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Fast bowler survival - rank the best fast bowlers of all time
- Thread starter stephen
- Start date
stephen
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
This is the wildcard round
The top two will progress to round 3 as wildcards into the next round (a seeded, single elimination tournament, based on averages).
Vote for as few or as many bowlers as you like.
Bowlers you do not vote for will be placed after your lowest ranked bowler, in the order that they appear below.
If you vote for a player 5 or more positions below what the highest vote for that player is, your vote for that player will count for their [best position + 5].
Players below the top 2 are vying for overall position only and will be completely eliminated after this round.
Players who were involved in groups of 6 in round 1 have had their scores normalised by treating all 6th rank votes as being equivalent to 5th rank votes.
Round 2 eliminees (rank is average of round 1 and round 2 scores)
2.29 - Michael Holding
3.26 - Dale Steyn
3.27 - Wes Hall
3.36 - Brian Statham
3.40 - Frederick Spofforth
3.42 - Courtney Walsh
Round 1 eliminees
3.52 - Fazal Mahmood
3.54 - George Lohmann
3.75 - Andy Roberts
3.82 - Alec Bedser
3.93 - Bob Willis
3.97 - Ian Botham
4.05 - Ian Bishop
4.11 - John Snow
4.13 - Shoaib Akhtar
4.17 - Peter Pollock
4.29 - Maurice Tate
4.31 - Neil Adcock
4.57 - Jack Cowie
4.60 - Kapil Dev
4.75 - Jason Gillespie
4.78 - Shane Bond
4.81 - Mohammad Nissar
4.97 - Bruce Reid
5.00 - Jack Gregory
Jeff Thompson*
*I have added Thommo as a special wildcard, as I had intended to add him in the first rounds as a wildcard, but forgot.
Players not being voted on (who have already progressed):
1.13 - Malcolm Marshall
1.19 - Glenn McGrath
1.34 - Richard Hadlee
1.46 - Imran Khan
1.72 - Dennis Lillee
1.74 - Curtly Ambrose
1.83 - Joel Garner
2.02 - Waqar Younis
2.03 - Fred Trueman
2.07 - Wasim Akram
2.13 - Allan Davidson
2.21 - Sydney Barnes
2.41 - Allan Donald
2.57 - Ray Lindwall
2.82 - Harold Larwood
2.86 - Shaun Pollock
3.15 - Frank Tyson
3.33 - Keith Miller
If Holding or Steyn progress, they will slot in based on their average rank (so Holding will sit between Barnes and Donald and Steyn between Tyson and Miller).
The top two will progress to round 3 as wildcards into the next round (a seeded, single elimination tournament, based on averages).
Vote for as few or as many bowlers as you like.
Bowlers you do not vote for will be placed after your lowest ranked bowler, in the order that they appear below.
If you vote for a player 5 or more positions below what the highest vote for that player is, your vote for that player will count for their [best position + 5].
Players below the top 2 are vying for overall position only and will be completely eliminated after this round.
Players who were involved in groups of 6 in round 1 have had their scores normalised by treating all 6th rank votes as being equivalent to 5th rank votes.
Round 2 eliminees (rank is average of round 1 and round 2 scores)
2.29 - Michael Holding
3.26 - Dale Steyn
3.27 - Wes Hall
3.36 - Brian Statham
3.40 - Frederick Spofforth
3.42 - Courtney Walsh
Round 1 eliminees
3.52 - Fazal Mahmood
3.54 - George Lohmann
3.75 - Andy Roberts
3.82 - Alec Bedser
3.93 - Bob Willis
3.97 - Ian Botham
4.05 - Ian Bishop
4.11 - John Snow
4.13 - Shoaib Akhtar
4.17 - Peter Pollock
4.29 - Maurice Tate
4.31 - Neil Adcock
4.57 - Jack Cowie
4.60 - Kapil Dev
4.75 - Jason Gillespie
4.78 - Shane Bond
4.81 - Mohammad Nissar
4.97 - Bruce Reid
5.00 - Jack Gregory
Jeff Thompson*
*I have added Thommo as a special wildcard, as I had intended to add him in the first rounds as a wildcard, but forgot.
Players not being voted on (who have already progressed):
1.13 - Malcolm Marshall
1.19 - Glenn McGrath
1.34 - Richard Hadlee
1.46 - Imran Khan
1.72 - Dennis Lillee
1.74 - Curtly Ambrose
1.83 - Joel Garner
2.02 - Waqar Younis
2.03 - Fred Trueman
2.07 - Wasim Akram
2.13 - Allan Davidson
2.21 - Sydney Barnes
2.41 - Allan Donald
2.57 - Ray Lindwall
2.82 - Harold Larwood
2.86 - Shaun Pollock
3.15 - Frank Tyson
3.33 - Keith Miller
If Holding or Steyn progress, they will slot in based on their average rank (so Holding will sit between Barnes and Donald and Steyn between Tyson and Miller).
Last edited:
stephen
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
It has taken me forever to compile, but here are the results:
1.83 - Michael Holding
3.33 - Andy Roberts
3.56 - George Lohmann
3.94 - Frederick Spofforth
4.33 - Alec Bedser
4.78 - Fazal Mahmood
5.17 - Peter Pollock
5.44 - Wes Hall
5.56 - Ian Botham
5.67 - Dale Steyn
5.67 - Maurice Tate
6.06 - Brian Statham
6.78 - Neil Adcock
7.11 - Courtney Walsh
7.39 - Bob Willis
7.78 - Jeff Thomson
8.61 - John Snow
8.78 - Shane Bond
11.78 - Shoaib Akhtar
13.50 - Ian Bishop
19.61 - Jack Cowie
20.28 - Kapil Dev
20.72 - Jason Gillespie
21.78 - Bruce Reid
23.28 - Mohammad Nissar
24.89 - Jack Gregory
Some people had their positions pulled up drastically by a single vote. This was intentional as I wanted players who were rated higher to be given an advantage. Fazal probably got pulled up too high, as did Thomson, but it mostly worked.
Holding and Roberts progress to round 3.
1.83 - Michael Holding
3.33 - Andy Roberts
3.56 - George Lohmann
3.94 - Frederick Spofforth
4.33 - Alec Bedser
4.78 - Fazal Mahmood
5.17 - Peter Pollock
5.44 - Wes Hall
5.56 - Ian Botham
5.67 - Dale Steyn
5.67 - Maurice Tate
6.06 - Brian Statham
6.78 - Neil Adcock
7.11 - Courtney Walsh
7.39 - Bob Willis
7.78 - Jeff Thomson
8.61 - John Snow
8.78 - Shane Bond
11.78 - Shoaib Akhtar
13.50 - Ian Bishop
19.61 - Jack Cowie
20.28 - Kapil Dev
20.72 - Jason Gillespie
21.78 - Bruce Reid
23.28 - Mohammad Nissar
24.89 - Jack Gregory
Some people had their positions pulled up drastically by a single vote. This was intentional as I wanted players who were rated higher to be given an advantage. Fazal probably got pulled up too high, as did Thomson, but it mostly worked.
Holding and Roberts progress to round 3.
stephen
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
We're now into the serious end of the competition.
Here are the Group 3 results:
Results (red players have been eliminated).
Group A
1.36 Malcolm Marshall
2.6 Dennis Lillee
2.6 Sydney Barnes
4.12 Harold Larwood
4.32 Andy Roberts
Group B
1.52 Glenn McGrath
1.56 Curtly Ambrose
3.64 Allan Davidson
3.44 Ray Lindwall
4.84 Keith Miller
Group C
1.16 Richard Hadlee
3.2 Joel Garner
2.72 Wasim Akram
3.64 Allan Donald
4.28 Frank Tyson
Group D
2.2 Imran Khan
2.4 Waqar Younis
2.52 Fred Trueman
3.28 Michael Holding
4.6 Shaun Pollock
This leads to the round of 16. The round of sixteen will be seeded based on round 3 results (round 3 groups were seeded based on round 1 and 2 results).
This will be single elimination for here on in.
Here are the Group 3 results:
Results (red players have been eliminated).
Group A
1.36 Malcolm Marshall
2.6 Dennis Lillee
2.6 Sydney Barnes
4.12 Harold Larwood
4.32 Andy Roberts
Group B
1.52 Glenn McGrath
1.56 Curtly Ambrose
3.64 Allan Davidson
3.44 Ray Lindwall
4.84 Keith Miller
Group C
1.16 Richard Hadlee
3.2 Joel Garner
2.72 Wasim Akram
3.64 Allan Donald
4.28 Frank Tyson
Group D
2.2 Imran Khan
2.4 Waqar Younis
2.52 Fred Trueman
3.28 Michael Holding
4.6 Shaun Pollock
This leads to the round of 16. The round of sixteen will be seeded based on round 3 results (round 3 groups were seeded based on round 1 and 2 results).
This will be single elimination for here on in.
robin tumman
Cricket Spectator
You are all NUTS!
Dear All,
You don't need a list.
There is only 1 man who should be considered the greatest fast bowler of all time.
It's a man who played during the time when there were "gentlemen" and "players" - IE gentlemen were amateurs, and players were the lowest of the low (so the hierarchy thought) - professionals. They even had separate changing rooms - and WE criticised the South Africans for apartheid!
This man's outspokenness was considered unacceptable by the powers that be - he was therefore overlooked on many occasions, and even banned from playing test matches for 3 years when at his peak (as county batsmen will attest!)
Opposition teams feared him the most of England's fast bowlers of the era, and were astounded, but delighted that the MCC kept dropping him.
He is, of course, Frederick Sewards Trueman - the greatest fast bowler who ever drew breath (not being shy, that's what he wanted to title his autobiography, but the publishers refused, and suggested "Ball of Fire"!)
Incidentally, Fred's record stands up to any fast bowler's, past or present, and be aware that he never played against upcoming Test nations ; he was only picked when England were in trouble - AND, he missed what would have been the 3 most productive years of his career, each year, topping the country's county bowling averages!
Yours sincerely,
A proud fellow Yorkshireman with a similar name.
Dear All,
You don't need a list.
There is only 1 man who should be considered the greatest fast bowler of all time.
It's a man who played during the time when there were "gentlemen" and "players" - IE gentlemen were amateurs, and players were the lowest of the low (so the hierarchy thought) - professionals. They even had separate changing rooms - and WE criticised the South Africans for apartheid!
This man's outspokenness was considered unacceptable by the powers that be - he was therefore overlooked on many occasions, and even banned from playing test matches for 3 years when at his peak (as county batsmen will attest!)
Opposition teams feared him the most of England's fast bowlers of the era, and were astounded, but delighted that the MCC kept dropping him.
He is, of course, Frederick Sewards Trueman - the greatest fast bowler who ever drew breath (not being shy, that's what he wanted to title his autobiography, but the publishers refused, and suggested "Ball of Fire"!)
Incidentally, Fred's record stands up to any fast bowler's, past or present, and be aware that he never played against upcoming Test nations ; he was only picked when England were in trouble - AND, he missed what would have been the 3 most productive years of his career, each year, topping the country's county bowling averages!
Yours sincerely,
A proud fellow Yorkshireman with a similar name.
fredfertang
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Ban?
Welcome to the forums, although you're leaving yourself open to suggestions of reinventing the past with that one.
Welcome to the forums, although you're leaving yourself open to suggestions of reinventing the past with that one.
robin tumman
Cricket Spectator
Perhaps "ban" is too strong a word...
Sir, but Fred was "overlooked" from 1954-1956, after allegedly discrediting himself by fraternising with the opposition, contrary to captain Hutton's instructions in the 1953 tour of the West Indies.
He was also "overlooked" for the tests against the weaker Pakistani opposition in 1954, not picked for the tour to Oz/NZ in 54/5, ditto the tour to SA in 56/7!
Kind regards,
Robin.
Sir, but Fred was "overlooked" from 1954-1956, after allegedly discrediting himself by fraternising with the opposition, contrary to captain Hutton's instructions in the 1953 tour of the West Indies.
He was also "overlooked" for the tests against the weaker Pakistani opposition in 1954, not picked for the tour to Oz/NZ in 54/5, ditto the tour to SA in 56/7!
Kind regards,
Robin.
fredfertang
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Indeed, although I think his main crime in the West Indies was calling an umpire a "black bastard", even though he didn't and the umpire concerned told his biographer it was Johnny Wardle who uttered the offending comment - but "out of favour" is a more realistic expression - and don't forget he had plenty of competition at that time - who out of Bedser, Bailey, Statham, Tyson and Loader should he have replaced in 54/55? Doubtless you'll say Loader but his record in 1954 was marginally better than Fred's, as was Les Jackson's come to that
robin tumman
Cricket Spectator
bagapath
International Captain
robin! welcome to the forum mate. it is good to see a passionate argument for freddie truman; of course, there is nothing wrong in ranking him at the very top among fast bowlers even though i may consider a handful of others better than him. hope you are able to take part in many of our discussions and share your views as often as possible.
Agent Nationaux
International Coach
Robin, did you get a chance to see Trueman live?
Magrat Garlick
Global Moderator
Magrat Garlick
Global Moderator
Yeah stephen opened new threads for each knockout round. Search around and you should find.
CricAddict
Cricketer Of The Year
Robin, man you rock.robin tumman
Cricket Spectator
Hi Bag,...
The only reason I rank him as No 1 is because he WAS No 1.
He was the greatest fast bowler who ever lived - and I have 1st hand experience!
Kind regards,
R.
Thanx 4 yr welcome, I am a big fan of Fred The Great.
The only reason I rank him as No 1 is because he WAS No 1.
He was the greatest fast bowler who ever lived - and I have 1st hand experience!
Kind regards,
R.