Ambrose vs. Lillee in Tests. Who was better?

[Richard]

Anyone who doesn't rate Lillee in top 10 (or something along those lines) is clearly crazy. It goes without saying, IMO, that he was around said mark. People like you and me can easily come across as "Lillee haters" just because we don't rate him as the best. For anyone, though, it goes without saying that he was a magnificent bowler and such a thing is so obvious we barely need to say it.

Well, actually, you could probably say anyone bar Shoaib\BhupinderSingh.

[adharcric]

This is what I find so frustrating, if you and others would have watched Lillee we would not be having this debate, there is a thread on here called 'Hear, hear, led me your hear' if you base all of cricket knowledge on stats, you will have a very poor understanding of cricketing ability. Listen to people who were around at the time (not me ), but people who were around such as Gideon Haigh and Richie Benaud and Ian Chappell and Imran and Hadlee and just about everyone else who watched this great bowler. Give this crap away about he failed in the subcontinent, it is such a lame argument

It's not all about stats but it's definitely not all about testimonies either. Wally Hammond called Amar Singh the best bowler in the world. Let's put him in the top 10, shall we?

[archie mac]

It's not all about stats but it's definitely not all about testimonies either. Wally Hammond called Amar Singh the best bowler in the world. Let's put him in the top 10, shall we?

Wally was a great batsman, I have not read his opinion on AS, but as the vast majority of the players from Hammonds era do not rate AS as highly, I think we can leave him out of the top 10.

In FOTs case almost all bar a very tiny proportion do rate him as the best, so I think we can rate him right in the very top class of fast bowlers

[JBMAC]

Anyone who doesn't rate Lillee in top 10 (or something along those lines) is clearly crazy. It goes without saying, IMO, that he was around said mark. People like you and me can easily come across as "Lillee haters" just because we don't rate him as the best. For anyone, though, it goes without saying that he was a magnificent bowler and such a thing is so obvious we barely need to say it.

Well, actually, you could probably say anyone bar Shoaib\BhupinderSingh.

You do not come across as "Lillee Haters"...The object of this thread is Ambrose vs Lillee NOT whether one or the other is the best of ALL time....The posting s seem to have lost their way...( BTW The BEST of All time to my way of thinking was Keith Miller)

[Richard]

Wally was a great batsman, I have not read his opinion on AS, but as the vast majority of the players from Hammonds era do not rate AS as highly, I think we can leave him out of the top 10.

In FOTs case almost all bar a very tiny proportion do rate him as the best, so I think we can rate him right in the very top class of fast bowlers

FOTs?

[Richard]

You do not come across as "Lillee Haters"...The object of this thread is Ambrose vs Lillee NOT whether one or the other is the best of ALL time....The posting s seem to have lost their way...( BTW The BEST of All time to my way of thinking was Keith Miller)

All good threads (as with all good conversations) evolve, though.

[archie mac]

FOTs?

I may have to email you that one mate, it was a nickname given to him by Tony Lock

[Richard]

Haha, OK, you could tell me who the nickname was given to tho?

[archie mac]

Haha, OK, you could tell me who the nickname was given to tho?

Lillee, Lock told him he was fielding like a F......Old Tart

[Engle]

Imran rated Lillee the best fast bowler of his playing days.

Looking beyond the numbers and the type of deliveries, the fast bowler (aside from the capt, IMO), exerts an influence over the team. Aggression, determination, hard-work, never-say-die attitude, tough-as-nails, leader, adviser, team player...all of these immeasurables come into play.
If a fast bowler demonstrates such abilities, it permeates the rest of the team to reciprocate.....over another fastie who may have the greater talent.

DKL commanded greater respect from the peers of his time than Amby did of his.

[Manee]

Can't believe anyone can seriously even speak of the two in the same breath, TBH.

Ambrose did everything a seam-bowler could want to do. Lillee, whether he'd have been able to or not, didn't.

Ambrose's career trumps Lillee's easily.

Do not know enough about Lillee to comment, but I was taking a look at Ambrose's statistics and was quite astonished by his last two seasons. Ambrose took 36 wickets at 17.66 with an economy rate of 1.68 - quite superb.