A history of fast bowling

[Magrat Garlick]

someone to teach me how i can speed up youtube footage so i can enjoy these in vaguely human speed

 

[NotMcKenzie]

There's a gear icon in the bottom right with 'playback speed' in the middle. Click that and select from the options given.

If you are not on a proper computer, but rather a mobile phone, IDK what to do. Probably something similar though.

 

[Midwinter]

We start off with the oldest footage that exists of anyone considered a fast bowler. This is 37-year old Arthur Mold bowling to 'Monkey' Hornby in 1901, after he was called for throwing by Jim Phillips. It displays features of Mold's bowling noted in writing, especially the short run. Nonetheless, I'm not sure how much to draw from it. Hornby, aged 54 at the time, is clearly having no trouble dealing with these deliveries on a relatively uncut grass surface, so therefore it's reasonable to assume that he isn't sending it down full pace. Unfortunately, it's hard to infer what 'fast' was considered then because of this, especially as the only other footage of a known contemporary, Richardson from 1897, has been lost.

It looks like Mold is just rolling his arm over to demonstrate how he bowls, rather than what it looked like when he was at full pace.

The narrator mentions the novelty of the camera at the time, so no one is taking it very seriously.

Cotter looks a bit like Lindwall

 

[Midwinter]

Now we move on to bowlers of a distinctly post-Great War vintage, with Ted McDonald. 30 when he played his first test, McDonald was probably the fastest bowler to play for Australia between the wars (although that's not saying much as it was a terrible era for Australian pace bowling). He, together with Jack Gregory, formed one of the first bowling combinations really known for intimidatory bowing, leaving behind a trail of bruises and the odd broken bone in England in 1921. He soon faded from the test team but settled in Lancashire to strike fear into opponents there instead.

I don't think McDonald faded from the test team.

Note how far back the keeper is standing to him in the bit of the video were is bowling towards the camera.

 

[ankitj]

someone to teach me how i can speed up youtube footage so i can enjoy these in vaguely human speed

Google has all the answers.

How to speed up YouTube videos as much as 2 times the normal speed, or slow them down

ShutterstockIt's easy to speed up or slow down YouTube videos on desktop or mobile.You can speed up YouTube videos to quickly watch longer videos and consume

www.businessinsider.in

 

[Starfighter]

Now you might notice that so far a team has been absent. We come to South Africa now. Until the early thirties cricket in South Africa was almost always played on coir matting rolled onto bare earth. These pitches offered luxurious, albeit consistent, amounts of spin (and bounce) to the right type of bowler, unlike modern artificial turf on concrete, which skids straight. As a result pace bowlers in SA tended to try and spin the ball long after the combination of the hard marl or lime-and-manure wicket and new ball at 200 runs had lead to the dominance of swing bowling in England.

We deal with such a bowler here. Norwegian-born Eifulf 'Buster' Nupen was one of South Africa's leading fast-medium bowlers of the twenties, and who, along with Jimmy Blanckenberg (technically excluded from this discussion due to being merely medium pace) was notable for his helplessness on turf pitches from which English bowlers of similar pace could reap rich harvests of wickets (Pakistan would be plagued by the same problems in the fifties and early sixtes, particularly on their disastrous 1962 England tour). So strongly contrasting was his performance between pitches that in 1930/31 against England he was dropped after taking nine wickets in a match, because the next one was on turf. We also have a return to the distinctive slinging action.

We don't see him bowling, but George Bissett is an interesting figure. He was taken on the 1924 tour to England, got injured early and did little. In 1927/28 he was recalled in the home series against England on the dubious basis of a club seven-for and took 25 wickets in four tests, enabling South Africa to draw the series after being two down, taking 7/29 in England's second innings of the last test. Afterwards he only played two more first class matches and only took two wickets. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any surviving footage of him bowling.

Nupen in 1923 against England

On the disastrous 1924 tour of England where Blanckenberg and Nupen found themselves unable make headway, South Africa first recalled the medium pacer Sid Pegler (the first bowler shown close up in the following video, bowling away from the camera). But still absolutely desperate for bowlers in the lead up to the first test, they made one of the great odd selections of all time. George Parker was a Bradford league player qualified only through being born in Cape Town. He was given a 'trial' where he took a few wickets in a truncated Oxford innings and was put straight into the first test. He bowled very wildly yet somehow made most of the top and middle order breakthroughs. With no experience near this level he was out of his depth and once asked the batsman, Woolley, to check his field setting. With a few minutes remaining in the day he simply walked off the field. After an innings loss, where SA made their all time low of 30, he played again at Lords. Very expensive, he still took the only two wickets to fall in England's massive innings. Afterwards SA dropped the erratic Parker and went with one fewer bowler, and he never played another first class match.

 

[Starfighter]

Our next bowler needs no introduction. It's Harold Larwood.

Interestingly, at the start of his career he ran only twelve paces, though later lengthened it to fourteen. Also interestingly, near the start of his career he bowled outswing but moved over to inswing, which coincided with his change to a leg side field. I wonder what the chicken-egg relationship is. I must say the idea of not bowling outswing with that action boggles my mind.

In my mind possibly the most attractive bowling action of all time, although his front knee is bent enough to keep Ian Pont awake at night. This seems to be a feature of bowlers with the rotary, javelin-throw actions and long drag who land with their front leg fairly steeply, and you'll be seeing a lot more of it post-war.

for those with interest, there's also a high speed of Gregory at 0.47 and 18:16 and full-speed at 16:07, and high-speed of Jack Ryder at 8:45, a fast medium bowler who was a part timer at that point and more notable for being Australia's first batsmen to average over 50 with more than 1000 runs.

 

[Starfighter]

While I'm at it I'll stick this one here. The rather erratic fast bowler with the low front arm and slinging action is Edward Hewetson. Make of it what you will.

 

[Burgey]

Lol that Parker story is amazing. Never heard it before

 

[Starfighter]

I've just realised I'm reaching the point where I'm going to start forgetting some bowlers and the chronological order will suffer as a result.

 

[Burgey]

Mate you’re doing a great job. Stick with it, it’s good gear

 

[stephen]

Geez Larwood had a beautiful action. Could drop him into any XI these days.

 

[Daemon]

Yeah Larwood's action really wouldn't look out of place today unlike some of the others from back then. So smooth. That last video in particular has a great slow motion replay of it at 1:13.

I think Naseem Shah is the closest to that we have today.

 

[NotMcKenzie]

I dunno. I think he's too side on for modern tastes as well as still being a bit slingy.

Of course, I abhor modern tastes.

 

[Line and Length]

You're doing an excellent job Starfighter. Your contributions and comments are a highlight.

 

[Burgey]

Am hoping in the next little while we might see some Tim Wall footage. He and McCormack were arguably Australia's only fast bowlers in the 30s worthy of the title, though the latter is more famous these days for making the Frank Worrell Trophy. .

 

[the big bambino]

The best was Laurie Nash though. Gilbert was interesting too. Generated so much pace from a 4 step run up as well.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Am hoping in the next little while we might see some Tim Wall footage. He and McCormack were arguably Australia's only fast bowlers in the 30s worthy of the title, though the latter is more famous these days for making the Frank Worrell Trophy. .

I second this.

Only man to take 10 in an innings for South Australia, Tim Wall is someone I have heard a lot of good things about from those who really know their cricketing history over here.

Grandfather of 90's SACA left arm swing bowler Brett Swain

Must say I have really enjoyed this thread so far

 

[the big bambino]

I second this.

Only man to take 10 in an innings for South Australia, Tim Wall is someone I have heard a lot of good things about from those who really know their cricketing history over here.

Grandfather of 90's SACA left arm swing bowler Brett Swain

Must say I have really enjoyed this thread so far

Hate to put you on the spot but I’m putting you on the spot. Got any Tim Wall news or stories you’ve heard? I’ve heard he was modest and generous man. He reacted to his great effort against a Bradman inclusive NSW by saying he’d bowled better and taken 0/100.

 

[Starfighter]

Of course, I abhor modern tastes.

And abhorrent they are. Bring back the side on action I say.