• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Steyn/Philander vs Donald/Pollock

Better Bowling Pair


  • Total voters
    21

subshakerz

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Pollock is too far ahead of Philander for this to be in doubt.
Is he? I don't think that much and mainly just due to linger career. Pollock better in SC but I would take Philander everywhere else.

I think at their peak in the early 2010s Steyn Philander was more devastating.
 
Last edited:

Bolo.

International Captain
Is he? I don't think that much. Pollock better in SC but I would take Philander everywhere else.

I think at their peak in the early 2010s Steyn Philander was more devastating.
Pollock ahead of Philander on anything that isn't a vicious seamer. He was 15km faster for most of his career, got more bounce and was just as accurate. And 200 odd extra wickets. The only thing Philander did better was being able to control which way the ball was seaming.

Philander did peak harder, but I don't particularly care about that.
 

subshakerz

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Pollock ahead of Philander on anything that isn't a vicious seamer. He was 15km faster for most of his career, got more bounce and was just as accurate. And 200 odd extra wickets. The only thing Philander did better was being able to control which way the ball was seaming.

Philander did peak harder, but I don't particularly care about that.
Pollock was only faster early career. Mid late career he was almost an offspinner frankly lol. Yes he got more bounce, Philander had slightly more control plus the wobble ball. He was simply better on any surface with lateral movement. Pollock with a better career due to more wickets mainly.

I think the gap between them is close enough for Steyn being ahead of Donald to matter.
 

Bolo.

International Captain
Pollock was only faster early career. Mid late career he was almost an offspinner frankly lol. Yes he got more bounce, Philander had slightly more control plus the wobble ball. He was simply better on any surface with lateral movement. Pollock with a better career due to more wickets mainly.

I think the gap between them is close enough for Steyn being ahead of Donald to matter.
I think you are misremembering when the phases of Pollocks career were. He was genuine fast until injury in around 2002. Mid 140s pretty regularly without just trying to bowl fast. Which was over half his matches. Then he was FM until his second major injury in around 2005. Then around Philander speed after that. Mid 120s to early 130s. Your impression of his speed might have been influenced by watching him in a series when he was coming back from injury.

Pollock mostly bowled wobble seam, and Philander didn't typically. Pollock said he liked wobble seam, cos if he didnt know which direction the ball was moving in, there was no way the bat did. Philander used to control the seam direction instead to get the ball moving the direction he wanted. Or at least I think he could. Hard to be competely sure.
 

subshakerz

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I think you are misremembering when the phases of Pollocks career were. He was genuine fast until injury in around 2002. Mid 140s pretty regularly without just trying to bowl fast. Which was over half his matches. Then he was FM until his second major injury in around 2005. Then around Philander speed after that. Mid 120s to early 130s. Your impression of his speed might have been influenced by watching him in a series when he was coming back from injury.

Pollock mostly bowled wobble seam, and Philander didn't typically. Pollock said he liked wobble seam, cos if he didnt know which direction the ball was moving in, there was no way the bat did. Philander used to control the seam direction instead to get the ball moving the direction he wanted. Or at least I think he could. Hard to be competely sure.
Philander did bowl wobble seam.
 

subshakerz

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Do you seriously think that the gap between Steyn and Donald is bigger than Pollock and Philander???
It's a tough one. As a bowler I don't think Philander was that far from Pollock except for on SC. But yeah figuring that Pollock has so many more wickets I can see why the gap would be larger.
 

Coronis

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Donald/Pollock 47 matches 397 @ 21.85 22 5’fers 1 10’fer
Donald 208 @ 22.01 13 5’fers 1 10’fer
Pollock 189 @ 21.65 9 5’fers

397/762 wickets (52.10%)

Steyn/Philander 40 matches 331 @ 21.71 18 5’fers 3 10’fers
Steyn 177 @ 21.88 8 5’fers 1 10’fer
Philander 154 @ 21.50 10 5’fers 2 10’fers

331/664 wickets (49.85%)
 

subshakerz

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Donald/Pollock 47 matches 397 @ 21.85 22 5’fers 1 10’fer
Donald 208 @ 22.01 13 5’fers 1 10’fer
Pollock 189 @ 21.65 9 5’fers

397/762 wickets (52.10%)

Steyn/Philander 40 matches 331 @ 21.71 18 5’fers 3 10’fers
Steyn 177 @ 21.88 8 5’fers 1 10’fer
Philander 154 @ 21.50 10 5’fers 2 10’fers

331/664 wickets (49.85%)
Thanks Coronis. That sort of confirms that as bowling pairs they are quite close even if Pollock careerwise was a level ahead of Philander.
 

Coronis

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Thanks Coronis. That sort of confirms that as bowling pairs they are quite close even if Pollock careerwise was a level ahead of Philander.
I would say Donald and Pollock were better at consistently taking wickets, whilst Steyn and Philander were more likely to run through a side, but also more likely to have poor games.

This is further amplified in away games, where Philander in particular was much less penetrative. Pollock in fact took more wickets per game away than at home during this period.
 

subshakerz

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I would say Donald and Pollock were better at consistently taking wickets, whilst Steyn and Philander were more likely to run through a side, but also more likely to have poor games.

This is further amplified in away games, where Philander in particular was much less penetrative. Pollock in fact took more wickets per game away than at home during this period.
Yeah I felt Steyn and Philander could destroy teams more when in the mood.

And yes Pollock is better away primarily because he could do well in SC, though on other pitches I think Philander is better. His home record is particularly awesome.
 

Coronis

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Yeah I felt Steyn and Philander could destroy teams more when in the mood.

And yes Pollock is better away primarily because he could do well in SC, though on other pitches I think Philander is better. His home record is particularly awesome.
Better away + consistency, my vote shouldn’t be a shock.
 

subshakerz

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Better away + consistency, my vote shouldn’t be a shock.
Yeah I see that. I think Steyn and Philander seemed to time their performances for more impact though away from home.

Philander for examples has matchwinning performances in Aus, Eng and NZ that sealed series victories. Steyn was king in SC, though Pollock was very good too.
 

Top