Steve Harmison - How good was he?

[nightprowler10]

i'd argue he was consistent. look at this progressive bowling summary, he was very good, and then he wasn't test quality, in quite a linear manner: Stephen Harmison - Test Cricket - Performance Analysis by Year

the old trafford match in 2006 where he took 11 wickets for the match is the only issue

That OT pitch was perfect for him. Pakistan hadn't seen something like that in years.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Steve Waugh called him the "White West Indian" in his autobiography, which is high praise.

I thought that was a Gavaskar quote

Better than Saj Mahmood

you'd hope so lol

 

[Line and Length]

He was one of those rare bowlers who opposing batsmen thought he gained pace off the wicket. The Laws of Physics makes this impossible but it is something I've also heard about 'Garth' McKenzie and John Snow.

 

[Starfighter]

He was one of those rare bowlers who opposing batsmen thought he gained pace off the wicket. The Laws of Physics makes this impossible but it is something I've also heard about 'Garth' McKenzie and John Snow.

Considering you were around in the sixties, how quick do you reckon McKenzie was compared to bowlers these days?

 

[TheJammyTurtle]

Thanks for feedback everyone, looked into his career a bit more and I do think that depression and homesickness hampered him away from home, especially in South Africa 2004 which seemed to be the worst of it.

Was probably best for him when his england career ended when it did, always enjoyed his media work and he was on a feature for sky sports today covering that Edgbaston Test and spoke very well, so I’ll defintely look back at him in a positive light. I suppose being leader of the 2005 Ashes attack has already secured him that in most fans eyes

 

[Burgey]

Serious rocks and diamonds bowler. I always got the impression his action wasn't always repeatable and he'd sometimes drop his front arm slightly, which caused him problems, but that may have just been my perception. I thought his 2005 series came to be marked a tad too hard around here, and he was an important factor in England minting their way to success in that series. His spell first up at Lord's set the tone for the series tbh. Not many badged Ponting in his pomp. Bloke bowled gas.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Is Jofra a throwback to him?

 

[TheJediBrah]

Serious rocks and diamonds bowler. I always got the impression his action wasn't always repeatable and he'd sometimes drop his front arm slightly, which caused him problems, but that may have just been my perception. I thought his 2005 series came to be marked a tad too hard around here, and he was an important factor in England minting their way to success in that series. His spell first up at Lord's set the tone for the series tbh. Not many badged Ponting in his pomp. Bloke bowled gas.

Not a bad point. He wasn't as reliant on swing as Flintoff, Jones, Hoggard, whoever else so probably earned more of his wickets in 2005 rather than being the result of ball-tampering like the others.

 

[Bahnz]

Steve Waugh called him the "White West Indian" in his autobiography, which is high praise.

Harmison was a lot like Morkel - a guy with all the physical assets who underperformed relative to expectations. He was tall, sharp enough and got good bounce but was way too inconsistent over his career.

Bit harsh on Morkel being compared to Harmison. Morkel took some time to learn his craft, but during those last 4 or 5 years of his career he was a beast. Harmison, as a few have noted was a flash in the pan who quickly reverted to mediocrity.

 

[Bahnz]

I agree with everything there, other than he wasn't express pace. He was very quick and was one of only about 5 bowlers around who could bowl spells consistently over 90mph. He was fat and unfit at the end but up until 2005 he was rapid

Yeah agreed. I remember Chris Cairns saying that the 04 kiwis were all a bit shocked by how quick he was.

 

[stephen]

Bit harsh on Morkel being compared to Harmison. Morkel took some time to learn his craft, but during those last 4 or 5 years of his career he was a beast. Harmison, as a few have noted was a flash in the pan who quickly reverted to mediocrity.

True, I actually intended to write about how Morkel ended his career much differently to Harmison. I only meant that both bowlers had very good physical assets and both were perceived to have not lived up to expectation. Morkel was a much better bowler overall and finished his career excellently.

 

[trundler]

So with the exception of a brief period you could say he was.. harmless.

 

[stephen]

He was either Harmless or GBH, which was his nickname on the old channel 4 message boards before they turned to a spam ridden wasteland.

 

[Line and Length]

Considering you were around in the sixties, how quick do you reckon McKenzie was compared to bowlers these days?

He was more than sharp. He was Australia's leading quick between the Lindwall/Davidson and Lillee/Thompson eras. He would have taken even more wickets had he not been "rested" when a few short of Benaud's Australian record at the time. How quick? Quick enough to break Boycott's arm.

 

[Tom Flint]

Not a bad point. He wasn't as reliant on swing as Flintoff, Jones, Hoggard, whoever else so probably earned more of his wickets in 2005 rather than being the result of ball-tampering like the others.

The only ball tampering that series was McGrath trying to take his spikes down a ball before the 2nd test

 

[TheJediBrah]

The only ball tampering that series was McGrath trying to take his spikes down a ball before the 2nd test

everyone was pretty open about it m8, it's not a secret. They're known as the "Murray Mint Ashes". Trescothick wrote a book on it.

 

[Tom Flint]

Let it go, you lost to the better team at the time. 15 years later and you are still hanging on to the same two old excuses. Take it on the chin and move on

 

[TheJediBrah]

Let it go, you lost to the better team at the time. 15 years later and you are still hanging on to the same two old excuses. Take it on the chin and move on

If you don't like the truth then don't comment on it bud

 

[Tom Flint]

If you don't like the truth then don't comment on it bud

I love talking about that series, and watching it. All I saw is jones Harmison and Flintoff bowling high 80s or 90 odd mph spells and taking it to your atg batting line up. There was swing of course but recently sky have been showing the full highlights and most of your dismissals were to short stuff. How many of your wickets were given away to Ashley Giles too, you can't blame that on shining the ball

 

[TheJediBrah]

I love talking about that series, and watching it. All I saw is jones Harmison and Flintoff bowling high 80s or 90 odd mph spells and taking it to your atg batting line up. There was swing of course but recently sky have been showing the full highlights and most of your dismissals were to short stuff. How many of your wickets were given away to Ashley Giles too, you can't blame that on shining the ball

clearly

don't blame you, it was a great series. Real underdog story, regardless of the many varied circumstances that allowed it.