Scyld Berry 30 greatest test fast bowlers

[Coronis]

Sometimes too short and inaccurate, Johnson at his peak in 2013-14 was surely the most lethal fast bowler that has ever been.

True about Johnson, just replace that sometimes with "90% of his career"

Hmm. Too bad I don’t have a subscription to a british newspaper.

 

[kyear2]

Write ups in these authors/writers lists are usually the far more engaging part than the actual list tbh. One reason we all enjoyed DoG’s great threads so much. Another reason I’m preferring to wait on the Kimber book.

Agreed.

Ranked: The 30 greatest fast bowlers in Test history

After attending more than 500 Tests, Telegraph Sport’s sage runs the rule on the best of the quicks

www.telegraph.co.uk

Hope this helps, otherwise I can post some screenshots

 

[h_hurricane]

Unscyld list from Scyld.

 

[centurymaker]

Two points.


It's not unusual that Hadlee isn't rated as highly by historians as he is here.

It's actually quite common.

But yeah, it's not a god list.

Why is that?
Do we end up overrating him here then?

 

[Thala_0710]

Scyld Berry also did his 10 best cricketers in the last 40 years list (in 2017), on his 40th anniversary of covering the sport since 1977:
1. Viv Richards
2. Imran Khan
3. Shane Warne
4. Malcolm Marshall
5. Ian Botham
6. Sachin Tendulkar
7. Adam Gilchrist
8. Jacques Kallis
9. Brian Lara
10. Wasim Akram

Whilst maybe not as bad as his bowlers list, this one isn't great either

 

[Johan]

Scyld Berry also did his 10 best cricketers in the last 40 years list (in 2017), on his 40th anniversary of covering the sport since 1977:
1. Viv Richards
2. Imran Khan
3. Shane Warne
4. Malcolm Marshall
5. Ian Botham
6. Sachin Tendulkar
7. Adam Gilchrist
8. Jacques Kallis
9. Brian Lara
10. Wasim Akram

Whilst maybe not as bad as his bowlers list, this one isn't great either

much less offensive

 

[subshakerz]

That's a crazy list.

 

[subshakerz]

Scyld Berry also did his 10 best cricketers in the last 40 years list (in 2017), on his 40th anniversary of covering the sport since 1977:
1. Viv Richards
2. Imran Khan
3. Shane Warne
4. Malcolm Marshall
5. Ian Botham
6. Sachin Tendulkar
7. Adam Gilchrist
8. Jacques Kallis
9. Brian Lara
10. Wasim Akram

Whilst maybe not as bad as his bowlers list, this one isn't great either

Nah that's fine and defendable. Those are all legitimate ATGs.

This list is not.

 

[Johan]

Gregory walking in over Miller with 85 wickets @ 31

 

[Thala_0710]

Gregory walking in over Miller with 85 wickets @ 31

View attachment 48276

And that is not even the worst part about the list

 

[subshakerz]

My top ten:

Marshall
McGrath
Hadlee
Steyn
Imran
Lillee
Ambrose
Wasim
Trueman
Donald

Bumrah once he retires will be there if he crossed 300 wickets. Cummins has a small chance too.

 

[Johan]

And that is not even the worst part about the list

the Johnson and Starc takes make me think he was taking a piss.

not really sure how Larwood is better than Holding....

 

[Johan]

lots of Ashes bias with a bit of the classic asia appeasement sprinkled in it.

 

[subshakerz]

Garner can't be that low.

 

[Thala_0710]

Garner can't be that low.

Garner and Hadlee are both too low, whilst Johnson, Starc and Gregory simply don't belong here

 

[sayon basak]

And that is not even the worst part about the list

The worst part about the list is the list.

 

[Thala_0710]

Garner and Hadlee are both too low, whilst Johnson, Starc and Gregory simply don't belong here

These are the big ones before we even get to having Bumrah 1 or Holding below Larwood

 

[Johan]

Wes Hall has to be the most overrated paceman of all-time.

Don't get me wrong, genuinely quick and definitely a very good bowler but he literally did the classic, after Hazare walked off, the Indian teams of the 60s were especially vulnerable to fast bowling as alluded to by both Imran Khan and Garfield Sobers, and Hall has 81 wickets at 18.6 a piece against them, at least Trueman and Bedser bowled to a competent enough lineup in 1952, Hall just made merry of the weak 60s Indian batting lineups. He took 110 wickets at 32 runs a piece against the top two sides IE England and Australia, and it wasn't a lack of opportunity either as he had 31 Tests against them, He also somehow averaged 32 away from home in those nations and I don't know how because they were much better to bowl in than the West Indies, but in England and Australia he claimed 63 wickets in 17 tests at 32 a piece. He was very good and all but Snow was clearly better and so was Statham, as far as I am concerned. Good output of top order wickets though, that should be admitted.

I also don't really agree that he was the godfather of West Indies fast bowling, he didn't create the template, in the Interwar period – Learie Constantine, George Francis, Emannuel Martindale and to an extent, Leslie Hylton, had all put the concept down already. One can say that Hall revitalised West Indies fast bowling in 1950s after a decade or so of spin domination with Valentine and Ramadhin, but I would certainly credit Constantine mainly for being the godfather of West Indies fast bowling.

I also think he kind of faded too quickly for an elite bowler in the big serieses of his, 1960-61 Australia, had he bowled better in the final Test, it's possible West Indies beats Australia around 19 years before they finally got to doing it. Being so easily negotiated away at Melbourne in the first dig and then going for 40 runs at 8 an over in the decisive final innings of the series, he kind of pulled a Warne 2001 Chennai there, not appreciated.

 

[DrWolverine]

Scyld Berry also did his 10 best cricketers in the last 40 years list (in 2017), on his 40th anniversary of covering the sport since 1977:
1. Viv Richards
2. Imran Khan
3. Shane Warne
4. Malcolm Marshall
5. Ian Botham
6. Sachin Tendulkar
7. Adam Gilchrist
8. Jacques Kallis
9. Brian Lara
10. Wasim Akram

Whilst maybe not as bad as his bowlers list, this one isn't great either

No Muralitharan.

 

[Johan]

No Muralitharan.

not that highly rated among writers and journalists.