Greatest Test Bowling Spells - A working project

[The Sean]

Interesting stuff as always DoG. So Headingley '81 produced both the greatest batting and bowling innings performances of all time?

Would be interested to see how Lillee's 7/83 in the Boxing Day Test of 81/82 rates. And Lindwall's 6/20 at the Oval in '48.

[8ankitj]

Gun list. Look forward to more updates.

[Cabinet96]

Phillander a touch high? In an incredibly low scoring game. And as GF said McGrath at Lords might be up there.

[zaremba]

Originally Posted by GingerFurball

McGrath's 5/1 at Lord's in 2005?

Came here to post that. Best spell I've ever seen.

[Burgey]

Bottle top should be factored in for Sarfraz.

[GingerFurball]

Originally Posted by zaremba

Came here to post that. Best spell I've ever seen.

The Flintoff dismissal still gives me goosebumps whenever I crack out the 2005 boxset.

[Zinzan]

So what's your formula DOG ?

[Days of Grace]

UPDATED LIST


R.G.D. Willis 8 43 Australia Leeds 1981 Won 44.73
H.J. Tayfield 9 113 England Johannesburg 1957 Won 40.87
P.S. de Villiers 6 43 Australia Sydney 1994 Won 40.63
D.E. Malcolm 9 57 South Africa The Oval 1994 Won 39.64
A. Kumble 10 74 Pakistan Delhi 1999 Won 38.99
R.J. Hadlee 9 52 Australia Brisbane 1985 Won 38.87
J.C. Laker 10 53 Australia Manchester 1956 Won 38.76
C.E.L. Ambrose 7 25 Australia Perth 1993 Won 38.64
Harbhajan Singh 8 84 Australia Chennai 2001 Won 38.39
F.R. Spofforth 7 44 England The Oval 1882 Won 38.37
J.C. Laker 9 37 Australia Manchester 1956 Won 37.68
C.E.L. Croft 8 29 Pakistan Port of Spain 1977 Won 37.59
D.W. Headley 6 60 Australia Melbourne 1998 Won 37.42
J.M. Patel 9 69 Australia Kanpur 1959 Won 37.35
G.D. McGrath 8 24 Pakistan Perth 2004 Won 36.88
H. Verity 8 43 Australia Lord's 1934 Won 36.84
A.W. Greig 8 86 West Indies Port of Spain 1974 Won 36.47
D.W. Steyn 7 51 India Nagpur 2010 Won 36.21
M.H.N. Walker 6 15 Pakistan Sydney 1973 Won 35.94
M. Muralitharan 9 65 England The Oval 1998 Won 35.73
W. Barnes 6 28 Australia Sydney 1887 Won 35.71
M.H. Mankad 8 55 England Madras 1952 Won 35.60
F.H. Tyson 7 27 Australia Melbourne 1955 Won 35.54
S.K. Warne 7 23 Pakistan Brisbane 1995 Won 35.47
A.B. Agarkar 6 41 Australia Adelaide 2003 Won 35.45
V.D. Philander 5 15 Australia Cape Town 2011 Won 35.35
D.G. Cork 7 43 West Indies Lord's 1995 Won 35.27
G.A. Lohmann 9 28 South Africa Johannesburg 1896 Won 35.23
R. Peel 6 23 Australia The Oval 1896 Won 35.13
D.K. Lillee 6 26 England Melbourne 1977 Won 35.10
L. Klusener 8 64 India Calcutta 1996 Won 35.05
G.A. Lohmann 8 7 South Africa Port Elizabeth 1896 Won 34.96
M. Muralitharan 8 70 England Nottingham 2006 Won 34.94
M.J. Hoggard 7 61 South Africa Johannesburg 2005 Won 34.87
Sarfraz Nawaz 9 86 Australia Melbourne 1979 Won 34.84
A.E. Trott 8 43 England Adelaide 1895 Won 34.74
M. Muralitharan 9 51 Zimbabwe Kandy 2002 Won 34.73
I.T. Botham 5 11 Australia Birmingham 1981 Won 34.46
D.A.J. Bracewell 6 40 Australia Hobart 2011 Won 34.37
Shoaib Akhtar 6 11 New Zealand Lahore 2002 Won 34.27
C.E.L. Ambrose 8 45 England Bridgetown 1990 Won 34.03
Shoaib Akhtar 6 30 New Zealand Wellington 2003 Won 34.00
I.T. Botham 7 48 India Bombay 1980 Won 33.96
R.A.L. Massie 8 53 England Lord's 1972 Won 33.78
A.R.C. Fraser 8 75 West Indies Bridgetown 1994 Won 33.74
A.M.E. Roberts 7 54 Australia Perth 1975 Won 33.64
S.J. Harmison 7 12 West Indies Kingston 2004 Won 33.39
M.A. Holding 8 92 England The Oval 1976 Won 33.20
N.D. Hirwani 8 75 West Indies Madras 1988 Won 33.10
W. Voce 4 10 Australia Sydney 1936 Won 33.02
Abdul Qadir 9 56 England Lahore 1987 Won 32.93
G.D. McKenzie 8 71 West Indies Melbourne 1968 Won 32.91
I.T. Botham 8 34 Pakistan Lord's 1978 Won 32.75
F.H. Tyson 6 85 Australia Sydney 1954 Won 32.74
G.A. Lohmann 8 35 Australia Sydney 1887 Won 32.57
C. Blythe 7 40 South Africa Leeds 1907 Won 32.55
M.D. Marshall 7 22 England Manchester 1988 Won 32.32
R.A.L. Massie 8 84 England Lord's 1972 Won 32.27
M.R. Whitney 7 27 India Perth 1992 Won 32.21
A.A. Mallett 8 59 Pakistan Adelaide 1972 Won 32.10
A. Kumble 8 141 Australia Sydney 2004 Draw 32.06
N. Kapil Dev 8 85 Pakistan Lahore 1983 Draw 32.04
J.A. Snow 7 40 Australia Sydney 1971 Won 32.00
I.W.G. Johnson 7 44 West Indies Georgetown 1955 Won 31.99
W.J. O'Reilly 7 54 England Nottingham 1934 Won 31.95
J.E. Taylor 5 11 England Kingston 2009 Won 31.81
J.C. White 8 126 Australia Adelaide 1929 Won 31.63
A.R. Caddick 7 94 Australia Sydney 2003 Won 31.59
J.N. Gillespie 7 37 England Leeds 1997 Won 31.51
Abdul Qadir 6 16 West Indies Faisalabad 1986 Won 31.51
A.R. Border 7 46 West Indies Sydney 1989 Won 31.26
W. Rhodes 8 68 Australia Melbourne 1904 Won 31.19
S.K. Warne 8 71 England Brisbane 1994 Won 31.17
S.F. Barnes 8 56 South Africa Johannesburg 1913 Won 31.17
P.M. Hornibrook 7 92 England The Oval 1930 Won 31.17
S.B. Doull 7 65 India Wellington 1998 Won 31.16
Harbhajan Singh 6 73 Australia Kolkata 2001 Won 31.13
D.L. Underwood 7 50 Australia The Oval 1968 Won 31.10
J. Briggs 8 11 South Africa Cape Town 1889 Won 31.05
F.S. Trueman 7 44 West Indies Birmingham 1963 Won 30.98
L.R. Gibbs 8 38 India Bridgetown 1962 Won 30.96
Imran Khan 8 60 India Karachi 1982 Won 30.94
R.J. Hadlee 6 26 England Wellington 1978 Won 30.87
J.K. Lever 7 46 India Delhi 1976 Won 30.84
S.K. Warne 7 52 West Indies Melbourne 1992 Won 30.81
R. Benaud 6 70 England Manchester 1961 Won 30.81
C.L. Cairns 7 27 West Indies Hamilton 1999 Won 30.31
J.J.C. Lawson 6 3 Bangladesh Dhaka 2002 Won 30.25
P.J. Cummins 6 79 South Africa Johannesburg 2011 Won 30.18
R.J. Hadlee 7 23 India Wellington 1976 Won 30.12
D.K. Morrison 6 37 Australia Auckland 1993 Won 29.99
F.S. Trueman 6 30 Australia Leeds 1961 Won 29.95
S.C.G. MacGill 7 50 England Sydney 1999 Won 29.88
P.C.R. Tufnell 6 25 West Indies The Oval 1991 Won 29.83
A.W. Greig 5 70 West Indies Port of Spain 1974 Won 29.74
S.F. Barnes 9 103 South Africa Johannesburg 1913 Won 29.37
H. Trumble 7 28 England Melbourne 1904 Won 29.24
S.C.J. Broad 5 37 Australia The Oval 2009 Won 29.20
Waqar Younis 5 22 New Zealand Hamilton 1993 Won 29.20
N. Kapil Dev 9 83 West Indies Ahmedabad 1983 Lost 29.19
Sikander Bakht 8 69 India Delhi 1979 Draw 29.05
A.A. Donald 7 84 India Port Elizabeth 1992 Won 29.02
A.A. Donald 8 71 Zimbabwe Harare 1995 Won 28.98
P.C.R. Tufnell 7 47 New Zealand Christchurch 1992 Won 28.87
D.K. Lillee 7 83 West Indies Melbourne 1981 Won 28.79
K.R. Miller 7 60 England Brisbane 1946 Won 28.73
Harbhajan Singh 4 10 South Africa Durban 2010 Won 28.73
C.E.L. Ambrose 6 24 England Port of Spain 1994 Won 28.70
J.M. Anderson 6 17 Pakistan Nottingham 2010 Won 28.68
H. Larwood 5 28 Australia Sydney 1932 Won 28.64
N.G. Cowans 6 77 Australia Melbourne 1982 Won 28.60
J.M. Anderson 7 43 New Zealand Nottingham 2008 Won 28.51
R.R. Lindwall 7 38 India Adelaide 1948 Won 28.39
D.W. Steyn 5 23 India Ahmedabad 2008 Won 28.38
E.A.S. Prasanna 8 76 New Zealand Auckland 1976 Won 28.37
C.S. Martin 6 76 South Africa Auckland 2004 Won 28.37
G.D. McGrath 8 38 England Lord's 1997 Draw 28.27
S.C.J. Broad 6 46 India Nottingham 2011 Won 28.23
B.J.T. Bosanquet 8 107 Australia Nottingham 1905 Won 28.16
F.S. Trueman 5 35 West Indies Port of Spain 1960 Won 28.06
S.P. Gupte 9 102 West Indies Kanpur 1958 Lost 28.05
W.H. Lockwood 5 45 Australia The Oval 1902 Won 27.76
A.A. Mailey 9 121 England Melbourne 1921 Won 27.73
S.F. Barnes 8 29 South Africa The Oval 1912 Won 27.72
B.L. Cairns 7 74 England Leeds 1983 Won 27.71
I.T. Botham 8 103 West Indies Lord's 1984 Lost 27.58
W. Rhodes 7 17 Australia Birmingham 1902 Draw 27.45
M.A. Holding 6 57 England The Oval 1976 Won 27.40
T. Richardson 8 94 Australia Sydney 1898 Lost 27.23
G.D. McGrath 5 53 England Lord's 2005 Won 27.14
J.R. Thomson 6 46 England Brisbane 1974 Won 27.10
F.J. Laver 8 31 England Manchester 1909 Draw 27.06
E.S. Atkinson 5 42 Pakistan Kingston 1958 Won 26.91
C.T.B. Turner 6 15 England Sydney 1887 Lost 26.78
R.R. Lindwall 6 20 England The Oval 1948 Won 26.69
M.A. Holding 5 17 England Manchester 1976 Won 26.63
S.C.G. MacGill 8 108 Bangladesh Fatullah 2006 Won 26.47
E.R.H. Toshack 5 2 India Brisbane 1947 Won 26.37
R. Ashwin 6 47 West Indies Delhi 2011 Won 26.18
A.R.C. Fraser 8 53 West Indies Port of Spain 1998 Lost 26.11
H. Trumble 8 65 England The Oval 1902 Lost 26.09
J.G. Bracewell 6 51 India Bombay 1988 Won 26.00
W.J. O'Reilly 7 189 England Manchester 1934 Draw 25.99
I.T. Botham 5 21 Australia Leeds 1977 Won 25.94
C.J. McDermott 8 141 England Manchester 1985 Draw 25.94
J.M. Noreiga 9 95 India Port of Spain 1971 Lost 25.83
N. Kapil Dev 8 106 Australia Adelaide 1985 Draw 25.60
G.A. Lohmann 8 58 Australia Sydney 1892 Lost 25.46
C.L. Cairns 5 31 England The Oval 1999 Won 25.39
T.B.A. May 5 9 West Indies Adelaide 1993 Lost 25.22

Pretty happy with this, tbh. Looks right. This is for all performances which I have rated so far which registered more than 25.00 points.

Just a note: this is for innings' analysis, not spells/part of an innings, which is impossible to find on a scorecard.

Bowlers with 3 or more entries:
I.T. Botham (5)
G.A. Lohmann (4)
C.E.L. Ambrose (3)
S.F. Barnes (3)
R.J. Hadlee (3)
Harbhajan Singh (3)
M.A. Holding (3)
N. Kapil Dev (3)
G.D. McGrath (3)
M. Muralitharan (3)
F.S. Trueman (3)
S.K. Warne (3)

[Days of Grace]

Originally Posted by Zinzan

So what's your formula DOG ?

I'm not going to post the whole formula, but suffice to say that the factors include:

Base rating
Wickets taken
Which wickets were taken (i.e. where in the batting order)
Runs per wicket/average for the bowler's innings performance
Economy-rate
Strike-rate
Innings/Match ave of other bowlers

Multipliers
Similar to the Test batting innings ratings:
Result
Series status ("Live" match, coming from behind in the series to draw/win, dead rubber)
Home/Away/Neutral match
Strength of opposition
Match situation (defending small target in the 4th innings, bowling in the third innings with a large first innings lead, etc.)
Small penalty if less small amount of overs bowled compared to teammates.

[chasingthedon]

Great work, Steve - I presume by "spells" you actually mean innings, as Ambrose had a spell of 7-1.

Have you looked at the Wisden 100 for comparison, out of interest?

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Great to see that Devon Malcolm spell up there. That was a really enjoyable spell of aggressive fast bowling to watch.

[Days of Grace]

List needs more Marshall.

Trouble for him is that most of his great spells were against dire Australian and English batting lineups, and with gun teammates, he didn't many chances to take more than 5 wickets in an innings.

Anyone have a favorite bowler or spell they want me to rate?

[Days of Grace]

Originally Posted by HeathDavisSpeed

Great to see that Devon Malcolm spell up there. That was a really enjoyable spell of aggressive fast bowling to watch.

Has to the most unexpected performance in the top 10 or every 20, considering that Devon's final career average was a whopping 37.09.


Patel (not Jeets) a close second. Only played 6 other matches.

[benchmark00]

Originally Posted by Days of Grace

List needs more Marshall.

Trouble for him is that most of his great spells were against dire Australian and English batting lineups, and with gun teammates, he didn't many chances to take more than 5 wickets in an innings.

Anyone have a favorite bowler or spell they want me to rate?

Every single one of Stuart MacGill's thx.

ch33rs,
benchm00rk00.

[Burgey]

Michael Clarke's 6-9 vs India please.