DoG's Top 100 Test Bowlers Countdown Thread 100-1

[harsh.ag]

Wow that's a lot high. Nothing wrong though. Gave memories for a lifetime.

 

[Days of Grace]

No.37

Makhaya Ntini (South Africa) 755

Quality Points: 649
Career Points: 105

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j08HByTu3Uk

Career: 1998-2009
Wickets: 390
Gold Performances: 3
7/37 vs. West Indies at Port of Spain 2005 (16.53)
5/64 vs. Australia at Perth 2005 (15.24)
5/48 vs. India at Durban 2006 (15.40)
Silver Performances: 14
Bronze Performances: 6

Overall Average/Strike-Rate/Points Per Innings: 26.42 (28.83) 55.39 (53.42) 4.21
50 Innings Peak Average/Strike-Rate/Points Per Innings (2004-2007): 20.89 43.60 6.23
Non-Home Average/Strike-Rate/Points Per Innings: 33.65 68.78 3.11
Quality Opposition Average/Strike-Rate/Points Per Innings: 26.82 54.19 4.53

An underrated and, dare I say, largely forgotten bowler on Cricketweb, Makhaya Ntini was overshadowed by Donald and Pollock at the beginning of his career, then cast aside for the phenomenal Dale Steyn at the end of the 2000s. However, he had an outstanding peak in between the Donald/Pollock and Steyn eras where he carried a relatively weak South African side. He is let down by a poor away record, having the worst adjusted average of any bowler in the top 50.

 

[Adders]

Gold Performances: 5
8/61 vs. South Africa at Perth 2008 (16.82)
6/38 vs. England at Perth 2010 (16.47)
7/40 vs. England at Adelaide 2013 (17.58)
7/68 vs. South Africa at Centurion 2014 (18.21)
5/59 vs. South Africa at Centurion 2014 (16.23)

It's really incredible that he managed that Perth 2010 spell in the midst of such a horror series for him. As for Adelaide 2013, I was there for all 5 days........never seen anything like it ever. Was devastated at the time (Obs) but looking back now I feel privileged to have witnessed a top piece of Ashes history being made.

 

[harsh.ag]

Eh. Too high.

 

[stephen]

Yeah I feel Ntini was very fortunate to take so many wickets. He was fodder for a lot of his career.

 

[Days of Grace]

No.36

Fazal Mahmood (Pakistan) 772

Quality Points: 717
Career Points: 55

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59e_wmf4X_4

Career: 1952-1962
Wickets: 139
Gold Performances: 7
7/42 vs. India at Lucknow 1952 (15.79)
6/53 vs. England at The Oval 1954 (15.76)
6/46 vs. England at The Oval 1954 (17.62)
6/34 vs. Australia at Karachi 1956 (16.89)
7/80 vs. Australia at Karachi 1956 (16.09)
6/34 vs. West Indies at Dhaka 1959 (15.01)
6/66 vs. West Indies at Dhaka 1959 (16.46)
Silver Performances: 2
Bronze Performances: 4

Overall Average/Strike-Rate/Points Per Innings: 24.26 (24.71) 61.68 (70.73) 5.52
50 Innings Peak Average/Strike-Rate/Points Per Innings (1952-1962): 22.97 59.97 5.77
Non-Home Average/Strike-Rate/Points Per Innings: 28.86 68.85 5.01
Quality Opposition Average/Strike-Rate/Points Per Innings: 19.62 46.09 8.71

A pioneer for Pakistan, Fazal more than deserves his place in the top 40. He has an incredible 7 gold performances, four of them achieved at home on matting wickets. But his most memorable performance of course is leading Pakistan to victory at the Oval in 1954. More phenomenal is his record against quality opposition. No-one in the top 100 gets close to his 8.71 points per innings. The question is, looking at his style of medium-paced cutters in the video, would he get a gig in modern conditions?

 

[marc71178]

Best summer of pure fast bowling I’ve seen. Was incredible.

Better than bodyline?

 

[ankitj]

For such a short career, Fazal has lot of gold performances! And 4 ten-fers. I have new found respect for him. I wouldn't typically rate him ahead of likes of Lindwall and Roberts but I would now have to ask why not.

 

[ankitj]

Ambrose, Anderson, Ashwin, Barnes, Botham, Cowie, Davidson, Donald, Fazal, Garner, Grimmett, Hadlee, Harris, Herath, Holding, Imran, Ironmonger, Johnson, Kumble, Laker, Lillee, Marshall, McGrath, Muralitharan, O'Reilly, Philander, Pollock, Rabada, Steyn, Tayfield, Trueman, Walsh, Waqar, Warne, Wasim.

No Jadeja or Shoaib or Lohmann or a few others in that list. Room for a few more though.

This list of probables didn't have Ntini, so Ironmonger misses out may be.

Edit: probably Cowie misses out too. Too short a career.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

I tend to think Rabada won't feature, mainly because he has still likely got the vast majority of his career ahead of him. Sensational bowler, but not sure he has played enough tests to go that high on the list

 

[Starfighter]

The question is, looking at his style of medium-paced cutters in the video, would he get a gig in modern conditions?

I'd be rather inclined towards not. The Lucknow, Karachi and Dhaka performances were all on matting wickets and the Oval test was on a soft pitch with multiple rainfalls throughout the match. He was well known for being less effective on turf pitches.

 

[Jarquis]

Huge difference between Ntini and Vaas

 

[Bolo]

Ntini might be the least talented bowler on this list, but he really made the most of what he had. He timed his career really well. Stunk it up when RSA had great bowling stocks, but became great at the time it was really needed.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Always quite liked Ntini fwiw, got to respect his stamina and whole-heartedness. You could argue he may have hung on for a bit too long but he is far from alone in that respect

 

[smash84]

Fazal was such a gun bowler. Played to his strengths. Wasn't very pacy but he was kind of an Imran before Imran. Had movie star good looks too. Most of Pakistan's early successes could be attributed to him. WAG

 

[Days of Grace]

What speed do you think the likes of Bedser and Fazal bowled at?

 

[smash84]

Somewhere between 110-120 kph I reckon

 

[trundler]

I imagine almost Philander-ish. As bowling speeds have obviously increased, a Philander-ish speed relative to what was considered fast back then.

I don't think Fazal would've been very effective today but I don't think that makes him a lesser bowler as he did exceptionally well in the conditions he got.

 

[Days of Grace]

So about 110-120kph, about Nathan Astle or Paul Collingwood pace but obviously a lot more skillful?

 

[smash84]

for sure, bowling pace has gone up significantly in general, especially if the footage from the pace contest in Aus in 1979 is anything to go by. Imran clokced 3rd over there with 139 km/h. So at his usual pace he must be bowling early 130s I reckon. Fazal b/w 110-120 sounds about right