bloke's knees were bone-on-bone by then, surely. So hard to tell with a guy like him who banged it in all the time, though, and I was 11 so could well be wrong. Anyone know when he had the big knee ops which nerfed him? Could have sworn I read it was around the '90 mark.