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Mitchell Marsh

Ashes81

State Vice-Captain
Just a word on the Lillee argument as someone who saw a bit of him in the early 80-'s and a bit of him in the late 70's on TV.

I'd rate McGrath above him but not by much.

But Lillee, as much as I disliked him, is in a different league to the likes of Southee and Hoggard.
 

peterhrt

U19 Vice-Captain
Some opinions of Lillee from within the game:

Best bowler faced: Botham, Gower, Keith Fletcher, Gavaskar (joint first with Roberts)

Best fast bowler ever: Dickie Bird, Everton Weekes, Peter Pollock, Malcolm Marshall

Best fast bowler seen: Christopher Martin-Jenkins (later placed him third behind Marshall and McGrath).

Best fast bowler of his time: Imran

In Wisden's poll of the greatest cricketers of the twentieth century, Lillee finished joint sixth, receiving more votes than any bowler apart from Warne.

In 2009 ten Australian journalists selected an All-Time Australian XI for Cricinfo. All ten picked Lillee. Five chose McGrath. A panel of former captains and writers then chose a World XI. Lillee secured most votes among fast bowlers.

Lillee may have been rated higher in England than Australia. The opposite seems to be true of McGrath who was sometimes portrayed by the English media as Warne's supporting act.
 
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ashley bach

Cricketer Of The Year
Yeah Southee v Hoggard is harder to split but both are definitely better than Lillee.
I know Dennis wasn't a favourite of yours for whatever reason, but actually unsure if you're joking here because imo Lillee was on a different level
to these two fellas. We can settle it with a large wager though if you'd like by making comparison threads.
Nathan Astle ate Hoggard for breakfast to the point where he was renamed Matthew Floggard.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
I know Dennis wasn't a favourite of yours for whatever reason, but actually unsure if you're joking here because imo Lillee was on a different level
to these two fellas. We can settle it with a large wager though if you'd like by making comparison threads.
Nathan Astle ate Hoggard for breakfast to the point where he was renamed Matthew Floggard.
I'm definitely taking this piss a bit but I'm not sure how we could resolve it for a wager even if I wasn't. Not even my in-jest opinion was ever "CW thinks Lillee is better than Hoggard" - a comparison thread proves nothing other than what the majority opinion is here.
 

Qlder

International Debutant
It's alright, if everyone hates me because my posts are terrible I can always just take a few months off and then come back under a new username, like NSWer or something.
So you as a moderator are being a troll accusing me of something. What a **** site when that happens, I'm out

Lillee is much better than McGrath, get over it
 
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Ashes81

State Vice-Captain
Lillee is without question a genuinely great bowler.

He was very quick when he was younger.

As he got a little older, he was still plenty quick enough but had great control of the ball and regularly found the seam.

His action was a thing of beauty, as pleasing to the eye as any bowler I've ever seen.

And I'm saying this as an Englishman who hated him in cricket terms - he was brash, arrogant and 'hated' the Poms - what was there to like but that doesn't stop you appreciating his brilliance as a bowler.

As I got older I realised alot of his comments etc were tongue in cheek and I grew to really like him
 
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Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
If Lillee did nothing else’s in his career, the last over of day one he bowled to Richard’s at the MCG on Boxing Day in 81 would make him an ATG. Everyone has seen the last ball where he bowls him, but the whole thing was just genius. just watch the whole thing if you get a chance.

Couple of bouncers which Viv played poorly (for him anyway), couple of outswingers perfectly pitched and then that last ball where he just pulled an inswinger out of his arse which he didn’t pick and started wide enough of off to draw him into a drive before catching trhe inside edge. It was a six ball bowling clinic.
 

Adders

Cricketer Of The Year
This is the take of someone who’s suffering heat stroke
You could lodge a very good argument for Dennis being in the top 10 granted, but it's by no means a done deal. Very easy to name 10 names his equal or better imo.

But the point remains he is a level below McGrath......ill die on that hill.
 

Line and Length

Cricketer Of The Year
Here's how CW members rated the fast bowlers a year or two back.

1. Malcolm Marshall
2. Glenn McGrath
3. Richard Hadlee
4. Curtly Ambrose
5. Dale Steyn
6. Imran Khan
7. Dennis Lillee
8. Fred Trueman
9. Wasim Akram
10. Allan Donald

I might add Southee came in at #40 and Hoggard didn't rate a mention.
 

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