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Top Bowlers with 10 or Fewer Tests

Line and Length

Line and Length

Cricketer Of The Year
Following the interest shown in the “Top Batsmen with 20 or Fewer Tests”, I decided to do something similar with bowlers. I applied the following qualifications: 10 or fewer Tests, 10 or more wickets at 3 wickets per Test or more (to avoid players whose figures may have been flattered by picking up a few tailenders), a bowling average under 25 in Tests and at a First Class level. I was still left with a list that I found to be too large so I reduced it further by removing players whose career was pre WWI (an era when sub 20 bowling averages was commonplace). I’ll add a supplementary list of these earlier players a little later in this thread. Once again, current players are excluded.

Despite the restrictions, the list includes 24 names. Here it is in order of lowest bowling average first.

PlayerTestsTest wicketsFirst Class Wickets
Mike Proctor741 @ 15.021,417 @ 19.53
Jack Iverson721 @ 15.24157 @ 19.22
Tony Gray522 @ 17.14451 @ 22.80
Bob Appleyard931 @ 17.87708 @ 15.08
Harold Butler212 @ 17.91952 @ 24.44
Godfrey Lawrence528 @ 18.29342 @ 17.97
Hines Johnson313 @ 18.3168 @ 23.36
David Ironside315 @ 18.33130 @ 21.13
Sujeewa de Silva311 @ 19.00339 @ 23.96
Alec Kennedy531 @ 19.322,874 @ 21.23
Saliya Ahangama318 @ 19.32120 @ 19.06
Billy Copson315 @ 19.801,094 @ 18.96
Brett Schultz937 @ 20.24233 @ 24.40
Bob Massie631 @ 20.87179 @ 24.83
Jack Cowie945 @ 21.53359 @ 22.28
Jasu Patel729 @ 21.96248 @ 21.70
Vallance Jupp828 @ 22.001,658 @ 23.01
Alfred Hall740 @ 22.15234 @ 19.23
Tommy Greehough416 @ 22.31751 @ 22.37
Fen Cresswell313 @ 22.46124 @ 22.53
Shabbir Ahmed1051 @ 23.04406 @ 22.32
Bob Cottam414 @ 23.35180 @ 22.55
Sydney Burke311 @ 23.36241 @ 21.38
Ehteshamuddin516 @ 23.44507 @ 20.65
 
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Migara

Migara

International Coach
Most of the Lankan bowlers in that list are crap. Sujeewa de Silva took all his wickets against a hapless Bangladesh side. Saliya Ahangama was damn lucky. Although averages 39 with the ball Dulip Liyanage was probably the best out of SL to play less than 10 tests. If not for a horrific injury, Liyanage was destined to greatness. In his debut series he blasted through Borders Aussie side couple of times.
 
Lillian Thomson

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
Bob Massie is the one I can remember. He bowled well in the First Innings at Lords in 72, was unplayable in swinging conditions in the Second Innings and then was pretty much fodder for the rest of the series. His whole career went down the pan within a couple of years.
 
Line and Length

Line and Length

Cricketer Of The Year
Lillian Thomson said:
Bob Massie is the one I can remember. He bowled well in the First Innings at Lords in 72, was unplayable in swinging conditions in the Second Innings and then was pretty much fodder for the rest of the series. His whole career went down the pan within a couple of years.
Click to expand...
Massie coached our club for a year ('78/79). He had a positive influence but his bowling (29 wickets @ 16.59) was disappointing at this level.
 
mr_mister

mr_mister

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
From what I've read, I'd say Cowie was the best.

"Had he been Australian he would have been deemed a wonder of the age"
 
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