Harold Larwood vs William Voce

[Johan]

Better bowler? Larwood has 78 @ 28.36 before the second world war, Voce has 97 @ 26.04 before the second war

 

[Coronis]

Better bowler? Larwood has 78 @ 28.36 before the second world war, Voce has 97 @ 26.04 before the second war

I think Larwood was a better bowler but Voce had the better career.

Just looking at their Nottinghamshire stats (Voce of course played after the war fairly unsuccessfully which affects his stats - to what degree I don’t know)

Voce 345 matches 1312 @ 22.26 74 5’fers 17 10’fers
Larwood 300 matches 1247 @ 16.24 89 5’fers 19 10’fers

iirc Voce was much more consistent outside of Bodyline at test level compared to Larwood.

 

[Johan]

I think Larwood was a better bowler but Voce had the better career.

Just looking at their Nottinghamshire stats (Voce of course played after the war fairly unsuccessfully which affects his stats - to what degree I don’t know)

Voce 345 matches 1312 @ 22.26 74 5’fers 17 10’fers
Larwood 300 matches 1247 @ 16.24 89 5’fers 19 10’fers

iirc Voce was much more consistent outside of Bodyline at test level compared to Larwood.

Do you have Bowes as the best of them all? pretty sure that he's the one with the best FC record, his test record isn't inferior either.

 

[The Sean]

Bowes was a very, very good bowler. That collection of England quicks in the 1930s - Tate (albeit late career by then), Larwood, Voce, Allen, Bowes, Farnes - were all largely excellent.

 

[Coronis]

Bowes was a very, very good bowler. That collection of England quicks in the 1930s - Tate (albeit late career by then), Larwood, Voce, Allen, Bowes, Farnes - were all largely excellent.

Yeah if Australia didn’t have Bradman that would have been a dominant era of English cricket.

 

[Coronis]

Do you have Bowes as the best of them all? pretty sure that he's the one with the best FC record, his test record isn't inferior either.

He could very well have been. Unfortunately he only played one match in Australia and didn’t do well.

Funny thing about all these English fast bowlers, aside from Tate none were really mainstays. And even Tate was left out of a series or two iirc.

 

[Coronis]

Looking at 1930’s bowlers - amount of possible tests they played in the 30’s (from their test debut to their last test in the 30’s - this may even help guys like Voce)

(bowling average below 30, batting below 25, min 10 matches played

O’Reilly 26/26 (100%)
Martindale 10/10 (100%)
Grimmett 28/30 (93.33%)
McCormick 12/13 (92.31%)
Constantine 15/19 (78.95%)
Verity 40/53 (75.47%)
Ironmonger 12/20 (60%)
Farnes 15/34 (44.12%)
Voce 24/58 (41.38%)
Bowes 15/50 (30%)
Tate 13/48 (27.08%)


Even Larwood 9/27 (33.33%)

Only Verity was really a mainstay, the rest of the attack would chop and change. We also see this in the 50’s with guys like Trueman, Laker, Wardle, Lock, Statham

Part of this is a function of England’s high amount of tests, part because English selectors suck, especially with bowlers.