Who is/was the ultimate, most proficient and masterful medium-paced-dibbly-dobbler?

[SteveNZ]

Always enjoyed Mark Butcher's 115km hooping out of the hand away swingers.

 

[BoyBrumby]

India seem to be reverting to trundling type on the current tour. If one ignores Ishant's flashy, back-of-a-length fast-medium climbers, in Binny, Kumar, Shami and (to stretch a point slightly) Jadeja they have a military-medium attack to rival NZ's quartet of Dibbly, Dobbly, Wibbly & Wobbly* (© Bumble) of a couple of decades ago that still inspires reverence in fans of the dobbers' art even now.

*Known to friends and family as Chris Harris, Gavin Larsen, Rod Latham & Willie Watson.

 

[Dan]

Shami's a bit sharp for that characterisation IMO.

Indian attack of:

7. Jadeja
8. Binny
9. Bhuvi
10. Praveen Kumar
11. Pankaj Singh

Could rival it IMO. 3 medium pacers, a spinner who may as well be a medium pacer, and Pankaj.

 

[NZTailender]

It's funny how enjoyable it can be watching part-timers or bowlers of this ilk, perhaps for their unorthodox actions or run ups. Was a big fan of Carl Hooper, back in the day.

There could be a tangental thread out of this: who is the best sharp nippy seaming enforcers, featuring the likes of Mark Waugh.

 

[Daemon]

Shami's a bit sharp for that characterisation IMO.

Indian attack of:

7. Jadeja
8. Binny
9. Bhuvi
10. Praveen Kumar
11. Pankaj Singh

Could rival it IMO. 3 medium pacers, a spinner who may as well be a medium pacer, and Pankaj.

Zaheer

 

[ohnoitsyou]

Really don't think medium paced swing bowlers, the ones who can hoop it round a corner when conditions suit should classify as dibbly-dobblers. Theres more to being a dibbly-dobbler than being medium-slow, its the persistent line and length, gentle swing, and a hint of movement of the pitch that separates a dibbly-dobbler from a part timer or medium paced bowler.

 

[harsh.ag]

Robin Singh from the weird India side of the 90s comes to mind.

 

[morgieb]

Strang?

 

[GGG]

Yeah I would go with Chris Harris the amount of wickets he got Caught and Bowled shows just how deceiving he was.

 

[harsh.ag]

Does Trevor Bailey count? Ultimately consistent from what I've heard.

 

[ankitj]

Sourav Ganguly wasn't bad when conditions helped him.

 

[smash84]

Probably the king of dibbly dobblers (and a bit of dark arts) hasn't been mentioned yet.

Wessel Johannes Hansie Cronje needs a mention here aurely

 

[Zinzan]

Went hunting through scorecards to find some gruesome dobbers and jesus christ this attack

2nd Test: West Indies v New Zealand at St John's, Apr 27-May 2, 1996 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

They had Ambrose, Walsh, Bishop

We had Morrison, Larsen, Vaughan, Kennedy, Dipak, Harris

The best bit is they got the Windies out for 184 in the second dig because the only test standard bowler (well Larsen may have been but we'll never know) blitzed them.

The other hilarious thing about that tour was how coach Glenn Turner stacked the NZ's batting in the ODI series along with dibbly-dobs. This 2nd ODI in particular with Shane Thomson at 9, Larsen 10 & Dion Nash 11 2nd ODI: West Indies v New Zealand at Port of Spain, Mar 29, 1996 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[sledger]

Mascheranas.

/thread]

 

[Zinzan]

Larsen is the obvious choice surely. Played ODI cricket from around 1991-1999 and managed a career ER of 3.76 bowling seam-up at 115-125 kms.

 

[kingkallis]

Gavin Larsen had amazing control on his line & length but I feel Chris Harris was smarter & masterful one.

 

[marc71178]

Gavin Larsen - beyond anyone else, is the king of this role.

I think had he been selected to play more test cricket he'd probably have held an average of 30, probably around a 2.2 RPO and strike rate near 70 balls.

Impossible numbers

 

[sledger]

Impossible numbers

Ones plucked out of thin air, no less.

 

[zaremba]

Love a bit of medium pace swing. Along the lines of Gooch, Butcher or Chimpy.

As I've posted before, I really enjoyed the spell of slow medium inswing bowled by Botha when Ireland beat Pakistan in the WC a few years ago.

Never liked Mascarenhas much, though.

Chris Harris was really the Rembrandt of dibbly dobblers though. Took it to extraordinary heights of weirdness.

 

[Migara]

Zimbos has some. Guy Whitall and Bryan Strang were good.