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How quick is Quick?

Tom 1972

School Boy/Girl Captain
I just wonder what people think. How quick is Quick?

I firmly believe that once you get above 120kmph you start to get quick-ish, by non-professional standards.

As a park cricketer, opening bowler, I used to think I was pretty quick. But looking back, the keeper was probably about 2/3rds of the pitch back. So I reckon I was bowling approx 115kmph full tilt. Maybe 120kmph.

How quick is quick? I faced Simon O'Donnell in the nets off about a 10 step run-up and he was f***ing quick - but it was probably "only" 120-125kmph.

Has anyone faced a human bowling >130kmph? How did you find it? I reckon that is when it is "brown underpants" time for the decent park cricketer.

Sure, for international standards 140kmph guys are sometimes called fast-medium. 145kmph is quick, 150+ is express, 155+ is ridiculous.

The other thing - you ever try to bowl 100kmph out of the back of your hand like Kumble - takes incredible strength/rhythm.

So tell me.
1) Who was the quickest you faced?
2) How quick do you reckon they were bowling?
3) How quick do you reckon you have bowled (be realistic)?
 

Top_Cat

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1) Who was the quickest you faced?

Toss-up between Shane George and Troy Corbett. George clocked in the high 140's* and Corbett, allegedly, went past 150. I, however, was in the worst position to judge who was quicker of those two because.....

2) How quick do you reckon they were bowling?

First ball to me, full-out. Subsequent balls, after seeing how well I handled the previous, half rat (generously).

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

Mid 180's (cm/hr).

* Georgey claims he was sick (read: pissed) that day and could have gone past 150. Was quicker when half cut, tbh.
 
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_Ed_

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1) Who was the quickest you faced?
A guy called Richard Mayhew - now a rugby player for North Harbour.

2) How quick do you reckon they were bowling?
I reckon he would have been about 135km/h.

3) How quick do you reckon you have bowled (be realistic)?
Most of the time I probably bowled at about 115-120. I bowled into the wind for my team most of the time. The one time I had the wind behind me I felt like I was bowling heaps quicker. Probably still only about 125 at most, though.
 

Flem274*

123/5
I just wonder what people think. How quick is Quick?

I firmly believe that once you get above 120kmph you start to get quick-ish, by non-professional standards.

As a park cricketer, opening bowler, I used to think I was pretty quick. But looking back, the keeper was probably about 2/3rds of the pitch back. So I reckon I was bowling approx 115kmph full tilt. Maybe 120kmph.

How quick is quick? I faced Simon O'Donnell in the nets off about a 10 step run-up and he was f***ing quick - but it was probably "only" 120-125kmph.

Has anyone faced a human bowling >130kmph? How did you find it? I reckon that is when it is "brown underpants" time for the decent park cricketer.

Sure, for international standards 140kmph guys are sometimes called fast-medium. 145kmph is quick, 150+ is express, 155+ is ridiculous.

The other thing - you ever try to bowl 100kmph out of the back of your hand like Kumble - takes incredible strength/rhythm.

So tell me.
1) Who was the quickest you faced?
2) How quick do you reckon they were bowling?
3) How quick do you reckon you have bowled (be realistic)?
1) Anaru Matthews, who I believe is now pursuing a rugby league career in Australia

2) He had been clocked at 130kph before, and I could see why

3) Very slowly.
 

thierry henry

International Coach
All I know is that when my rhythm is good, I am too quick for some social grade hackers. I would hate to even try to put a number on it though.

The fastest I have ever faced is a guy at the Auckland Under-19 trials who was miles faster than everyone else there, but I have no idea who he was. Funnily enough there was a guy also bowling at me who I believe actually made the team as a pace bowler, but was very tepid in pace compared to this other guy.
 

Kylez

State Vice-Captain
1) Who was the quickest you faced?

Hard to say. I reckon this guy a few weeks ago in mens cricket who I played against, he was very fired up.

2) How quick do you reckon they were bowling?

115 at tops. I'm only 16 so that was ****ing quick for me!


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

Around 95km's at top pace. I think I'll get quicker though as I get a bit older and stronger.
 

Xuhaib

International Coach
in 2002 I spend a summer at Rashid Latif Cricket Acadamy Sami was there for a week and he bowled at us and thats definetley the quickest bowling I ever faced and don't think he was going full throttle.
 

Burgey

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1. Dougeh, Dan McLauchlan, Don Nash and a guy called Neil Jones are the quickest blokes I've faced, though I think there were some blokes trotting around in the higher grades in my area who were plenty quick enough. Dougeh was quick back then but sprayed 'em. McLauchlan was nasty because it was a winter comp and he was bowling with a two piece ball on astro turf. Nash got great bounce, but Jones bowled massive inswingers to right handers, outswingers to me. He could have bowled all day to me and I would never ever have edged one. Mate of mine spanked him out of the park a few times, was hilarious. Two years later we were watching the Shield highlights on TV and he was bowling for NSW!!!
Edit: should add Holdsworth as well, when we played East Hills. He was rapid, even as a 17 year old. Keeper was a speck in the distance. I thought he was having a lend until the first one went past me.

2. Quick enough. Into the 130s easily I would imagine, though in fairness estimating such things is not easy. They always seem faster when you're young, too.

3. They time me with a sun dial.
 
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Tom 1972

School Boy/Girl Captain
Just another thing. a few years ago I was "tearing in" at indoor cricket. They had a speed gun and I got to about 105 off a few steps - anything over 100kmph was "quick", but that is absolutely pedestrian for outdoor cricket. I was thinking - this gun must be underestimating my speed, but it was probabaly spot on.

Damien Fleming was playing a social game on the same court just after us (Box Hill in Melbourne). He was rolling his arm over at abour the same speed and got hit for six and was a bit unimpressed. The remainder of the over was about 118kmph and the batters couldn't see the ball :blink: The batsman were sh**ing themselves - remember - only cotton gloves for grip and box as protection (box was optional for some guys).

Fleming was probably 4-5 years out of the FC cricket.

The other thing - Fleming was pretty ordinary as a batsman in FC cricket but smashed the bowlers everywhere.

Gave me some newfound respect for the talent, fitness and work ethic needed to make it to the top. I might go on about North needing to be dropped or Mitchell Johnson being erratic but goodness they are superstars compared with mere mortals like (most of) us.
 
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Himannv

International Coach
1) Who was the quickest you faced?
Never faced anyone who was particularly fast who stood out I reckon. However, I'm not the best person to ask as I generally have a low backlift and so dont really notice the pace as much as someone who has a higher backlift for instance.

I think the fastest I've played against was probably a guy from club cricket. Must have been around the 130's I guess.

2) How quick do you reckon they were bowling?
See above.

3) How quick do you reckon you have bowled (be realistic)?
Used to be fairly quick earlier on but I'm nothing much these days of course. No one who has faced has ever appeared to find it easy and most of them even comment and say that its pretty fast. I have a feeling it varied with the day though as my action was never really settled. At least mid 120's would be my guess.
 

Top_Cat

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Gave me some newfound respect for the talent, fitness and work ethic needed to make it to the top. I might go on about North needing to be dropped or Mitchell Johnson being erratic but goodness they are superstars compared with mere mortals like (most of) us.
Yeah, that's it. George is another example. Ordinary bat at Shield level (rarely batted above 10 and was an automatic 11 if Harrity/McIntyre weren't in the side) but played sub-district as a specialist bat. Played a lot of indoor cricket with the guy too, used to smash the bowling around and was leagues quicker than anyone else out there.

Was interesting he was able to maintain that pace even years after he retired from FC cricket. I remember the research from WA which said the quickest bowlers had big levers. George is probably about 5'6" but has disproportionately long arms. Incredible throwing arm too. Just a natural hurling machine.
 

Migara

Cricketer Of The Year
1) Who was the quickest you faced?
A guy from my university days. On the matting was ****ing dangerous
2) How quick do you reckon they were bowling?
135 - 140k. I barely saw it come and hit me on the forearm. University team captain was Jehan (Mubarak). He reckoned this guy was 140k when on song. But he was ****ing erratic.
3) How quick do you reckon you have bowled (be realistic)?
110k would be the maximum.
 

thierry henry

International Coach
Just another thing. a few years ago I was "tearing in" at indoor cricket. They had a speed gun and I got to about 105 off a few steps - anything over 100kmph was "quick", but that is absolutely pedestrian for outdoor cricket. I was thinking - this gun must be underestimating my speed, but it was probabaly spot on.

Damien Fleming was playing a social game on the same court just after us (Box Hill in Melbourne). He was rolling his arm over at abour the same speed and got hit for six and was a bit unimpressed. The remainder of the over was about 118kmph and the batters couldn't see the ball :blink: The batsman were sh**ing themselves - remember - only cotton gloves for grip and box as protection (box was optional for some guys).

Fleming was probably 4-5 years out of the FC cricket.

The other thing - Fleming was pretty ordinary as a batsman in FC cricket but smashed the bowlers everywhere.

Gave me some newfound respect for the talent, fitness and work ethic needed to make it to the top. I might go on about North needing to be dropped or Mitchell Johnson being erratic but goodness they are superstars compared with mere mortals like (most of) us.
Just to be a contrarian, I played Daryl Tuffey several times at indoor cricket last year. Neither his batting, bowling or fielding were particularly impressive- with his bowling his effort/pace was obviously up and down, but he was definitely having a dig with the bat (why would he not?). Tuffey is a fair bat these days as well, but he really was nothing to write home about.
 

kingkallis

International Coach
1) Who was the quickest you faced?
Ans : A guy called Javed Chaman from local team and Mehboob Khan from MIGymkhana, Kathor

Both had a high jump like Imran Khan and that made life a bit more difficult.

2) How quick do you reckon they were bowling?
Ans : Somewhere around 125-135. Its not easy to touch 140 and 150 without proper training.

3) How quick do you reckon you have bowled (be realistic)?
Ans : When I was 15-16, I used to mimic Allan Donald and was pretty quick [ 120 maybe ] but now I am an off spinner :(
 

kingkallis

International Coach
I saw Munaf Patel bowling pretty quick in local tourneys as well. He is fond of targeting the rib cages and head high bouncers.
 

Tom 1972

School Boy/Girl Captain
You need to think about how far back the keeper and slips stand. On a slightly bouncy pitch (say MCG) the keeper is a full pitch behind the stumps for someone bowling 135kmph, more for someone approaching 150kmph.

It's interesting. I reckon that alot of the 130kmph+ park cricketers are actually more like 115-20-ish. I am sure that people might over estimate.

I crack my driver 250m very occasionally. The longest pros can get out to 340m. Different ballpark.
 

Tom 1972

School Boy/Girl Captain
[Ans : Somewhere around 125-135. Its not easy to touch 140 and 150 without proper training.
:(
Couldn't agree more. I'd say that 145kmph is rare and 150+ is just for a handful of people on the planet at any point in time. The human body is not made for bowling that fast.
 

Migara

Cricketer Of The Year
You need to think about how far back the keeper and slips stand. On a slightly bouncy pitch (say MCG) the keeper is a full pitch behind the stumps for someone bowling 135kmph, more for someone approaching 150kmph.

It's interesting. I reckon that alot of the 130kmph+ park cricketers are actually more like 115-20-ish. I am sure that people might over estimate.

I crack my driver 250m very occasionally. The longest pros can get out to 340m. Different ballpark.
Yes, the guy I was telling the keeper was about 30 meters back. The bounce on the matting would have been one factor for that but he was beating even Jehan for pace. (Only guy to tore him apart was Sanga, that was back in 99 or 2000, that made me think how good these guys are!) The University ground boundary is about 45 - 60m one and he was bowling towards the longer end. The erratic ones went one bounce four to the boundary. Guys name I cannot remember, but he was a beast. I was #11 in the team and captains have prohibited him bowling bouncers at rabbits. But when I upper cut a slowish one (possibly 125k) for a six, and the edged the next for a four at practice he went mad, and sent a short of a length ball at full pace. Hit me flush on the forearm when I fended. Luckily I was muscular enough to avoid a fracture, buy boy that contusion was there for a month.
 

JBMAC

State Captain
1) Who was the quickest you faced?

The quickest without a doubt was Jeff Thompson with Wes Hall just a shade slower but because he was taller the ball seemed to rise up on you quicker

2) How quick do you reckon they were bowling?

I don't need to say how fast it is a matter of record

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

Didn't bowl normally...Keeper/Opener ...did roll the arm over ina couple of games as a frustrared leggie..no idea how fast
 

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