Pace Bowling: The Greatest Decade - 70s, 80s or 90s?

[watson]

The 1970s gave way to the Golden Age of pace bowling that began with John Snow and ended with Glenn McGrath at his peak some 30 years later.

Each of the three decades have their own list of greats and supporting cast. So I was wondering which decade is the greatest of the three when it to comes to pace bowling?

Obviously there is some over-lap between the decades for most bowlers, and there will be arguments aplenty, but I don't think that my guesses are too bad. Incidently, Glenn McGrath was at his absolute best during from 1997 to 1999 and therefore belongs in that decade rather than the 2000s.

Ian Botham was interesting as his peak was during the 1970s. However, because Botham is too much of an 80s icon I placed him there. Michael Holding confused me because he is synonymous with Andy Roberts who definitely belongs in the 1970s. But like Botham he played most of his cricket during the 1980s. Craig McDermott and Merv Hughes could sit happily in either the 80s or 90s, but the 1980s seemed the more intuitive choice to me.

Anyway, which do you think is the greatest of the three decades during the Golden Age of pace bowling?


1970s

Greats
Dennis Lillee
Jeff Thomson
Andy Roberts
John Snow
Bob Willis
Mike Procter

Supporting Cast
Max Walker
Garry Gilmour
Len Pascoe
Rodney Hogg
Peter Lever
Geoff Arnold
Chris Old
Mike Hendrik
John Lever
Keith Boyce
Colin Croft
Wayne Daniel
Vanburn Holder
Bernard Julien
Sarfraz Narwaz
Karsan Ghavri
Richard Collinge
Dayle Hadlee


1980s

Greats
Malcolm Marshall
Michael Holding
Joel Garner
Imran Khan
Kapil Dev
Richard Hadlee
Ian Botham

Supporting Cast
Terry Alderman
Jeff Lawson
Carl Rackemann
Craig McDermott
Merv Hughes
Bruce Reid
Graham Dilley
Neil Foster
Norman Cowans
Philip DeFreitas
Gladstone Small
Sylvester Clarke
Winston Davis
Eldine Baptiste
Patrick Pattersen
Sikander Bakht
Madan Lal
Manoj Prabhakar
Lance Cairns
Ewen Chatfield
Ashantha de Mel
Ravi Ratnayeke
Rumesh Ratnayake


1990s

Greats
Glenn McGrath
Curtly Ambrose
Courtney Walsh
Wasim Akram
Waqar Younis
Allan Donald
Shaun Pollock

Supporting Cast
Paul Reiffel
Damien Flemming
Angus Fraser
Andrew Caddick
Darren Gough
Devon Malcolm
Dominic Cork
Ian Bishop
Winston Benjamin
Aaqib Javed
Azhar Mahmood
Javagal Srinath
Craig Matthews
Fanie De Villiers
Brian McMillan
Venkatesh Prasad
Danny Morrison
Chris Cairns
Heath Streak
Ravindra Pushpakumara

 

[wpdavid]

Bowlers can be categorised in more than one decade if it makes a truer picture of what was happening.
I suppose the real question was how widely spread were the quicks.

1970's
It's hard to include Procter, who only played one test series But Holding definitely belongs there. As do Garner and Croft for the last couple of years, and Imran as a genuinely WC quick from about 1976. And then you have Lillee, Thomson and Roberts for a decent chunk of the decade. They all made a huge impact on me, as it was my first taste of test cricket. And even England had Snow for a few years and then Willis.

1980's
Lots of great all rounders of course, but how quick are we talking here? Botham and Kapil were more MF than out and out fast imo. Imran was probably a few mph faster than them. Ditto Hadlee.
So for genuine qucks, maybe Imran, Hadlee and a conveyor belt of WI quicks starting with Roberts, Holding, Croft and Garner being joined by Marshall, and later by Ambrose, occasionally Patterson and Walsh. But does one team having a virtual monopoly make it a great decade for quicks?

1990's
Maybe more widespread, especially with SA being back in the fold. I've more than once argued that the mid1990's were a golden age for test cricket, and most sides having a couple of decent quicks was part of that. Objectively it was probably the best decade for quicks, although the 1970s still made more of an impact on me emotionally.

 

[listento_me]

Wasn't alive for the 1970s and 80s but I know of the great fast bowlers of that era but I feel the 90s had a more even spread, with greats from Pakistan, Australia, SA and the West Indies. There were also good names from England at the time.

 

[Slifer]

The 90s, for reasons already stated.

 

[Zinzan]

Considering Akram and Walsh both started in the mid-80s and even Ambrose '87 IIRC, I've gone 1980s marginally.

 

[DriveClub]

In the 90s even India had srinath who was pretty quick and a decent bowler. I'd definitely go 90s. Also remember cairns, nash etc. who were pretty handy.

 

[Gowza]

Also Gillespie at the end of the 90s, though he did most of his work in the 2000s

 

[Zinzan]

In the 90s even India had srinath who was pretty quick and a decent bowler. I'd definitely go 90s. Also remember cairns, nash etc. who were pretty handy.

Dion Nash! tragically underrated cricketer outside of NZ, he could bowl some outswinger that chap.

 

[Kirkut]

80's era fast bowling to me was more about bowling short on the batsman's body to get him out, Imran Khan was an exception to this rule. Hadlee, Kapil and Botham were medium fast or fast medium.

90's fast bowling saw lesser short stuff while protection gear improved simultaneously, but there was more variety in bowling - reverse swing, trying to send stumps cartwheeling and yorkers. Allan Donald vs Atherton and Waugh brothers is quintessential 90's.

 

[Zinzan]

80's era fast bowling to me was more about bowling short on the batsman's body to get him out, Imran Khan was an exception to this rule. Hadlee, Kapil and Botham were medium fast or fast medium.

90's fast bowling saw lesser short stuff while protection gear improved simultaneously, but there was more variety in bowling - reverse swing, trying to send stumps cartwheeling and yorkers. Allan Donald vs Atherton and Waugh brothers is quintessential 90's.

Disagree entirely about 1) 80s pacers not primarily pitching it up and allowing it to swing and seam & 2) about Kapil and Hadlee being medium-fast, they were both fast, even once Hadlee cut his run down. Listen to Sir Geoffrey talk about Hadlee's pace, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb6Av8-sykQ

 

[OverratedSanity]

Dion Nash was really good. Loved his action... Very Anderson-esque.

 

[CapeTown Guy]

Wow you are being very generous with some of the 'supporting' bowlers. Ravi Pushpakumara? Really?

 

[fredfertang]

Sylvers in the supporting cast!

You made me choke on my coffee there Watson - my dry cleaning bill is in the post

 

[watson]

Sylvers in the supporting cast!

You made me choke on my coffee there Watson - my dry cleaning bill is in the post

I did think of you when I typed 'Sylvestor Clarke' - just wished that he'd played more Tests.

Apologies.

 

[watson]

After looking at my lists again I don't think that there's much difference between the 80s and 90s when in comes to very good, or great, pace bowlers (medium to fast). I like listento_me's point that there was a more 'even spread' between the various teams during the 90s, so perhaps that was the peak decade.

I think that the 1970s was England's best decade for fast bowling with Snow and Willis being the standouts of a very talented pack. Unfortunately the 1980s weren't kind to Australia who failed to find an obvious replacement to Lillee. McDemott and Hughes tried their best but I thought that they were still very green until the 1990s.

 

[wpdavid]

Not the least of Brearley's good fortune was finding himself in charge of one of England's finest collection of quicks after he became captain: Willis at his peak, emergent Botham and 1 or 2 from Hendrick, Old and Lever. Subsequent England captains would have paid hard cash for that calibre of attack, especially on the tracks that we saw in those days. The 2004-05 vintage was the only comparable line-up in my life time.
Snow had a funny time of it in the 1970s. Arguably the world's best at the time of the 1970/71 ashes, but not as big a factor as you'd think in subsequent series. Partially down to selectorial whims tbh.

 

[Burgey]

The return of SA assists the 90s a fair bit in this discussion. Donald, Fanie, McMillan, Schultz (all to briefly), Pollock. Fine bowlers all.

 

[wpdavid]

The return of SA assists the 90s a fair bit in this discussion. Donald, Fanie, McMillan, Schultz (all to briefly), Pollock. Fine bowlers all.

Yes, and there was a time, probably around 1996, when almost every team had a decent or better pair of opening bowlers. SL being the one exception, I suppose.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I chose the '80s because of the Windies, but it is sad to see the '70s neglected considering that was the decade that saw the West Indian attack come together, and also saw Lillee, Botham, Willis, Snow at their absolute peaks (Imran improving all the time) and Thomson. You could argue the decade was 'the decade of the fast bowler'.