Bowler Classifications ?

[iamdavid]

Just looking at some of the pace classifications for seamers on Cricinfo , some of them are rather...well wrong (Harvey(RM) , Johnson(RM) , Drakes (RF) etc).

Would you guys agree that-
Fast = average of around 144-149kph with the odd ball in the 150's. (Lee , Akhtar , Harmison , Bond , Sami , Hayward , Lawson)

Fast Medium = average of around 135-139kph with the odd ball in the 140's (McGrath , Gillespie , Bichel , Flintoff , Johnson , Dillon , Drakes , Nel , Williams , Tuffey , Saggers , Khan , Pathan , Mushrafe , Hoggard , Anderson , Caddick)

Medium Fast = average of around 129-134kph with the odd ball in the mid to high 130's (Pollock , Vaas , Nehra , Bracken , Agarkar , Cork , Styris , Ian Harvey , Tapash Baisya , Manjural Islam , Umar Gul , Abdur Razzaq)

Medium = average of around 118-124kph with the occasional ball in the high 120's (Irani , Muhmud , Ganguly , Steve Waugh , Damien Martyn , Mark Butcher , Me )

Slow Medium = anyone who bowls seam up but averages less than about 115kph

 

[Adamc]

Depends to an extent on the conditions I suppose. Brett Lee today rarely bowled above 140, whereas Akhtar vs NZ bowled several overs in which every delivery was 150+, getting up to 157kph. Just a few minutes ago Shaun Pollock was bowling with the 2nd new ball at an average of 121.

 

[V Reddy]

Medium Fast = average of around 129-134kph with the odd ball in the mid to high 130's (Pollock , Vaas , Nehra , Bracken , Agarkar , Cork , Styris , Ian Harvey , Tapash Baisya , Manjural Islam , Umar Gul , Abdur Razzaq)

I think AA should be in the fast medium as he quite often bowls in the 140's .

 

[Bazza]

These are always difficult to classify and only ever a guide. Hence you said 135-139 is fast medium, which is what Brett Lee was bowling yesterday, and there aren't many faster than Lee (probably only one, in fact)!

 

[Prince EWS]

Well Ive always thought that Fast Medium and Medium Fast should be the other way around. If you are bowling fast medium, then fast is the adjective. So you are bowling medium at a fast level.

If you are bwoling medium fast, then medium is the adjective, so you are bowling fast at a medium level.

 

[Richard]

It's never going to be possible to be definate.
It's easier with spinners: right-arm, left-arm; fingerspin, wristspin. And still people bring "off", "leg", "orthodox", "chinamen" and suchlike into it.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Agreed. The Aussies have gone the right way. They call them "Left arm Wristies" and suchlike.

 

[Salamuddin]

To be fair to Agarkar, he's definitely quicker than a regulation medium pacer.

In the MCG test, some of Aggy's deliveries were clocked at over 140 km/hr which is respectable pace.

 

[anzac]

McGrath's not that quick & neither is Tuffey or Oram - all about the high 120s - low 130s on average......Styris would then be Medium.....Cairns was bowling mid 130s.....Adams gets it up over 140....

Butler would have to rate in the Fast category as he was in the 140s.......and Sami was a bit quicker

 

[Langeveldt]

Whats wrong with Harvey? He seemed like a genuine medium pacer to me...

Or along with chris harris, you could call them slow medium lol

Vasbert Drakes used to be very nippy when he played for Border, but age and wear mean he is now no more than a medium pacer.. I would say that rating is out of date instead of wrong...

 

[Richard]

Ian Harvey is an out-and-out medium-fast bowler. Late 70s, early 80s. Mark Ealham sort of pace.

 

[Craig]

They always used to say to be effective seam bowler in NZ, you had to bowl over 125kmp/h consistantly or be able to move the ball around.

Fidel Edward can get it up to 154.

 

[Eclipse]

Jason Gillespie was clocked at 153kph in the current test match against India that's faster than Lee's top speed in the match.

Just make's me wonder how quick he could have been if injury's had not stuffed over half his test carear so far.

 

[RMF]

They always used to say to be effective seam bowler in NZ, you had to bowl over 125kmp/h consistantly or be able to move the ball around.

Fidel Edward can get it up to 154.

who is fidel edward?

 

[iamdavid]

Ian Harvey can bowl in two different fashions , there's the way he bowls at the death & in the middle overs of a ODI , he has the keeper standing up to the stumps & tries to take the pace off the ball , varying it nicely , he will usually be between 123-128kph in these instances.

Then there is the slightly nippier version.
The style he resorts to when opening the bowling for Victoria in Pura Cup cricket (beleive it or not!) & the style he resorted to when he took 8-101 against South Africa A last year.
He is easily capable of low to mid 130's , thus why I classified him as medium fast.

I remember during the 2001 Natwest series he at one stage touched 138.
So he aint medium pace.

 

[Tim]

Daryl Tuffey ain't RFM, he averages around 130 km's, making him RMF.

Nathan Astle is also a handy RM.

 

[Shane Warne]

surprisingly, klusener has been timed at 154. back in 96 he was considered as quick as donald

 

[Craig]

Daryl Tuffey ain't RFM, he averages around 130 km's, making him RMF.

Nathan Astle is also a handy RM.

I would say Astle is slow medium.

 

[Richard]

I can fairly safely say that I remember Astle bowling almost every ball between 69 and 72 mph.
He and Bryan Strang are the only two bowlers I've ever seen do this and bowl with any real accuracy.
Why Astle doesn't bowl more is a total mystery to me. His accuracy is at times unbelievable, and he does swing the ball.

 

[Richard]

Jason Gillespie was clocked at 153kph in the current test match against India that's faster than Lee's top speed in the match.

Just make's me wonder how quick he could have been if injury's had not stuffed over half his test carear so far.

He certainly bowled one delivery that was clocked at 95 mph, too, at Trent Bridge last home Ashes.
He has always been one who's up and around 90 mph most of the time, just not often up to the occasional speeds Lee touches.
Who knows how quick he might have been if he'd been injured less, but I don't think it would make much of a difference to how good he is.