World's Fastest Bowler Competition - 1979

[ret]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPDW7hj1yfs&NR=1

only a few went over 140 kmph!

[Son Of Coco]

I think you'll find it was measured differently.

[social]

Plus it was well over 40 degrees and Thomson had been sitting out a ban for the season and, by his own admission, came straight from the pub

[Top_Cat]

Plus it was well over 40 degrees and Thomson had been sitting out a ban for the season and, by his own admission, came straight from the pub

Haha, I can just imagine how it went too. Sinking a couple of pints, looking at his watch and saying;

"Oh ****, I gotta run!"

"What's up Thommo?"

"Got some ****ing bowling competition or some **** to go to. Back in an hour, my money's on the pool table ya bastards."

[bond21]

Thommo had been drinking beer all season serving his ban, gets a call from channel 9, goes to the bloody thing and wins it.

He also won the accuracy competition.

[Manee]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPDW7hj1yfs&NR=1

only a few went over 140 kmph!

From what I have heard, this was the average speed over 18 yards. This meant that the bowlers who pitched it short had massive disadvantage to those who bowled full tosses. Even those who bowled full tosses would have still lost 10kph from the air resistance too.

If the average speed was taken, we can assume that the bowler's speeds, as per the methods employed by TV channels, were at least 5kph higher than recorded here.

[silentstriker]

I think you'll find it was measured differently.

From what I have heard, this was the average speed over 18 yards. This meant that the bowlers who pitched it short had massive disadvantage to those who bowled full tosses. Even those who bowled full tosses would have still lost 10kph from the air resistance too.

If the average speed was taken, we can assume that the bowler's speeds, as per the methods employed by TV channels, were at least 5kph higher than recorded here.

People keep repeating this, but I have never heard confirmation of it. Anyone have any links? If you look at the deliveries, you'll see them pitching it short - if it was really measured out of hand, everyone would be trying for extremely full balls.

[silentstriker]

And if you look at the video, the measuring screen is set up directly parallel to the bowlers crease only.

[Son Of Coco]

People keep repeating this, but I have never heard confirmation of it. Anyone have any links? If you look at the deliveries, you'll see them pitching it short - if it was really measured out of hand, everyone would be trying for extremely full balls.

I'm going on the assumption that technology for measuring these sort of things have advanced somewhat too. Otherwise, why didn't we have bowling speeds flashed up all through the 80's? I though the angle of measurement etc was important.

[Richard]

I've never taken this in the slightest seriously. All you can tell from the thing is who was bowling faster than who else. There is no way any comparison whatsoever can be made to reliably-measured speeds of the post-1998 period.

[Craig]

Haha, I can just imagine how it went too. Sinking a couple of pints, looking at his watch and saying;

"Oh ****, I gotta run!"

"What's up Thommo?"

"Got some ****ing bowling competition or some **** to go to. Back in an hour, my money's on the pool table ya bastards."

[Manee]

People keep repeating this, but I have never heard confirmation of it. Anyone have any links? If you look at the deliveries, you'll see them pitching it short - if it was really measured out of hand, everyone would be trying for extremely full balls.

And if you look at the video, the measuring screen is set up directly parallel to the bowlers crease only.

I have raised both of these points. However, when I raised this earlier, I was told it was average speed, as if it were common information.

At the 2nd Test at the WACA in late 1975, the readings were as follows;

Jeff Thomson 160.45 kph
Andy Roberts 159.49 kph
Michael Holding 150.67 kph
Dennis Lillee 148.54 kph

Somewhat ironically, Roy Fredericks pulverised Lillee and Thommo that game, scoring 169 in 145 balls as the team made 585 in only 95.4 (8 ball) overs.

A second study was conducted in controlled conditions the following year.

Jeff Thomson 160.6 kph
Andy Roberts 157.4 kph
Dennis Lillee 154.8 kph
Michael Holding 153.2 kph
Wayne Daniel 150.8 kph
Bob Willis 145.9 kph
Alan Ward 139.2 kph
John Snow 138.7 kph

I am sure that these readings cannot be too far above reality, as it is surely ludicrous to say that John Snow, England's express pacer, did not hit near 140kph. These readings do seem nearer how contempories would estimate it. However, it is a possibility that these were 'release speeds' rather than 'TV speeds' which are calculated a split second after release. I remember seeing, on hawkeye, a delivery from Zaheer Khan which was released at 137kph, but the speed gun reading (noted as "before pitching" on hawkeye) was 129kph and that was the one which appeared on the TV. Brett Lee clocked at 161kph in the 2001/02 season, an anomalous reading created by registering the release speed.

[Manee]

I've never taken this in the slightest seriously. All you can tell from the thing is who was bowling faster than who else. There is no way any comparison whatsoever can be made to reliably-measured speeds of the post-1998 period.

Just because it is speculative, doesn't mean that an educated comparison cannot be made.

[Richard]

As long as people treat it as speculative, that's fine. Too many people in my past experience have treated it as gospel, though. There is nothing concrete about it, and personally I'm happy only talking about actual speeds from 1998 onwards, and guessing previously.

[Manee]

As long as people treat it as speculative, that's fine. Too many people in my past experience have treated it as gospel, though. There is nothing concrete about it, and personally I'm happy only talking about actual speeds from 1998 onwards, and guessing previously.

As the link in my previous post notes though, one or two readings from 1998-onwards are erroneous.