• 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.

Pace bowlers workloads

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
We hear a lot about Broad and Anderson, and others, needing to be nursed/rested - 50 overs in five days and how they need a break. Could either or them (or anybody else) do what Tom Richardson did in 1896? He bowled 110 five-ball overs in the three-day Test at Old Trafford; the next two days he was back with Surrey, bowling 43 overs and getting ten wickets. Immediately after his day off he was losing to Kent with 12 wickets in 58 overs, again in two days. Two days off and then 59 overs against the Australians. And that was just part of his season.

At the time Richardson was 26, and Broad Anderson are 28/32, so certainly for Jimmy that's a significant difference, and Richardson at 32 was struggling for form and fitness, and he died at 41. So he's probably not the best comparison, but is a stark example of the old timer's workloads - plenty bowled 1,000 or more overs a season - are today's players mollycoddled?
 

cnerd123

likes this
I think cricket is more intense today. Bowlers who bowl within themselves could still probably manage a huge workload, but they all seem to be straining themselves and giving it their all each and every match.

In the older days people talk about bowlers 'cranking it up' or stepping up their speed; now days quicks just by default bowl full tilt, apart Steyn and perhaps one or two more who are comfortable operating at several different gears. Usually when guys like Broad and Morkel have dropped to 130ks its due to being tired; I imagine if they bowled consistently in the 130s and occasionally raised up their speed they could bowl much longer spells and bear heavier workloads.

There are also a lot of stories of fast bowlers in India cutting their speed down to prolong their careers - mainly in Ranji cricket and several examples at Test level. It's actually one of the reasons we can't produce any real quicks - the sheer intensity of the Ranji schedule + the pitches and weather just wrecks anyone who tries to bowl full speed day in and day out. So you gut big strapping guys like Pankaj Singh operating in the 130s by default. And then guys like Munaf Patel and Irfan Pathan slowing down so they can keep up with the demands of India's international schedule.
 
Last edited:

Red

The normal awards that everyone else has
People had different natural fitness 50-100 yrs ago. Walked more, chopped wood, more daily manual labour. I'm no expert, but I've heard others say that pace bowling works better for guys who are "naturally" fit as opposed to gym conditioned as most modern players are.

It would be interesting to do some research into the most durable pace bowlers thru history opposed to the most injury prone ones; in terms of upbringing/lifestyles.
 

ohnoitsyou

International Regular
People had different natural fitness 50-100 yrs ago. Walked more, chopped wood, more daily manual labour. I'm no expert, but I've heard others say that pace bowling works better for guys who are "naturally" fit as opposed to gym conditioned as most modern players are.

It would be interesting to do some research into the most durable pace bowlers thru history opposed to the most injury prone ones; in terms of upbringing/lifestyles.
Agree with this. Bret Lee's training regime is a really good example, running, more running, specially designed weights exercises followed by more beach running.
 

FBU

International Debutant
Bowling workload playing in all 5 Tests of a series since 2000

Caddick 185.0 - 170.5 - 177.4
Gough 171.0 - 173.5 - 155.1
Pollock 184.2 - 228.1 - 222.1
Walsh 220.2 - 199.4 - 263.4
Ambrose 181.1
McGrath 183.5 - 194.2 - 209.1
McClean 137.0
Kallis 189.4
Gillespie 174.0 - 181.5
Lee 120.5 - 191.1 - 196.5
Z Khan 188.1
Srinath 212.0
Dillon 221.3
Cuffy 190.0
Anderson 161.5 - 158.0 - 213.1 - 205.4 - 190.3
Flintoff 182.0 - 210.2 - 194.0 - 137.0
Ntini - 196.2 - 221.3
Hoggard - 200.3 - 122.1
Harmison 190.5 - 161.0 - 170.1
Clark 194.2
Hilfenhaus 180.5
Siddle 161.4 - 147.1 - 189.5 - 166.4
Johnson 162.1 - 188.4
Broad 154.1 - 185.5 - 161.5
Harris 166.2

Only 2 bowlers to have bowled over 500 overs in 2 consecutive years
Johnson
2008 585.0
2009 502.5

Anderson
2012 566.2
2013 531.5
 

Furball

Evil Scotsman
IIRC India's last 5 Test series was in 1987 so I've no idea where Zaheer and Javigal played 5 Tests in a series.
 

Top