Is Steyn as deadly as Lillee?

[Hit Wicket]

I'm not sure that could be viewed as a trump card, given that clearly there were more good fast bowlers around in Lillee's era than Steyn's.

Already answered earlier - if you are going to hold there not being good enough competitors to Steyn in the best batting conditions of decades, surely you've got to hold the fact that Lillee hardly played outside two countries and sucked whenever he did. Next?

 

[Hit Wicket]

His was the best side of that era. Although they had just had a close series at home to a very ordinary Pakistan side tbh.

And he was one of the reasons, if not the primary one, that they were the best side of the era. He was the best fast bowler of the mid-late 70s tbf, though as you say he left for WSC

I apologize, I am new to the forum so don't know the kind of responses to expect from certain posters.

But, in an earlier response to your post I acknowledged Lillee as one of the all time great bowlers - scratch that not acknowledge, but I believe he was, even before your post. My responses on this thread have been solely to do with running down Steyn's achievements because he does not have enough competition. That's something out of his control.

 

[Spark]

True it may be but "he's far better than every other bowler in his generation" isn't that huge a compliment if every other bowler in his generation isn't that good.

 

[Hit Wicket]

True it may be but "he's far better than every other bowler in his generation" isn't that huge a compliment if every other bowler in his generation isn't that good.

Isn't it a huge compliment to a bowler who never played in the subcontinent (and sucked whenever he did, accepting his mitigating circumstances) when his competitors did?

 

[Burgey]

I apologize, I am new to the forum so don't know the kind of responses to expect from certain posters.

But, in an earlier response to your post I acknowledged Lillee as one of the all time great bowlers - scratch that not acknowledge, but I believe he was, even before your post. My responses on this thread have been solely to do with running down Steyn's achievements because he does not have enough competition. That's something out of his control.

Oh for sure, and I think Steyn is showing ATM the kind of form and innate ability that will see him go down as a great. If you bowl outswinger at or about 90 mph, you'll get wickets in any era really.

Edit: unless you're Ben Hilfenhaus and start them from the hand about a foot wide of off stump.

 

[robelinda]

From what I saw of Steyn in the recent test, a majority of his bowling was mid 130km's, whats up with that? Hardly quick stuff. I thought he was consistently above 140+?

 

[Spark]

He usually is, I reckon the speed guns were off. They seemed a bit slow all test.

 

[Hit Wicket]

From what I saw of Steyn in the recent test, a majority of his bowling was mid 130km's, whats up with that? Hardly quick stuff. I thought he was consistently above 140+?

Yeah, Steyn sucks! He's right down with the level with a certain paceman from Australia who sold his soul to play for money instead of the country and now 30 years later his fanboys are making excusing for him sucking in the subcontinent.

 

[Top_Cat]

 

[Spark]

 

[Burgey]

From what I saw of Steyn in the recent test, a majority of his bowling was mid 130km's, whats up with that? Hardly quick stuff. I thought he was consistently above 140+?

The greats adapt though. Maybe drop their pace to look for a bit of extra movement.

 

[Burgey]

Yeah, Steyn sucks! He's right down with the level with a certain paceman from Australia who sold his soul to play for money instead of the country and now 30 years later his fanboys are making excusing for him sucking in the subcontinent.

Oh dear.

 

[ankitj]

I apologize, I am new to the forum so don't know the kind of responses to expect from certain posters.

But, in an earlier response to your post I acknowledged Lillee as one of the all time great bowlers - scratch that not acknowledge, but I believe he was, even before your post. My responses on this thread have been solely to do with running down Steyn's achievements because he does not have enough competition. That's something out of his control.

Don't Worry. You'll learn with time that it's blasphemy to criticize Lillee, Warne or Pointing. But bear in mind that it's only the Tendulkar fans who are hyper sensitive.

 

[vcs]

Always amazes me how the Internet seems to contain pictures that perfectly sum up pretty much any situation you could think of.

 

[MrIncredible]

WADR to Mr Lillee but Steyn is a complete (G for genius). I already acknowledge him as an All timer

My only issue is, where to rank him in the elite with : Lillee, Mcgrath, Marshall, Donald, Imran etc or

with the slightly lower tier : Garner, Holding, Wasim (my opinion), Pollock,

My take is, if he never bowled another ball from here on out, I'd put him in the top tier no questions

asked.

 

[M0rphin3]

The greats adapt though. Maybe drop their pace to look for a bit of extra movement.

Yeah that. When there was no movement he was bowling at 140+ consistently, went upto 145+ iirc.

 

[Teja.]

1. The entire 70s were steaming in with hundreds of pacers thing is way overrated. The 70s had a lesser number of ATG pacers who played atleast half- of it than the 00s tbh. Lillee was comfortably the best bowler of the 70s, Give him some credit ffs.

2. Criticizing him for failing for a sample size of 4 tests in the SL is ridiculous.

As to the original question, Steyn has the potential to be the best pacer of all-time, He still has to bowl at this level for 2-3 more years for him to become an ATG, for me. He's had 4 awesome years though tbf.

 

[M0rphin3]

For me Steyn>Lillee. And admittedly I haven't seen enough of Lillee.

 

[Teja.]

The greats adapt though. Maybe drop their pace to look for a bit of extra movement.

Yeah, was a noticeable change in bowling style tbh. Went from a bowler who pitched it up at a high speed waiting for the inevitable magic delivery with the swing he gets to a bowler bowling an incredible line and length and beating even Tendulkar's bat consistently. There were 2 spells on the third day where he bowled at a very high pace and also an awesome line and length, was jaffer after jaffer.

One was on the morning, where Tendulkar edged and Boucher did not take it and most other balls were too good for the batsman's bats(Tendulkar and Gambhir not Harby and Sree mind you). The second was where he got 2 wickets and hit Harby's stump but the bails did not come off. That spell deserved 12 wickets tbh. Only Mcgrath's 4-2 a better spell in one's I've seen.

I don't know if it's a result of his intentional change in style but he was consistently good in every game. When we played him before, He either completely destroyed us or was not that effective when it was not swinging and he pitched it up. If this Steyn is going to be the staple from now, The batsman of the world need all the luck they can get.

 

[vcs]

Yeah, was a noticeable change in bowling style tbh. Went from a bowler who pitched it up at a high speed waiting for the inevitable magic delivery with the swing he gets to a bowler bowling an incredible line and length and beating even Tendulkar's bat consistently. There were 2 spells on the third day where he bowled at a very high pace and also an awesome line and length, was jaffer after jaffer.

One was on the morning, where Tendulkar edged and Boucher did not take it and most other balls were too good for the batsman's bats(Tendulkar and Gambhir not Harby and Sree mind you). The second was where he got 2 wickets and hit Harby's stump but the bails did not come off. That spell deserved 12 wickets tbh. Only Mcgrath's 4-2 a better spell in one's I've seen.

I don't know if it's a result of his intentional change in style but he was consistently good in every game. When we played him before, He either completely destroyed us or was not that effective when it was not swinging and he pitched it up. If this Steyn is going to be the staple from now, The batsman of the world need all the luck they can get.

Don't forget the spell he bowled at the Centurion first day as well. While Morkel deservedly took the plaudits with 5/20, Steyn got Laxman bowled and Tendulkar LBW with magnificent deliveries that would have got anyone. The one to Tendulkar was shaping to go away and then seamed in sharply. If he had bowled one of those at Cape Town amidst all those banana outswingers, he might well have got his man again.