• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Best Last Over Bowlers

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
Richard said:
Some bowlers I definately would NOT want: McGrath, Vaas, Ambrose, Waqar Younis, Harvey.
Why on earth wouldn't you want McGrath or Ambrose? They have been two of the most consistent death bowlers in the last 10-15 years.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
I admit I never really saw Ambrose bowl at the death but they both seem to me to be bowlers who are totally wasted at the death, much better used straight through.
They're both metronomes (same with Pollock), meaning their best use is to standard-good-length - not death-good-length.
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
Richard said:
I admit I never really saw Ambrose bowl at the death but they both seem to me to be bowlers who are totally wasted at the death, much better used straight through.
They're both metronomes (same with Pollock), meaning their best use is to standard-good-length - not death-good-length.
But the fact that they are so accurate means they are also capable of being economical or taking vital wickets at the death, when there is much more at stake.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Being accurate and hitting conventional-good-length means you are very likely to be very expensive at the death, everyone knows that.
To bowl economically at the death you need to be able to hit the blockhole - consistently. Whenever I've seen McGrath he hasn't been particularly expert at this, Pollock even more so, and hence I think they're wasted at the death and would be better to use the opportunity to get through 10 overs for less than 30.
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
Err yes, but accurate bowlers with supreme control can change their length to suit death bowling when necessary, and both McGrath and Ambrose are excellent exponents of this, as was Wasim Akram.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
FaaipDeOiad said:
Err yes, but accurate bowlers with supreme control can change their length to suit death bowling when necessary, and both McGrath and Ambrose are excellent exponents of this, as was Wasim Akram.
Metronomic bowlers can't change their length.
And in my experience McGrath struggles to bowl Yorkers consistently, because that's not his natural length.
And hence he's much better utilised at the start of the innings.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
I've seen neither regularly bowl\bowled Yorkers; they could both bowl a devestating one, yes, but they don't excel at consistently getting it in.
Afridi's treatment of him in the first Aus-Pak VBS game aptly demonstrated the problems for mine.
And Bouncers aren't any help in the last 10, especially if the fine-leg's up - they're a free-hit.
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
Richard said:
Being accurate and hitting conventional-good-length means you are very likely to be very expensive at the death, everyone knows that.
Funny how McGrath is almost always used at the end and almost always does a good job of it isn't it?
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Really?
Funny how often he's bowled at the death at sides with wickets in hand and been expensive, isn't it, then?
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
Because Australia possess wicket-taking bowlers I can't remember when a side last had many in hand at the death against them.
 

SpeedKing

U19 Vice-Captain
last over would be Mr. Andrew ''Freddie Flintstones'' Flintoff. i expect him to bowl atleast 4 of the 6 deliveries in the blockhole. Only problem with him is the possibilty of no balls which i wouldn't want in the last over [with only 5 runs to play with].
 

twctopcat

International Regular
Never saw Ambrose bowl at the death but i've never been too impressed with Mcgrath's death bowling, often squeezes out full tosses and sends it down leg, rarely gets a consistent yorker.
 

imranrabb

U19 Debutant
All time:Waqar younis,wasim akram,ambrose,garner
Current:Havent you seen shoiab akhtar or rana in the last few overs with those reverse swingers?Also vaas,gough and not mcgrath didnt u see what afridi and razzaq did to him recently
 

C_C

International Captain
Richard, being accuracy bowler might make you vulnerable in the slog overs....such as Pollock or Streak for example. However, McGrath and Ambrose are the exceptions.
I've seen Ambrose bowl in the death and apart from the last couple of years when he was clearly past his best, the only time i ever saw Ambrose being taken apart at death is when Basit Ali played that stunner of a knock in the early 90s.
Ambrose routinely bowled in the last five overs conceding 3-4 runs an over.

I am surprised no one mentioned Joel Garner...he probably had the best yorker in the game and his death bowling was legendary.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
I did mention Garner, given his stunning Yorker, which was even more effective given substandard sightscreens.
 

Top