In the Caribbean Richards faced Marshall, Holding, Garner, Croft, Walsh, Patterson, Bishop, Daniel, Sylvester Clarke and Ezra Moseley, amongst others. In first-class matches when one or more of these ten bowlers were in the opposition, he scored 1238 runs at an average of 37 with three centuries. Garner dismissed him five times, nobody else more than twice. Richards did not face Roberts or Ambrose because they were his teammates.
In the English county championship Richards faced all these bowlers apart from Garner, who was now his teammate, and additionally came up against Roberts and Ambrose who were now opponents. His record was 3039 runs @ 46 with nine hundreds. Marshall got him five times and Walsh four.
Combined record 4277 runs @ 43 with twelve hundreds. A third of his dismissals were at the hands of one of the fast bowlers mentioned above.