How quick is Quick?

[Hurricane]

1) Who was the quickest you faced?
Best bowler I have faced is Salim Jaffer former test cricketer but he was only bowling about 120Kms tops I asked him about it and he said that it was artificial wickets and he couldn't bowl quick without spikes. Fastest is a former West Indian FC bowler with a suspicious action that kept him from going too far in cricket he would have been 125. Just from watching Chris Martin bowl at the basin I am positive I have never faced 130kms bowling in club cricket. I reckon 125ks is "fast" for club cricket.

2) How quick do you reckon they were bowling? see above.
3) How quick do you reckon you have bowled (be realistic)? 110-115 I am very average. And I reckon average is 110.

 

[Blocky]

1. Fastest Bowler faced?

Approximately 12 years ago, Heath Davis.
Same era, Raymond Muir (guy who was unlucky not to make first class)

Recently? Andrew Mathieson, Ross Fitzjohn and Scott Kuggeleijn

2. How fast were they?

Heath Davis probably bowled mid 150s in his absolute pomp. Raymond Muir was clocked in mid 140s

Mathieson got clocked at 145, I'd estimate Fitzjohn and Kuggelign are in the low 140s

3. How fast was I?

Well, coming back after ten years out of cricket due to breaking my back as a 20 yr old, I'd say I still get the odd one through at 130kmh. In my youth? 135kmh.

 

[Howsie]

I've played a fair bit with and against Ross but unless he's packed on the pace over the past season I'd have my doubt's he's anywhere near 140K. He's sharp but 140K sharp, I don't know.

 

[Blocky]

I've played a fair bit with and against Ross but unless he's packed on the pace over the past season I'd have my doubt's he's anywhere near 140K. He's sharp but 140K sharp, I don't know.

I hadn't seen him before about July this year but understand that he's had a season in the ND Academy? He's also still a teenager so will naturally develop pace over the next few years if he trains for it.

I play at the same club as Ross, Panda and Anurag. There have been times this season where Cam Weight has looked just as quick as those guys too. Having faced Panda, Rossy and Cam in the nets at the same time, I'd say Panda is the tougher bowler solely due to the bounce he generates but pace wise, they're all much of a muchness.

I literally cannot believe that they're not selecting Panda for First Class level stuff yet, 20 yr old who bowls 145kmh and actually wants to get quicker? Insane.

 

[_Ed_]

1. Fastest Bowler faced?

Approximately 12 years ago, Heath Davis.

Haha, awesome.

Did he land it on the pitch?

 

[Blocky]

Haha, awesome.

Did he land it on the pitch?

One in every ten deliveries was a pearler... the other nine deliveries (wides and no balls) in the over were generally poop.

My brother faced him much more than I did and reckons he was even quicker prior to the late 90s. Brother used to open the batting for Kilburnie and played for Wellington A's, remembers coming up against Heath Davis following a season where he'd reputedly broken several arms and a leg playing league cricket in the UK - reckons Heath bowled a 14 ball over to start with and that was the end of his spell.

 

[Howsie]

I hadn't seen him before about July this year but understand that he's had a season in the ND Academy? He's also still a teenager so will naturally develop pace over the next few years if he trains for it.

I play at the same club as Ross, Panda and Anurag. There have been times this season where Cam Weight has looked just as quick as those guys too. Having faced Panda, Rossy and Cam in the nets at the same time, I'd say Panda is the tougher bowler solely due to the bounce he generates but pace wise, they're all much of a muchness.

I literally cannot believe that they're not selecting Panda for First Class level stuff yet, 20 yr old who bowls 145kmh and actually wants to get quicker? Insane.

Panda being Mathieson? If so yeah, he must be close though you'd think. ND do have some rather good bowling stocks at the moment though it must be said.

 

[Blocky]

Yeah, Andy Mathieson, i.e Panda

ND have great bowling stocks but they're all much of a muchness and even though Graeme Aldridge year after year takes so many wickets, he's just not a guy who will do much at text level.

Panda has a unique gift, I just wish he was a bit nastier with it.

 

[M0rphin3]

2) How quick do you reckon they were bowling?

I don't know. He hit me in the crotch when I wasn't wearing a box. I am not yet a dad. So I reckon he was really fast.

3) How quick do you reckon you have bowled (be realistic)?

I am an off spinner. At my peak, I would have bowled at about 4km/hour. Sometimes when I didn't like the ball I had bowled I would run after it, catch the ball before it landed on the pitch and come back to my bowling mark.

 

[Julian87]

All this overestimating talk....I reckon we underestimate a lot of it. First class cricketers aren't ****ing machines ffs. I'm not saying your average opening bowler in country cricket bowls 130km/h but just because they're not at a higher level doesn't mean that some don't.

Those saying 100km/h deadset bowl right arm slow.

 

[Blocky]

All this overestimating talk....I reckon we underestimate a lot of it. First class cricketers aren't ****ing machines ffs. I'm not saying your average opening bowler in country cricket bowls 130km/h but just because they're not at a higher level doesn't mean that some don't.

Those saying 100km/h deadset bowl right arm slow.

This has some element of truth to it.

It isn't hard to generate 120kmh. It's quite hard getting north of 130kmh however and generally this requires you to bowl a hell of a lot and bowl with a level of effort that is always close to your peak.

Some natural freaks just turn up and can propell a ball fast, they seem effortless and can do it without strain, but for most guys who have got near 130kmh in their lives, it's come down to running in as hard as they can, working as much on getting some mongrel in their arm action and pulling their body over the top of their front leg.

 

[Julian87]

I reckon you just know it's quick if the btsman plays forward off a normal length and it wizzes past their head and your keeper takes it above head level.

 

[smash84]

This has some element of truth to it.

It isn't hard to generate 120kmh. It's quite hard getting north of 130kmh however and generally this requires you to bowl a hell of a lot and bowl with a level of effort that is always close to your peak.

Some natural freaks just turn up and can propell a ball fast, they seem effortless and can do it without strain, but for most guys who have got near 130kmh in their lives, it's come down to running in as hard as they can, working as much on getting some mongrel in their arm action and pulling their body over the top of their front leg.

Well written. Probably the biggest reason is how naturally good your shoulder. If you are born with good shoulders then you would probably be able to generate a lot of pace without too much effort in the run-up (e.g. Wasim Akram, Gillespie). Otherwise it is really hard to crank it up in to the 130s. Although Going up to around 120 isn't that difficult. I have probably played many bowlers here in street cricket in Pakistan who would probably easily be around 120 km/h which isn't that quick.

However there have been some very fast bowlers in street cricket here in Pakistan. Shoaib Akhtar says that he used to bowl so fast in the street (that is with a tape tennis ball) that you can't even imagine. I guess with that ball he might well have bowled well above 160 km/h easily.

 

[Migara]

tape ball is an interesting phenomena. It's very hard to bat against it, because it keeps low. Alternatively in SL we burn the outercrust of the tennis ball, so it travels very quick. It's not quick as the tape ball but the "burnt ball" leaves some useful bounce. Since most SL street batsmen are short, they like when the ball bounces, so they can cut and pull. Burn't ball really comes to the picture when you bowl wrist spin. It bounces devilishly if you bowl good side spun leg breaks. When I was on top of my game the keeper used to take the ball chest high when I was bowling. To complicate problems, the sliders with the burnt ball really slides. With this "burnt ball" we had a bloke in my school who used to be very quick. Even a nick off him would travel 40-50m on the out field with the burnt tennis ball. And when one side of the burnt ball is made smooth with a sand paper, ball swings as well. This bloke bowled Waqar-esque banana inswingers at our toes in the College days.

 

[bagapath]

Since most SL street batsmen are short, they like when the ball bounces, so they can cut and pull.

I love this attitude you have written about; very aravidaesque. most subcontinental champions of short stature before de silva, like hanif or gavaskar, preferred to defend whenever a ball was banged in short at them because they were disadvantaged by their lack of height . mad max turned this to his advantage and achieved great success. am sure all present day SL batters carry his picture in their wallets.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Well written. Probably the biggest reason is how naturally good your shoulder. If you are born with good shoulders then you would probably be able to generate a lot of pace without too much effort in the run-up (e.g. Wasim Akram, Gillespie). Otherwise it is really hard to crank it up in to the 130s. Although Going up to around 120 isn't that difficult. I have probably played many bowlers here in street cricket in Pakistan who would probably easily be around 120 km/h which isn't that quick.

However there have been some very fast bowlers in street cricket here in Pakistan. Shoaib Akhtar says that he used to bowl so fast in the street (that is with a tape tennis ball) that you can't even imagine. I guess with that ball he might well have bowled well above 160 km/h easily.

I refuse to believe him for the sole reason that I can't imagine a busy Asian street accommodating the long run up he'd need to accomplish that feat.

 

[janetibarbosa]

The fastest I have ever suffered is a guy in Auckland less than 19 trials that were miles faster than everyone else, but I have no idea who he was. Curiously, there was also a guy bowling at me, I think that actually made the team as a pace bowler, but was very warm in the rate compared to that other guy.

 

[Migara]

I love this attitude you have written about; very aravidaesque. most subcontinental champions of short stature before de silva, like hanif or gavaskar, preferred to defend whenever a ball was banged in short at them because they were disadvantaged by their lack of height . mad max turned this to his advantage and achieved great success. am sure all present day SL batters carry his picture in their wallets.

Aravinda is a hero, and monumentally changed SL mindset on taking on fast bowling. We see the results today, Sangakkara, Dilshan, Mahela and Mathews, all play pull and hook (although some times become over ambitious and give their wickets away). but unlike the SL batsmen of 80s and 90s, who ducked under short of length balls or fended it, new crop do think of pulling or hooking it. The way Mathews dismantled Mitchell Johnson bowling at 145k+ is evidence for the change of culture.

SRTs and Dravids are better players of short bowling than de Silva (because they are more selective in the shots, hence got out less with short balls), but none of them were as spectacular when it came to taking on raw pace. Let India develop one of them, and you'd see the next generation will come blazing at short stuff.

 

[vcs]

That's an interesting question.. who was the best Indian player of pace bowling (at being aggressive)? Probably Gundappa Vishwanath.

 

[bagapath]

That's an interesting question.. who was the best Indian player of pace bowling (at being aggressive)? Probably Gundappa Vishwanath.

you must be too young if you didnt think of mohinder amarnath when it came to facing pace bowling full on. his hooks off holding-garner-roberts-marshall are legendary. kapil was excellent against fast bowling too.