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Greatest Chucker

Who was the greatest chucker?


  • Total voters
    12

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I've always though he looked quite bad from footage from 58/59 and clean or almost clean from footage from 60/61. And some bowlers these days *cough*Ajmal*cough* got away with much worse for longer.
 

NotMcKenzie

International Debutant
Not an International player, but a good example.

Witness Ron Halcombe (WA) first ball of the video, who, according to Wisden, was actually no-balled in 31/32.


The bowler at 1.52, most likely Sandy Baxter, has an action that looks a lot like Mike Proctor.
 
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fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Halcombe was called by three different umpires in January 1930 in the space of eight days, the first time by the same umpire who called Eddie Gilbert - was probably in Jardine's employ
 

ImpatientLime

International Regular
Always amazed by how little attention Flintoffs effort ball got.

But yeah Ajmal. Guy like him should have his record wiped from history. Watching him was uncomfortable.
 

Spark

Global Moderator
What's the rule for a chucking offence? It it banned until remedial work or just can't bowl until rectified? Just wondering if that is a dangerous move to give iffy batsmen a bowl.
I mean in theory it's just a no ball and you play on; but in practice if you're throwing one ball with your normal action, the umpire could easily assume that every delivery you bowl is an illegal one so it's just free runs for the batting side until they choose to the declare, if you want to take it ad absurdum. So in practice that's it for you.
 

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Jermaine Lawson and Shabbir Ahmed also worth a shout. Certainly over Hashim Amla. Kevon Cooper was diabolical at times. Anyone happen to have any James Kirtley?

Also the slow-mo at 2:18 shows E.W. 'Nobby' Clark as being of the fluid elbow variety too.


Another Clark, Wayne, was also reckoned to be sus when he played for Australia during the WSC years, but I've never seen him.
 

OverratedSanity

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Among the great fast bowlers, Walsh's effort ball was hilariously blatant. And from old footage, Ray Lindwall seems to have a distinct kink in his action too.
 

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Elaine Baptiste chucked the odd one. Sometimes quite blatantly and somewhat hilariously:



Never thought Lindwall chucked after seeing non-blurred footage of him bowling. He seems to hold the elbow just slightly bent but there's no actual straightening. Ian Johnson on the other hand could have been one.

Cuan McCarthy is another one, from SA, from the fifties, but I've never seen him either. There was also Griffin from SA and Bartlett from NZ

Chester Watson, a West Indian who played against Australia in 1960-61 had a much subtler flex than Charlie Griffith, but Wisden still called him out rather unsubtly (third paragraph from bottom). I reckon Roy Gilchrist might have been sus too, but there's very little footage of him bowling. And I've heard that there were others in the Windies around then.

I can't believe Sonny Ramadhin can't been mentioned. Threw the West Indies to their first victory in England, threw his whole career in long sleeves and got away with it.
 
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the big bambino

International Captain
Good job finding Sandy Baxter NotMck. Been trying to find film of him for a long time. Halcombe does look very suss. Interesting opinion on Nobby Clark. I've only ever read glowing praise about his action.
 

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Good job finding Sandy Baxter NotMck. Been trying to find film of him for a long time.
May I ask why? Baxter isn't the most obvious name - I'd never heard of him before. Also, happen to know of any footage of Les Jackson?

Actually related to Les Jackson and more on topic, a couple of days ago I read a quite lengthy interview with Harold Rhodes who became England's fall guy in the anti-throwing movement around then - his action was examined and he was found to hyper extend (although the one picture I've seen of him near release suggests that his hyperextension remained constant through his action). I'd love to find some footage of him bowling. Needless to say he wasn't to thrilled with the way he was treated. His teammate Peter Eyre was also called once, without real explanation or precedent.

Halcombe does look very suss. Interesting opinion on Nobby Clark. I've only ever read glowing praise about his action.
So did I. It's certainly a distinctive bowling action. I actually first found him bowling a few years ago, then rediscovered it this year. That slow-mo shot really does tell its tale though, and generally footage of him looks a bit off. It perhaps explains how he generated what was by all accounts pretty hot pace despite having a very awkward looking delivery stride and almost no follow through.
 

the big bambino

International Captain
I wanted to see Baxter as he was one of a number of talented gentlemen who sacrificed test cricket for career. I heard his action was similar to walker or proctor and just wanted to see it.

As for Nobby Clark he whips through from release to follow through in no time. Maybe that whip through his release generated his pace
 

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
There's so little on Baxter out there that this thread was at the top of the third page on Google. It'll be even higher now.
 

Red

The normal awards that everyone else has
I am waiting for when we get a side-on analysis camera that can detect straightening of plus or minus 15 degrees. Then in reviews we'll hear the third umpire saying during DRS:

"Yeh, front foot is fine. Can we go to angle-cam please? Yeh, look, 13.8 degrees of straightening there, that's fine. Ok, let's move to ball tracking..."
 

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