The Thommo method of Bowling

[Patience and Accuracy+Gut]

I saw Malinga with a belly coming out of retirement and bowling in 85-87 mph range.

Fast bowling is a genetic lottery, no amount of gym will help if you are not destined to bowl quick, take Jacob Oram or Tremlett as examples.

Thommo at 44, still had the pace.

 

[social]

I played at Thommo’s old club in Brisbane and the keeper from his later days was still playing & showed me where he stood for him

Easily 25-30 metres & that was when he was old

 

[Big_Gun]

Thommo at 44, still had the pace.

I remember Shane Bond well after he retired played i think it was a legends t20 tournament, i think he was around 42 at the time and bowled a delivery at 143kph which was impressive as he only had a few weeks to get in shape prior to the tournament.
Such a shame injurys ruined his career, in another life he could of played 100 Tests and probably would of still been quick in his late 30's

 

[Big_Gun]

It shows that a lot of bowlers from that era arent as fast as they are historically remembered.

ps Skip through the first part of the video to get to the competition.

Jeff hadnt played cricket this season so I guess normally he would of been faster.

 

[Patience and Accuracy+Gut]

It shows that a lot of bowlers from that era arent as fast as they are historically remembered.

ps Skip through the first part of the video to get to the competition.

Jeff hadnt played cricket this season so I guess normally he would of been faster.

Think the recording of speed was done in different way. Thommo was legit clocked 160 kmph. He was at least faster than anyone right now and imho no one has ever bowled quicker than Peak Thommo.

 

[social]

Think the recording of speed was done in different way. Thommo was legit clocked 160 kmph. He was at least faster than anyone right now and imho no one has ever bowled quicker than Peak Thommo.

It was the average speed of the ball travelling the length of the pitch whereas today it’s the speed at which the ball leaves the hand which are 2 very different things

 

[Shri]

Scott Coyte could bowl 140s off two paces.

 

[Starfighter]

This is from the Perth Test in 1975/76:

 

[Shri]

Vaguely remember some discussion about this amongst some biomechanics experts. Basically anyone trying to replicate Thommos action wouldn't last more than a season.

18 yo kid called milly illingworth has his action apparently. lets see if this is true in the coming years.

Milly grew up copying Jeff Thomson. Now she’s terrorising the WBBL with her pace

Eighteen-year-old Melbourne fast bowler Milly Illingworth is turning heads with her raw speed, and a familiar sling-shot bowling action.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Shri]

This is a very valid point, though there hasn’t been anyone really bowl consistently as fast as Shoaib or Lee since they retired, and Lee hasn't played since early 2010.

It would be interesting to see whether there’s a general upward trend in the average pace bowled since speed guns have been brought in, but anecdotally I’m not sure that stacks up tbh, in that it’s still a bit of a stand out when someone comes along hitting 145kph plus consistently, let alone over 150kph. It appears to me most seam bowlers top out between 135-140 at test level, give or take a few kph each way.

It might just be that genuinely express (regularly 150kph plus) bowlers are simply freaks of nature and there’ll be the odd one now and then but that’s it. Fast bowling is a very unnatural act tbh

bumrah when he debuted pre injuries hit 145+ frequently and maxed out his effort balls at 149-151kmph

 

[Burgey]

Yeah, which seems anecdotally consistent to me with the speeds of guys who are properly quick over a fairly lengthy period of time. I just don't see that sort of steady increase in top speeds in fast bowlers like there is with improvements at elite levels of other sports, but like I said it might be the average speed at test level has increased (talking the mean figure, not median), I just haven't seen data on it one way or the other.

 

[Burgey]

I played at Thommo’s old club in Brisbane and the keeper from his later days was still playing & showed me where he stood for him

Easily 25-30 metres & that was when he was old

How good is that cricinfo article the bloke wrote about him playing for Bankstown where he bowled a bouncer which a bloke thought he evaded, but it had flicked his ear and taken part of it off. Captain of the fielding side went and picked the bit of ear off the ball from down at the boundary where it had ended up and gave it back to the batsman.

I desperately want that story to be true though I suspect it isn't.

 

[Line and Length]

The three fastest I have seen (in chronological order) are Tyson, Thommo and Shoaib Akhtar.

I remember the speed test conducted in Perth and commented at the time that Thommo was bowling rank full tosses while Andy (Roberts) bowled perfect deliveries pitching in line and moving away. I thought it was a little unjust that Thommo took the 'accuracy' prize.
Thommo later said:
"If you bowl a bouncer, it's gonna come off slower anyway. So I'm thinking this is gonna be takin', you know, candy from a baby. And I've put my beer down, I come out, and I bowled a few balls—and I was bowling full tosses and that, because I knew they'd be quick. So I won the 5 grand, I hit the stumps three times out of six or whatever [in fact, the bowlers had 8 deliveries in total], and I've cleaned up. And I've come back out, and Kerry said: "How did you go?". I said, "I won, boss"; he said, "good".

 

[social]

How good is that cricinfo article the bloke wrote about him playing for Bankstown where he bowled a bouncer which a bloke thought he evaded, but it had flicked his ear and taken part of it off. Captain of the fielding side went and picked the bit of ear off the ball from down at the boundary where it had ended up and gave it back to the batsman.

I desperately want that story to be true though I suspect it isn't.

Thommo had a thing against David Colley as the latter was being picked in front of him for NSW

Mosman was playing Bankstown away & Thommo had knocked over the top order (including putting the solicitor Greg Bush in hospital) when Colley got to the wicket

Bowled one ball to him & did his hammy

Fox then discovered that he’d forgotten to wear a box



Another story from that time


LEN PASCOE AND JEFFREY ROBERT THOMSON

FOR MY CRICKET MATES

The story about Thommo playing grade cricket in Sydney, terrorising batsmen in cohort with his partner in crime Len Pascoe, in today's Australian bought back instant memories of a game we played against Bankstown at Bankstown Oval in Thommo's last year in Sydney grade cricket, 1973/74 season.

Batting first we are on a bit of a green top but very fast outfield and have lost 8 wickets for not that many runs when I am called, somewhat reluctantly, no very reluctantly, to the crease after Thommo has blasted another hapless batsman out. The batsman at the other end was Dick Rowland who was on 48. Thommo and Pascoe have ripped through us.

I take guard against Thommo, as nervous as a kitten, especially given the club issued pads which which were about as useful as having the Sun Herald wrapped around your legs. Coupled with a wafer thin thigh pad and very basic batting gloves I felt pretty vulnerable. My eyesight didn't help either. I could hardly breathe I was that nervous and **** scared. Helmets? Unheard off.

I had to face a few balls from Jeffrey none of which I saw but thankfully, unlike Len, Thommo didn't bowl bouncers at near sighted tail enders.

Relieved to be at the non strikers end Pascoe comes bounding in from the northern end of Bankstown Oval to Rowland, our captain, in his traditional intimidating and energetic style. As per normal practice he hurls down several bouncers to Dick. I am riveted to the non strikers end extremely concerned Dick might call me through for a single. I wasn't going to budge.

Dick was a good bat but on the third or fourh bouncer of the over he attempts a hook shot. He misses and gets hit flush on the jaw and down Dick goes. Dick, a copper and rugged first grade rugby player for Easts, was a big man. Well over six foot and very solidly built he just collapsed, like a piece of tall timber, prostate on the deck. Right in front of my terrified eyes. Adding to the drama there was blood and other bodily bits (mainly teeth) scattered on the Bankstown wicket. Dick was unconscious. I nearly pass out as well.

Out comes the stretcher. Like a casualty on the battlefield Dick is loaded into the stretcher and is unceremoniously removed to the dressing room, legs and arms dangling over the side. There is no clapping - no one there of course to witness the carnage.

The next batsman in is none other than my twin brother David W. Hourn the best credentialed no 11 bat ever for NSW and possibly Waverley for that matter. If I was concerned you should have seen DWH. He looked like he was walking to the gallows and probably felt like it especially as he had to pass the prone blood spattered Dick Rowland being carted off. The blood patch on a good length added to his misery. He could hardly stand up. There was no mid wicket conference with the incoming batsman. Nothing needed to be said.

DW had to face two or three from a fired up Pascoe. He remembers to this day Thommo telling the visually challenged number 11 to watch out for the short ball. "Watch out Hournie for the bouncer" he chuckles at sort leg. It makes "Survivor" look like a walk in the park. DW however somehow survives the couple of balls.

I then had to face one over from Thommo and I knew there was absolutely no way DW would move out of the non strikers crease. To my relief however and perhaps to the relief of my future kids I think the Bankstown captain Dion Bourne knew the gig was up for Waverley and instructed Thommo to bowl medium pace. Thankfully Thommo complied and I was again to thank him 30 years later over a few beers at the Brekkie Creek Hotel.

But Dion couldn't trust Len to comply so next over he took Len off and on came an innocuous medium pacer, Jeff Clidsell from memory. Dave is on strike. He let's the first ball go. Bang goes the middle stump. Dave and I scuttle off the field, still all in one piece. We are all out 148. Absolute relief but with memories sure to generate PTSD.

 

[honestbharani]

Yeah, which seems anecdotally consistent to me with the speeds of guys who are properly quick over a fairly lengthy period of time. I just don't see that sort of steady increase in top speeds in fast bowlers like there is with improvements at elite levels of other sports, but like I said it might be the average speed at test level has increased (talking the mean figure, not median), I just haven't seen data on it one way or the other.

I think even with better conditioning, the average speeds are the ones that can increase or maybe the average number of overs these bowlers can bowl. The quickest pace etc. still seems to require some sort of natural advantages you have. Its why it still seems rare.

 

[Prince EWS]

I think even with better conditioning, the average speeds are the ones that can increase or maybe the average number of overs these bowlers can bowl. The quickest pace etc. still seems to require some sort of natural advantages you have. Its why it still seems rare.

Yeah someone like Chris Woakes is a good example of why/how average speeds have increased but the quickest probably aren't any quicker.

 

[TheJediBrah]

18 yo kid called milly illingworth has his action apparently. lets see if this is true in the coming years.

Milly grew up copying Jeff Thomson. Now she’s terrorising the WBBL with her pace

Eighteen-year-old Melbourne fast bowler Milly Illingworth is turning heads with her raw speed, and a familiar sling-shot bowling action.

www.smh.com.au

She's not going to be bowling 150+ though tbf. I'm sure many people could replicate his action without risk if you just didn't bowl anywhere near as fast.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Seems to me like bowlers can generate speed/power either through a freaky fast-rotating shoulder girdle like Proctor and Wasim, maybe even later Ryan Harris, or more commonly through a strong core and the torque it generates at the point of release and just overall efficient transfer of energy throughout the kinetic chain. Something similar to how super-heavy Oly weightlifters can have vertical jumps that compare favorably with NBA players.

 

[social]

I think even with better conditioning, the average speeds are the ones that can increase or maybe the average number of overs these bowlers can bowl. The quickest pace etc. still seems to require some sort of natural advantages you have. Its why it still seems rare.

I would be very surprised if quick bowlers are fitter today than yesteryear

The training methods & frequency of training is very different but those guys were fit to bowl

Look at someone like Freddie Trueman who probably never saw the inside of a gym and played in an era where load management was unheard of

He literally bowled himself fit, regularly delivered 1000+ overs per season and nobody ever called him slow

Thommo, McDermott, Hughes, Lee, etc were the same

All bowled themselves fit

They could keep it up all day as their bodies were used to the workloads

Very different today where the recommended quota is 18-30 balls per day

 

[honestbharani]

I would be very surprised if quick bowlers are fitter today than yesteryear

The training methods & frequency of training is very different but those guys were fit to bowl

Look at someone like Freddie Trueman who probably never saw the inside of a gym and played in an era where load management was unheard of

He literally bowled himself fit, regularly delivered 1000+ overs per season and nobody ever called him slow

Thommo, McDermott, Hughes, Lee, etc were the same

All bowled themselves fit

They could keep it up all day as their bodies were used to the workloads

Very different today where the recommended quota is 18-30 balls per day

Yeah bowling fitness is not the same as gym fitness and its the issue I find very specifically with Deepak Chahar and Hardik Pandya, as two examples amongst the Indian folks.

Would include Shreyas Iyer amongst the batsmen as well. These guys build so much muscle that it actually ends up hampering their flexibility.