What are the 5 greatest bowling attacks ever fielded?

[trundler]

Did that attack regularly play together?

Though the most impressive thing about England 1950's was their bowling depth, I'm sure you could find tons of English attacks around that time with 5 good bowling options. An attack of Tyson-Loader-Wardle-Appleyard would be a very good one usually, and I'm sure I've forgotten others too.

Yeah the OP said variations of the same attack count as one so I meant that general era. These 5 played 4 matches together and didn't do a whole lot when they did. I think English teams of the time had the most success when Tyson and Appleyard played. Don't think this period was Trueman's best and I couldn't tell you how all of those spinners were performing at the time. It's just insane depth. Bedser, Bailey and Laker have some overlap too. @peterhrt has recently informed us that there was a concerted effort to make pitches more bowler friendly in the '50s so I wonder how many of those depth bowlers would excel in other eras.

 

[Slifer]

Wi in Pakistan 1990:
Marshall, Ambrose, Bishop (pre injury), Walsh

Pakistan said series:

Imran, Waqar, Wasim, Qadir (3rd test only)

 

[Dendarii]

4. SA late 90s had peak Donald/Pollock/DeVilliers at one point

That combination only played two tests together, in De Villiers' final series. Although he picked up 10 wickets at 15.4 in those matches, so he arguably wasn't far off his peak.

 

[Bolo.]

Yeah the OP said variations of the same attack count as one so I meant that general era. These 5 played 4 matches together and didn't do a whole lot when they did. I think English teams of the time had the most success when Tyson and Appleyard played. Don't think this period was Trueman's best and I couldn't tell you how all of those spinners were performing at the time. It's just insane depth. Bedser, Bailey and Laker have some overlap too. @peterhrt has recently informed us that there was a concerted effort to make pitches more bowler friendly in the '50s so I wonder how many of those depth bowlers would excel in other eras.

Wardle too. Almost all of the spinners were serious htbs on juicy wickets, but his away numbers are as good as home.

 

[Prince EWS]

Some also to consider:
Australia: McGrath, Lee, Warne, Clark

This is a very good attack on paper but only actually played five Tests together, and Lee was pretty crap in those Tests.

 

[TheJediBrah]

If you really want to include a Warne/McGrath one it should be with Lee + Gillespie. But even then I'm not confident they would be top 5 of all time

 

[Prince EWS]

If you really want to include a Warne/McGrath one it should be with Lee + Gillespie. But even then I'm not confident they would be top 5 of all time

Lee wasn't particularly good at any stage while Gillespie was playing either IIRC. He was good right at the start of his career when Fleming was playing, and good for a season or two after McGrath retired.

Finding a McWarne attack is tempting but the third seamer is always going to drag it down a bit and they never had a fifth bowler either (primarily because Warne meant they didn't need one, but still).

 

[Prince EWS]

I nominate:

Lindwall
Miller
Davidson
Benaud
Ian Johnson

#batdeep too

 

[TheJediBrah]

Lee wasn't particularly good at any stage while Gillespie was playing either IIRC. He was good right at the start of his career when Fleming was playing, and good for a season or two after McGrath retired.

Finding a McWarne attack is tempting but the third seamer is always going to drag it down a bit and they never had a fifth bowler either (primarily because Warne meant they didn't need one, but still).

Precisely my reasoning. At a pinch a Warne/MacGill/McGrath +1 attack might be your best bet. With the +1 being either Gillespie or Fleming, if possible.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Or McGrath/Fleming/Gillespie/Warne did play together. Which bypasses the Lee not being that good problem

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Precisely my reasoning. At a pinch a Warne/MacGill/McGrath +1 attack might be your best bet. With the +1 being either Gillespie or Fleming, if possible.

They had McGrath/Gillespie/Warne/MacGill in the 1st 3 tests in the Windies in 1999 before a "funky" selection with Miller and Adam Dale in for Gillespie and Warne in the 4th.

 

[The Sean]

I nominate:

Lindwall
Miller
Davidson
Benaud
Ian Johnson

#batdeep too

This is another one which is great on paper but played only a handful of times together and unfortunately without much overlap of peak performance by the blokes involved.

I reckon any Lindwall-Miller peak attack has to include Bill Johnston.

 

[subshakerz]

They had McGrath/Gillespie/Warne/MacGill in the 1st 3 tests in the Windies in 1999 before a "funky" selection with Miller and Adam Dale in for Gillespie and Warne in the 4th.

Warne was crap then.

 

[subshakerz]

Or McGrath/Fleming/Gillespie/Warne did play together. Which bypasses the Lee not being that good problem

Again it's iffy as Warne was in his least effective stage of his career.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Again it's iffy as Warne was in his least effective stage of his career.

Nah, these 4 played together as late as 2001, at the end of one of the 16-Test winning streaks. So they did ok

 

[AndrewB]

This is another one which is great on paper but played only a handful of times together and unfortunately without much overlap of peak performance by the blokes involved.

I reckon any Lindwall-Miller peak attack has to include Bill Johnston.

Checking that out: their bowling figures up to the end of the 1956 Ashes:
Lindwall 199@22.28
Miller 168@22.90
Johnson 102@29.78
Benaud 49@34.40
Davidson 13@37.53

After the 1956 Ashes:
Benaud 199@25.21
Davidson 173@19.25
Lindwall 29@28.13
Johnson 7@20.57
Miller 2@29.00

Ironically, in the 4 matches where they all played, the best Australia bowler (by average) was Ron Archer (9@23).

Benaud's career as a bowler comes in 3 stages:
First 24 Tests: 50 wickets at 34.44;
Next 21 Tests: 131 wickets at 19.67;
Last 18 Tests: 67 wickets at 35.88

 

[J_C]

Ashwin/Jaddu/Axar/Bumrah when they play together

 

[OverratedSanity]

Some bowling attacks that aren't really ATG on paper but performed at a near ATG level for a short while:

2005 England with peak Flintoff and Harmison/Hoggard/Jones in great form
2010-11 England with Anderson/Broad/Tremlett/Bresnan/Swann. Superb variety in styles, Broad never bowled better than in 2011 vs India
2013-14 Australia. Johnson's crazy season + Harris, Siddle, Lyon
2018-2022 India. Bumrah, Shami, Ishant all put up incredible numbers both home and away + Ashwin/Jadeja's home domination and good away tours to Australia

 

[morgieb]

Lee wasn't particularly good at any stage while Gillespie was playing either IIRC. He was good right at the start of his career when Fleming was playing, and good for a season or two after McGrath retired.

Finding a McWarne attack is tempting but the third seamer is always going to drag it down a bit and they never had a fifth bowler either (primarily because Warne meant they didn't need one, but still).

I know he wasn’t a star, but I think the winner might be McGrath/Gillespie/Kasprowicz/Warne because Kasprowicz played that 3rd seamer role so well. At least he was better than Lee in that regard even if Lee was a better bowler.

did McGrath/McDermott/Reiffel/Warne ever play much? Or McGrath/Gillespie/Reiffel/Warne?

they only played one Test but we did McGrath/Gillespie/Watson/Warne/MacGill play in one Test. That could’ve been really handy if Gillespie didn’t completely lose it not long afterwards.

 

[HouHsiaoHsien]

From what I gather, I would put:

1. WI early 80s - hard to separate Roberts/Croft/Garner/Holding and Marshall/Holding/Garner/Walsh
2. Australia 2000s, in particular the attack of McWarne's last series of McGrath/Lee/Clark/Warne that was relentless
3. England 50s, not sure of the exact attack but combo of Trueman/Stratham/Laker would be formidable
4. SA late 90s had peak Donald/Pollock/DeVilliers at one point, I think that edges out Steyn/Philander/Morkel
5. Australia mid-70s with Lillee, Thomson and Gilmour

Pak around 96/97 had peak Wasim, post-peak but still effective Waqar plus a worldclass Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain

The 2018 SA attack that India played that even had Steyn in the first match, but peak Philander, Rabada, Morkel(in SA conditions where these guys are brutal) and even guys like Ngidi in great form is up there.