The first installment of this new series takes an in-depth look at West Indies' amazing pace attack of the 1970s, '80s and early 1990s
On December 1, 1979, West Indies trooped out to play Australia in a series featuring two of the top teams in the world back at full strength. It was the first time the top players were returning to the national teams after the Kerry Packer World Series, but for West Indies it was another historic first: their bowling attack, for the very first time, comprised these four names - Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Colin Croft. Roberts had already played 27 Tests then, and had an average of 24.61, but the others were relatively raw. Holding had played 13 Tests, but had already made a name for himself with 57 wickets, while Garner and Croft had played seven Tests each, taking 38 and 42 wickets. (Croft's haul included 8 for 29 against Pakistan in only his second Test, which remain the best figures by a West Indian fast bowler in Tests.) West Indies had already produced one great fast bowler, Wes Hall, but over the next decade and a half, opposing batsmen would face an examination like never before from a relentless battery of bowlers who possessed fiery pace, skill, and sustained aggression. Read more
Where the fire gone?
Pace like fire?
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mapoui
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- Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 10:07 pm
dats a terrific read bally. enuff fuh awhile..to satisfy any fans hunger.
Ian Bishop is the man whose shortened career was most hurtful. Bish was so fast it was incredible...and so good it was incredible. Bish cud bowl man, really bowl.
also the overall impresion dat those are westindies only great fast bowlers is wrong. westindies from the start estabnished itself as a region dat produces great fast bowlers. Ask Pelham 'Plum' Warner, old english aristocrat born and grew in Trinidad, and captain of england..a direct descendant of the old Warner who established the first english colony in the westindies up in St Kitts.
in those days the had to deal with the barefoot boys in the nets who tested all of them. den there was a fella called 'Float' of whom James mentioned wanted to bowl barefoot in england as westindies got killed.
he pleaded with the captain to take off just one shoe and he wud bowl the engish opposition out.
but the captain insisted dat 'yu cant do that here in england' so the rout was completed.
then as james again mentioned.... George john, George Francis, Herman Griffith were as great as their counterparts anywhere in the world during their times. later manny martindale was fast and good. Martindale was the link between the past and Gilchrist, Hall and Griffith, to the modern legends.
these were all great fast bowlers before the modern crowd..to correct the impression established in dat presentation..which is otherwise excellent indeed
Ian Bishop is the man whose shortened career was most hurtful. Bish was so fast it was incredible...and so good it was incredible. Bish cud bowl man, really bowl.
also the overall impresion dat those are westindies only great fast bowlers is wrong. westindies from the start estabnished itself as a region dat produces great fast bowlers. Ask Pelham 'Plum' Warner, old english aristocrat born and grew in Trinidad, and captain of england..a direct descendant of the old Warner who established the first english colony in the westindies up in St Kitts.
in those days the had to deal with the barefoot boys in the nets who tested all of them. den there was a fella called 'Float' of whom James mentioned wanted to bowl barefoot in england as westindies got killed.
he pleaded with the captain to take off just one shoe and he wud bowl the engish opposition out.
but the captain insisted dat 'yu cant do that here in england' so the rout was completed.
then as james again mentioned.... George john, George Francis, Herman Griffith were as great as their counterparts anywhere in the world during their times. later manny martindale was fast and good. Martindale was the link between the past and Gilchrist, Hall and Griffith, to the modern legends.
these were all great fast bowlers before the modern crowd..to correct the impression established in dat presentation..which is otherwise excellent indeed
Last edited by mapoui on Wed Aug 17, 2011 6:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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mapoui
- Posts: 8507
- Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 10:07 pm
where has all the fiyah gorne?
did it really go , leave us....?
maybe not altogether. it was ridiculous when we had people like vasbert drakes as opening bowler. we had sandford and Powell wh were lacking to say the least. but at the same time we had Edwards whose is a very good fast bowler who wud have hit the ceiling and stayed there wre he Oz or English or RSA etc.
we had the chucker Lawson who was fiyah itself and wud have been great otherwise.
all along there were potentials who never developed, but administratively westindies had fallen on very hard times and little flourished under such management.
currently we have Rampaul who is in the tradition of great westindies pace. Rampaul has he wicket-taking knack! he has found his pace and is quite fast enuff. he has the ability to produce often and consistely wicket-taking balls that any and all batsmen in the world will find hard or impossibel to keep out.
If Rampaul can keep hilmself fit for the next 5-7 years he will end up with a couple hundered wickets and a rep dat wud sit among the greats
did it really go , leave us....?
maybe not altogether. it was ridiculous when we had people like vasbert drakes as opening bowler. we had sandford and Powell wh were lacking to say the least. but at the same time we had Edwards whose is a very good fast bowler who wud have hit the ceiling and stayed there wre he Oz or English or RSA etc.
we had the chucker Lawson who was fiyah itself and wud have been great otherwise.
all along there were potentials who never developed, but administratively westindies had fallen on very hard times and little flourished under such management.
currently we have Rampaul who is in the tradition of great westindies pace. Rampaul has he wicket-taking knack! he has found his pace and is quite fast enuff. he has the ability to produce often and consistely wicket-taking balls that any and all batsmen in the world will find hard or impossibel to keep out.
If Rampaul can keep hilmself fit for the next 5-7 years he will end up with a couple hundered wickets and a rep dat wud sit among the greats
Last edited by mapoui on Wed Aug 17, 2011 6:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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mapoui
- Posts: 8507
- Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 10:07 pm
we also still have Edwards and for the next 2-3 years if fit we shud have some excellent production from him.
Edwards now has real help in the real Rampaul dat has finally shown...in Bishoo a potentially great spinner....and hopefully another great pacer, possibly Roach if he finds himself again...once the captaincy is resolved away from Sammy.
administrative chaos is the source of the loss of westindies cricket fiyah..not juust pace... over the last 15-17 years. westindies pace is always here. it is a question of bringing it forward properly in a situation that allows our cricket to flourish.
Edwards now has real help in the real Rampaul dat has finally shown...in Bishoo a potentially great spinner....and hopefully another great pacer, possibly Roach if he finds himself again...once the captaincy is resolved away from Sammy.
administrative chaos is the source of the loss of westindies cricket fiyah..not juust pace... over the last 15-17 years. westindies pace is always here. it is a question of bringing it forward properly in a situation that allows our cricket to flourish.
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mapoui
- Posts: 8507
- Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 10:07 pm
Googley wrote:man, stop biggin up you country man!
he aint all that! he eat too much roti!
against Sammy, any bowler looks good!
Rampi is very good. I am sooprised it took him so long to find himself. but he is hear now. as long as he pospone all the roti for later..about 8 years up the road we fine!