Can Dale Steyn become the fastest bowler to 300 Test wickets?

[Top_Cat]

Lillee got it after 56 tests? Wow! Damn he was a monster.

No, he was an over-rated douchebag who took all of his wickets on helpful pitches.

(or something)

 

[The Sean]

Not sure how to get a full list, but here are a few notables after 50 Tests. I'd be surprised if this wasn't the top 10, or bloody close to it.

Lillee – 262 wickets at 23.40
Steyn – 260 wickets at 22.90
Donald – 251 wickets at 22.12
Murali – 245 wickets at 26.37
Waqar – 244 wickets at 22.07
Marshall – 237 wickets at 21.42
Warne – 235 wickets at 23.72
Hadlee – 235 wickets at 23.94
McGrath – 234 wickets at 22.77
Bedser – 232 wickets at 24.67

And just out of interest, by way of comparison, and because I’m sad like that, here’s a similar list for (as far as I can find) the top ten highest-scoring batsmen after 50 Tests – removing Bradman obviously, because he’s silly:

Gavaskar – 4,947 runs at 57.52
Hutton – 4,682 runs at 59.27
Hobbs – 4,596 runs at 61.28
Hayden – 4,488 runs at 58.29
Pietersen – 4,445 runs at 51.09
Sobers – 4,335 runs at 57.04
Richards – 4,329 runs at 58.50
Sutcliffe – 4,255 runs at 61.67
Lara – 4,205 runs at 51.28
Hammond – 4,142 runs at 55.97

 

[Spikey]

no put bradman in there

 

[The Sean]

Bradman - 6,790 runs at 99.85

 

[smash84]

that is still less than his career average

 

[The Sean]

Indeed. Only really got going in his 51st Test TBH.

 

[Manee]

Chased 404, fine effort.

 

[The Sean]

As for the question posed, I’d love to Steyn get the mark but I can’t quite see it – DKL hit 300 at the end of a stunning run that yielded 75 wickets in 11 Tests. Steyn needs 40 wickets in his next five Tests to beat Lillee, 40 in six to tie. I reckon it’s just a bit too much, particularly with blokes like the old de Lange and the new Philander sure to be amongst the wickets as well.

Any milestones beyond 300 - and certainly after 350 - are pretty much already out of reach thanks to the phenomenon that was Murali.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Murali really took off into another dimension after those first 245 wickets, didn't he?

 

[The Sean]

Murali really took off into another dimension after those first 245 wickets, didn't he?

Yeah, he was absolutely freakish. As we were discussing on the first page of this thread, there was a seven-year period where he took 400-odd wickets at 19, averaging better than 7 wickets per Test. Scarcely believable numbers.

 

[Satguru]

Yeah, he was absolutely freakish. As we were discussing on the first page of this thread, there was a seven-year period where he took 400-odd wickets at 19, averaging better than 7 wickets per Test. Scarcely believable numbers.

If im not wrong, he had a 10 year period where he took 630 wickets @less than 20 apiece at 7wpm, which is freaking ridiculous

 

[Cabinet96]

Do you reckon Steyn would have had a better chance off getting the landmark had Phillander not been picked?

 

[Howe_zat]

Not sure how to get a full list, but here are a few notables after 50 Tests. I'd be surprised if this wasn't the top 10, or bloody close to it.

Lillee – 262 wickets at 23.40
Steyn – 260 wickets at 22.90
Donald – 251 wickets at 22.12
Murali – 245 wickets at 26.37
Waqar – 244 wickets at 22.07
Marshall – 237 wickets at 21.42
Warne – 235 wickets at 23.72
Hadlee – 235 wickets at 23.94
McGrath – 234 wickets at 22.77
Bedser – 232 wickets at 24.67

Cheers. Esteemed company to say the least.

 

[Garson007]

Do you reckon Steyn would have had a better chance off getting the landmark had Phillander not been picked?

Yes. Which is why this is not as good a benchmark as average or even strike rate. Unlike batsmen that can all score a hundred, only one bowler can realistically get a fifer.

 

[miscer]

doing it by tests is borderline irrelevant. anyone wanna post an innings list? I think donald is on top in that one.

this is what i got
Donald: 90
Steyn: 91
Waqar: 92
Lillee: 92

could be wrong though.

edit: this is to 250 wickets btw.

 

[Slifer]

doing it by tests is borderline irrelevant. anyone wanna post an innings list? I think donald is on top in that one.

this is what i got
Donald: 90
Steyn: 91
Waqar: 92
Lillee: 92

could be wrong though.

edit: this is to 250 wickets btw.

Personally I prefer it by balls bowled, Its like when we look at the number of runs batsmen score in X amount of tests, likewise I think the number of innings batted is more relevant.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Personally I prefer it by balls bowled, Its like when we look at the number of runs batsmen score in X amount of tests, likewise I think the number of innings batted is more relevant.

If you're doing it by balls bowled, you're just sorting them by strike rate

 

[Prince EWS]

Runs conceded IMO.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Runs conceded IMO.

Now that's a novel idea

 

[SeamUp]

If Dale Steyn gets his 300th test wicket within 24 balls against the Black Caps at Newlands he will be the quickest to 300 in terms of balls bowled.

Currently...

Steyn 299 wickets in 12 578 balls
Waqar Younis 12 602 balls
Allan Donald 13 690 balls
Malcolm Marshall 13 755 balls

In terms of matches he will equal Sir Richard Hadlee and Malcolm Marshall with 61 matches.

Lillee with 56 matches and Murali 58 matches.