3rd seamers who are the best bowler in a side

[Fuller Pilch]

Usually opening bowlers or spinners are the best bowlers in a side. What are some examples of when 1st or 2nd change seamers (like Neil Wagner) are the premier bowlers in a team?

 

[Red]

Might argue Flintoff was the best bowler for England in 2005-ish, bowling after Hoggard and Harmison. Botham spent a lot of time as first change also.

Botham is the most successful 1st change bowler who is a non-spinner, probably bowling behind Willis, Old and Hendrick. Other notable seamers with a lot of wickets at first change are Morkel (probably behind Steyn and Philander), Johnson (who seemed to prefer first change), Courtney Walsh (behind any number of WI greats), likewise Joel Garner, Siddle (behind Johnson and Hilf and later Harris) and Merv (behind Reid, McDermott and Alderman).

Could honestly really only argue that Mitch Johnson was really the best bowler in his team over the opening bowlers. Perhaps at times Walsh and Garner, and Botham when he was on.

 

[straw man]

Allan Donald

 

[Daemon]

Allan Donald

I'm going to assume you're talking ODIs here. Who opened the bowling when he was 1st change? Pollock and Fanie?

 

[Migara]

Shoaib Akthar and Brett Lee?

 

[harsh.ag]

Angus Fraser has a surprisingly good record as 3rd seamer. 68 wickets at an average of 22.02 and SR of 50.7 in 27 innings.

 

[Compton]

Yeah Johnson sprung to mind for me as well. Seemed to prefer bowling first change.

 

[Zinzan]

Shoaib Akthar and Brett Lee?

Huh? Lee was only 1st change when McGrath and Gillespie were playing wasn't he?

 

[watson]

Not a seamer, but Bishan Bedi was the most common first change bowler out of the Indian spin quartet.

 

[mr_mister]

Huh? Lee was only 1st change when McGrath and Gillespie were playing wasn't he?

that was most of his test career though right?

 

[Bijed]

that was most of his test career though right?

I think the point wasn't so much that Lee wasn't 1st change, more that he wasn't better than McGrath and Gillespie.

 

[Kirkut]

Praveen Kumar in 2011 England tour.

 

[AndrewB]

Lee took 241 of his 310 Test wickets as an opening bowler.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Shoaib Akthar and Brett Lee?

Don't think this counts because Shoaib was first change only when Wasim and Waqar were around and I think they played a sum total of 2 test matches together.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Donald only went first change for ODIs when Pollock and Kallis/Telemachus/Elworthy opened the bowling.

 

[bagapath]

Didn't Ian Botham take bucket load of wickets as third seamer?

 

[anil1405]

Don't think this counts because Shoaib was first change only when Wasim and Waqar were around and I think they played a sum total of 2 test matches together.

Are you serious about the trio playing just 2 tests together?

 

[OverratedSanity]

Are you serious about the trio playing just 2 tests together?

5

Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[anil1405]

Just checked they played 5 together which is staggeringly low.

Scorecard - 1997-1998 Pakistan v West Indies - 2nd Test - Rawalpindi - 29/11/1997
Scorecard - 1997-1998 South Africa v Pakistan - 3rd Test - Port Elizabeth - 06/03/1998
Scorecard - 1998-1999 Pakistan v Zimbabwe - 2nd Test - Lahore - 10/12/1998
Scorecard - 1999-2000 Australia v Pakistan - 2nd Test - Hobart - 18/11/1999
Scorecard - 2001 England v Pakistan - 1st Test - London - 17/05/2001

Apparently one of those tests involved a bowling attack of Wasim, Waqar, Akhtar, Razzaq and Mahmood.

 

[Red]

How many did Wasim, Waqar and Imran play together?