PlayerComparisons
International Captain
Do you think that the average pace bowling speeds in tests are significantly higher today than they were in the 1980s and 1990s or do you think that they have stayed the same?
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Are pace bowling speeds higher today?
- Thread starter PlayerComparisons
- Start date
Coronis
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I don’t care in the slightest.
shortpitched713
Cricketer Of The Year
I think they are higher than they were in the 2010s, but somehow, lower than in the 2000s.
They then gradually increase as you go back further and further in the 20th century, reaching an unbreakable blistering peak in 1933, when Larwood broke the sound barrier in a particularly deadly short pitched delivery, but still managed to be hooked to the fence for six by Bradman.
They then gradually increase as you go back further and further in the 20th century, reaching an unbreakable blistering peak in 1933, when Larwood broke the sound barrier in a particularly deadly short pitched delivery, but still managed to be hooked to the fence for six by Bradman.
SillyCowCorner1
Moooo
Pace is pace yaar
Coronis
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Daily reminder Bradman only had 6 6’s in his test career. 5 against England, 1 against India. 4 in a single series.
1932/1933 Ashes
Adelaide - Bradman 66 (69) hit a 6 on the penultimate delivery off Verity (c&b next delivery)
1934 Ashes
Leeds - Bradman 304 (465) hit 2 6’s, once against Verity and once against Hopwood, both in the mid 200’s, both in the final session of day two, where he went from 169 to 271 off 94 balls. Bowled by Bowes on Day 3.
The Oval - Bradman 244 (275) hit a 6 near the end of his his innings as he went from 150 to 244 in the final session of day one, off Verity. Possibly would’ve made it to 250 but was bowled Bowes caught Ames.
Bradman 77 (103) hit a 6 near the very start of his innings off Clark as he raced to 76 at the end of day three before being bowled by Bowes the next morning.
1947/48 vs India
Adelaide - Bradman 201 (295) hit a 6 during the final session of day one off Mankad as he raced from 94 to 201 before being bowled by Hazare.
Very notably, every single one of his sixes came against left arm bowlers - Verity and Mankad being left arm orthodox, Hopwood being a left arm medium and Clark being a left arm pacer.
Athlai
Not Terrible
On average? 100%
But there are still outliers at the very top, certain players that are significantly faster than the 'average' of their time. That said I do expect the fitness standard of today would mean that their average speed across a Test would be higher today. But an express spell by a once a generation bowler in the 80s was probably as fast as any in the decades after.
DrWolverine
International Captain
What happened to Johan?
Chin Music
State Captain
Akhtar and Lee are clearly the quickest bowlers of the last 30 years. I suspect thought that modern sports science keeps the current quick bowling quicker across their spells than back at that time though.
Coronis
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Health break.
Coronis
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I think you misunderstood the purpose of the subforum. Its not only for actual player comparisons, but also to contain the user PlayerComparisons.
shortpitched713
Cricketer Of The Year
Anyway, there was no poll option for "Seam bowler speeds are generally getting gradually but diminishingly faster", so I didn't vote.
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
The slower seamers are definitely faster now IMO, so the average will be higher. I don't think there are more express bowlers or that the express bowlers are bowling quicker though.
Patience and Accuracy+Gut
International 12th Man
They are bowling faster on average,100%.
Nobody has ever bowed faster than Thomson tho imho.
Nobody has ever bowed faster than Thomson tho imho.
Kirkut
International Regular
I won't say that speeds are higher today, but more like bowlers are able to maintain average speeds of 86 mph consistently in a very busy calendar, which would have been virtually impossible in 80s/90s and might have contributed to early retirements as well had they played the amount of cricket that is the norm today.
All of which is attributed to the advanced kinesiology that has been brought to the game especially with T20 era.
However, freaks like Akhtar, Bond and Lee are extinct species now.
All of which is attributed to the advanced kinesiology that has been brought to the game especially with T20 era.
However, freaks like Akhtar, Bond and Lee are extinct species now.
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sayon basak
International Coach
Pretty sure Umran Malik, Mark Wood and Mayank Yadav has top speeds higher than Shane Bond.
shortpitched713
Cricketer Of The Year
The **** this have to do with T20s?
shortpitched713
Cricketer Of The Year
What speeds they hitting?
sayon basak
International Coach
Somewhere around 157 kmph. I still remember Umran Malik bowling to a WI bowler in IPL (I don't remember the batter), 2nd last ball of the innings, he bowled a 156 kmph delivery, and got hit for a four. Then in the last ball, he bowled his fastest ball in career (157 kmph), and got hit for a six.
Ferguson has a higher top speed that all of them btw.
