A history of fast bowling

[Burgey]

He was the fella they toyed with bringing in during Bodyline to give it back to the Poms wasn't he? Was a gun Aussie rules player iirc.

 

[Starfighter]

He was brought up as a possibility but I doubt he was seriously considered, Woodfull wasn't one to stir the pot. Wasn't in great form either.

 

[Starfighter]

Leslie Hylton is probably most notable for being the only test cricketer to be executed. He was, however, an opening bowler for the West Indies including in their first series victory against England in 1935. While listed as fast in, say, his Cricinfo profile it's very hard to find any description of his style on the internet. In 1939 he was not considered for the tour to England and was only added after the local newspaper held a campaign to raise funds. He did not find form and was generally a failure. Footage reveals a bowler with a trotting run who puts in most of the effort at delivery and who was perhaps fast-medium rather than fast by the standards of the day.

In all the shots from the timestamp on

The first, distant shot only

 

[Aritro]

Leslie Hylton is probably most notable for being the only test cricketer to be executed.

Yikes! Was he not very good?

 

[Starfighter]

Was he not very good?

He shot dead his wife after they had an argument over her having an affair.

 

[Starfighter]

South Africa produced a few fast bowlers before the war. None of them ended up with very good figures in their brief test careers, not least due to bowling on the extremely flat pitches in the 39/39 series against England.

Edward 'Bob' Newson, a tall bowler with a fine upright action, played a single test in 1930-31 and two in 39/39 against England. He was unsuccessful in any, going wicketless on debut and taking only four in total. His tiny first class career consisted of 24 matches spread over 14 or so years. Funnily enough his only five-for was against England, in a tour match in 1948/49, on a rain affected pitch.

Newson is the first bowler in the video at 00:05. The second at the timestamp is Norman Gordon, who is the only test cricketer* to live to past 100 years old. All his tests came in the series against England in 38/39, and although he kept playing first class cricket after the war he was too old to tour England, which is funny considering the bowlers they did take on that tour.

Eric Davies debuted against Australia in 1936 and was similarly unsuccessful as Newson, taking only seven wickets in six matches. Also appears at 00:51.

*Male test cricketer, Eileen Ash is still trucking at 109

 

[Burgey]

He shot his wife after they had an argument over her having an affair.

And he was executed for that?! Fmd

I’m glad you’ve kept this thread going. Don’t always catch every post at the time you make them, esp with a tour Subby around, but always enjoy catching up on them. Quality effort mate.

 

[Starfighter]

While the general strike of 1926 completely failed its aims it did uncover one of Derbyshire's best ever bowlers. Bill Copson has never shown interest in cricket and was 17 when he was persuaded to join a game with fellow miners during the strike. By 1932 he had made his first class debut and quickly established himself a career that despite regular injury setbacks and the war would last until 1949. He was a fast-medium bowler who was quick off the pitch, could swing the ball either way and bring it back sharply off the surface.
His style is perhaps the most remarkable of any of the bowler featured here. While other fast-medium bowlers had a similarly short, eight-pace run he turned sideways very early and sidestepped his way into the crease, both feet pointing backwards as his right felt its way forward in the penultimate stride. Then, having thrust his arm above able his head he snapped it down and back over from behind his back in a rocking motion that combined beautifully with the sidestepping run and imparted pace that could catch a batsman unawares.
His international career was brief. He was selected to tour Australia in 1936/37 after taking 140 wickets at 13 in English season, but it seems his injury history meant he was never considered for the timeless matches. He finally debuted in 1939 with a fine performance of nine wickets against the West Indians, and took three in next rain affected match before the missing the last test of the truncated series (presumably injured). 1939 would be most prolific year with 146 wickets but the war intervened. He played one test against South Africa in 1947 but though still accurate the venom was gone and he was not considered again.

(one very poor shot)

Here you can see him drop a very easy return catch off Headley.

(You can also see him behind the title card)

 

[Starfighter]

Now we get to some awkwardly timed, war-crossing ones.

Reg Perks was a fast-medium bowler who enjoyed a very lengthy career with Worcestershire, stretching all the way from 1930 to when he retired in 1955, becoming the county's first professional captain in his last year. After taking a few years to establish himself he became an ever-present fixture in the side. From 1934 he took 100 or more wickets each season until he retired, his sixteen consecutive seasons being only succeeded by Shackleton and Freeman. Bowling with a whirling chest-on action that was quite unusual for the time and that would still stick out today he maintained a steady length and swung it a bit both ways. His test career was confined to 1939, debuting in the 'timeless' test in South Africa (and emerging with great credit in taking 5/100 on the lifeless pitch) and then playing in the third test against the West Indies, being the best of an impenetrative attack with 5/156. 34 at the end of the War, he was never seriously considered again, although one wonders thinking about some of the bowlers that England did pick.

In a 1936 trial match:

In 1948 against the Australians, including a slow motion:

A shot from the same match, cut off part way but shows his action well:

In 1955 against SA, with John Whitehead featuring at 10s as well:

 

[Starfighter]

Another bowler with an odd career at the time was Nottinghamshire's Harold Butler. A fast-medium to fast bowler with a slightly awkward action who was an understudy to Larwood he did not really get established until the latter retired. Pretty soon the war intervened and he lost what might have been his best years. Despite being decidedly on the old side and over the optimum weight he debuted against South Africa at Leeds in 1947 and took an impressive 7/66 in the match. Despite this he was not picked in the final test as England continued to shuffle their bowlers. He was then picked to tour the West Indies with a weak side in 1948, being the best of a bad lot on a flat pitch despite catching malaria and losing considerable weight. A calf injury ended his part in the tour afterwards. He continued to play between injuries until 1954, but was like Perks was also overlooked for against Australia, strangely considering the lack of faster bowlers in England at the time.

1934 against Australia

Scattered shots against Yorkshire in 1936

In 1947 against SA

 

[Starfighter]

Shute Banerjee was a fast-medium bowler who was selected to tour England in 1936 after good performances against an an Australian XI in 35/36. Unlikely to displace Nissar and Amar Singh, and with Jahangir Khan as a handy third option, he did not break into the test team. Ten years later he came back to England with no such competition, yet inconsistent selection and moderate performances meant he did not play then either, India depending mainly on Amarnath's Chris Harris-like medium pace and Hazare's slingy out swingers. His one test would come at the age of 37 in 1949 when he was selected for the final match against the West Indies after taking 7/67 in a tour match. He bowled creditably and took five wickets (in a match more notable for being drawn with India needing six to win when the umpire called time a minute early), but with no tests for the next three years he never added to his one appearance.

 

[Starfighter]

Tom Pritchard was a fast medium to fast bowler from New Zealand who moved to England and enjoyed a successful career Warwickshire, refusing to break his qualification to play for his home country in 1949.

 

[Flem274*]

how about that ****in spinner in the footage right after who's putting zero effort into it hahah

strange that pritchard never regretted turning down test cricket. not many would grow old and not ponder what might have been.

 

[the big bambino]

From memory its because he met his wife in England amongst other sundry reasons.

As for Perks, I think his action is kind of Walshish. Arlott loved him and wrote about him frequently. Mentioning an ability to bowl what would be called a hard length now and getting catches from the resultant bounce.

 

[thierry henry]

Perks’ action is pure Hamish Bennett imo

 

[Starfighter]

Although more well known for his fearless batting, Bill Edrich was also a handy bowler. Off a brisk eleven step run he tilted back as he entered the crease and bending his arm right back he bowled skimming deliveries with a low slinging action from his 5'6" frame. He was considered genuinely fast in his day but was not very accurate and could be very erratic, and in any other era would have been a handy fifth bowler who could provide a quick burst and pick up a surprise wicket or two. Yet England were so lacking in pace bowlers post-WWII that he was regularly pressed into service as an opening bowler in tests. Indeed, in some matches like those against SA in 1947 he was the fastest bowler on either side. He was the leading wicket taker in that series picking up a fine haul of 16 in four matches against a reasonably good batting lineup, but in most other series was very expensive. The War swallowed what would certainly have been his best bowling years and it slid rapidly afterwards (he was 30 when test cricket resumed), although he opened the bowling at Lord's in 1949 despite averaging 44 that County season. He did not bowl against WI the next year and his dumping from the 50/51 Ashes squad after a drunken night lost what might have been the final chance to seriously employ his bowling. While not really a good bowler - his first class average was 33, higher even than Compton's handy unorthodox spin, the footage here remains as a testament to one of the stranger periods of English fast bowling.

He even did the pace bowling segment of his instructional video (full action at 1:25). Notice he kept his arm much higher for the video.

(Another shot at 1:37)

(Another shot at 0:50)

A short sequence that includes a rare wicket in Australia, nightwatchman Johnson caught by Washbrook.

(Another shot at 1:40)

 

[stephen]

Excellent stuff Starfighter.

 

[Starfighter]

Forgot one more pre-war bowler.

Tyrell Johnson was a West Indian fast-medium left-armer who mainly bowled inswing from around the wicket from a brisk run with a whippy action that kept the body unusually upright. He played at the third test at the Oval in 1939 dismissed Walter Keaton with his first ball, took three wickets in the match and never played again due to the war.

Also a very distant shot at 6 seconds.

 

[the big bambino]

He's as thin as a Reid.

 

[NotMcKenzie]

Just not as tall. Seems rather round-armed as well. Timing of his action looks a bit more like a spinner.